Exclusive: Voters Warn Rishi Sunak Not To Have A Christmas Election
Voters have comprehensively rejected the prospect of a Christmas election, HuffPost UK can reveal.
A new poll shows that just 9% of the public believe Rishi Sunak should go to the country in December.
More than half - 52% - plumped for November, which was the earliest option they were given by the More in Common think-tank.
Meanwhile, only 16% believe the election should take place in January next year - the latest point at which it can be held.
The findings suggest voters want to get to the polls as soon as possible so they can cast their verdict on the Tory government.
Sunak has been accused by Labour of running scared of the electorate after he decided not to call the general election for earlier this month.
The PM has repeatedly said his “working assumption” is that it will take place in the second half of this year.
There had been speculation that he could call it for July to ward off any threats of a leadership challenge from rebel Tory MPs.
However, despite the Conservatives’ miserable performance in the local elections on May 2, Sunak now looks certain to lead his party into the election, whenever it takes place.
The prime minister has been widely ridiculed after he said the local election result - in which the Tories lost nearly 500 councillors - suggested the UK is on course for a hung parliament.
Within days, a new YouGov poll gave Labour a 30-point lead.
Chris Hopkins of pollsters Savanta said: “The Tories are on for a pasting.”