Economy the focus as Britain's election campaign kicks off

Conservative PM and Labour rival make their pitch as polls show voters want change

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LONDON British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour Party rival Keir Starmer are kicking off their election campaigns in earnest on May 23, each arguing that only they can snap Britain out of its economic and political malaise.

Mr Sunak, whose Conservatives have trailed Labour by about 20 percentage points in polls since he became prime minister in October 2022, shocked and angered many in his party when he gambled by calling a July 4 election, months earlier than expected.

He argued on May 23 that the economy is turning a corner, and that he has a plan to tackle illegal immigration.

But with prices in the shops up 21 per cent in the last three years and the National Health Service buckling under record waiting times, it may be hard to persuade voters that Britain is on the right track.

"Even though there's more work to do, and I know it will take time for you to see the benefits, the plan is working," Mr Sunak told voters at a campaign event with workers in

central England.