General election called for 4 July, as Rishi Sunak says ‘now is the moment for Britain to choose its future’
Rishi Sunak has called a general election for 4 July, saying “now is the moment for Britain to choose its future”.
In a statement outside Downing Street delivered in the pouring rain, the prime minister said he had met with the King to request the dissolution of parliament.
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“The King has granted this request and we will have a general election on the 4th of July”, Mr Sunak said.
The surprise move is a huge electoral gamble given Labour are ahead by about 20 points in the polls.
It comes after official figures showed inflation had come down to 2.3% in April.
Mr Sunak said this is “proof that the plan and priorities I set out are working”.
However, he said “this hard earned economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning”.
In a rallying cry to the nation he said: “The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family and our country?
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“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future and to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made or risk going back to square one. With no plan and no certainty.”
Mr Sunak had to contend with New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better being played from beyond the gates to Downing Street as he delivered his speech.
In a sign the election will be fought on the economy, the prime minister opened his remarks by harking back to his days as chancellor during the pandemic, saying he served the country while “the future hung in the balance”.
He said that economic stability is “the bedrock of any future success” and accused Labour of having no plan.
He finished his statement with an attack on his rival for Number 10, Sir Keir Starmer, saying he has “shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power”.
“If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?
“If you don’t have the conviction to stick to anything you say, if you don’t have the courage to tell people what you want to do, and if you don’t have a plan, how can you possibly be trusted to lead our country, especially at this most uncertain of times?”
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Election ‘opportunity for change’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
Delivering his own televised statement from central London, Sir Keir said the election is an “opportunity for change” as he tore into the Tories’ record in government.
He pointed to sewage in rivers, people “waiting on trolleys in A&E”, crime going “virtually unpunished” and mortgages and food prices “through the roof”.
“On 4 July you have a choice, and together we can stop the chaos, we can turn the page, we can start to rebuild Britain and change our country,” he said.
If Sir Keir wins the election, it will end 14 years of Conservative governments under five prime ministers.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who is also hoping to make gains the the rural Tory heartlands, said the election is “a chance to kick Rishi Sunak’s appalling Conservative government out of office and deliver the change the public is crying out for”.
What are the rules for calling an election?
Mr Sunak has been saying for months the vote would happen in the “second half of the year” but had refused to set a date.
The assumption was that he would wait until the autumn to give him more time to deliver on his pledges.
However, speculation he could go to the country earlier mounted in Westminster on Wednesday as Cabinet ministers were summoned for an unusually timed meeting, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron cutting short trips abroad to attend.
As general elections have to be held every five years, the final day a vote could have taken place was 28 January 2025.
However, the Conservatives in 2019 restored the prime minister’s power to call an election at a time of their choosing within that five years.
The last general election was held in 2019, when Boris Johnson won the Conservatives a landslide over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.
Since then, there have been two more prime ministers, Liz Truss and Mr Sunak, and the Conservatives’ 80-seat majority has been reduced by a series of by-election losses while their popularity among voters has plummeted.
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UK
Bardia Shojaeifard: Boy, 15, jailed for murder of Alfie Lewis in knife attack outside school in Leeds
A 15-year-old boy who had a “worrying interest in knives” has been jailed for life – with a minimum of 13 years behind bars – for stabbing another teenager to death on the way home from school.
Bardia Shojaeifard was named for the first time today by a judge shortly before he was sentenced for the murder of Alfie Lewis, also 15.
Alfie was stabbed to death in front of pupils leaving a primary school in the Horsforth area of Leeds last November.
The court heard Shojaeifard – who was 14 at the time of the murder – was an “outwardly normal” boy.
He admitted stabbing Alfie with a 13cm-long knife he had brought from home, but denied murder and claimed he was acting in self-defence when he pulled out the blade.
Alfie Lewis
Shojaeifard was found guilty of murdering Alfie by a Leeds Crown Court jury in April.
Mr Justice Cotter removed reporting restrictions that prevented him from being identified on Friday.
He said lifting the defendant’s anonymity would help in the “vitally important debate about the scourge of knife crime, among young people in particular”.
A picture recovered from the phone of Bardia Shojaeifard shows him posing with a knife. Pic: West Yorkshire Police
Pic: West Yorkshire Police
Mr Justice Cotter said the public would be wondering how a young boy “from a loving and supportive family” could commit such an “extraordinary” crime “without forewarning or any warning signs save for some pictures of knives on his phone”.
Alfie was stabbed twice – with a chest wound penetrating his heart and causing “catastrophic bleeding”, West Yorkshire Police said.
He was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.
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Eyewitnesses had said Shojaeifard had approached Alfie and attacked him without provocation – with the victim trying to back away.
Alfie was heard saying “chill out” and “what are you doing?” as Shojaeifard swung at him with the knife.
The attacker later ran off and left the knife near the scene, and was arrested at his home about an hour later.
Detectives believe Shojaeifard had been carrying the kitchen knife all day, and had intended to seek Alfie at home time.
Leeds Crown Court had heard that there had been two previous incidents involving both boys – including one last July that saw Alfie intervene in a fight Shojaeifard was having with another boy.
A week before the deadly attack – on Halloween – Shojaeifard had walked past Alfie’s house with a bag of fireworks, prompting Alfie to say to him: “Give me the bag or something worse than last time is going to happen.”
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Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson said: “Shojaeifard targeted Alfie in a premeditated and planned attack using murderous violence to end his young life, for which there can be no excuse or justification.
