There’s not a ‘sniff’ of PM going for an election in May, insists minister
A TORY minister has appeared to quash suggestions that Rishi Sunak is planning a surprise spring general election – saying there was not a “sniff” of it happening.
Speculation around polling day continues to swirl, with the Prime Minister already confirming there will be a vote this year.
Mr Sunak has also dropped several hints that it is likely to be in the autumn, with experts predicting a late October or early November election.
But the PM has not completely ruled out going to the polls before the summer.
Labour is planning for a spring election and some commentators have claimed Mr Sunak could call a vote to coincide with the local and mayoral elections on May 2.
With parliament needing to be dissolved 25 days beforehand, it means a May 2 election would have to be called by March 26 – the last day the Commons sits before the Easter recess.
But Trade Minister Greg Hands insists that is not going to happen.
Asked on Times Radio yesterday whether there was “any sniff of there being a general election in May”, he replied: “No.”
Traction
However, Tory strategists are understood to be concerned by the rise in support for Reform UK.
What was formerly the Brexit Party is now consistently polling above 10% and taking the majority of its votes off the Conservatives in by-elections.
Those in favour of a May election argue that the longer Mr Sunak waits the more traction Reform is likely to get – pointing to the rise of Ukip in 2012-13.
But senior Conservatives argue that their polling shows the vast majority of Reform supporters really don’t want a Labour Government.
They insist that their best chance is to wait for the polls to narrow – and then to make the case that the only way to keep Sir Keir Starmer out of Downing Street is to vote Tory.
Labour has been pressuring the Prime Minister to call an election as soon as possible, as they have been consistently leading the Government by around 20 points in the polls.
Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth said he is so confident the country is heading for a May election that he made a £10 bet with Sky News presenter Kay Burley.
Mr Ashworth said: “This election – I think it’s definitely coming in May. The Conservatives are planning for May.”
The presenter replied that she would “bet you 10 of your English pounds it doesn’t”.
Shaking Ms Burley’s hand, Mr Ashworth added: “I bet you it’s coming in May, right? Let’s do that – we can do it.”
And he called on Mr Sunak to “name the date” for the poll.
The pair then agreed the winnings will go to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, which Mr Ashworth raises money for. There are some suggestions that
by “going early” Mr Sunak would
“head off potentially bad news” in the summer, with hundreds of thousands of people set to face a mortgage crunch.
Migrant boat cross- ings also tend to peak in August and September.
And any positive fallout from tax cuts in today’s Budget would be fresh in people’s minds in the coming weeks and months, indicating the PM could consider a spring election.
The Rwanda Bill currently going through parliament could also be cleared within weeks, paving the way for migrant deportation flights to begin.
A Whitehall source told the Daily Express: “There are a number of reasons why the Prime Minister could be going early, not least as it would head off some potentially bad news in the summer. “Labour have had a tricky time of late with the Rochdale by-election and George Galloway is going to be a constant thorn in Sir Keir Starmer’s side. But, let’s be fair, Labour have a big poll lead and going to the polls early probably won’t make any difference.”
Another Government source said: “It’s going to be in the autumn.A snap May election would be madness.”
The last May election was held in 2015, with the Conservatives claiming a decisive victory after David Cameron promised voters a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU.
There hasn’t been an autumn election since the October of 1974 when Labour’s Harold Wilson narrowly defeated Ted Heath and the Conservatives.
‘A snap May election would be madness’