The general election will not take place in May, a government minister has insisted.
Speculation has been mounting at Westminster that Rishi Sunak could be tempted to go to the country earlier than expected.
The prime minister said in January was that his “working assumption” was that the election will take place in the second half of this year.
But with the Tories continuing to languish well behind Labour in the polls, some Conservatives believe he could be tempted to go early in case things get even worse for the party as the year goes on.
Asked on Times Radio this morning if he believed “there is any sniff of actually there being a general election in May”, trade minister Greg Hands said: “No.”
But a former cabinet minister suggested Hands, the MP for Chelsea and Fulham, had his own reasons for not wanting an election in two months’ time.
He said: “Presumably he doesn’t want it as he is one of people who will lose whatever happens.”
A poll yesterday gave Labour a 27-point lead, with support for the Tories on just 20%.
The most likely date for the general election is thought to be either October or November.
However, Sunak could go all the way until January next year if he wants to give himself as much time as possible to improve his party’s fortunes.
One former Tory minister told HuffPost UK: “Why give up power before you have to?”
Meanwhile, shadow paymaster general Jon Ashworth said the election was “definitely coming in May”.
He told Sky News: “My challenge today to Rishi Sunak is ‘name that date’.”