“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces that the UK general elections will take place on July 4.”
Earlier, speculation surged regarding the proximity of a UK general election, potentially slated for early July, intensifying as Sunak presided over a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. Ministers notably curtailed foreign visits and adjusted schedules to ensure their attendance.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that the UK general elections would take place on July 4, making the announcement during an address on the steps of 10 Downing Street on a rainy London evening. Sunak, the country’s first Prime Minister of Indian heritage, confirmed a summer poll in six weeks’ time and indicated that Parliament would soon be dissolved after he formally notified King Charles III of the election timeline.
In his pitch to the British electorate, the 44-year-old leader highlighted his track record in office, promising robust protection and urging the nation to select its future path.
The governing Conservative Party faces bleak prospects in most opinion polls, with the Opposition Labour Party enjoying a solid lead following recent byelection and local election victories.
Sunak reiterated his stance on a general election in the “second half of this year” during his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps postponed his flight to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) meeting, while Foreign Secretary David Cameron shortened his visit to Albania to be present in London for the Cabinet meeting, hinting at an imminent election date announcement.
Sunak informed MPs in the Commons about the forthcoming general election, underscoring the choice between a party endangering economic stability (Labour) and Conservatives delivering a secure future for the United Kingdom.
The announcement coincided with positive news on the UK economy, with inflation dropping to 2.3 percent, the lowest in three years, aligning with Sunak’s pledge to reduce inflation by more than half since assuming office in October 2022.
The development lent further weight to speculation about an earlier election, previously anticipated in October or November.
Sunak convened the Cabinet meeting to inform ministers that he had discussed with the King the dissolution of Parliament for a general election on the first Thursday of July, in adherence to the tradition of holding elections on Thursdays. The repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in 2022 reinstated the prerogative of British prime ministers to set election dates, with the law mandating a general election at least every five years, setting January 2025 as the outermost deadline for Sunak to go to the ballot box.
