Editorial: The prime minister has missed a chance to delay an election and embed his policies

​Earlier this year there was speculation that a general election would be held this month, to coincide with local elections in England and Wales.​

When that did not happen it was assumed that the contest would instead be called by Rishi Sunak for the late autumn, after the party conference seasons. A July election was possible, but not considered to be likely.

The prime minister yesterday announced the date of July 4 in rain outside Downing Street. As he stood in the downpour, his suit getting ever more shiny from the soaking it was getting, it was almost a metaphor for the way events are outside Mr Sunak’s power, despite this ability to name the date of the UK-wide poll.

He could have gone as late as the end of January, but that would have meant an unpopular election campaign over Christmas and an outing to the polling stations in dark and wintry weather. Yet the season is not of itself the problem – Boris Johnson held an unusually timed general election in December 2019 and won handsomely.

A late election would have led to accusations that Mr Sunak was clinging to power, but given that defeat after 14 years was always a liklihood (no party since 1945 has won a term after so long in Downing Street) it would have been a chance for him to embed policies that Labour would overturn now but might not bother if it assumes power next year.

One was the Rwanda policy, which for all its faults shows that ministers, not judges, decide our border policies. Another was the Legacy Act, which for all its flaws is far better than all the appalling alternatives to date, which have been used to vindicate IRA terrorism.

A three-way unionist split will not be good for unionism in this election. At the same time, a choice of candidates in safe unionist seats might be a good thing at this time of profound disagreement as to how supporters of the UK should proceed politically.