Steve Bray strikes again! Protesters blare Labour's 1997 theme song 'Things Can Only Get Better' by D:Ream over megaphone as Rishi Sunak announces July 4 snap election

23/05/2024

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Protesters blared Labour's 1997 theme song Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream over megaphone as Rishi Sunak announced July 4 snap election today.

Rishi Sunak pulled the trigger on a summer election in a Downing Street statement this evening.

The PM is taking a huge gamble by announcing a July 4 date, despite Labour being miles ahead in the polls.

Meanwhile, anti-Conservative protesters played Tony Blair's election song Things Can Only Get Better.

The demonstrator playing the tune was anti-Brexit protester Steve Bray.

The song was adopted by the Labour Party in their promotional video during the 1997 campaign. Tony Blair later won a landslide with 418 seats in that election.

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Speaking in the rain outside No10 after an extraordinary day of rumours, Mr Sunak pointed to inflation being 'back to normal' and he was 'stopping the boats'

Tony Blair making his first speech outside Downing Street after winning a landslide victory at the General Election in 1997

Steve Bray was seen playing the tune over from a speaker outside Downing Street during the PM's speech today

we had a good run at Downing Street but both and amplifiers got soaked and blown. They lasted for the moment that mattered. pic.twitter.com/zH0LInQzaY

— GET TORIES DONE - GENERAL ELECTION NOW! (@snb19692) May 22, 2024

Mr Bray, who unsuccessfully the Liberal Democrats at the last election, was allowed to blast out the New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better from the end of Downing Street.

The noise could clearly be heard above the PM’s speech on news bulletins. Although it cut out, this was a result of the rain damaging the speakers rather than the police intervening.

Mr Bray, known as Stop Brexit Man, wrote on social media afterwards: ‘We had a good run at Downing Street but both amplifiers got soaked and blown.’

He added later: ‘Police just served an order on me and banned me from every street around Whitehall and Parliament. Apparently two people complained. Probably Rishi Sunak and his wife.’

Mr Bray has been playing music at up to 90 decibels in Westminster for several years despite clashing with MPs and police. He tried to disrupt Boris Johnson’s farewell speech outside No 10 in 2022 by blasting out the Benny Hill theme.

Speaking in the rain outside No10 after an extraordinary day of rumours, Mr Sunak pointed to inflation being 'back to normal' and he was 'stopping the boats'.

'The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future... now is the moment for Britain to decide its future,' he said.

Preparations are being made for a Tory rally at the Excel centre later tonight with campaigning due to kick into overdrive.

After the announcement, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told voters that on July 4 the future of the UK is in 'your hands', saying 'together we can stop the chaos, we can turn the page, we can start to rebuild Britain'.

Meanwhile, the royal family will postpone engagements 'which may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign', Buckingham Palace announced.

Snap election rumours swept Westminster with speculation Rishi Sunak could pull the trigger as early as today

Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt were among the ministers at Cabinet tonight

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins smiled for the cameras as she walked into Downing Street

Grant Shapps (left) and Mel Stride (right) arriving for Cabinet amid the drama tonight

The bombshell is threatening to set the Tory tinderbox ablaze, with MPs telling MailOnline that Mr Sunak has a 'death wish' and the Parliamentary party will go 'nuts' at the prospect of charging towards a disastrous defeat.

Chair of the powerful 1922 committee Graham Brady is now said to be accepting texts from people who want to voice no confidence in the leader.

One former Cabinet minister said: 'There will be queues outside Graham Brady's door.'

Another senior backbencher told MailOnline that even if Mr Sunak goes to see the King they could attempt a coup to try to prevent the writ being moved to dissolve Parliament.

There is intense chatter this morning that Mr Sunak could spring a bold surprise, despite Labour being miles ahead in the polls

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Jeremy Hunt cancelled an appearance on ITV's Peston show tonight

The July 4 date will require the planned half-term recess next week to be cancelled for the so-called 'wash up' of legislation.

It will be the first July election since 1945, when Clement Attlee's Labour defeated Winston Churchill's Tories.

The rumours gathered pace after Mr Sunak hailed a 'major milestone' this morning with inflation tumbling to the lowest level in nearly three years.

