General election latest: Sunak's announcement gets brutal review from top Tory - as Reform leader defends 1066 graph (2024)

The latest edition of Electoral Dysfunctionis in your podcast feeds now, and one of the main topics was the optics of Rishi Sunak's announcement of the general election date.

In case you missed it, he went out on to Downing Street in the pouring rain, and throughout his speech, the song Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream was blaring out - which was the official anthem of Sir Tony Blair's landslide victory for Labour in 1997 (more here).

Our political editor Beth Rigbyexplained that Mr Sunak did the announcement on the street because he "wanted to be traditional".

But former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidsonbranded the launch "disastrous", saying: "The idea of tradition and all the rest of it, well, that's great and all.

"But you're the prime minister - you make the traditions here.

"How f****** incompetent do you have to be to launch a campaign that badly?

"And how much do you not protect your boss by allowing him to do it or encouraging him to do it?"

She added: "Wait for a break in the clouds, okay? Look, how hard is that?"

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley said he wanted to avoid advertising that he is a centi-millionaire by having "a lackey holding an umbrella".

She added that he "wouldn't have lost a single vote" if someone had been holding an umbrella, or he'd delivered the speech inside.

"He will lose votes because of the way he launched it," she said.

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We've got three key dates for your diary from the Electoral Commission should you need to register to vote in the general election.

18 June: This is the deadline to register, which you can do online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

19 June: This is the deadline to apply for a postal vote, should you not be around when polling stations open on 4 July.

26 June: This is the deadline to apply for a proxy vote, which allows someone to vote on your behalf, and also to apply for a Voter ID certificate should you not have another valid form of identification.

This is the first general election where ID is needed to vote - find out more about registration here:

In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.

Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:

• Halve inflation
• Grow the economy
• Reduce debt
• Cut NHS waiting lists and times
• Stop the boats

See below how he is doing on these goals:

It's not just your lifelong politicans who enter the fray when it comes to election time.

With the next general election now confirmed for July, there are already some faces in the mix you might recognise from other walks of life.

They wouldn't be the first from the worlds of entertainment and sport to venture into politics - the late Oscar-winner Glenda Jackson won a seat for Labour in the 1992 election, as did TV personality Gyles Brandreth for the Conservatives.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was known as a comedian and actor before assuming his current role in 2019.

Here are some new candidates hoping to become MPs in July - along with one who bowed out after just eight days...

As the football season comes to an end - the general election battle is just beginning.

And it's the crossover you didn't know you needed - Sky's Kay Burley kicks out David Jones, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher from the Monday Night Football studio.

Below, she gives you a first look at our Election Night Live studio, our home for when the results come in from across the United Kingdom.

Have a sneak peak below:

Sky News has announced its coverage plans for the 2024 general election after Rishi Sunak surprised the nation by saying the public will go to the polls on 4 July.

Chief PresenterKay Burleywill anchor Election Night Live, the overnight results programme, from a 360-degree immersive studio normally used by Sky Sports shows like Monday Night Football.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and a former Labour MP, will provide guest analysis alongside the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives,Baroness Ruth Davidson.

Burley, who will be covering her twelfth UK general election, will also be joined by Sky News' award-winning political editorBeth Rigby, the presenter of our Sunday breakfast showSir Trevor Phillips, and data and economics editorEd Conway.

You can read more on our election night plans below:

By Professor Michael Thrasher, Sky News election analyst

The electoral geography of the UK is changing.

Following the recommendations of independent Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the next UK general election - which Sky News understands will be on 4 July - will be fought on new constituency boundaries, replacing those in operation since 2010.

This is the sixth periodic review to be implemented since the war. The next review is not scheduled until October 2031.

Exploring how this movement of voters affects the political makeup of the House of Commons is a task that Colin Rallings and myself have been doing over the past thirty years following previous boundary adjustments.

There are winners and losers in different parts of the UK - read the full analysis here:

Rishi Sunak's decision to call a general election has kickstarted what is known as the "wash-up" period - the term used to describe the final days before parliament is formally dissolved.

It means the government will now try to progress any outstanding legislation with the aim of making it law before parliament is prorogued, and the current parliamentary session comes to an end, on Friday.

However, with such a limited timeframe, it is expected that a number of bills that have defined this parliamentary session are likely to fall by the wayside.

Sky's political reporter Alex Rogerstakes you through the key bills that are unlikely to make it into law:

The political parties have been setting out their election campaigns, with voters going to the polls exactly six weeks from today.

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to deputy political editor Sam Coates, who is following the prime minister on his campaign trail around the UK, visiting four nations in two days.

He also chats with chief political correspondent Jon Craig about the launch of Labour's campaign in Kent.

Plus, Sky's online campaign correspondent Tom Cheshire tells Niall why the parties are spending big money online and whether it could affect the election outcome.

Two Tory ministers and deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing have confirmed they will not stand in next month's general election.

Transport minister Huw Merriman is among five Conservative MP to reveal they will not seek re-election, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's announcement that the country will go to the polls on 4 July.

The Bexhill and Battle MP said in a statement he has "loved being an MP" and is departing with "a heavy heart". He did not give a reason for choosing to stand down.

Mr Merriman, who has been in parliament for nine years, has a majority of 26,059 votes, winning over 63.6% of the vote in 2019.

His announcement came hours after that of fellow Tory minister Jo Churchill.

Read more here: