Tories Fear Labour's Rising Popularity
Senior Tories are urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to call for a General Election in May 2023 in order to prevent Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer from gaining more ground. The fear is that waiting longer will only give Labour more time to improve their dire polling figures, with many of their top team still relatively unknown to the public. While Downing Street has until January 2025 to call the poll, commentators believe Sunak will wait until October next year.
Labour's Uphill Battle
Recent polling shows that Labour has a tough battle ahead of them in terms of winning over voters. Despite Starmer's reshuffling of his Shadow Cabinet, the party will need to make significant progress in order to have an impact. One former Cabinet Minister stated, "Waiting around for some good news is not going to work, Labour are not ready so we should use that to our advantage."
Early Elections and Prime Minister's Power
Although the last general election was called in December 2019, early elections can be called by sitting Prime Ministers. Traditionally, elections are held on the first Thursday of May to coincide with local council votes. In order to hold an election, there must be a 25-day notice, allowing candidates to go into campaign mode. During this time, Parliament is dissolved and major government business is suspended.
Overall, the decision of when to call the next General Election rests with Rishi Sunak, and the timing will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the political landscape.
