British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves Downing Street in London, Britain, May 22, 2024.
Hollie Adams | Reuters
LONDON – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on Wednesday for a general election to be held on July 4 after economic data earlier in the day showed inflation falling close to the U.K. central bank’s 2 percent target.
“Today I spoke to His Majesty the King and asked for the dissolution of Parliament. The King has granted this request and on July 4th we will hold a general election,” Sunak said during a press conference outside Downing Street.
Data from the Office for National Statistics early Wednesday showed that UK inflation fell to 2.3% in April.
Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party had been hoping for signs of an improving economic environment as it lags in the polls ahead of the national election.
“Economic stability is the foundation of all future success,” Sunak said. “And thanks to our collective sacrifice and your hard work, we have reached two important milestones in ensuring that stability.”
He noted that the UK economy is now growing faster than expected.
“Uncertain times require a clear plan and bold action,” said Sunak, referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine. “I am guided by doing what is right for our country, not what is easy.”
Sunak, who has been prime minister since October 2022, promised to win the trust of the British people.
“People across the UK are crying out for change and this election is finally our chance to make it happen,” Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats Party, said on X.
British economy in focus
“We tackled inflation, controlled debt and cut workers’ taxes, increased the state pension by £900, we cut taxes on investment and seized the opportunities of Brexit to make this the best country in the world for business development “We have poured record amounts of money into our NHS, ensuring it now trains the doctors and nurses it needs for decades to come,” Sunak said.
Keir Starmer, leader of the rival Labor group, spread the word about Everything We Do on the social media platform.
The British economy is recovering from a period of rapid inflation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic impact of the country’s exit from the European Union and increased energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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The country fell into a mild recession in the second half of last year, with recent figures pointing to modest growth in early 2024.
“With growth recovering faster than expected, the UK economy is moving towards a soft landing after a mild technical recession in 2023,” the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, raising its forecast for the UK economy to grow by 0.7% this year. based on a previous forecast of GDP growth of 0.5% in 2024.
Still, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said earlier this month that Britain was on track to be the worst-performing economy of all developed nations next year due to its “sluggish” growth.
— Jenni Reid contributed to this report.
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2024-05-22 17:50:23
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