As speculation grows surrounding the date of the election, Jeremy Hunt proposes that it will likely take place in October.

Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, has proposed the idea of having the general election in October. The discussion surrounding the timing of the UK’s national vote still persists.

On the previous week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak officially announced that there will be no sudden election on May 2nd, the day when citizens are expected to cast their votes for local elections in England.

Previously, he stated that his “working assumption” was to schedule a vote in the later part of the year, but a specific date has not been confirmed yet.

During his address in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Hunt proposed the possibility of a vote occurring in October. He faced inquiries about the government’s budget plans.

According to Mr. Hunt’s statement to members of the economic affairs committee, a potential October general election would make for a tight timeline. This is why the focus is on planning ahead for the vital aspect of the spending review: increasing productivity in public services.

In the beginning of the meeting, Mr Hunt, who is fighting to keep his South West Surrey position, expressed his desire for another financial event during this term of Parliament.

There was intense speculation surrounding the possibility of a May 2nd election, but Mr. Sunak ultimately denied any plans for such a election on that date.

Sources from Downing Street later informed The Independent that the date of the election had been tentatively set for the second Thursday in October.

The Labor party has accused the prime minister of being too afraid to hold a country-wide election, as the Conservative Party falls behind the opposition by a significant margin in multiple opinion polls.

Soon after, the conversation shifted to whether Mr. Sunak could hold an election in June, similar to former prime minister Theresa May’s decision in 2017 when she accused the opposing parties of undermining the government’s efforts for Brexit.

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has urged for Mr Sunak to schedule an election at the earliest opportunity.

Last week, supporters of Mr. Sunak claimed that the PM still plans to hold an election in the latter half of the year. This comes as there have been rumors of a conspiracy by rebel Tories to remove him from his position due to the party’s poor performance in current polls.

Anxious Members of Parliament from various parties reportedly convened to discuss potentially replacing Mr. Sunak as prime minister with Commons leader Penny Mordaunt in a smooth transition of power – a decision that would not require a leadership election.

If carried out, the desperate attempt would result in the Conservatives installing their third consecutive prime minister on the nation without holding an election.

However, a close associate of Ms Mordaunt refuted the existence of a scheme to make her the leader of the Conservative Party, dismissing it as “ridiculous”.

The Times was informed that Mr. Sunak may consider holding an earlier election in order to prevent another leadership contest within the Conservative Party.

The ex-defense secretary, Ben Wallace, cautioned the plotters that it was too late to remove Mr. Sunak from his position and there were no other options for a replacement.

“During the electoral cycle, there is a defining moment when you don your finest attire, stand up with determination, and forge ahead towards the battlefield to fulfill your duties,” he stated to Times Radio.

Source: independent.co.uk