Rishi Sunak has announced a surprise early election for July, with Labour aiming to take power after 14 years of Conservative-led government.

The prime minister has set an election date of Thursday 4 July, after claiming inflation was back under control and the economy was improving.

Currently, Labour is around 20 points ahead in the polls.

Currently, Labour is around 20 points ahead in the polls, with Keir Starmer widely expected to become the next prime minister (Wiki Commons).

Government insiders suggest Sunak had been persuaded to call for July 4 due to the fact that the economic backdrop was unlikely to significantly improve before the autumn.

A 2024 general election had been expected to take place this October/November.