Rishi Sunak tonight ruled out holding the general election on 2 May as he dismissed speculation he could go to the polls in just seven weeks’ time.
The Prime Minister insisted he would not hold a general election to coincide with upcoming local contests across England and Wales.
He told ITV West Country: ‘In several weeks we have got elections for police and crime commissioners, for local councils, for mayors across the country – they’re important elections, that’s what I’m focused on.
‘There won’t be a general election on that day.’
Mr Sunak had previously said his ‘working assumption’ was the general election would be in the second half of this year.
But his failure to explicitly rule out a May contest, to coincide with the local elections, had led to increasing speculation he could spring a surprise.
Rishi Sunak ruled out holding the general election on 2 May as he dismissed speculation he could go to the polls in just seven weeks’ time
The PM’s comments came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had earlier challenged Mr Sunak to call an election next week for May 2
If Mr Sunak had been planning a general election on 2 May, the latest by which he would have had to dissolve Parliament was 26 March – when the House of Commons rises for its Easter recess.
The last possible date for a general election is 28 January next year.
This is because Parliament will automatically dissolve just after midnight on 17 December if an election is not called before then.
This is the date five years on from when the 2019 Parliament first met.
The PM’s comments tonight came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had earlier challenged Mr Sunak to call an election next week for May 2.
‘I say to the Prime Minister, call it,’ Sir Keir told LBC. ‘Have the backbone to call it.
‘Allow this to go to a general election on May 2, we’re ready.’
Senior Tories are believed to have urged Mr Sunak not to go for a May poll at a meeting earlier this week, pointing to Labour’s massive poll lead.
Earlier today, the PM insisted the Tories are ‘united’ despite a rising sense of panic over the general election ‘massacre’ the party is facing.
Mr Sunak said the country had ‘turned a corner’ after ‘a difficult couple of years’ as he was challenged on fresh rumours of a coup bid.
Westminster is awash with speculation over Mr Sunak’s prospects for survival amid anger over the handling of the race row involving Tory donor Frank Hester, and disappointment at the lack of a Budget bounce.
Some Cabinet ministers are discussing what would happen if Mr Sunak was replaced before an election, even though they remain supportive, according to Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, Tory MPs told MailOnline that plotting is reaching fever pitch in the corridors of Parliament.
The PM (pictured on a visit to Gloucester Rugby Club today) insisted the Tories are ‘united’ despite a rising sense of panic over the ‘massacre’ the party is facing
Westminster is awash with speculation over Mr Sunak’s prospects for survival amid anger over the handling of the race row involving Tory donor Frank Hester, and disappointment at the lack of a Budget bounce
‘There is huge muttering,’ said one former Cabinet minister. ‘It is quite miserable as a Tory in the House of Commons at the moment.
‘Normally there have been two or three people huddled together plotting. But now it is five or six in the Tea Room.’
The MP said Mr Sunak ‘can’t do anything right’, and was being buffeted by different groups in Downing Street and CCHQ who cannot agree on tactics.
‘Some want to go in May and others want to hold back,’ they said.
There had been claims circulating that Mr Sunak was preparing to trigger an election next week to take place on May 2 – although many had regarded that as an attempt to frighten rebels into staying in line.
Some Tories are also angry with ‘Yorkshire Mafia’ allies of Mr Sunak including former chief whip Julian Smith, who has a constituency neighbouring his Richmond seat and is regarded as highly influential.
However, No10 insiders have been voicing defiance, mocking those on manoeuvres against the PM as lazy.
Asked about ex-minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns demanding a new leader before the election, the Prime Minister replied: ‘I think actually the party is united in wanting to make sure that we don’t have the Labour government, because our plan is the right one for the country.
‘And actually, we’ve been through a difficult couple of years. Of course that’s the case, whether it’s with Covid, recovering from that, the impact of the war in Ukraine.
‘But the start of this year, we really have turned a corner and we’re now pointing in the right direction. You can see that most clearly with the economy.’
Mr Sunak was presented with a personalised Gloucester shirt during his visit today
Even critics of Mr Sunak believe the number of no confidence letters in Mr Sunak sent to 1922 chair Sir Graham Brady remains between 20 and 30, although no-one knows for sure.
That is well below the 53 required to trigger a formal vote of Tory MPs.
Sir Graham is believed to have urged Mr Sunak not to go for a May poll at a meeting earlier this week, pointing to Labour’s massive poll lead.
One major obstacle for rebels is finding a replacement they can unite around, with some MPs pushing the idea of Boris Johnson coming back in a by-election.
