London:

Clarifying his call for snap elections in the country, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he set July 4 as the date for polls so that people can decide whether they want to build on the progress that the country has made or go back to square one with “no plan and no certainty.”

Highlighting the efforts made by his government, Sunak said the country’s economy was now growing faster than France, Germany, and the US, adding that he has also received the information that inflation has returned to normal. He noted that these developments show that his government’s plans and priorities were working.

In a video posted on X, Sunak said, “I’ve just come back in from calling the general election, and I wanted to explain to you why our economy is now growing faster than France, Germany and the United States. And this morning, we received the welcome news that inflation has returned to normal.”

“Now, this is sign that our plan and our priorities are working. Now, I know it hasn’t always been easy, and I know you’re only just starting to feel the benefits. But this hard won economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning. And that’s why I’ve called the election, so that we can decide whether we want to build on the progress that we’ve made or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty. Now, I believe that our plan and the bold actions that we’re prepared to take will deliver a secure future for you, your family and our United Kingdom,” the British PM added.

Sharing the video on X, Sunak wrote, “This is why I’ve just called the election.”

Earlier, on Wednesday, he called for a surprise general election on July 4 in a statement outside Downing Street.

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

“You must choose in this election who has that plan and who is prepared to take that bold action to secure a better future for our country and our children,” he added.

Sunak was required to hold a vote by January 2025 and had not revealed his plans for a long time.

However, a drop in inflation rates announced earlier Wednesday set the stage for his announcement.

This decision begins a six-week campaign widely expected to end in the fall of Sunak’s Conservative government. The move will be welcomed by the opposition Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, which is soaring in opinion polls and has sought to present itself as a reformed and moderate group ready for power.

Earlier, the British Parliament passed the contentious Bill, allowing the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for their claims to be considered by the East African nation, according to CNN.

Sunak’s efforts to pass the Bill have been stuck between opposition in the Houses of Parliament and challenges in the British courts, as lawmakers and activists have sought to scupper the legislation on human rights grounds.

Moreover, the PM’s inability to implement the policy has caused considerable embarrassment, as the British government has sent millions of pounds to Rwanda to fund a scheme that has failed to deliver any results to date, CNN reported.

It has been designed to prevent irregular migration into the UK, particularly people travelling on illegal and dangerous small boats from France, arranged by criminal gangs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)