Sunak laughs off demands to name general election date
RISHI SUNAK has laughed off demands to name the date for the general election, insisting the announcement will be made in the “formal and official way”.
The Prime Minister refused to be drawn further on the timing for the contest, having ruled out a vote to coincide with the local elections on May 2.
He has previously said his “working assumption” is that the poll will be held in the second half of this year, while Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, has hinted it could take place in October.
In an interview with BBC Radio Tees yesterday morning, Mr Sunak was grilled on the possible timeline. Asked when the election will take place, he laughed and said: “Well, I have answered that question many times in the last few weeks.” Pressed on whether
‘There is a way that we announce elections and it would be done in the formal and official way’
he could provide listeners with a date for the ballot, he laughed again, and said: “No, unfortunately not.”
The interviewer asked: “Why is that funny, sorry? Why are you laughing about that?” Mr Sunak replied: “Because there is a way that we announce general elections and it would be done in the formal and official way.”
The Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak’s response exposed the “careless, callous and chaotic” nature of the Tory Party and urged him to give voters “the opportunity to kick the Conservatives out”. Helen Morgan, the party’s local government spokesman, said: “Rishi Sunak laughing in the face of people crying out for change is the perfect example of how careless, callous and chaotic this Conservative Party is.
“While Sunak clings on it’s obvious that people up and down the country are demanding he and this rabble stop hunkering in their offices. We need a general election now.”