Brits will head to the polls in October, Jeremy Hunt suggests, as election rumours swirl
19 March 2024, 16:26
Jeremy Hunt has dropped a heavy hint that Brits will head to the polls in October amid speculation the government could be forced to 'go early'.
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Grilled about the government’s spending review, the Chancellor said: “This particular spending review has to be completed before next April.
“If the general election is in October that will mean it's very, very tight.”
Hunt also said that if there is another fiscal event before the next election, such as an Autumn statement, he would hope to freeze fuel duty again.
Hunt went on: “I hope there is another fiscal event this Parliament.”
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has suggested on a number of occasions that his “working assumption” is that the general election will be held in the “second half of the year”.
It comes after rampant rumours of a May election, with Labour accusing Sunak of "squatting" in Number 10 and labelling him a "chicken".
Read More: Barack Obama visits 10 Downing Street for surprise meeting with Rishi Sunak
A senior Sunak ally also told The Times that the prime minister may be forced to go early due to 'plotting' Tory MPs.
A number of sources within the Conservative Party suggested over the weekend that they would like to see Sunak replaced with Penny Mordaunt, currently leader of the House of Commons.
However, Sunak would reportedly rather call a snap election than allow another leadership contest.
Yesterday, Sunak told LBC he is "not interested in Westminster politics".
"It doesn't matter," he told LBC.
"What matters is the future of our country and that's what I get up every single morning and work very hard to deliver."
The latest possible date Sunak can call an election is January 2025, though he is likely to go earlier.
