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    Watch: Rishi Sunak launches Conservative general election campaign

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak launched the Conservative Party’s general election campaign in London on Wednesday, 22 May.It came after the prime minister announced that the public will go to the polls on 4 July after months of speculation over when he would confirm the date.Many in Westminster had expected the election to be held in October or November.Soaked from the rain during his announcement outside 10 Downing Street, the PM said he would “fight for every vote” as he attempts to overturn a 20-point opinion poll deficit.In response, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told voters: “Together we can stop the chaos, we can turn the page, we can start to rebuild Britain.”In an Instagram video posted after the announcement, Mr Sunak said although the public are “only just starting to feel the benefits” of Tory plans, “this hard won economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning… and that’s why I’ve called an election.” More

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    Watch: Aerials of central London as Sunak calls snap general election

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch aerials of central London after Rishi Sunak announced a general election for Thursday 4 July.The Prime Minister made a statement outside No 10 shortly after 5pm on Wednesday 22 May, naming the summer polling date.He has gambled that improved inflation figures and a recovering economy will help him overturn Labour’s 20-point opinion poll lead.In a sign that security and the economy will be key battlegrounds, Mr Sunak said: “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.”The “uncertain times” call for a “clear plan”, he said.A July election is earlier than many in Westminster had expected, with a contest in October or November widely thought to have been more likely.Mr Sunak’s announcement came after the Office for National Statistics said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation slowed to 2.3% in April, down from 3.2% in March.He said that was a “major milestone” for the country, with inflation now “back to normal” levels. More

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    General election polls: Are Labour or the Conservatives on track to win in July?

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPrime minister Rishi Sunak has settled on 4 July for the general election after months of speculation but while the economic news is good, with inflation coming down, the polls are still heavily against the Tories.Senior Conservatives were called in for a cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon, with ministers changing travel plans, including foreign secretary David Cameron and defence secretary Grant Shapps.“Spoiler alert – there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year,” said Mr Sunak when challenged by SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn during PMQs at lunchtime before taking to a podium in Downing Street later in the afternoon.Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour has a 23-point lead in the latest poll on voter intentions from Techne UK, with the Tory-Labour gap remaining wide over the past few months. The data is taken from 1,641 surveyed individuals across the UK, weighted to be representative of the population.At just 21 per cent of the vote, the Conservatives are at one of their lowest levels of popularity with the electorate under Mr Sunak.If Mr Sunak was hoping to wait for the polls to swing in his favour before calling the election, he would have been disappointed. Labour have polled consistently in the region of 44 per cent and the Conservatives have been shedding more points since January. Reform UK and the Lib Dems are tied as the third highest polling parties, each snatching up 12 per cent. Both parties could be picking up support from historical Tory voters.Satisfaction with both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer remains poor, with both polling negatively overall since November 2022, according to a separate monthly poll by Ipsos UK.The data is taken from 1,000 British adults surveyed each month, answering the question: “Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with how … is doing his job as prime minister/as leader of the Labour Party?”Despite low figures overall, satisfaction has jumped for the Labour leader in the past month, with a 13-point boost from -31 per cent to -18 per cent. Mr Sunak saw a 5-point jump in the same period, from -59 per cent to -55 per cent. This puts Mr Starmer at a 37-point lead in net satisfaction. More

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    Rishi Sunak explains why he chose July general election date

    Rishi Sunak has explained why he has chosen 4 July as the date for the general election.In an Instagram clip posted after he made the announcement outside 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerHe appeared to be dry after getting soaked at the lectern as he made his speech to the public.Speaking into the camera, Mr Sunak said though the public are “only just starting to feel the benefits” of Tory plans, “this hard won economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning.”And that’s why I’ve called an election.” More

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    Rishi Sunak announces 4 July general election

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has ended months of speculation and finally announced the date of the next general election: 4 July.Standing on the steps of No 10 in the pouring rain, the prime minister revealed he had been to see the King to dissolve parliament.But the long-awaited moment descended into farce as Mr Sunak struggled to be heard as protesters outside Downing Street blasted out Tony Blair’s 1997 victory anthem, “Things Can Only Get Better”.In contrast, Sir Keir Starmer presented a calm front as he stood indoors to promise stability and an end to Tory chaos. Pollster Sir John Curtice predicted the contest was Labour’s to lose, and said the prime minister was “either very brave or extremely foolhardy” to call the election sooner than expected.Mr Sunak’s announcement caught Westminster by surprise, with foreign secretary David Cameron called back from an overseas trip to Albania and defence secretary Grant Shapps also forced to cancel plans.Cabinet ministers were summoned at 4pm and the prime minister stepped outside an hour later, using the morning’s inflation figures as a springboard to promise a flourishing economy.Using the slogan “clear plan, bold action, secure future”, the prime minister used his actions as chancellor during the Covid crisis as the backdrop for his achievements in office.He referenced the war in Ukraine but insisted his plan to restore economic stability was working with inflation “back to normal” and the country’s economy growing faster than France, Germany and Italy.“I have stuck with the plan and always been honest with you even when it was difficult,” he shouted over the music. “The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family and our country.”Rishi Sunak’s announcement caught Westminster by surprise More

