UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that he has called the entire general election for 4 July.
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The prime minister said that he had officially asked King Charles III to dissolve parliament before the elections. Parliament is expected to be dissolved next week.
Rumors that Sunak could call an early election began circulating on May 22 after ministers reversed measures and reduced or postponed overseas travel to attend government meetings, the BBC writes.
A POLITICO poll shows Labor leading the Conservatives by 21% as the vote approaches. Labor has been pushing its own set of election promises to voters in recent days as it looks to win after 14 years of Tory rule.
Meanwhile, UK inflation is finally closing in on the Bank of England’s 2% target after almost three years of soaring prices.
Prices of goods and services in Britain rose 2.3% in April from a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday.
Inflation fell after an annual rise of 3.2% recorded in March. On a monthly basis, prices increased by 0.3%.
The news should have pleased Prime Minister Sunak and his chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who have made it a priority to bring inflation down to the Bank’s 2% target ahead of a general election expected later this year.
It could also encourage the Bank of England to start cutting interest rates, which are still at their highest level in a decade at 5.25%.
UK inflation peaked at 11.1% in October 2022, the month Sunak took office.
Political observers believe Sunak is seeking to capitalize on the country’s economic situation in the upcoming election, but critics say the favorable outlook has more to do with changes in the global economy than with British government policies.
The Labor Party said it was “quite prepared for an election if the Prime Minister had not been appointed”.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.