At PMQs in the Commons at lunchtime, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: 'Speculation is rife, so I think the public deserve a clear answer to a simple question. Does the Prime Minister intend to call a summer general election or is he feart?'

Mr Sunak replied: 'There is, Mr Speaker, spoiler alert, there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year.

'At that moment, the British people will in fact see the truth about the honourable gentleman opposite me, because that will be the choice at the next election Mr Speaker, a party that is not able to say to the country what they would do, a party that would put at risk our hard-earned economic stability, or the Conservatives that are delivering a secure future for our United Kingdom.'

Then it emerged Lord Cameron had cut short a trip to Albania to be back in time for the Cabinet meeting at 4.15pm, while Jeremy Hunt cancelled an appearance on ITV tonight.

The headline CPI rate slid from 3.2 per cent in March to 2.3 per cent last month - near the Bank of England's 2 per cent target.

The PM said the figures showed that his plan is working and 'brighter days are ahead'.

However, the drop, driven largely by easing energy prices, was less than the 2.1 per cent analysts had pencilled in - sparking concerns that the Bank of England might delay interest rate cuts.

Core inflation, another key factor for Threadneedle Street as it mulls whether to ease the pain on mortgage-payers in June, also remained stubbornly high.

Meanwhile, separate official figures had public sector borrowing above estimates, raising questions about whether Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will have room to cut taxes before the election.

The latest Savanta poll gave Labour a 17-point lead over the Tories. According to Electoral Calculus, those numbers would produce a 236 majority for Keir Starmer.

He would have 443 MPs, while the Conservatives would have just 124. That is compared to the 376 returned in Boris Johnson's 2019 landslide.

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The frenzy at Westminster came after more signs of infighting in the top ranks of the government, with a minister slamming Mr Sunak for hogging the limelight despite slumping popularity.

Johnny Mercer vented his frustrations in a bombshell memo written on his laptop, which was in full view of fellow train passengers as he travelled to London from Exeter.

He raged that No10 officials must stop 'placating' Mr Sunak and giving airtime to 'average' colleagues.

Mr Mercer demanded that more popular Cabinet ministers like Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch are instead given more media appearances.

Images of Mr Mercer's laptop screen were handed to The Times after being photographed by a passenger in the same carriage on 6 May - four days after the local elections.

But, as well as a focus on Mr Mercer's explosive words, there has also been a backlash within Tory ranks about the Plymouth Moor View MP's decision to travel bare foot on public transport.

Johnny Mercer vented his frustrations in a bombshell memo written on his laptop, which was in full view of fellow train passengers as he travelled to London from Exeter

The veterans' affairs minister blasted Downing Street aides for allowing Rishi Sunak to hog the limelight and acting as if the PM is still as popular as he was when he first took office

Images of Mr Mercer's laptop screen were handed to The Times after being photographed by a passenger in the same carriage on 6 May - four days after the local elections

In his memo, the minister for veterans' affairs wrote: 'Political communication seems haphazard, un-themed and loose. We have average performers during important slots.

'How many people did (Transport Secretary Mark) Harper win over for us this weekend?

'Team in No 10 operating as though the PM is as popular in the polls as he was two years ago.

'It appears to be all about placating him/managing him/promoting him on social media.

'We are only going to get through this as a team. There are good, capable senior colleagues around the Cabinet table who people clearly like, who should see more air time and be more prominent.'

Polls of Conservative members showing that Business Secretary Ms Badenoch and Commons Leader Ms Mordaunt are more popular than Mr Sunak 'should not be ignored', Mr Mercer said.

Both Ms Badenoch and Ms Mordaunt are seen as potential Tory leadership contenders if the party loses the general election.

Mr Mercer, who has been an outspoken backer of Mr Sunak, also wrote that too many special advisers were 'overpromoted and underskilled' and had 'poor political judgments'.

He said that despite his access to No 10 and the Prime Minister, 'I don't feel part of the team'.

His efforts to persuade No 10 to allow veterans to use their IDs at polling stations had been blocked by special advisers, he said, adding: 'Feels like even I cannot have any impact on the grid/government comms.'

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.

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