UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calls for July 4 general election

LONDON - U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday called for a general election to take place on July 4, after economic data showed a fall inflation near the British central bank's 2% target earlier in the day.

"Earlier today I spoke with his majesty the King to ask for the dissolution of Parliament. The King has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of July." said Sunak, speaking during a news conference outside Downing Street.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that U.K. inflation dropped to 2.3% in April earlier on Wednesday morning.

Sunak's ruling Conservative Party had been hoping for signs of an improving economic environment, as it lags in the polls ahead of the national election.

"Economic stability is the bedrock of any future success," said Sunak. "And because of our collective sacrifice and your hard work, we have reached two major milestones in delivering that stability."

He qualified that the U.K. economy is now growing faster than anyone expected.

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