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ishi Sunak has claimed that a general election is “not what the country wants”, insisting that he is “just getting on” with the job.
Speaking during the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, the prime minister claimed a general election is “not what the country wants”, despite insisting he is unafraid of going to the polls, saying he will not be making an announcement on one any time soon.
When asked if he would still be prime minister after the next election, he replied: “Of course.”
Asked by Sky News if he was “scared”to go to the polls, as being a “man without a mandate”, Mr Sunak said: “Not at all, I am just getting on and delivering for people.
“You can see that with net zero. You can see it with the number of boat crossings down this year by a fifth. You can see it with our progress on bringing inflation down, helping people. You can see it with a long-term workforce plan, hiring doctors and nurses for the future.
“These are all things that are going to change our country for the better. It’s an example of the type of leadership that I am bringing.”
Meanwhile, an exclusive Ipos Mori survey for the Evening Standard found that nine out of 10 Brits want new leadership after 13 years of Tory rule.
When is the next UK general election?
The maximum term for Parliament is five years. As the current Parliament first met on December 17, 2019, it will be automatically dissolved on December 17, 2024.
Polling day would therefore take place 25 days later, placing the next general election in January 2025. However, King Charles could dissolve Parliament at any time before this date at the request of the prime minister.
When was the last general election?
The last general election was on December 12, 2019. The Conservative Party won a large majority. The prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, called the election after months of parliamentary deadlock that delayed Brexit.
There was another general election in 2017, called by then-prime minister Theresa May in the hope of strengthening her hand in the Brexit negotiations.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson
/ Andrew Boyers / PAWhen can a general election be held?
On March 24, 2022, the Government repealed the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011, which had created five-year periods between elections and allowed earlier elections only in specific circumstances. The UK thus reverted to the prior situation, when the prime minister can ask the King to dissolve Parliament so a general election can be held.
When the act was repealed, minister for the cabinet office Michael Ellis said: “The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act was not fit for purpose, causing constitutional chaos in 2019 and delaying the Government acting on people’s priorities.
“At critical moments, we must trust the British public’s good judgement. Elections give the public a voice, and it’s right that we return to a tried-and-tested system that allows them to take place when needed.”
Why are elections held on a Thursday?
Every general election since 1931 has been held on a Thursday.
It was suggested that this would encourage more people to vote. It has been thought that elections on a Friday would have had lower turnouts given people’s desire to begin their weekends.
Saturday and Sunday were believed to have been ruled out given the need to pay extra for polling staff (typically local council employees) to work at the weekend.
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