Rishi Sunak has fired the starting pistol on a general election after confirming to lobby journalists that the next election would be held in 2024.

The next general election must be held by January 2025 and there had been speculation that Sunak could have waited until the last minute before calling the election.

The last realistic date the general election could be called in 2024 would be Thursday, December 12 exactly five years after the previous general election which saw the Tories taking all of the seats in North and West Cumbria in an historic rout.

Commentators had previously suggested that Mr Sunak may wait until the last minute to call an election with his party sagging behind in the polls.

THE Labour Party are set to win all of the seats in Cumbria according to the latest set of polling data.​

Labour have moved ahead of the Conservative Party in the polls over the course of the year and are on track for a substantial majority in the commons if a general election were held today according to online analyst ‘Election Maps UK’.

The latest projections would see Labour win the new seats of Carlisle, Penrith and the Solway and Whitehaven and Workington following boundary changes in Cumbria.

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The new Carlisle constituency will run from the western edge of the city and take in an area north, almost as far as Kielder Water, Whitehaven and Workington will take everything from South of the river Derwent in Workington and all of the current Copeland constituency, with the exception of Black Combe and Scafell, and Millom.

Penrith and the Solway will run from Seaton in Workington and encompass Maryport, Cockermouth, the Solway and Keswick with the northern point being Alston Moor.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have all announced their candidates for the three main seats in North and West Cumbria.