British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised the world on Wednesday, May 22, by announcing in heavy rain that the new general election will be held on July 4. According to polls, Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party is trailing behind the opposition Labour Party. Many view the decision to hold an early election as risky; however, the good news is that the economy is showing signs of improvement at this time.
Sunak stated that the election will take place at the most dangerous moment in the world since the Cold War, emphasizing that it is “the moment for Britain to choose its future.”
Following tradition, Sunak has requested King Charles III to dissolve Parliament, initiating a six-week campaign period.
The campaign landscape is swiftly taking shape with the latest polls showing Labour leading at 45% and the Conservatives lagging far behind at 23%. The Reform UK party, headed by Nigel Farage, ranks third, although he announced on Thursday that he will not run, providing a boost to Sunak.
As per the British constitutional convention, the most influential UK House of Commons consists of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected from national constituencies. The party with the most seats in the Commons will have the right to form a new government, and the leader of the largest party will become the new Prime Minister.
Central to this election campaign, Sunak, the leader of the Conservatives for 14 years, promised that if re-elected, he will begin deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda in the days following the July 4 election.
Sunak mentioned various domestic and geopolitical risks, adopting the Conservative Party’s past election strategy of portraying Britain as less safe under Labour leadership.
Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, aims to highlight the tumultuous situations during Liz Truss’s brief term as Prime Minister, including Brexit, COVID-19, and the historic cost-of-living crisis, in an effort to emphasize Conservative Party’s fourteen years of governance turmoil.
Amid demands for change, Stamer seeks to attract voters by promising stability and a return to better times.
Sunak hopes voters will focus on improving economic data amidst the turbulence and uncertainties. Statistics released by the UK’s Office for National Statistics on May 22 showed a decrease in inflation to 2.3%, with stable economic growth figures.
Sunak’s team, aware of his election strategy, plans to convey the diminishing influence of the Reform UK party in the political landscape following Farage’s withdrawal in the initial days of campaigning.
Despite the commitment to start Rwanda flights immediately after the election, some members of the Conservative Party question the winning strategy devised by Sunak’s team amidst an increasing number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel into the UK this year.
Katie Hile, a former economic and public spending communication lead in Sunak’s team, expressed concerns, drawing parallels to the 2022 Conservative leadership race when Sunak lost to Truss but gradually closed the lead as the campaign progressed.
Thursday’s released statistics also illustrate the challenges Sunak faces in campaigning about addressing immigration issues. Data unveiled by the Office for National Statistics on May 23 indicated that while net migration to the UK decreased last year compared to record levels, it still remained historically high, estimated at 685,000 people. The opposition party is poised to accuse the Conservative Party of breaking its immigration commitments made as early as 2010.