RISHI Sunak has again refused to rule out a July general election and appeared to hint at a poll later this year.
The PM said he would not “say anything more than I’ve already said”, which is that Brits could go to the polls in the second half of the year.
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Most Westminster analysts reckon this could mean October or November, although it could be as early as July.
Asked by Sky’s Trevor Phillips whether the latter half of 2024 could mean July, Mr Sunak said: “I’m not going to say anything more than I’ve already said.
“I’ve been very clear about that.”
Pressed repeatedly whether he was ruling out July, he added: “I’m not going to do that.
“You’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say.
“I’m going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, same thing I’ve said all year.”
Mr Sunak also signalled he could wait for economic improvements to come through, in an apparent hint at a poll later in the year.
He told the Sunday Morning host: “I’m determined to make sure that people feel when the election comes that the future is better, that we have turned the corner.”
The full interview airs today.
The Prime Minister also addressed concerns over significant Tory losses at the May local elections.
He told Sir Trevor that “local elections are always difficult for incumbent parties”, as he attacked Labour-run areas and “rising crime in London, rising council tax in Birmingham”.
There were rumours swirling in Westminster on Friday that Mr Sunak could fire the starting gun on an election campaign as soon as Monday in a bid to thwart a possible challenge from restive MPs, though Downing Street brushed them off.
The latest possible date he could hold the election is January 28 2025.
Mr Sunak sought to bolster his premiership this week with a flurry of announcements, including the passing of Rwanda asylum legislation and a pledge to spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence by 2030.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps urged colleagues considering ousting Mr Sunak before the general election to “let him get on with the job”.
“Now is not the time or place” to try to put in place yet another Conservative leader, he told The Times.
But a BMG survey for the i paper suggested that voters who backed the Conservatives in 2019, but have since deserted the party, would be more likely to vote Tory under a different leader.
