An Ipsos poll in April caused a flurry of excitement in Conservative HQ when it found that on four key metrics Starmer’s Labour fares worse than Ed Miliband’s did in the run-up to the 2015 election.

✍️ Patrick O'Flynn

The last ten years have seen a stream of against-all-odds election victories — and Rishi Sunak’s only hope is that he can pull off one of these miracles. Here are four that he might have in mind…

✍️ Steerpike

Would waiting another few months to call a general election have improved the Conservatives’ prospects? One of the big reasons for waiting until the autumn was the possibility of another fiscal statement.

✍️ Kate Andrews

Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future. To decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.

✍️ Rishi Sunak

The future of the country in your hands. On the 4th of July you have the choice. And together we can stop the chaos. We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain and change our country.

✍️ Keir Starmer

The contrast between the sober, dry Starmer with a soaked Tory premier being taunted by protestors blasting out ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ is one that has delighted Labour aides tonight.

✍️ James Heale

Indeed

The contrast between the sober, dry Starmer with a soaked Tory premier being taunted by protestors blasting out ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ is one that has delighted Labour aides tonight.

✍️ James Heale

My toon in the forthcoming The Spectator … the most important thing in comedy is timing ! #fluke #election

The future of the country in your hands. On the 4th of July you have the choice. And together we can stop the chaos. We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain and change our country.

✍️ Keir Starmer

Much as Boris had a ‘countdown to Brexit’ clock installed in CCHQ in 2019, Sunak might as well install a ‘countdown to California’ clock in No. 10.

✍️ James Hanson

Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future. To decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made, or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.

✍️ Rishi Sunak

In terms of the Tory prospects in this election, many in the party see it as reducing losses rather than a race in which they have a fighting chance.

✍️ Katy Balls

#GeneralElection

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ends weeks of speculation and announces a general election will be held on 4 July.

#GeneralElection

From the forthcoming The Spectator and tonight’s Evening Blend newsletter (sign up here: spectator.co.uk/evening-blend/) by Nick Newman

Dear oh dear. Rishi Sunak failed to quash election speculation in this afternoon’s Prime Minister’s Questions and now lobby hacks are desperately trying to figure out whether a big announcement really is looming.

✍️ Steerpike

With every opinion poll pointing to a Labour landslide, it’s unclear what the Prime Minister would seek to gain by a summer poll, unless he has given up hope.

✍️ The Spectator

#GeneralElection

Is Rishi Sunak going to announce the election date later today? Speculation was – once again – so rife that the Prime Minister might be about to make some kind of announcement that the question came up at Prime Minister’s Questions. And he didn’t answer it.

✍️ Isabel Hardman

It is a myth that some XLs can be ‘good’ dogs. XLs are basically pitbulls bred to be larger. They behave like pitbulls: they can turn and kill having previously shown only their affectionate side.

✍️ Julia Lewis