OH BALLOTS!
Just when we were looking forward to the Euros, Taylor Swift, Wimbledon & some sunshine, Rishi calls a bloody election…
Scroll down to read the latest polling figures
RISHI Sunak last night sprang a surprise General Election date on Britain - sending the nation to the ballot box bang in the middle of the Euros on July 4.
Campaigning will be in full swing as the nation starts watching Harry Kane's Three Lions and enjoys major summer events such as Taylor Swift's tour and Wimbledon.
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The Prime Minister leapt on news of tumbling inflation to take a massive gamble on his chances of staying in No10.
Standing in a Downing Street downpour at 5pm, the drenched Prime Minister declared it was time to choose between him and the man he says has no plan, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
In a twist this morning, Nigel Farage ruled out standing for the Reform Party - saying he is focused on the US election.
The leading Brexiteer decided that now is "not the right time" to push for a Westminster seat.
The Reform Party President made the call after sleeping on the decision overnight following Rishi Sunak's sudden election announcement.
His decision will be seen as a huge boost for the Tories who were fearful he could take support away from their core vote.
At times Mr Sunak was drowned out by protesters blasting Labour’s 1997 election anthem — D:Ream’s Things Can Only Get Better — from a nearby street.
But, staying poised, the PM revealed he had met King Charles at Buckingham Palace earlier in the day to request that Parliament be dissolved ahead of Polling Day.
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After months of suggesting an autumn ballot, he sprang the early vote on his Cabinet and stunned backbenchers — puzzled at the risk to go early when the Tories trail by 20 points in the polls.
The early vote also means it is extremely unlikely a single plane will take off for Rwanda by polling day, despite the flagship deportation scheme being front and centre of the PM’s offering.
Mr Sunak insisted however that he was “proud of our achievements” as he kick-started six weeks of campaigning that will clash heavily with football’s Euros.
Referencing the Covid pandemic, introduction of the furlough scheme for workers and the Ukraine war, Mr Sunak said: “The last five years have been the most challenging times since the Second World War.
The building blocks for Rishi Sunak’s soggy General Election announcement were all there - they’d been planning it for weeks
“Now I cannot and will not claim that we have got everything right. No government should.
“But I am proud of what we have achieved together, the bold actions we have taken and I’m confident about what we can do in the future.
“Now is the moment to choose to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.
“Because of our collective sacrifice and your hard work, we have reached two major milestones in delivering that stability, showing that when we work together, anything is possible.
“Our economy is now growing faster than anyone predicted, outpacing Germany, France and the United States — and this morning it was confirmed that inflation is back to normal.
“This means that the pressure on prices will ease and mortgage rates will come down.
“This is proof that the plan and priorities I set out are working.”
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Mr Sunak added: “Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament.
“The King has granted this request, and we will have a General Election on July 4.
“This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War.”
Issuing a stark warning to millions of voters, Mr Sunak said: “These uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action, to chart a course to a secure future.
A KICK IN THE POLLS
VOTERS will be distracted from the cut and thrust of the election campaign by a spectacular summer of sport and other events.
July 4 falls in the middle of Euro 2024, where Gareth Southgate’s England side will carry the hopes of the nation.
The tournament in Germany kicks off on June 14 — with the Three Lions’ group games on June 16, 20, and 25 ahead of a Round of 16 tie on either June 29 or 30.
There is no game on election day itself — although the Euros quarter-finals start on July 5 — but the Wimbledon tennis championship, possibly featuring Sir Andy Murray’s swansong, will be in full swing.
Horse racing fans will be more interested in the Epsom Derby on May 30 than the first day of campaigning after Parliament goes into recess.
Trooping the Colour on June 15 will see King Charles back in the spotlight before his attention also turns to racing as he is expected at Royal Ascot the following week.
Music fans can shake off all election talk as Taylor Swift, right, performs on ten dates from June 7 to June 23. Noel Gallagher and Lewis Capaldi top the bill at the Isle of Wight Festival from June 20 to 23, and Glastonbury runs from June 26 to 30.
London Pride is on June 29, the Hampton Court Flower Show from July 2 and the British F1 Grand Prix build-up starts on July 4 itself.
“You must choose in this election who has that plan, who is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a better future for our country and our children.
“On July 5, either Keir Starmer or I will be Prime Minister.
“He has shown time and time again, that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.
“If he was happy to abandon the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become Prime Minister?”
Responding to Mr Sunak with his own starting-gun speech, a defiant Sir Keir declared: “It’s time for change.”
He added: “Britain is a great and proud country.
“But after 14 years under the Tories, nothing seems to work any more.
“Public services crumbling, ambulances that don’t come, families weighed down by higher mortgage rates, anti-social behaviour on our high streets. The list goes on and on.
