Rishi set to announce General Election for July 4 as ministers summoned to Downing Street
22 May 2024, 16:17 | Updated: 22 May 2024, 16:35
Read more: Andrew Marr's three theories as General Election speculation hits fever pitch
Cabinet ministers have been summoned to an urgent meeting as election fever gripped Westminster with rumours growing that Rishi Sunak will call a general election for July 4.
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Speculation is mounting that Rishi Sunak will announce the exact date the nation will go to the polls - and it is expected to be in the summer.
Despite Labour being way ahead in the polls, there were growing rumours today that an announcement could come at 5pm.
The PM summoned ministers for a meeting at 4.15pm.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps delayed a trip to the Baltic states by a few hours and Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron has cut short a visit to Albania to attend the Cabinet meeting this afternoon.
As he arrived, Mr Shapps did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about whether there will be a summer election.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris also arrived at Downing Street amid mounting speculation that the Prime Minister is likely to call an election today. He was followed by Andrew Mitchell and Johnny Mercer.
There is speculation that an election could take place as early as July 4.
There was no official word from No10 but at PMQs today Mr Sunak said: “There will be an election in the second half of the year."
Stephen Flynn accused the Prime Minister of "playing games with the public".
Earlier Mr Sunak hailed a fall in inflation and said there would be “brighter days” ahead.
He said the fall in inflation - from 3.2 per cent in March to 2.3 per cent in April - represented a “major moment for the economy”.
Others suggested the big announcement later could be a Cabinet reshuffle.
Senior sources have claimed that the briefing about the election was coming from Labour however LBC understands that some parts of the civil service are now being asked to be placed on an election footing.
Many Cabinet ministers have already signalled that they believe the election will still take place in the autumn.
Some MPs have said a July election would not be ideal as the PM would want to get Rwanda flights operational before going to the polls.
A July election would also clash with the UEFA EURO 2024 football tournament which kicks off in Munich on Friday 14 June and ends with the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July.
Mr Sunak is due to gather his Cabinet after PMQs this afternoon, with the meeting having been delayed from yesterday as a result of his trip to Vienna.
The latest polling gives Labour a 17-point lead over the Tories.
