Rishi Sunak Calls U.K. Election For July 4
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Wednesday that the U.K. will hold a general election on July 4, ending months of speculation about the timing.
The center-left Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is the firm favorite to form the next government, having consistently led Sunak’s right-wing Conservatives in the polls, often with a double-digit advantage.
Sunak delivered Wednesday’s news in an announcement outside 10 Downing Street in the pouring rain. Earlier that day, he’d sought King Charles’ permission to “dissolve” Parliament, meaning that the body’s main purpose of making laws will be paused until after the election, when the new government will set out its legislative agenda. Charles agreed to the formality, setting in motion a six-week election campaign.
The prime minister faces an uphill struggle to keep Conservatives in power after 14 years in charge. Labour has held a polling lead of about 20 points since before Sunak took over from Liz Truss in late 2022. Sunak’s focus on an immigration crackdown and economic revival has failed to improve his party’s popularity.
The Conservatives will be pinning their hopes of a narrow victory on what they argue is a lack of voter enthusiasm for Starmer and the Labour Party’s offer. But there’s little evidence for that, with polls suggesting the more likely outcome is a landslide Labour win similar to 1997, when the party swept to power under Tony Blair.
How both parties will position themselves to the electorate already appears clear. In his address, which came on the day official data showed U.K. inflation was falling appreciably, Sunak contended there were “brighter days are ahead,” but only if “we stick to the plan.” Starmer, who spoke after the announcement, characterized the election as an “opportunity for change.”
Voters will choose 650 members of Parliament to sit in the House of Commons, with the party holding a majority of members forming the government, and its leader becoming prime minister.
