British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the next general election will take place on July 4th, bringing to an end months of speculation about a snap election.
Standing in the rain outside Number 10 Downing Street, Sunak confirmed that he spoke to the king “earlier today,” on May 22nd, to request the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the national vote, which polls suggest his party is likely to lose. It was hard to hear the whole of the PM’s speech, which was disrupted by the ‘Tony Blair anthem’ Things Can Only Get Better, played on a loudspeaker nearby.
Gavin Barwell, who served as Number 10 chief of staff under then-PM Theresa May, poured further cold water on Sunak’s announcement, predicting that the next few days will see “a fair few Conservative MPs announce they are standing down.” More than 60 have already done exactly that in recent months. Pundits say that the total could reach 100, with many Tories expecting to lose their seats if they do stand.
Labour was quick to put out a pre-prepared video insisting that it is “time for change,” and Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) said “we’re ready.” William Clouston, who is leader of the Social Democratic Party, also said: “We need to elect people who will nurture it and restore it to prosperity.”
Expect six weeks of heavy campaigning to follow.
