Rishi Sunak refused five times to rule out a July general election during a tense interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips this morning.
Mr Phillips pressed the prime minister on speculation that the UK was heading towards a July vote, while Mr Sunak simply repeated that the vote will likely take place in the second half of the year.
Mr Sunak responded: “Well, look, when it comes to a general election, I’ve been very clear about that multiple times. And again, I’m not going to say anything more than I’ve already said, I’ve been very clear about that.”
When pressed again, the PM said: “You’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say. I’m going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, the same thing I’ve said all year.”
He continued: “But the point is there’s a choice when it comes to the general election. And look, over the past week or, the country can have a very clear sense of what that difference is going to look like.”
He pointed to recent successes on the Rwanda bill, his commitment to raising defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP and his recent proposals on welfare reform.
After Mr Phillips asked again, Mr Sunak said: “Again. You’re going to try and say, ‘you’re ruling this in, you’re ruling that in’.”
The Sky News host jokingly asked whether he could book his summer holidays in July, prompting Mr Sunak to hit back: “Actually, Trevor, it’s more important than your holiday or anyone’s holiday. I’ve got a job to do which is delivering for the country.
“What I’m doing is getting up every single day and working my hardest to deliver for people on the things that matter to them and matter to me.”
During the interview, Mr Sunak did suggest that he would wait until the economy had bounced back to call a vote.
He said: “I’m determined to make sure that people feel when the election comes that the future is better, that we have turned the corner.”
This comes as the PM faces a potentially disastrous set of results at the local elections on Thursday.
There are fears of a major Tory revolt if West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen both lose their seats.
The PM would face a vote on his future if 52 Tory MPs submit letters of no confidence.
This comes amid reports in The Times, that Tory rebels have drawn up a plot to oust Rishi Sunak in 100-day election ‘blitz’.
According to the report, the anti-Sunak rebels have drawn up a five-point plan for a potential successor in an attempt to secure “quick wins” before the election.
The measures include curbing legal migration, cutting the benefits bill and offering junior doctors a pay rise.
