The election will NOT be in May, says Rishi
RISHI Sunak last night ruled out holding a general election on May 2 – the same day as the local polls.
Despite fevered speculation that he could call a snap election next week, the Prime Minister said last night that he will wait.
‘We have local elections... we have police and crime commissioner elections, and we have mayoral elections,’ he said.
‘I am squarely focused on those because they are important and there is not going to be a general election on that day.’
Elections are set to take place in England on May 2 to choose new councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners.
More than 2,500 council seats will be up for grabs across 107 local authorities, while some of the most high-profile politicians in the country are seeking another term as mayor, including Labour’s Sadiq Khan in London and the Conservatives’ Andy Street in the West Midlands.
Voters in Wales will also go to the polls to choose new police commissioners. Mr Sunak’s comments, which he made on ITV News West Country, may reassure some disgruntled backbenchers, who are downbeat after last week’s underwhelming Budget and the perceived poor handling of the donor race row.
One veteran MP told the Mail that the mood in the party was ‘about as desperate as I’ve seen it for many years’. ‘We have an ineffectual leader, coupled with the prospect of facing a massive defeat in a few months’ time – or a few weeks’ time. The level of gloom is more now than with the previous three prime ministers.’
Cabinet ministers have discussed whether the Tories may be forced to replace Mr Sunak before the general election, it was claimed yesterday.
But even Conservative MPs who are highly critical of Mr Sunak question whether the public would accept a fourth Tory PM without an election. An ex-Cabinet minister said: ‘The general feeling is that it couldn’t be any worse, but it does tend to make us look rather silly to change leaders as often as we change our socks. It’s not a good look.
‘But on the other hand, being in this position and coming up with budgets that don’t move the dial one inch is not very good either.’
Earlier yesterday Mr Sunak claimed his party was ‘united in wanting to make sure that we don’t have the Labour government, because our plan is the right one for the country’.
He was responding to comments by former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns who said some Tory MPs, herself included, believe a new leader should take over before the election.
There is also speculation that MPs in the centrist One Nation caucus were pushing for a change in leader before the poll.
Under electoral law, Parliament has to be dissolved 25 working days before an election is held.