“His actions have robbed Alfie of his future and left his family and friends absolutely devastated. No sentence will ever compensate them for their loss.”
Alfie’s mother Heather Lane addressed Shojaeifard directly as she read her victim impact statement in court.
“No sentence will ever be enough for what you have done. I will never, ever forgive you,” she said.
Ms Lane sobbed as she said: “Alfie was my heart and when he was stabbed in the heart it killed me too.”
Alfie’s older brother Antony described him as a “loving and caring little mate” who “never deserved what happened to him”.
Mr Justice Cotter told Shojaeifard: “He had a long life ahead of him and you took that away.
“Knives have stolen so many lives, and you and others must understand how dangerous this obsession is.
“Without your interest in knives, Alfie would be here today.”
UK
UK weather: Heatwave could hit next week – but there’s a big catch for hayfever sufferers thanks to ‘pollen bomb’
High levels of pollen are striking parts of the UK – bringing fresh misery for hayfever sufferers – with forecasts suggesting there could be a heatwave next week.
The Met Office has warned the pollen count will be very high in England for the next five days, extending to Wales and Northern Ireland from Saturday onwards.
By Monday, all but the northernmost parts of Scotland will be affected.
Pic: Met Office
Asthma + Lung UK is urging people with respiratory conditions to take precautions in the week ahead.
The charity’s research suggests pollen is a trigger for 47% of people with asthma, and 27% of those who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD).
This can cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, a tight chest and breathlessness to flare up.
Erika Radford, the organisation’s head of health advice, told Sky News: “When pollen particles are breathed in, they can cause inflammation in the airways and get into the lungs, making it harder for those with lung conditions to breathe. This can be terrifying.”
Asthma sufferers have been urged to use their preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, and keep a reliever inhaler nearby at all times – even when at home.
Britons who suffer from hayfever can take antihistamines, ask their GP to prescribe a steroid nasal spray, and avoid going outside as much as possible on high pollen days.
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Other top tips for beating the pollen include:
• Not hanging your washing outdoors
• Having a shower when you’ve been outside
• Keeping windows and doors closed
• Vacuuming and wiping down surfaces regularly
• Taking antihistamines four weeks before symptoms start.
Eating apples and red onions has also been touted as a way of lowering histamine levels.
Pic: Met Office
Heatwave on the horizon
Meanwhile, the Met Office is forecasting higher temperatures as we head into next week – with 30C (86F) possible in isolated spots.
While Friday and Saturday are looking less settled, fine conditions are set to return on Sunday, and temperatures could be in the mid-20s for many in the days that follow.
Check the five-day weather forecast where you are
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Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Some central and southern areas are likely to see temperatures approaching the values needed for heatwave conditions.
“Heatwave conditions need to remain in situ for three consecutive days, and by the middle of next week it is possible that some parts of the UK could be reaching heatwave thresholds.”
He anticipates “the finest conditions and highest temperatures so far this year” – but lower overnight temperatures are set to offer some respite for those who struggle with the heat.
Sky meteorologist Steff Gaulter added: “We’ve a plume of hot, humid air coming up from the south which will start to affect us from Sunday.
“This will bring a fair amount of cloud for some places, but in the sunniest spots we’re likely to see temperatures of 27C on Sunday, 28C Monday and 29C on Tuesday and Wednesday. This might be a bit of a shock to some people after the rather lacklustre start to summer we’ve had so far!
“We’re not all going to see these temperatures though and there will be some rain affecting the western parts. The highest temperatures look most likely in central and eastern England.
“Then on Wednesday, it looks like we’ll see a thundery breakdown, but in weather terms this is still a long way off, so we’ll have to keep you posted on that.”
UK
NHS cyber attack: Sensitive data stolen from blood test provider by criminal group ‘published online’
Sensitive data stolen from an NHS provider in a cyber attack has apparently been published online.
NHS England says a criminal group claims it has released patient information hacked from Synnovis, which provides pathology services on blood tests.
Synnovis, which provides services primarily in southeast London, was the victim of a ransomware attack, understood to be carried out by Russian group Qilin, on 3 June.
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In a statement on Friday morning, NHS England said: “NHS England has been made aware that the cyber criminal group published data last night which they are claiming belongs to Synnovis and was stolen as part of this attack.
“We understand that people may be concerned by this and we are continuing to work with Synnovis, the National Cyber Security Centre and other partners to determine the content of the published files as quickly as possible.
“This includes whether it is data extracted from the Synnovis system, and if so whether it relates to NHS patients.
“As more information becomes available through Synnovis’ full investigation, the NHS will continue to update patients and the public.”
The cyber criminal group shared almost 400GB of data – including patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers and descriptions of blood tests – on their darknet site and Telegram channel, the BBC said.
Spreadsheets containing financial arrangements between hospitals and GP services and Synnovis were also published, the BBC reported.
Synnovis said in a statement on Friday morning: “We know how worrying this development may be for many people. We are taking it very seriously and an analysis of this data is already under way.”
More than 320 planned operations and 1,294 outpatient appointments were postponed at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust between 10 and 16 June, the second week after the attack.
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Since the first week after the attack (3 to 9 June), the number of rearranged planned operations has gone down by 494, but a further 394 outpatient appointments have been missed.
So far, the data theft has led to more than 1,100 planned operations and 2,100 outpatient appointments to be postponed, according to NHS England London figures.
Urgent and emergency services have remained available as usual.
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