Majority in Wales want Rishi Sunak to call a general election, poll suggests

After two changes in prime minister in recent months, support for a general election is 'unusually high'. Credit: PA

Support for a general election is "unusually high" in Wales after two changes in prime minister.

More than half of people in Wales think Rishi Sunak should call a general election, according to a poll.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also failed to win the support of people in Wales with just one in five respondents backing the new Conservative leader to do the best for the country.

And when ITV Wales' Sharp End asked the public, 55% said "yes" to calling a general election before the next planned poll in 2024.

We asked: now Rishi Sunak is Prime Minister, do you think he should or should not call a general election?

Support for the Labour Party is at its highest in a decade, the same poll revealed, with 51% stating Westminster voting intention for the party, up from 46% in September.

We asked: if a governing party changes leader whilst they are in power, do you think an early election should or should not be held?

Should - 54%Should not - 26%Don't know - 20%

Why is support for a general election so high currently?

Dr Jac Larner, from Cardiff University's Welsh Governance Centre, said: "There is usually an increase in support for a general election after a new leader, although support for a general election appears to be unusually high currently.

"There are likely two reasons contributing to this. First, it's extremely unusual for there to be two changes in Prime Minister within a single Parliamentary term and it's possible that people question the mandate to do so.

"While the electoral system means that the public never truly ‘pick’ the Prime Minister, having no say over either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak’s appointment in a short space of time will seem wrong to many.

"Second, the Conservatives are particularly unpopular now across the UK, resulting in extra motivation to bring about their exit from government. The fastest way to do this is via a general election."

  • For more on this story, you can catch up on the latest episode of Sharp End here.

YouGov polled a representative sample of 1,042 Welsh voters, aged 16+, between November 25 - December 1 for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University.