Rishi Sunak Confirms General Election in the Second Half of the Year
Rishi Sunak has all-but ruled out holding a General Election in May, stating that he will likely go to the country in the "second half of the year." This announcement comes after speculation that the Prime Minister could call an early ballot in the spring.
Sunak's Surprising Comments
During a visit to the East Midlands, Rishi Sunak made the surprise announcement, saying, "So, my working assumption is we'll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime, I've got lots that I want to get on with." This marks his first campaign appearance in 2024.
Neutralizing Future Attacks
By ruling out a spring election, Rishi Sunak aims to neutralize future attacks from the Labour party, which could claim that he had backed out of calling an early election. This move follows former Labour PM Gordon Brown's fatal mistake in 2007 when he allowed election rumors to spread before ultimately deciding against it.
Predictions for the Autumn
With Rishi Sunak unlikely to hold a summer election, the smart money is now on autumn. This timing would avoid the spike in small boat crossings and allow many Brits to go abroad. Additionally, it would give the cost of living crisis time to ease off and give Sunak two years in No10 under his belt.
Sunak's Pledges and Criticisms
Rishi Sunak spoke on the one-year anniversary of launching his five overriding pledges to voters, claiming "great progress." However, he has faced criticism for only definitively meeting his first goal of halving inflation. National debt rose slightly, economic growth was modest, and NHS waiting lists increased to 7.7 million. Additionally, there were still 29,437 Channel arrivals despite a decrease in small boat crossings last year.
