British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's election strategy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak heated up the political scene earlier this year by announcing that a general election would be held in the “second half of 2024”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is not expected to hold an election in the first half of 2024. (Photo: Anadolu/Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak is a British politician of Indian origin, who became leader of the British Conservative Party in 2022 and is currently the Prime Minister of the country.

Under current law, the Prime Minister has the power to decide when to hold a general election. As the election approaches, Britons are concerned about two main issues: the timing of the election and the likely candidates for the position of Prime Minister.

“Need more time”

The Prime Minister has not yet announced the exact date of the election. According to the Dissolution and Prorogation of Parliament Act 2022, the maximum term of Parliament is five years. If Prime Minister Rishi Sunak does not call an election by 17 December 2024, Parliament will automatically dissolve for the full five-year term from the 2019 general election.

After the dissolution, the National Assembly will have approximately 25 days to prepare for the election (excluding weekends and bank holidays). Therefore, the deadline for the election will be moved to early 2025, specifically before 28 January 2025.

During a visit to Nottinghamshire on January 3, Mr Sunak said the country planned to hold a general election in the second half of this year. There have been many opinions about why Mr Sunak chose the election time in the second half of this year.

Firstly, according to political experts, the Conservative Party would benefit more if an election were held in the second half of 2024. When taking office as British Prime Minister in October 2022, Mr. Sunak announced five important commitments - reducing inflation and public debt, economic growth, cutting the waiting list of the UK National Health Service (NHS) system and stopping the flow of illegal migrants in small boats across the sea.

Experts believe that the British Prime Minister will need at least the first half of 2024 to effectively implement the above commitments. Besides, people can also feel the benefits of the National Insurance tax cut policy if the election is held later.

Second, the UK hosts a number of conferences in late 2024, particularly from late September to early October. Conservative and Labour events attract around 12,000 attendees each year, so this is a great opportunity for political parties to raise revenue, connect with voters and attract media attention to their policies.

Conservative politician Robert Hayward argues that October is the right time to hold an election because the government needs time to address the cost of living crisis, which is a top issue for voters. All of this could help boost public confidence in the Conservative Party's policies and give them a leg up in the election.

Challenges await British Prime Minister

According to ABC News, politician Keir Starmer is the person who is likely to become the new British Prime Minister. He is a former Director of Public Prosecutions and is currently the leader of the Labor Party. Currently, the Labor Party has a leading advantage over Mr. Sunak's Conservative Party. However, Mr. Starmer always reminds his Party not to be complacent and needs to take advantage of the available advantage to mobilize voters.

Speaking in Bristol on January 4, he said the British people were ready for the election. In addition, Mr. Starmer questioned why the Prime Minister did not set a specific date for the election but instead "hesitated" and "delayed" the official announcement for many months.

According to Politics.co.uk, Mr Starmer wants to exploit Prime Minister Sunak's hesitation about the timing of the election as a core discussion issue in his campaign.

Mr Starmer also said that the British people agree that the country is in deep trouble and they are hungry for positive change. Indeed, although the UK in 2023 is considered a “more stable” year than 2022, the country is still “struggling” to deal with the consequences of Covid-19 and Brexit, as well as conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks at the National Composites Centre at the Bristol & Bath Science Park in Bristol, UK on January 4. (Photo: Stefan Rousseau/The Associated Press)

The consequences of these events are most clearly reflected in the UK's high inflation rate and near-zero economic growth in 2023. As a result, Labour says it is being cautious about making financial commitments. In contrast to the Conservatives, Mr Starmer has insisted that he will prioritize economic growth over immediate tax cuts.

In this way, Labour can appeal to voters who want change after 14 years of Conservative rule. At the same time, financial commitments also make it easier for voters to see which party aligns with their views and priorities, especially when Conservative policies do not seem to be delivering the expected results.

Mr Starmer and senior Labour officials have backed an early election in May, putting pressure on Mr Sunak. But Mr Sunak has said he is in no rush to make a decision because he has the right to decide when to hold a general election, as long as it is before the deadline.

As such, it is highly likely that the UK will hold a general election in the second half of 2024. This stems from two main reasons: Prime Minister Sunak needs more time for his policies to take effect; the year-end conferences are a great opportunity for parties to attract voters.

Accordingly, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer expressed his desire to hold an early election in May 2024, saying that voters were ready to vote. In the context of the "gloomy" British economy, Mr. Starmer also "took advantage" of the situation to gain voters' support for future elections, by making financial commitments and proposing new policies to boost the economy.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chien-luoc-bau-cu-cua-thu-tuong-anh-rishi-sunak-256950.html