Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, has advocated for a general election to be held soon after newly elected Labour MP Chris Webb won the Blackpool South by-election by a significant majority. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Conservative MP Scott Benton. Webb, securing around 60% of the vote, marks a substantial shift in voter allegiance from the Conservatives to Labour in this area. Starmer considers this victory an indication of the public’s desire for political change and has called on the Prime Minister to schedule an early general election.

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves criticized the current government’s economic policies during a speech in the City of London. She accused the Conservatives of misleading the public about the state of the economy and outlined Labour’s contrary economic initiatives, which include curbing tax avoidance, reforming non-dom rules, and promoting economic stability through a proposed ‘fiscal lock’. Reeves’ approach aims for fiscal responsibility and targeted investment, drawing some distinctions from previous Labour policies under Jeremy Corbyn.

In a separate development, pollsters have contested Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s suggestion that the next general election could result in a hung parliament. Despite Sunak’s interpretation of the local elections, where the Conservative Party lost many council seats, pollsters and political analysts believe Labour could secure a lead although falling short of an outright majority. This prediction comes amidst discussions on current voter dissatisfaction and the Conservative Party’s declining performance in recent polls, intensifying the debate around the outcomes of the forthcoming general election.