Rishi Sunak
The Prime Minister says it is his “working assumption” that the vote will take place at the end of the year, dashing Labor's hopes of an earlier poll
Rishi Sunak has given his clearest indication yet that he will not call a general election until the second half of 2024, dashing Labor's hopes that it could take place as early as the spring.
The prime minister told broadcasters on Thursday that it was his “working assumption” that the vote would take place in the second half of the year, giving him more time to try to reverse the Conservatives' deficit in the polls. After the repeal of the law on fixed-term parliaments in 2022, the election date is solely in his hands.
“I expect we will have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime I have a lot of things I want to get on with,” he said during a visit to Nottinghamshire.
While he refused to rule out calling an election in May, as predicted by senior Labor figures, Sunak reiterated his intention to hold it in the second half of the year.
“I want to carry on, manage the economy well and cut people’s taxes, but I also want to continue to tackle illegal migration,” Sunak said. “I still have a lot to do and I am determined to continue making a difference for the British people.”
Sunak must call an election by the end of January 2025 and has repeatedly stated that he intends to do so this year.
However, the Prime Minister has not yet indicated exactly when he will plan this, which has led to speculation that it could either coincide with local elections in May or be postponed until the autumn when MPs and voters return from summer holidays.
Labor is planning elections in the spring. Emily Thornberry, the party's shadow attorney-general, recently said an election in May would be “the worst kept secret in Westminster”.
Thornberry's comments led some analysts to predict that Labor was trying to entrench the idea that an earlier election was inevitable so that Sunak could be accused of cowardice should he decide against it.
Labor leader Keir Starmer told Sky News: “We are ready for an election. I think the country is ready for elections. People are screaming for change. And I say to the Prime Minister: What is he hiding?
“This has serious consequences for the country because he is essentially saying he is going to sit around Downing Street for months, hesitating and hesitating.”
Sunak and Starmer spoke at public events on Thursday as the election campaign took shape.
Starmer used a speech in Bristol to promise he would bring “project hope” if elected prime minister this year.
In a low-key question and answer session to which national journalists were not invited, Sunak attacked Labour's plans for green spending, saying they could not be delivered without increasing inflation and taxes.
“We're going to keep talking about it because ultimately it's going to affect everyone in this country,” he said. “We’re going to lower their taxes and make sure everyone knows that if they ever get left-handed, your taxes will go up.”
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