Rishi Sunak has been challenged over his refusal to name the date of the next general election, amid suggestions he could trigger it for the summer.
In an interview with BBC Radio Tees on Tuesday, the prime minister was asked if he would end speculation about when he will go to the country.
“No, no, unfortunately not,” he said. “I have answered that question many times in the last few weeks.”
The presenter asked: “Why not? Why is that funny sorry? Why are you laughing about that?”
Sunak said: “There is a way we announce general elections and it will be done in the formal and official way.”
In a separate interview with BBC Radio Newcastle, Sunak was asked when he was “going to face the music” an call the election.
“I have said repeatedly and clearly my working assumption is we will have a general election in the second half of the year. There has been no change to that. I have been very clear.”
Labour seized on Sunak’s answer with a post on X telling voters they could “stop him laughing” by voting against the Tories.
His comments came after a bombshell mega-poll in The Sunday Times suggested the Tories are on course to win fewer than 100 seats at the election.
The Survation survey for the Best for Britain campaign group said Keir Starmer was heading for a landslide 142-seat majority.
It found Labour would end up with 468 MPs, the Tories 98, the SNP 41 and the Lib Dems 22.
Lib Dem local government spokesperson Helen Morgan said: “Rishi Sunak laughing in the face of people crying out for change is the perfect example of how careless, callous and chaotic this Conservative Party is.
“While Sunak clings on it’s obvious that people up and down the country are demanding he and this rabble stop hunkering in their offices. We need a general election now.”
Sunak’s interviews marked one month until the local elections on May 2, which polling experts have predicted will see the Tories lose 500 council seats.
A bad result could see further calls for Sunak to be ousted as prime minister.
The prime minister today again indicated he will call it in the autumn, but it has been suggested he could hold it in June or July in an attempt to see off any challenges to his leadership.