British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses the nation.
Speculation about an imminent election grew after Rishi Sunak called a cabinet meeting for Wednesday afternoon – instead of the usual Tuesday – and Foreign Secretary David Cameron returned earlier than expected from ‘a trip to Albania to attend.
The elections will take place in a context of a cost of living crisis and deep divisions on the migration issue.
The announcement came on the same day that official figures showed UK inflation fell sharply to 2.3%, its lowest level in almost three years, due to strong reduction in household bills.
The drop in April marks the biggest progress yet on five promises Mr Sunak made in January 2023, including halving inflation, which had soared to more than 11% by the end of the year 2022. Mr Sunak welcomed this new figure as a sign of the effectiveness of his plan.
“Today marks an important moment for the economy, with inflation returning to normal”Mr Sunak said on Wednesday. “Better days lie ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for all.”
British voters will choose the 650 members of the House of Commons for a term of up to five years. The party that obtains the majority in the House of Commons, alone or in coalition, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.
Labor leader Keir Starmer, former attorney general of England and Wales, is currently the favorite. The party has gained momentum since inflicting heavy losses on the Conservatives in local elections earlier this month.
The Conservatives have also lost a series of special elections for seats in Parliament this year, and two of their lawmakers recently defected to Labor.