Andrea Leadsom

A Tory minister has defended Rishi Sunak’s decision not to call a general election on May 2 as the public is not yet “due” a vote.

The prime minister has been accused of running “scared” after he ruled out going to the country on the same day as the local elections this spring.

Speaking to Sky News, health minister Andrea Leadsom said: “There isn’t an election due.

“The prime minister was very clear from the start of the year he expects a general election - the working assumption is - that it’ll be this autumn and that hasn’t changed.”

“We have periodic general elections........

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