Bucks MPs have reacted to Rishi Sunak suggesting that a general election will be held in second half of 2024 as Labour says residents “want change”.

The Prime Minister has appeared to rule out a general election in Spring after claims he might call one in May.

“My working assumption is we’ll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime, I’ve got lots that I want to get on with,” he told broadcasters during a visit to Nottinghamshire last week.

Buckinghamshire’s sitting MPs and the candidates to replace them have now had their say on the timing of the next election – which must be held by January 28, 2025, at the latest.

The Conservative MP for Wycombe Steve Baker told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The timing of the general election is entirely for the Prime Minister.

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“Whenever the election comes, I am ready to make the case that Conservative government is always the best choice for Wycombe and the nation.”

However, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Wycombe Emma Reynolds claimed the people of Wycombe were fed up with the current government and called for a public vote to be brought forward.

She said: “Week in, week out, I speak to local residents in Wycombe who want change and they want it as soon as possible.

“Public services are on their knees and the Tories’ reckless economic decisions have left people facing a cost of living crisis with food prices soaring, and mortgage payments and rents increasing.

“Only Labour has a plan for a decade of national renewal. Bring on the election as soon as possible so that the people can decide who they want in government.”

Reynolds will likely replace Baker at the next general election, according to political forecasting website Electoral Calculus.

It predicts the Labour candidate to get nearly 19,000 votes and says she has a 90 per cent chance of ousting her Tory counterpart.

Other Conservative MPs in Buckinghamshire said they were satisfied with an autumn election.

Joy Morrissey, the MP for Beaconsfield said: “Whenever the Prime Minister calls the election, I’m looking forward to the campaign.

“In the meantime, I’m focused on supporting my constituents across Beaconsfield, Marlow and the South Bucks villages on the issues that matter to them such as improving access to GP appointments, protecting the Green Belt and ensuring a safer community.”

A spokesperson for Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, said he was “happy with the PM’s plan for the second half of the year and imagines it will be held in early autumn”.