Tory strategists target November for general election

Campaign manager understood to prefer a late date as Conservatives continue to trail Labour in the polls

Tory strategists have pencilled in mid-November as the date for the next general election, reports suggest.
Isaac Levido, the party’s campaign manager who is credited with the landslide Conservative victory in 2019, has selected November 14 to hold the poll, according to The Sunday Times.
The date, which is nine days after the US presidential election, means Rishi Sunak would have served just over two years in No 10 after taking over from Liz Truss.
It comes as Richard Holden, the Tory party chairman, suggested a date towards the latter end of 2024 was likely, but there was still a “one-third” chance of a May election.
The Prime Minister has reportedly instructed Mr Holden to gear up the party machinery for a vote in May.
Labour is said to expect an early election, in spite of the Conservative’s consistently poor performance in the polls. Some speculate it could be held to coincide with local elections on May 2.
However, a November election would allow Mr Sunak to hold another Budget in the summer, The Sunday Times said, which would allow the Chancellor to make pre-election giveaways.
The Prime Minister reportedly plans to warn that the country has turned a corner under his stewardship and that a Labour government risks that recovery. Labour’s £28 billion green spending plan will be painted as reckless.
Interviewed by the Mail on Sunday, Mr Holden said: “The chance of a May election is about a third. It is more likely to be at the back end of the year. My job is to be ready whenever it happens.”
He is also reported to have strongly hinted at personal tax cuts at the Budget in March.
Rumours have swirled around when Mr Sunak would decide to hold a general election from the time he took office in October 2022.
With Labour maintaining a consistent lead of some 20 points over their rivals, some have speculated that the Prime Minister will wait until January 2025 before going to the country.
However, he recently appeared to rule out that possibility, telling journalists at the Downing Street Christmas party that 2024 would be an election year.
Mr Levido is expected to move back into Conservative Campaign Headquarters from Jan 1, which has fuelled speculation of an election taking place as early as May.
The Australian was drafted in by Boris Johnson in late 2019 to oversee the Conservatives’ list of target seats, electoral messaging and a digital campaigning strategy.
He is a protégé of Sir Lynton Crosby, the “Wizard of Oz”, who has run several Conservative Party campaigns and is credited with its victory in the 2015 general election.