Sunak says UK at ‘crossroads’ but refuses to call election

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted on Monday that his beleaguered governing Conservative party can win a general election despite polls consistently indicating the opposite, but refused to set a date for the vote.

Sunak mounted a defence of the Tories´ 14 years in power and claimed that Britain would be less safe under Keir Starmer´s Labour opposition, which is widely tipped to come back to power.

The UK leader said he was “confident” his party would win a fifth consecutive term but conceded that Labour, out of government since 2010, may ultimately inflict defeat. “I´m clear-eyed enough to admit that, yes, maybe they can depress their way to victory,” Sunak said in a speech in central London, accusing Labour of “scaremongering” and “gaslighting”.

“But I don´t think it will work because at heart we are a nation of optimists,” he added, before warning of several dangers himself. Sunak cited Russia´s war in Europe, Iran´s firing of missiles in the Middle East and the uncertainty posed by artificial intelligence as threats that needed to be tackled.

He also referred to “authoritarian” states including China and North Korea, Scottish nationalists who want to break away from the United Kingdom and “cancel culture”. “Our country stands at a crossroads,” he said. “I´m convinced that the next few years will be some of the most dangerous, yet most transformational, our country has ever known,” Sunak added.