British PM Rishi Sunak declares July 4 as UK general election date
London, May 22: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday ended frenzied speculation by announcing that the country's general election will be held on July 4.
In an address from the lectern on the steps of 10 Downing Street on a rainy London evening, the country's first Prime Minister of Indian heritage confirmed a summer poll in six weeks’ time and that the Parliament would soon be dissolved after he formally informed King Charles III of the election timeline.
The 44-year-old leader laid out his record in office in his pitch to the British electorate, who will soon give their verdict at the ballot box.
"I will do everything in my power to provide you with the strongest possible protection I can. That is my promise to you… now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” he said.
It comes as the governing Conservative Party is forecast for a general election drubbing by most opinion polls, with the Opposition Labour Party holding a firm lead after a series of recent byelection and local election victories.
A Labour spokesperson said the party is "fully ready to go whenever" and that the country is "crying out for a general election".
Earlier, speculation around a UK general election being around the corner, possibly in early July, went on overdrive as Sunak chaired a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street for which ministers rather unusually cut short foreign visits and changed their plans to ensure they can attend.
Sunak stuck to his stance of a general election in the “second half of this year” when asked in the House of Commons during his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). However, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps delayed his flight to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) meeting and Foreign Secretary David Cameron cut short his visit to Albania in order to be in London for the Cabinet meeting was soon directly connected with the prospect of an election date announcement in the offing.
“As I have said repeatedly, there is — spoiler alert — going to be a general election in the second half of this year,” Sunak told MPs in the Commons.
“At that moment, the British people will in fact see the truth… it will be a party [Labour] that is not able to say to the country what it would do, a party that would put at risk our hard-earned economic stability, or the Conservatives who are delivering a secure future for our United Kingdom,” he said.
The election date announcement came on the day of some good news on the UK economy with inflation figures dropping to 2.3 per cent, the lowest in three years and in line with Sunak’s pledge to cut inflation by more than half from the 11 per cent mark when he took charge in October 2022.
“Brighter days are ahead, but only if we stick to the plan to improve economic security and opportunity for everyone," he said in response to the welcome statistics.
It added further credence to the speculation around an earlier than expected election, which was previously expected in October or November. It transpired that Sunak had in fact called the Cabinet meeting to inform his ministers that he had spoken to the King to dissolve Parliament for a general election on the first Thursday of July – with elections in the UK traditionally held on Thursdays.
The repeal of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act in 2022 restored the ability of British prime ministers to set election dates. However, by law a general election has to take place at least every five years, which made January 2025 the outermost deadline for Sunak to go to the ballot box.
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Christmas decorations vandalised by VHP activists at school in Nalbari; Tension in area
Nalbari: Tension prevailed in the Panigaon area of Nalbari district on December 24 after members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal allegedly entered the premises of St Mary’s School and vandalised materials prepared for Christmas celebrations.
According to local sources, activists of the VHP and Bajrang Dal entered the school campus ahead of Christmas and raised slogans inside the premises. It is alleged that Christmas-related decorations and materials kept within the school compound were damaged and set on fire.
Eyewitnesses said that members of the Bajrang Dal were the first to enter the campus, during which they allegedly raised slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram,” “Jai Hindu Rashtra,” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” and burnt items prepared for Christmas celebrations. The incident created panic among local residents and led to concerns over law and order in the area. No injuries have been reported so far.
The incident comes amid reports of similar acts in Nalbari town in recent days, where Christmas decorations displayed at several commercial establishments were allegedly set on fire.
Reacting to the incident, fact-checker Mohammed Zubair said on social media that VHP and Bajrang Dal activists entered St Mary’s School on Christmas Eve, raised slogans and destroyed Christmas decorations. His post drew attention to the incident and sparked wider discussion online.
Police have not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Further details are awaited.
On Christmas Eve, Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal goons entered St. Mary’s School in Panigaon, Nalbari, chanting slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra.” They destroyed and set fire to all Christmas decorations prepared at the school. pic.twitter.com/LQHV7FWUvz
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) December 24, 2025
