British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on Wednesday, setting July 4 as the date to go to the polls with analysts predicting the Conservatives, after 14 years in power, will lose to the opposition Labor Party.

“Now is the time for Britain to choose its future,” he said, listing a series of government actions, including the introduction of the leave system that helped businesses deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Reuters, Sunak is leading the election while opinion polls show him behind the Labor Party. At the same time he is isolated from his own party, increasingly dependent on a small group of advisers to guide him through a difficult campaign.

However, he appears to appreciate that the climate at the moment is favorable for holding elections and seeking a new term because of the economic benefits, with inflation easing and the economy growing at its fastest pace in three years.

The former banker and finance minister took office less than two years ago and has since struggled to define his political identity, feeling his achievements have gone unappreciated.

Both parties have started election campaign, having defined their agenda in the two important areas, economy and defense.

Sunak and his government accuse Labor of raising taxes if they win the election while they support it and that they are not a safe option for Britain in an increasingly dangerous world.

Labor is hitting back, blaming the government for 14 years of economic mismanagement that has worsened people’s living standards, a series of chaotic administrations that have failed to provide the stability businesses need to boost economic growth.

If Labor wins the election, Britain, once renowned for its political stability, will have six prime ministers in eight years for the first time since the 1830s.

Labor says they are ready

Labor said before the announcement it was more ready than ever for an election.

“We are absolutely ready to go to an election whenever the prime minister calls it. We have a fully organized and operational campaign ready and we believe the country needs a general election,” Labor leader Starmer’s spokesman told reporters.

Starmer launched his party’s election campaign last week pledging to “rebuild Britain”, setting out the first steps they will take if Labor forms the next government.

Labor leads Sunak’s Conservatives by around 20 points in the polls, but some party insiders worry their lead is not as solid as it appears, fearing many voters remain undecided.

Sunak may be aiming to take advantage of this uncertainty, but also the fact that Labor has not yet finished selecting all of its parliamentary candidates.

Sunak may also be hoping that some financial gains and the first flights, after the passage of the immigration law to send illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda, could also boost his party’s ratings. The first flights are expected to start on June 24, 10 days before the elections.

While some Conservatives welcomed the decision to call an election, not everyone agreed.