On Thursday, UK political parties wasted no time in launching their electoral strategies following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a general election scheduled for July 4.
Sunak’s decision, revealed in a rain-soaked speech outside Downing Street on Wednesday, put an end to months of speculation regarding the election date. Some interpreted the weather as a symbolic harbinger of the Conservative Party’s electoral prospects.
The Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010 but has faced challenges from Brexit, numerous scandals, and internal disagreements, has consistently lagged behind the Labour Party in opinion polls for the past two years.
With the gap between the parties widening, many observers are anticipating a landslide victory for Labour, marking a significant turnaround after their heavy defeat in 2019.
Following Sunak’s announcement, a quick Survation poll measuring voting intentions showed Labour at 48 points, their highest since November 2022, with a substantial lead of 21 points over the Tories, who stood at 27.
The survey, conducted online with over 1,000 adults on Wednesday and Thursday, also indicated that 43 percent of respondents believed Labour leader Keir Starmer would be a better prime minister compared to Sunak.
Survation noted that these findings align with Labour’s consistent polling performance throughout 2023 and into this year, as well as with similar results from other surveys.
The upcoming election, scheduled for July, marks a significant moment in UK political history, being the first July vote since Labour’s victory in 1945. It will serve as Prime Minister Sunak’s inaugural national electoral challenge since assuming leadership of the Tories in October 2022.
As a former financier, the 44-year-old Sunak has positioned his party as the reliable option in an increasingly uncertain global landscape. He has pledged to vigorously pursue every vote to reverse the party’s deficit in opinion polls.
Sunak has emphasized the Conservatives’ commitment to economic stability, highlighting a drop in inflation to under three percent and pointing to IMF data indicating faster UK growth compared to Germany, the US, and France.
In contrast, Sunak has portrayed Labour as a wildcard, accusing leader Keir Starmer of inconsistency in policy positions as an attempt to sway voters.
Following Sunak’s announcement, Labour leader Starmer, aged 61, swiftly countered with a polished campaign video asserting Labour’s commitment to halting the upheaval under Conservative governance and initiating a nationwide reconstruction effort.
Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and chief state prosecutor, criticized the Conservatives’ tenure, suggesting that a continuation of their rule would perpetuate the status quo without significant change.
Labour’s platform also emphasizes economic stability, highlighting the stain left on the Tories’ financial reputation by former Prime Minister Liz Truss’s brief leadership stint. Truss was replaced by Sunak after her proposed tax cuts rattled financial markets, leading to currency devaluation and increased mortgage rates amid rising energy costs.
Additionally, Starmer has pledged to address surging levels of irregular immigration through enhanced border security measures.
Sunak remains steadfast in his commitment to curbing illegal Channel crossings, despite facing legal obstacles in his contentious plan to deport unsuccessful asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The official campaign period commences five weeks prior to the election. Parliament will be prorogued, halting its current session, on Friday, and officially dissolved the following Thursday.
Voting will take place for the 650 parliamentary constituencies in the House of Commons, utilizing the “first past the post” electoral system. Results are anticipated on July 5, with a swift turnaround if one party secures a majority of seats.
The newly elected parliament will convene on July 9, where a new speaker will be elected and MPs sworn in. The formal State Opening is scheduled for July 17.
