Sunak refuses to rule out July general election

Rishi Sunak repeated that his ‘working assumption is an election in the second half of the year’ – Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters

Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out a July general election, repeating his intention to call a vote in the second half of the year.

The Prime Minister, travelling to Poland on Tuesday to announce a defence spending boost and a military aid package for Ukraine, told reporters: “All I’m going to say is the same thing I say every time.

“As I said, I think it was in the first week of January, my working assumption is an election in the second half of the year.”

Many Westminster analysts see October or November as the favoured period for an election. The latest possible date for a ballot is Jan 28 next year.

But a disastrous set of local election results next month could force Mr Sunak’s hand, either by bringing a challenge to his leadership or by persuading him that an earlier polling day could be better than limping on with a divided party.

Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, said recently that the “feelgood factor” of interest rate cuts would be stronger in the autumn in an apparent hint at the timing of the election.

Asked whether he would commit to a deportation flight to Rwanda taking off before the vote, Mr Sunak said: “As I said, 10 to 12 weeks – that’s what we’re working towards.”

The Prime Minister also downplayed reports that Andy Street, the West Midlands mayor, had excluded references to the Tory party in his campaign material ahead of the May 2 contest.

Mr Sunak said: “Actually, I think what these local elections allow us to do is demonstrate what the reality of Labour in power means.

“You mentioned the West Midlands – what have we got, Andy Street, who has attracted more inward investment than I think Wales and Scotland combined, smashing all his housing targets, attracting investment in transport infrastructure?

“Meanwhile, Labour-run Birmingham council have bankrupted the largest local authority in Europe, and they’re saddling people with a 21 per cent council tax rise.”

Mr Sunak was visiting Warsaw and Berlin to talk defence and security with the leaders of Poland, Nato and Germany.

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