UK to Hold Early General Election on July 4

An early general election to decide the next government will be held in the UK on July 4.

On the 22nd (local time), UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election plan, saying, "This is the moment for the UK to choose its future."

On the same day, Prime Minister Sunak met with King Charles III and requested the dissolution of Parliament for the next general election, and explained that King Charles III agreed to this.

The next UK general election must be held by January 28 of next year, but the Prime Minister can announce an early election. Sunak mentioned that the election would be held in the second half of this year but did not specify an exact date.

The Conservative Party, which has been in power for the past 14 years, is trailing the main opposition Labour Party by more than 20 percentage points in approval ratings. Nevertheless, Sunak's announcement of an early election appears to be due to the recovery of the UK economy, which had faced difficulties amid the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.