Sunak’s snap election call stuns UK politics.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s decision to announce a snap general election on July 4 has stunned the political fraternity. Sunak informed the Cabinet barely an hour before his public announcement, catching several senior ministers like Chancellor Jeremy Hunt by surprise.
Sources indicated Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed reservations about cancelling an overseas visit for the urgent meeting. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is also said to have doubts about the move.
However, few spoke up openly against the PM in Cabinet, with Communities Secretary Michael Gove backing the “who dares wins” strategy.
Sunak had earlier notified King Charles III of his snap election decision, underlining his aim to ensure the government’s message faced no pushback.
The move took weeks to conceptualize, but its hasty unveiling has drawn criticism. Analysts say trailing parties rarely call elections, and the PM has given Labour a long runway until polling day in July 2024 to possibly close the gap.
Senior Tories privately oppose ditching the fall election timeline, feeling early polls only cement defeat. Glitches in Sunak’s wet campaign launch and recent trip to Northern Ireland have underlined preparedness issues.
While the PM’s inner circle was considering an early vote, conflicting briefings about who pushed the idea complicated the weeks ahead. Sunak now captains the Tories into a high-stakes battle, gambling his future on arresting Labour’s huge lead amid a troubled election roll-out.
