UK General Elections 2024: Why has Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for July 4 polls — explained
UK General Elections 2024: United Kingdom's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election on July 4. In a statement from Downing Street on May 22, Sunak said he spoke to King Charles earlier that day to request the dissolution of Parliament for a general election.
“The king has granted this request and the general elections will be held on July 4," Sunak announced. This would be the country's first election in five years, and is emerging as a significant contest, with some suggesting it could threaten the governing Conservative Party's future.
According to a Reuters report, Sunak's party, the Conservatives, which has been in power for the last 14 years, is expected to lose this election to the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer. The Tories are trailing Labour in all opinion polls.Public opinion regarding Sunak's government has been on the downhill track — Labour is running about 20 percentage points ahead of the Conservatives.
Since taking the PM's post less than two years back, he has tried and failed to position himself as a reformer, technocrat, and steady leader, the report said. The global cost-of-living crisis has, however, overshadowed any successes, it added.Thus, his decision to hold early snap elections received a divided response from his own party.
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