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    Starmer outlines three reasons public should vote Labour in July general election

    Sir Keir Starmer set out three reasons he believed why the public should vote for Labour on 4 July as he responded to Rishi Sunak’s general election date announcement on Wednesday, 22 May.The opposition leader vowed that Labour would “stop the chaos” and deliver a “long-term plan to rebuild Britain,” declaring it was “time for change.”In a speech shortly after the prime minister confirmed the election date, Sir Keir described the vote as a chance to change the country “for the better”.Today’s announcement came after months of Mr Sunak hinting that the election would be in the “second half of the year.” More

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    Paula Vennells cries at Post Office scandal inquiry and admits evidence to MPs was untrue

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPaula Vennells repeatedly burst into tears during her first appearance at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry as she mounted a desperate bid to salvage her reputation.The disgraced former boss of the Post Office offered an apology to subpostmasters caught up in the scandal, dubbed the worst miscarriage of justice in British history.But Ms Vennells, who ran the group from 2012 to 2019 as the scale of the scandal emerged, was blindsided by the inquiry’s lead counsel Jason Beer KC with a series of damning revelations about her time as chief executive.Vennells was surrounded by police and press as she arrived at the inquiry More

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    A UK election has been called for the first time in five years. Here’s what you need to know

    For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe United Kingdom’s first election in five years is shaping up as a battle for the country’s soul, with some saying it poses an existential threat to the governing Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010.The center-right Conservatives took power during the depths of the global financial crisis and have won two more elections since then. But those 14 years have been filled with challenges and controversies, making the Tories, as they are commonly known, easy targets for critics on the left and right.Labour, which leans to the left, faces its own challenges in shaking off a reputation for irresponsible spending and proving that it has a plan to govern.Both parties are being ripped apart by the conflict in the Middle East, with the Tories facing charges of Islamophobia and Labour struggling to distance itself from antisemitism that festered under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.Here is a look at the upcoming election and the biggest issues at stake.When is the election in the United Kingdom? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set July 4 as the date for the election, months ahead of when it was expected. He had until December to call an election that could have happened as late as Jan. 28, 2025. The early announcement is known as a ‘snap election’.The timing of the election is determined by the prime minister’s calculation of the date most advantageous to the ruling Conservatives. It had been expected in the fall, when a number of economic factors were expected to have improved their chances, the Institute for Government, a London-based think tank, had said.But favorable economic news on Wednesday, with inflation down to 2.3 percent, changed the narrative. How does voting work? People throughout the United Kingdom will choose all 650 members of the House of Commons for a term of up to five years. The party that commands a majority in the Commons, either alone or in coalition, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.That means the results will determine the political direction of the government, which has been led by the center-right Conservatives for the past 14 years. The center-left Labour Party is widely seen to be in the strongest position.Key players: Who is running? Rishi Sunak, a former Treasury chief who has been Prime Minister since October of 2022, is expected to lead his party into the election. His primary opponent will be Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the oposition, the Labour Party since April 2020.But other parties, some of which have strong regional support, could be crucial to forming a coalition government if no one wins an overall majority.The Scottish National Party, which campaigns for Scottish independence, the Liberal Democrats, and the Democratic Unionist Party, which seeks to maintain ties between Britain and Northern Ireland, are currently the three largest parties in Parliament after the Conservatives and Labour. Many observers suggest the new Reform Party, formed by Tory rebels, may siphon votes from the Conservatives. What are the big issues at stake? The economyBritain has struggled with high inflation and slow economic growth, which have combined to make most people feel poorer. The Conservatives succeeded in meeting their goal of halving inflation, which peaked at 11.1 percent in October 2022, but the economy slipped into a technical recession in the last six months of 2023, raising questions about the government’s economic policies.ImmigrationThousands of asylum seekers and economic migrants have crossed the English Channel in flimsy inflatable boats in recent years, raising concerns the government has lost control of Britain’s borders. The Conservatives’ signature policy for stopping the boats is a plan to deport some of these migrants to Rwanda. Critics say the plan violates international law, is inhumane, and will do nothing to stop people fleeing war, unrest and famine.HealthcareBritain’s National Health Service, which provides free health care to everyone, is plagued with long waiting lists for everything from dental care to cancer treatment. Newspapers are filled with stories about seriously ill patients forced to wait hours for an ambulance, then longer still for a hospital bed.The environmentSunak has backtracked on a series of environmental commitments, pushing back the deadline for ending the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles and authorizing new oil drilling in the North Sea. Critics say these are the wrong policies at a time the world is trying to combat climate change. More