On Thursday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour Party opponent Keir Starmer will officially begin their campaigns for the July 4 election, which Sunak shocked the country with the announcement.

Sunak ended months of speculation about an October or November election by using a rain-soaked speech to the electorate to begin what is expected to be six weeks of intense campaigning. Sunak’s Conservative Party behind Labour by almost 20 percentage points in opinion polls.

It is anticipated that the leaders of both parties will embark on a campaign trail, aiming to take the lead early on by engaging with people and conveying their platforms in the hopes of securing enough seats in parliament to establish a majority government on July 5.

Control over the sixth largest economy in the world is at risk. This economy has seen years of low growth and high inflation, is still struggling to pull off its 2016 decision to leave the European Union, and is only now beginning to recover from the twin shocks of COVID-19 and a spike in energy prices brought on by the conflict in Ukraine.

Given this context, one of the most significant electoral battlegrounds is the economy.

The 44-year-old Sunak made his election announcement on the day that inflation approached target again. His initial pitch to voters has been that his economic plan is working and that only he can transform the stability of the economy into a rebound that benefits everyone.

He portrayed Labour as a party without a strategy when he asked, “Who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family, and our country?” at a rally late on Wednesday.

“Our goal is for Britain to experience a resurgence of self-assurance and community spirit. a nation where future generations will have access to the same possibilities as their predecessors and where diligence will be rewarded fairly.”

After a period of politically disastrous left-wing leadership, 61-year-old Starmer, a former lawyer, has successfully steered Labour’s policies back toward the center. Starmer has positioned his party as one that will address the concerns of an embittered populace.

In a statement sent to party members early in the campaign, he said, “Labour will stop the chaos, turn the page, and get Britain’s future back,” calling the election “the fight of our lives”.

“We’ve been working toward this moment. To improve Britain, we must unite to defeat the Conservatives and install a Labour government.”

In the event that Labour wins, 14 years of Conservative rule would come to an end, and Britain—once renowned for its political stability—would have had six prime ministers in eight years the first time since the 1830s in many years.

Parliamentary activity is anticipated to increase concurrently with the start of electioneering, as the government decides which of the ongoing bills will be expedited through and which will be shelved.

Sunak wants to prohibit anyone under the age of 15 from ever purchasing cigarettes, which would implement some of the strongest anti-smoking laws in the world. This is one of the laws that are presently being discussed.