A relatively good few weeks for Rishi Sunak has resulted in the Conservative Party feeling much more optimistic about its election prospects and the talk is increasingly of calling a vote in May 2024. Waiting longer, the argument goes, looks defensive.
Of course, there is some sense in the government talking about a spring election. It conveys confidence (even if the movement in the polls is small) and it helps to ensure that the party is reasonably well prepared. By the time of this year’s Conservative conference in October, the party chairman, Greg Hands, hopes to have in place 100 new candidates.
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