Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has refused to rule out a July general election.

Mr Sunak was asked on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips whether the latter half of 2024 could mean July.

The latest possible date he could hold the election is January 28 2025.

The Prime Minister said: “I’m not going to say anything more than I’ve already said, I’ve been very clear about that.”

Pressed repeatedly whether he was ruling out July, he said: “I’m not going to do that.

“You’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say. I’m going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, same thing I’ve said all year.”

Adam Bienkov, Political Editor at the Byline Times said on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Rishi Sunak getting very ratty with Trevor Phillips on Sky News when asked when he'll call a general election and why he's so badly tanked in all the polls".

Mr Sunak also signalled he could wait for economic improvements to come through, in an apparent hint at a poll later in the year.

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“I’m determined to make sure that people feel when the election comes that the future is better, that we have turned the corner,” he said.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Home Secretary James Cleverly have both warned colleagues against ousting Mr Sunak before the general election.

Home Office minister Chris Philp conceded that voters “do feel grumpy with the Government”.

Dire poll ratings for the Tories

But he predicted on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the party’s position will “significantly improve” closer to a general election when “it becomes more of a choice rather than a sort of referendum on do you feel grumpy with the Government”.

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused Mr Sunak of “bottling” an election.

“He should get on with it,” Mr Streeting told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

“People are crying out for an opportunity to deliver their verdict on this Government and to vote for change.

“That’s why the Prime Minister bottled an election earlier this year. That’s why he’s bottling it now. That’s why he will have to be taken out of Downing Street by his fingernails by the end of the year.”