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BREAKING: Sunak announces next UK general election

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Mr Rishi Sunak, British Prime minister on Wednesday set July 4 as the date for a national election that will determine who governs the United Kingdom.

He made the announcement in a press conference outside of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon.

A general election is when adults vote for who they want to represent them in the UK parliament.

The center-right Conservatives took power during the depths of the global financial crisis and have won two more elections since then.

But those 14 years have been filled with challenges and controversies, making the Tories, as they are commonly known, easy targets for critics on the left and right.

Labour, which leans to the left, faces its own challenges in shaking off a reputation for irresponsible spending and proving that it has a plan to govern.

Both parties are being ripped apart by the conflict in the Middle East, with the Tories facing charges of Islamophobia and Labour struggling to distance itself from antisemitism that festered under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, AP reported.

“This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War,” Sunak said in his announcement, standing at a lectern in the rain outside 10 Downing Street in London.

“Putin’s Russia is waging a brutal war in Ukraine, and he won’t stop there if he succeeds. That war has also made it all too clear the risks to our energy security. In the Middle East, the forces of Islamist extremism threaten regional and ultimately global stability. … China is looking to dominate the 21st century by stealing a lead in technology

“These uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action. To chart a course to a secure future,” Sunak said.

Meanwhile, the announcement came the same day official figures showed inflation in the U.K. had fallen sharply to 2.3%, its lowest level in nearly three years on the back of big declines in domestic bills.

The drop in April marks the greatest progress to date on five pledges Sunak made in January 2023, including halving inflation, which had climbed to above 11% at the end of 2022. Sunak hailed the new figure as a sign his plan was working.

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