“Political chaos feeding decline, feeding chaos, feeding decline.
“The answer is not five more years of the Tories. They have failed.
“Give the Tories five more years and things will only get worse.
“Britain deserves better than that.”
You must choose in this election who has that plan, who is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a better future for our country and our children.
Rishi Sunak
As things stand, Sir Keir is on track for victory.
Labour is polling at 44 per cent, while the Tories are trailing behind on 23.
Reform UK are third on 11 per cent, with the Lib Dems on ten.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove led the Cabinet in support of the early date saying: “Who dares wins . . . and you have dared, Prime Minister and will win.”
A process called “wash up” will now take place where Bills that have not yet received Royal Assent will try to be crashed into law at breakneck speed.
Why is Rishi Sunak calling a general election now?
By Kate Ferguson, Sun on Sunday Political Editor
So, why has the PM suddenly decided to roll the dice and call a summer election?
The first thing to point out is that No10 was not united on the decision.
One camp, led by the Tory Party’s chief strategist Isaac Levido, had urged the PM to “go long” and wait until October or November to hold an election.
This would give them more time to show the economy is improving and let the Bank of England cut interest rates, they argued.
This in turn would let banks cut mortgage rates, which are currently crippling family budgets.
Only then would people start to feel financially better off.
But another team, led by the PM’s Political Secretary James Forsyth, have been pushing for a summer election.
Now, it is important to note that James is Rishi’s best mate.
They have known each other since school, are godparents to each other's kids, and Rishi was best man at James’ wedding.
They are more than just political colleagues. They are besties.
Anyway, James’ camp reckons Rishi can now finally show he is achieving all five of the priorities he set out when he became PM.
These are - halve inflation, get the economy growing, get debt falling, cut NHS waiting lists and pass new laws to stop the boats.
On the economy, the PM will point out that growth is up, wages are rising and inflation is down to 2.3 per cent - almost bang on target.
NHS waiting lists also dropped for the fourth month in a row, according to official figures out last month.
And on stopping the boats, the PM has managed to pass laws enacting his flagship Rwanda deportation plan.
The thinking is - strike while the iron is hot and you can put five big ticks by your promises.
But there is also grim news for No10 that has nudged them into calling a summer election.
Their flagship Rwanda Bill has passed parliament and is now law. But hopes they will get a flight off the ground this year are fading fast.
Northern Ireland's HIgh Court ruled that the plan breached human rights laws and therefore should not apply in NI.
This paved the way for English laws to also reject it.
Meanwhile, small boat crossings are going up again.
A whole summer of damaging headlines showing boats on the shores of Dover will only feed a sense that No10 does not have a grip.
Rishi is famously straight laced.
He doesn't drink, he has never taken drugs, and he is not a gambler.
But he has staked it all on a July 4 election.
Will he come up trumps? Or will he lose it all?
Once Parliament is dissolved, all MPs will automatically vacate their seats and the Civil Service will enter a period of effective pause known as “purdah”.
The election campaign will then go into full swing with all party leaders embarking on a whistle-stop tour of battleground seats across the country.
The parties will also launch their manifestos setting out their core promises.
Election TV debates will likely take place in the days leading up to Polling Day.
Rumours of an announcement began swirling around Westminster early yesterday.
No 10 sources initially played down talk of a major statement from the PM. But by mid-morning they had gone underground.
INFLATION DOWN
At PMQs, Mr Sunak refused to rule out naming a date.
After taking the unusual step of hosting a Wednesday afternoon Cabinet, the ground was laid for a major speech.
The timing of the announcement came as the Office for National Statistics confirmed inflation was coming down.
Mr Sunak hailed the figure as a “major moment for the economy” and vowed that “brighter days are ahead”.
Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation stood at 2.3 per cent in April, the ONS announced.
This is down from 3.2 per cent in March and marks the lowest level since July 2021. Inflation is now closer to the Bank of England’s two per cent target.
It comes just a day after the International Monetary Fund upgraded UK growth for this year, and forecast the economy will grow faster than any other large European country over the next six years.
Meanwhile, food price inflation saw further falls over the year, although these were partially offset by a small rise in petrol prices.
CPI food inflation edged down to 2.9 per cent in April from four per cent in March — and much lower than its spring 2023 peak of almost 20 per cent.
Trumpeting the news, the Prime Minister said: “Today marks a major moment for the economy, with inflation back to normal.
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“This is proof that the plan is working and that the difficult decisions we have taken are paying off.
“Brighter days are ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.”
What are the odds?
The latest Betfair Exchange odds on which party will win the general election are:
- Labour majority 1/8
- No overall majority 9/1
- Conservative majority 49/1