Is this the end of the Tory party? Yesterday, the British prime minister surprised the nation by announcing a general election on 4 July.
Rishi Sunak’s last throw of the dice
Final gamble?: Rishi Sunak (AI-generated above) says he can win despite being 20 points behind in the polls. Glossary
Downing Street - 10 Downing Street, in central London, has been the official home of the UK prime minister since 1735.
General election - In the UK, when an election is held for all 650 members of the House of Commons. One must take place every five years.
Conservative party - A British political party. Members are known as Tories.
Labour - Britain's main left-of-centre political party.
Inflation - An increase in the price of goods in an economy.
Polls - When people are asked what their opinion is on a certain topic or who they are voting for in an election.
Tories - The Tory Party was the former name of the Conservative Party. The phrase is still used to refer to Conservatives.
MPs - Members of Parliament. MPs are elected to represent people in 650 different geographical areas.
Keir Starmer - The leader of the UK Labour Party since 2020 and British prime minister since July 2024.
Podium - A small platform on which a person stands to be seen by an audience, as when making a speech, receiving a prize, or conducting an orchestra.