Rishi Sunak rules out general election on 2 May

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said there will not be a general election on 2 May, the date when local elections are already taking place.

Earlier this year, Mr Sunak suggested the general election would happen in the second half of 2024.

More recently, there had been some speculation in Westminster that the PM might choose to hold an earlier ballot.

He told the broadcaster: "In several weeks' time we've got elections for police and crime commissioners, for local councils, for mayors across the country."

Asked if there would also be a general election at the same time, Mr Sunak said: "There won't be a general election on that day but when there is a general election, what matters is the choice."

In the UK, general elections - where MPs are voted to Parliament - are held every five years.

The latest the next election could legally be held is 28 January 2025, however Mr Sunak has the power to call one earlier than that.

If the PM had been planning to hold a spring election, 2 May would have been the most likely date, given the other elections taking place that day. However, in theory, he could still hold a general election in April.