Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

ON Wednesday, 22 May 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a:- 'General Election' for this summer after the King had granted his request to dissolve Parliament. This means Parliament will be prorogued on:- Friday, 24 May 2024, while dissolution will take place on:- Thursday, 30 May 2024. Then the General Election will be held on:- Thursday, 4 July 2024.

This has come as a surprise as under the:- 'Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022,' Mr Sunak had until:- 17 December 2024, to call an election as votes must be held no more than 5 years apart.

Responding to the Prime Minister calling a General Election, Cllr Shaun Davies, Local Government Association Chair, said:- "This election comes at a pivotal time for the country. Securing the future of our public services must be front and center of all political party manifestos. As we lead up to 4 July, the LGA will be making the case that, with the right powers and adequate long-term funding, it is councils who can provide the answers to so many of the issues any incoming government will face. This includes:- building more affordable homes, boosting economic growth, improving support for children and vulnerable adults and older people, and creating a better future for everyone."

Also responding to the looming General Election, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) team in the North team is intensifying its proactive engagement efforts with both sitting MPs as well as Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) across the political spectrum. CLA Acting Director North, Henk Geertsema said:- "People living in the countryside want to run businesses, create jobs, and grow the economy but for decades, Governments of all colors have treated rural areas as a museum, failing to generate the conditions necessary for growth. Every party needs to prove it matches the ambition, talent, work ethic, and values of the rural community. We don't want nice words, we want a plan, and a commitment to a realistic budget for the future of agriculture. Whichever party produces a robust and ambitious plan for growth in the rural economy will secure support, and the CLA stands ready to work with them to unleash its full potential. We don’t give our votes for life, we lend them for five years, and this year the loan is up for renewal. Our efforts to engage with politicians and Parliamentary Party Candidates will continue across Cumbria, Lancashire, the North East, and Yorkshire."