Rishi Sunak all-but rules out May general election as PM and Starmer hits campaign trail

Rishi Sunak has today all-but ruled out holding a General Election in May - saying he will likely go to the country in the “second half of the year“. It paves the way for an autumn battle for No10 following fevered speculation the PM would call an early ballot in the spring. Speaking to Red Wall voters he said: “So, my working assumption is we’ll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime I’ve got lots that I want to get on with.“ The announcement completely wrongfooted Sir Keir Starmer who had just finished making his New Year’s speech in Bristol. Mr Sunak made the surprise comments on a visit to the East Midlands where he hit the campaign stump for the first time in 2024. Continue reading... The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a