Tories reacted with anger and panic tonight after Rishi Sunak stunned Westminster by announcing a general election for 4 July - with some suggesting the PM has a 'death wish'.
After an extraordinary day of rumours, the usually cautious premier stepped into the pouring rain in Downing Street and took a massive gamble by announcing a summer contest, despite Labour's huge poll lead.
As his suit became drenched, and with protesters playing the New Labour anthem of 'Things Can Only Get Better' in the background, Mr Sunak pointed to inflation being 'back to normal' and he was 'stopping the boats'.
The Conservative leader later hauled Cabinet ministers and party activists to east London for a campaign launch, where he warned Labour would take the country 'back to square one'.
In a nod to many thinking the election result is already a foregone conclusion, the PM was met with applause as he vowed to show Labour that 'the British people will never be taken for granted'.
But some seemingly unenthusiastic faces among his Cabinet colleagues hinted at the angst within Tory ranks at Mr Sunak's decision to go to the polls much earlier than many had been expecting.
One Conservative MP hit out at the 'disaster' and accused Mr Sunak of 'condemning the Tory party to 'election oblivion'.
Another Tory MP told MailOnline: 'The mood is funereal. It's like that scene at the end of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'.
'This is a disaster. Just look at the launch – it was a disaster. I've spoken to three people today and they have all said they're screwed. The mood is one of resignation.
'I remember the 1997 campaign and we're going to do this again. It will be a repeat performance.
'This is a complete and bloody shambles. Colleagues are just shell-shocked.'
![Rishi Sunak hauled Cabinet ministers and party activists to east London this evening for a campaign launch, where he warned Labour would take the country 'back to square one'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/21/85219881-13447731-image-m-30_1716408486067.jpg)
Rishi Sunak hauled Cabinet ministers and party activists to east London this evening for a campaign launch, where he warned Labour would take the country 'back to square one'
![Some seemingly unenthusiatic faces among his Cabinet colleagues hinted at the angst within Tory ranks at the PM's decision to go to the polls much earlier than many had been expecting](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/21/85219891-13447731-image-a-31_1716408503653.jpg)
Some seemingly unenthusiatic faces among his Cabinet colleagues hinted at the angst within Tory ranks at the PM's decision to go to the polls much earlier than many had been expecting
![Tories have reacted with anger and panic after Mr Sunak stunned Westminster by announcing a general election for 4 July - with some suggesting the PM has a 'death wish'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/21/85219839-13447731-image-a-28_1716408441821.jpg)
Tories have reacted with anger and panic after Mr Sunak stunned Westminster by announcing a general election for 4 July - with some suggesting the PM has a 'death wish'
Just after 5pm, in the pouring London rain, Mr Sunak addressed the nation from Downing Street as he announced the date of the general election for six weeks' time in the wake of earlier positive news on falling inflation.
'The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future... now is the moment for Britain to decide its future,' he said.
'On July 5, either Sir Keir Starmer or I will be prime minister. He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.
'If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?'
But backbenchers warned of potential fresh attempts to unseat him if he pushes ahead while the Conservatives are currently languishing far behind Labour in the opinion polls.
Most are giving Sir Keir Starmer's party a lead of around 20 points, which if replicated at the ballot box could give Labour a majority of more than 200 seats and erase a swathe of Tory big-hitters.
MPs told MailOnline that Mr Sunak has a 'death wish' and the Parliamentary party will go 'nuts'.
Another said of the decision to go early: 'At least this means the end will be mercifully quick.'
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/18/85212879-13447731-image-a-36_1716398790043.jpg)
Rishi Sunak pulled the trigger on the election in a soaking Downing Street tonight
There are claims that 1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady is now accepting letters of no confidence in the leader via text message. Just 52 are needed to trigger a challenge to Mr Sunak's leadership.
One former Cabinet minister said: 'There will be queues outside Graham Brady's door.'
The latest Savanta poll gave Labour a 17-point lead over the Tories. According to Electoral Calculus, those numbers would produce a 236 majority for Keir Starmer.
He would have 443 MPs, while the Conservatives would have just 124. That is compared to the 376 returned in Boris Johnson's 2019 landslide.
But Savanta is not an outlier, in fact it has a smaller Labour lead than similar polls by Redfield & Wilton Strategies and YouGov.
They most recently put Labour's lead at 22 and 27 points respectively.
![Mr Sunak said it was the 'moment for Britain to decide' its future, whether he should stay as PM or Keir Starmer take over](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/18/85211185-13447731-Mr_Sunak_said_it_was_the_moment_for_Britain_to_decide_its_future-a-37_1716398797831.jpg)
Mr Sunak said it was the 'moment for Britain to decide' its future, whether he should stay as PM or Keir Starmer take over
![Michael Gove](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/18/85207279-13447731-Michael_Gove-a-38_1716398801996.jpg)
![Jeremy Hunt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/18/85207285-13447731-Jeremy_Hunt-a-39_1716398801997.jpg)
Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt were among the ministers at Cabinet tonight
![Despite seeming to ease just before Mr Sunak emerged from the famous black door, the rain quickly redoubled](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/22/18/85212233-13447731-Despite_seeming_to_ease_just_before_Mr_Sunak_emerged_from_the_fa-a-40_1716398807511.jpg)
Despite seeming to ease just before Mr Sunak emerged from the famous black door, the rain quickly redoubled
Preparations are being made for a Conservative rally at the Excel centre later tonight with campaigning due to kick into overdrive.
It will be the first July election since 1945, when Clement Attlee's Labour defeated Winston Churchill's Tories.
Mr Sunak said: 'These uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action to charter a course to a secure future.
'You must choose in this election, who has that plan, who is prepared to take a bold action necessary to secure a better future for our country and our children?
'Now, I cannot and will not claim that we have got everything right. No government should, but I am proud of what we have achieved together, the bold actions we have taken and I'm confident about what we can do in the future.'
The Prime Minister listed increasing the state pension by £900, reducing taxes on investment and reforming education as among his Government's achievements.'
Downing Street said in a statement: 'The Prime Minister has today asked His Majesty The King to proclaim the Dissolution of Parliament. His Majesty has been graciously pleased to signify that he will comply with this request.
'Parliament will be prorogued on Friday 24 May. Dissolution will take place on Thursday 30 May.
'The General Election will take place on Thursday 4 July. The new Parliament will be summoned to meet on Tuesday 9 July, when the first business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members, and the State Opening will be on Wednesday 17 July.'
The King met with Mr Sunak in person at Buckingham Palace for about 15 minutes during the afternoon, in place of his usual audience in the evening.
The rumours gathered pace after Mr Sunak hailed a 'major milestone' this morning with inflation tumbling to the lowest level in nearly three years.
At PMQs in the Commons at lunchtime, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: 'Speculation is rife, so I think the public deserve a clear answer to a simple question. Does the Prime Minister intend to call a summer general election or is he feart?'
Mr Sunak replied: 'There is, Mr Speaker, spoiler alert, there is going to be a general election in the second half of this year.
'At that moment, the British people will in fact see the truth about the honourable gentleman opposite me, because that will be the choice at the next election Mr Speaker, a party that is not able to say to the country what they would do, a party that would put at risk our hard-earned economic stability, or the Conservatives that are delivering a secure future for our United Kingdom.'
Then it emerged Lord Cameron had cut short a trip to Albania to be back in time for the Cabinet meeting at 4.15pm, while Jeremy Hunt cancelled an appearance on ITV tonight.