Rishi Sunak Announces General Election For July 4
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00:00 Earlier today, I spoke with His Majesty the King to request the dissolution of Parliament.
00:06 The King has granted this request and we will have a general election on the 4th of July.
00:11 This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been
00:15 since the end of the Cold War. Putin's Russia is waging a brutal war in Ukraine and will
00:21 not stop there if he succeeds. That war has also made it all too clear the risk to our
00:26 energy security. In the Middle East, the forces of Islamist extremism threaten regional and
00:33 ultimately global stability. These tensions are exploited by extremists who seek to undermine
00:38 our values and divide our society here at home. China is looking to dominate the 21st
00:45 century by stealing a lead in technology and migration is being weaponised by hostile states
00:51 to threaten the integrity of our borders. These uncertain times call for a clear plan
00:58 and bold action to chart a course to a secure future. You must choose in this election who
01:04 has that plan, who is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a better future
01:11 for our country and our children. Now I cannot and will not claim that we have got everything
01:18 right. No government should. But I am proud of what we have achieved together, the bold
01:24 actions we have taken and I'm confident about what we can do in the future. We've tackled
01:30 inflation, controlled debt, cut workers' taxes and increased the state pension by £900.
01:37 We've reduced taxes on investment and seized the opportunities of Brexit to make this the
01:41 best country in the world to grow a business, put record amounts of funding into our NHS
01:47 and ensured it is now training the doctors and nurses it needs in the decades to come.
01:52 We've reformed education and our children are now the best readers in the Western world.
01:58 We prioritised energy security and your family finances over environmental dogma in our approach
02:03 to net zero. We've fully funded an increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. We made
02:11 a decision to invest more in local transport that you actually use rather than endlessly
02:16 plough more money into HS2. We set out a comprehensive plan to reform our welfare system to make
02:22 it fair for those who pay for it as well as those who need it. Immigration is finally
02:28 coming down and we are stopping the boats with our Rwanda partnership and we will ensure
02:35 that the next generation grows up smoke free. I hope that my work since I became Prime Minister
02:42 shows that we have a plan and are prepared to take bold action necessary for our country
02:48 to flourish. Now I've stuck with that plan and always been honest with you about what
02:53 is needed even when that's been difficult because I'm guided by doing what is right
02:58 for our country not what is easy. I can't say the same thing for the Labour Party because
03:05 I don't know what they offer and in truth I don't think you know either and that's
03:10 because they have no plan. There is no bold action and as a result the future can only
03:16 be uncertain with them. On the 5th of July either Keir Starmer or I will be Prime Minister.
03:23 He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get
03:29 power. If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become later leader once
03:34 he got the job how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing if he were to become
03:39 Prime Minister. If you don't have the conviction to stick to anything you say, if you don't
03:46 have the courage to tell people what you want to do and if you don't have a plan how can
03:52 you possibly be trusted to lead our country especially at this most uncertain of times.
04:00 Over the next few weeks I will fight for every vote. I will earn your trust and I will prove
04:07 to you that only a Conservative government led by me will not put our hard earned economic
04:13 stability at risk, can restore pride and confidence in our country and with a clear plan and bold
04:21 action will deliver a secure future for you, your family and our United Kingdom.