The Squiz 

UK PM Rishi Sunak has surprised voters – and some of his Conservative Party colleagues – by calling an election for 4 July. The multi-millionaire leader revealed the date in a rain-soaked press conference outside 10 Downing Street, saying he’s proud of what his government has achieved and he’ll fight for “every vote”. In response, the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (who may or may not be the bloke Bridget Jones’s Mr Darcy is based on…) also made an early pitch to voters, saying it’s “time for change” away from “Tory chaos”.

Why so soon?

An election wasn’t expected until late this year but Sunak says he decided to bring it forward after the government “reached 2 major milestones” – reducing inflation to its lowest rate in 3 years and growing the economy faster than other G7 countries. But Starmer will argue the economy is actually stalling, meaning it will be difficult for the government to deliver promised tax cuts. And there could be more bad press on the way for the government as asylum seeker boats are expected to continue landing in the UK, despite its controversial Rwanda deportation program. The early election also means the government may have to abandon some of its planned legislation, like compensation promised to victims of the infected blood scandal. That’s a response to the more than 30,000 people who were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after receiving blood in the 70s and 80s.

Who’s expected to win?

The UK held local elections earlier this month and the Conservatives were smashed, losing hundreds of seats and the London mayoral race, which Labour’s Sadiq Khan won. Labour made significant gains in those elections, and polls suggest similar results could happen on 4 July. But a Conservative win wouldn’t be the first time they’ve defied gravity – they’ve been in power for 14 years and survived against the odds before. This time around, some pundits say Sunak lasting this long since his party elected him in October 2022 to replace Liz Truss after her disastrous 44 days in office (when she was outlasted by a lettuce…), defied expectations. In UK politics, anything could happen…