UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls for July 4 general election

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday called a surprise early election on July 4. The announcement is seen as a high-risk move for the Conservative party with polls heavily favoring the opposition Labour Party.

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,”Sunak said as he listed the highlights of his time in government, including the introduction of the so-called furlough scheme that helped businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rishi Sunak made the announcement from outside his Downing Street office.

Facing the election, Rishi Sunak not only trails Labour, but political experts believe that he is struggling to assert control over his Conservative Party.

Rishi Sunak, who is UK’s fifth prime minister in eight years, took oath in October 2022 following the resignation of Liz Truss, who was in power for just 44 days.

For the surprise election, Sunak appears to be leveraging recent economic improvements — such as declining inflation and the fastest economic growth in nearly three years — as a strategic gamble to secure voter support for another term, as per Reuters report.

Meanwhile, both the Conservative Party and Labour have already drawn battle lines on economic and defense issues.

Sunak’s government claims Labour would raise taxes and mismanage the country, asserting that Labour lacks a viable plan to ensure Britain’s security in a volatile global landscape. Labour, in turn, criticises the Conservatives for 14 years of economic mismanagement, leaving citizens worse off and failing to provide the stability needed for business growth.

Labour has expressed readiness for the election.

“We are fully ready to go whenever the prime minister calls an election. We have a fully organised and operational campaign ready to go and we think the country is crying out for a general election,” Labour leader Keir Starmer spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

Following the election date announcement, Rishi Sunak’s office said that Britain’s parliament will be suspended on Friday this week.