The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunakhas called this Wednesday national elections for the July 4th. According to forecasts, his Conservatives will lose to Labor after 14 years in power.
After months of speculation about when he would call new elections, Sunak, 44, stood in the rain outside his office. Downing Street and announced that he was calling the elections earlier than some expected, a risky strategy with his party trailing in the polls.
“Now is the time for Britain to choose its future,” he said, listing what he considers the highlights of his time in Government, including the introduction of the so-called permit plan that helped businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We will have general elections on July 4,” he quotes Reuters.
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Sunak faces the election not only well behind Labor in the polls, but also somewhat isolated from some members of his party, increasingly reliant on a small team of advisers to guide him through what is predicted to be a nasty campaign.
But he appears to have decided that, with some economic progress, such as falling inflation and the economy growing at its fastest pace in almost three years, now was the time to take a risk and formally present to voters his program for a new mandate. He former investment banker and former economy minister took office less than two years ago, and has since struggled to define what he stands for, becoming increasingly frustrated that what he considers his successes have not been appreciated.
Both parties have practically kicked off the electoral campaign, with the lines of attack on the economy and defense already firmly drawn. Sunak and his government accuse Labor of be willing to raise taxes if they come to Government and that the party would not be a safe pair of hands for Britain in an increasingly dangerous world, as it lacks a plan, accusations that the opposition denies.
Labor accuses the government of 14 years of economic mismanagement, which has left people worse off, with a series of chaotic administrations that have failed to provide the stability that companies crave to stimulate economic growth. If Labor wins the election, Britain, once known for its political stability, will have had six prime ministers in eight years for the first time since the 1830s.
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