How much notice is needed for a general election to be announced
22.05.2024 - 15:09
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Rumours have been swirling in Westminster that Rishi Sunak could be eyeing up a summer general election.
The prime minister was asked during PMQs this afternoon whether there was any truth to the reports, but Mr Sunak has remained tight-lipped, repeating his claim that the vote will take place "in the second half of the year".
It comes as new official figures today showed that inflation slowed to 2.3 per cent in April, the lowest level since July 2021, nearing the government's target of 2 per cent.
READ MORE: "Spoiler alert": Rishi Sunak responds to general election rumours amid mounting speculation
Mr Sunak will meet with his Cabinet this afternoon at 4.15pm. There have been murmurs that an announcement could follow the meeting after it emerged foreign secretary Lord Cameron cut short a visit to Albania to be there and defence secretary Grant Shapps delayed a trip to the Baltic states by a few hours.
But if Mr Sunak does decide to announce a general election, how much notice would he have to give?
There is a specific timetable a general election would have to follow, which starts with the dissolution of Parliament and ends with polling day 25 days later - not counting bank holidays and weekends. That means there will be around five weeks between the day Parliament is dissolved and the date the country heads to the polls.
Mr Sunak has said the vote will take place in the second half of the year, which could be any time after the start of July. So if an announcement came today it could be for as early as July 4. The convention in the UK is for elections to take place on a Thursday.
However, the prime minister could also decide to name a date for later in the year instead. Before now, most Westminster analysts