The top line: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a general election for 4 July, saying the electorate will be able to choose their future in a vote his Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.
The bigger picture: Sunak heads into the election not only far behind the Labour Party in the polls (about 20 percentage points) but also somewhat isolated from some in his party, increasingly dependent on a small team of advisers to steer him through the campaign.
The key quote: “Over the next few weeks, I will fight for every vote, I will earn your trust and I will prove to you that only a Conservative government led by me will not put our hard-earned economic stability at risk,” Sunak said, describing the choice as one between stability with him and the unknown with Labour leader Keir Starmer.
What else to know: Labour has accused the government of 14 years of economic mismanagement, leaving people worse off.
What happens next: If Labour win the election, the UK, once known for its political stability, will have had six prime ministers in eight years for the first time since the 1830s.
Source Agencies
