A rain soaked Rishi Sunak has called a General Election for July 4 after a day that saw inflation return to near the Bank of England's 2% target, though polls suggest the Prime Minister's party will have to pull off something extraordinary to keep the keys to Downing Street.

And his first port of call on the election campaign will be a visit to the constituency of Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

Mr Sunak will be hoping to hold on to a number of seats across Scotland, including three in the North and North-east, where his party is effectively head-to-head with the SNP.

Things will only get wetter

That's certainly how it must have felt for the PM, who stood outside Number 10 with no umbrella as the rain hammered down on him, while D:Ream's Things Will Only Get Better was blasted out a speaker.

Mr Sunak began by referencing the furlough scheme that he introduced as Chancellor, before speaking about some of the challenges faced by the government, from Covid to war in Ukraine.

"I have never been prouder to be British," he said.

After talking about "restoring economic stability", the Prime Minister confirmed he'd requested the dissolution of Parliament and The King has granted his request.

What does the Labour Party offer?

Before heading back into his official residence, Mr Sunak attacked Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, questioning whether or not they have a plan.

He said: "On 5 July, either Keir Starmer or I will be Prime Minister. He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.

"If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing if he were to become Prime Minister?

"If you don't have the conviction to stick to anything you say, if you don't have the courage to tell people what you want to do, and if you don't have a plan, how can you possibly be trusted to lead our country, especially at this most uncertain of times?"

Time for change

Moments after the election was called, Sir Keir, a former barrister, said he has returned the Labour Party "to the service of the working people".

He reiterated his six 'first steps' for government, adding: "It will feel like a long campaign... but no matter what else is said and done, that opportunity for change is what this election is about."

He continued: "All we ask now - humbly - is to do exactly the same for our country and return Britain to the service of working people.

"It is time for change."

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