Why Rishi Sunak has done the right thing calling a general election… but it’s over for the Conservatives

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was soaked while making a speech outside No 10 (Lucy North/PA)

Sean O'Grady
© UK Independent

Rishi rolls the dice, then. After months when the British prime minister gave every impression that he’d rather avoid the electorate than ask them for an historic fifth term of Conservative government, he has now chosen to be bold, brave and try and capitalise on a modest run of encouraging economic news.

At last, he has taken back control, to borrow a phrase, and exercised one of the few powers he has left to forge his own destiny – the timing of the election. Quite unexpectedly, he has stopped dithering over dates, seized the initiative, and no doubt will hope the country will thank him for ending the speculation – although, for many, the real frustration is the interminable wait for them to #GTTO, as they tag the yearning to get the Tories out on social media.