A General Election will be held on July 4th, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced.

Mr Sunak, who has been Prime Minister since October 2022, has called the election after months of speculation about its date.

The deadline for an election was January 2025.

Announcing the election, the Prime Minister said: "The king has granted the dissolution of parliament, and the election will be on 4 July."

In a sign that security and the economy will be key battlegrounds, Mr Sunak said: “This election will take place at time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War.”

The “uncertain times” call for a “clear plan”, he said.

A July election is earlier than many in Westminster had expected, with a contest in October or November widely thought to have been more likely.

Mr Sunak’s announcement came after the Office for National Statistics said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation slowed to 2.3% in April, down from 3.2% in March.

He said that was a “major milestone” for the country, with inflation now “back to normal” levels.

How do I register to vote in the General Election?

If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote or not, you can check by contacting your local Electoral Registration Office.

You can go to this Government website and enter your postcode to find your nearest one.

Will I need ID to vote at the General Election?

Voters across the UK will be required to show ID to vote in General Elections.

Ministers introduced mandatory photo ID in Britain last year, despite concerns the move could disenfranchise voters, while there is little evidence of electoral fraud at polling stations.

Voters in England need to show ID to vote in Local elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections, UK parliamentary elections, by-elections and recall petitions.

In Scotland and Wales, it only applies to UK Parliamentary elections, by-elections and recall petitions, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Wales.

You will not need ID to vote in Senedd elections, Scottish Parliament elections, or local council elections in either country.

Voter ID laws have been in place in Northern Ireland since 1985, with photo ID being required since 2003.

You can use any of the following accepted forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station.

International travel

  • Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country

Driving and Parking

  • Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
  • A Blue Badge

Local travel

  • Older Person’s Bus Pass
  • Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
  • Oyster 60+ Card
  • Freedom Pass
  • Scottish National Entitlement Card
  • 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card

Proof of age

  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Other government issued documents

  • Biometric immigration document
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • National identity card issued by an EEA state
  • Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
  • Voter Authority Certificate
  • Anonymous Elector's Document

You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.

You can still use your photo ID if it's out of date, as long as it looks like you.

The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

If you don't have an accepted form of photo ID you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.