Britain is set to undergo a significant political event as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the country will hold its general election on July 4.
Speaking from his office at 10 Downing Street, Sunak revealed that he had met with King Charles III earlier in the day to seek the dissolution of Parliament, a request that was granted by the monarch. “The King has granted that request and we will hold the general election on July 4,” Sunak said.
The decision to call for a general election comes shortly after the nation experienced a notable decline in its inflation rate, which dropped to 2.3 percent, marking the lowest level in almost three years.
The ruling Conservative Party views this development as an encouraging achievement, aligning with one of the five pledges made by the prime minister back in January 2023, which included a commitment to reduce inflation that had previously surged to over 11 percent by the end of 2022.
With Parliament set to be officially dissolved on May 30, the election campaign will kick off, leading up to the polling day on July 4. Buckingham Palace, in response to Sunak’s announcement, assured that the Royal Family will adhere to standard procedures, refraining from engagements that might detract attention from the election campaign.
What Happens Next
According to Institute For Government, Parliament continues to sit until it is either dissolved or prorogued (and then dissolved) – whichever comes first. This period is known as ‘wash-up’.
At this election, parliament will continue to sit until it is dissolved on 30 May, meaning wash-up will last for 5 days.
Wash-up is the opportunity for parliament to get through any unfinished business before dissolution. There is usually a rush to rapidly pass legislation through parliament to get it onto the statute book, normally requiring cooperation between parties to agree which bills they will support through this expedited legislative process. Any parliamentary business not completed by the end of ‘wash-up’ will not enter into law and cannot be continued into the next parliament.
The length of wash-up is decided by the prime minister and can vary. The longest wash up period since 1992 was in 2017, when parliament sat for a further seven days after the election was called.
