Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hints at October general election as speculation mounts
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hinted that the general election could be held in October as speculation continues to swirl about when the UK might go to the polls for a national vote.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently ruled out a snap vote on 2 May during local elections across England, but has not yet confirmed a date for a general election.
During a session in the House of Commons, Mr. Hunt suggested that the vote could take place in October as he discussed the government’s spending plans.
Speculation about a potential 2 May election had been circulating until Mr. Sunak ruled out that date, with Downing Street sources later indicating that the second Thursday in October had been penciled in.
Labour has accused the prime minister of being too hesitant to call an election, as the Conservative Party trails the opposition by a double-digit margin in several opinion polls.
Talk has also turned to the possibility of an election in June, with former Prime Minister Theresa May having called a snap election in 2017 amid Brexit preparations.
Despite reports of a plot by Tory rebels to oust Mr. Sunak from office over the party’s poor standing in the polls, allies of the chancellor maintain that the intention is still to hold an election in the second half of the year.
There have been discussions among jittery MPs about potentially replacing Mr. Sunak with Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, but an ally of Ms. Mordaunt dismissed these rumors as “nonsense.”
Former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned that it was “too late” to oust Mr. Sunak and emphasized the need for the party to move forward and focus on the upcoming election.
As the political landscape continues to shift, all eyes are on Westminster to see when the next general election will be called.