Mystery date: when is the right time to call a general election?

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government · Oct 17, 2023 · 34m

Will it be May? Maybe October? Perhaps November? Surely not January 2025? Yes, everyone is talking about when the next general election is going to be held – and speculating when Rishi Sunak will decide to go to the country.

So is it right for the prime minister to have the power to choose the date of a general election? What are the key considerations to make when looking at the polls – or the weather forecast? And what does history tell us about when is the right time to call an election – and when is the wrong time to stick rather than twist?

This special episode of Inside Briefing brings…