The Prime Minister has made the sudden announcement, stating that “now is the moment for Britain to choose its future”
BY KAY TRAYFORD, IMAGES BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Rishi Sunak has set the UK general election date for Thursday 4 July, marking the first July election since 1945.
The Prime Minister announced this unexpected decision outside Number 10 Downing Street on Wednesday (22 May) amidst growing speculation in Westminster.
This announcement followed significant hints earlier in the day with the Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, abruptly ending his trip to Albania to attend a Cabinet meeting, and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps delaying his trip to the Baltic states for a NATO meeting.
The election date is earlier than many anticipated, as Sunak had previously indicated an autumn election, with the latest possible date being 28 January 2025. Current polling data suggests a challenging landscape for the Conservative Party.
In his speech, Sunak stated, “Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” while criticising the Labour Party’s lack of a clear plan. This election announcement comes after a difficult period for the Conservatives, who faced significant losses in May’s local elections. A January poll indicated a potential landslide victory for Labour in a general election.
Both Sunak and Starmer have spoken recently about trans rights. While Starmer has shown some support for trans rights, Sunak’s government has repeatedly expressed anti-trans views, most recently with draft school guidance to ban discussions of trans identities for pupils under nine.
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