THIS is the moment Rishi Sunak called a General Election and confirmed the date for July 4.
The Prime Minister spoke at a Downing Street lectern without an umbrella as Westminster was hit by heavy downpours on Wednesday afternoon.
Speculation that the PM could call a snap general election had coursed through Westminster all day.
He will take on Sir Keir Starmer‘s Labour Party in what is set to be a historic fight for the keys to No10, centred on the economy.
Speaking before hoards of cameras tonight, Mr Sunak said: “The last five years have been the most challenging times since the Second World War.
“Now is the moment to choose to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.”
Drowned out by protest music, the PM added: “Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament.
“The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on July 4. This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War.”
As he stepped back inside, his suit was drenched through from the heavy rain.
As things stand, Sir Keir is on track for victory.
Labour is currently polling at 44 per cent, while the Tories are trailing behind on 23.
Reform UK are third most popular on 11 per cent while the Lib Dems are sitting one point behind on 10.
The announcement of an election came after a day of high drama in Westminster.
The rumour mill began spinning in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
No10 sources initially played down talk of a major statement from the PM. But by mid-morning they’d gone underground.
At PMQs Mr Sunak refused to rule out naming a date and in the early afternoon a Downing Street spokesperson wouldn’t budge on ruling out any move.
After taking the unusual step of hosting a Wednesday afternoon Cabinet the ground was laid for a major speech.
The timing of the announcement came as the Office for National Statistics confirmed inflation hit 2.3% today.
Mr Sunak hailed the figure as a “major moment for the economy” and vowed that vowed that “brighter days are ahead”.
Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation stood at 2.3% in April according to fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is down from 3.2% in March and marks the lowest level since July 2021.
The data shows inflation is now closer towards the Bank of England’s 2% target.
By Kate Ferguson, Sun on Sunday Political Editor
So, why has the PM suddenly decided to roll the dice and call a summer election?
The first thing to point out is that No10 was not united on the decision.
One camp, led by the Tory Party’s chief strategist Isaac Levido, had urged the PM to “go long” and wait until October or November to hold an election.
This would give them more time to show the economy is improving and let the Bank of England cut interest rates, they argued.
This in turn would let banks cut mortgage rates, which are currently crippling family budgets.
Only then would people start to feel financially better off.
But another team, led by the PM’s Political Secretary James Forsyth, have been pushing for a summer election.
Now, it is important to note that James is Rishi’s best mate.
They have known each other since school, are godparents to each other’s kids, and Rishi was best man at James’ wedding.
They are more than just political colleagues. They are besties.
Anyway, James’ camp reckons Rishi can now finally show he is achieving all five of the priorities he set out when he became PM.
These are – halve inflation, get the economy growing, get debt falling, cut NHS waiting lists and pass new laws to stop the boats.
On the economy, the PM will point out that growth is up, wages are rising and inflation is down to 2.3 per cent – almost bang on target.
NHS waiting lists also dropped for the fourth month in a row, according to official figures out last month.
And on stopping the boats, the PM has managed to pass laws enacting his flagship Rwanda deportation plan.
The thinking is – strike while the iron is hot and you can put five big ticks by your promises.
But there is also grim news for No10 that has nudged them into calling a summer election.
Their flagship Rwanda Bill has passed parliament and is now law. But hopes they will get a flight off the ground this year are fading fast.
Northern Ireland’s HIgh Court ruled that the plan breached human rights laws and therefore should not apply in NI.
This paved the way for English laws to also reject it.
Meanwhile, small boat crossings are going up again.
A whole summer of damaging headlines showing boats on the shores of Dover will only feed a sense that No10 does not have a grip.
Rishi is famously straight laced.
He doesn’t drink, he has never taken drugs, and he is not a gambler.
But he has staked it all on a July 4 election.
Will he come up trumps? Or will he lose it all?
It comes just a day after the IMF (International Monetary Fund) upgraded UK growth for this year and forecast the economy will grow faster than any other large European country over the next six years.
Meanwhile, food price inflation saw further falls over the year, although these were partially offset by a small uptick in petrol prices.
CPI food inflation edged down to 2.9% in April from 4% in March – much lower than its peak of almost 20% in the spring of 2023.
Trumpeting the fall in inflation today, the PM said: “Today marks a major moment for the economy, with inflation back to normal.
“This is proof that the plan is working and that the difficult decisions we have taken are paying off.
“Brighter days are ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.”
