Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has not ruled out the possibility of calling a general election as his government gains confidence from a recent decline in inflation rates.
There is mounting speculation in Westminster that Sunak may soon announce an early election, driven by the favorable economic shift.
When asked about the future of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Sunak’s spokesperson evaded the question, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the government’s next moves.
“I know there’s a lot of interest in this, as there has been pretty much every week over the last five months. I’ll just say the same thing I’ve always said, which is I’m not going to rule anything in or out.”
Sunak’s spokesperson
Previously, Sunak pledged that the nation would head to the polls in the latter half of this year.
David Cameron had to abbreviate his visit to Albania to return to London for a crucial cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
The foreign secretary was set to engage with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and unveil plans for a collaboration aimed at training Albanian judges.
If Rishi Sunak decides to announce an election on Wednesday evening, a potential six-week campaign period would set the election date for July 4. However, there’s also speculation that the Prime Minister might opt for a later date in the autumn.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, SNP leader Stephen Flynn asked Rishi Sunak if he was planning to call an election.
Flynn said, “Speculation is rife, so I think the public deserves a clear answer to a simple question. Does the prime minister intend to call a summer general election or is he feat?”
Sunak said, “There is, Mr Speaker – spoiler alert – there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year.”
“At that moment, the British people will in fact see the truth about the honorable gentleman opposite me [Keir Starmer], because that will be the choice at the next election, Mr. Speaker – a party that is not able to say to the country what they would do, a party that would put at risk our hard-earned economic stability, or the Conservatives that are delivering a secure future for our United Kingdom.”
Rishi Sunak
At the subsequent press briefing, Sunak’s spokesperson was asked to confirm that there would be no cabinet reshuffle and to reaffirm Sunak’s commitment to retaining Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor.
“We don’t comment on reshuffle speculation. We think the chancellor’s doing a very good job and it’s very clear that the economy is on the up. It’s the PM’s decision in terms of the cabinet positions.”
Sunak’s spokesperson
Starmer Leading In Opinion Polls
After 14 years of Conservative rule, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has consistently led the polls since early 2022.
The latest possible date for a general election is January 2025. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can call an election any time before then.
However, experts believe that facing potential defeat, he might delay the election to extend his time in office.
The current polls of the voting intention of Britons indicate that Keir Starmer will win the general election by 44.6%, followed by Rishi Sunak at 22.9%.
Moreover, the Reform Party is polling at 11.3%, the Liberal Democrats at 9.8%, and the Green Party at 6.5%. These figures reflect the current standing of smaller parties as they vie for influence in the political landscape.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) was not included in the data. However, the SNP vote usually sits between 2% and 4% of national vote share.
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