When the prime minister announced he was going to the country on 4 July, he caught almost everyone - Labour and Conservative - by surprise. Labour had just relaxed its restrictions on staff members taking holidays over the coming weeks as the prospect of an election before the autumn appeared to fade.
But behind the scenes the party had been putting plans in place for the prospect of a snap poll for several months, including lining up candidates in key seats, pulling together its manifesto and testing campaign messages. It also launched Keir Starmer's six core pledges - his first steps last week.
It meant Starmer was ready to launch his campaign slogan hours after the election was called on Wednesday night, a single word that his strategists believe captures the mood of the country: "Change."
"The message is change - time to turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos," a senior party source said. "Last week we launched our 'first steps' and that will be something we will be taking across the country ... We've always said we were ready for the election as soon as it came."
Labour, like the Conservative party, is scrambling to select candidates in 80 to 100 seats, some of which it is projected to win if it maintains its polling lead.
Denne historien er fra May 24, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 24, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Carse gives thanks after England return
Brydon Carse has expressed his thanks to the \"incredibly supportive\" England setup after his rapid reintegration following his ban, and hopes to repay the faith shown in him, first in the remaining one-day internationals against Australia and then in the Test series in Pakistan that follows immediately.
Evenepoel and Brown win races against time once more
The double Olympic gold medallist Remco Evenepoel successfully defended the world time trial title he won in last year's World Road Championships in Glasgow, with victory in this year's event in Zurich.
All or nothing Manchester City should either be vindicated or damned by hearing
Let's start by going back to December 2016.
Pylons v property Why disputed power lines may not hit house prices
The village of Beauly, near Inverness, marks the starting point of what was once Britain's largest and most controversial power grid project: a 137-mile electricity superhighway from the quiet Highlands village to a large substation in Denny near Falkirk.
Losses from obesity higher than weight loss jab costs
Rising healthcare costs and productivity losses from the global obesity crisis far outstrip the cost of new weight-loss drugs, according to a report, which also calls on governments to prioritise prevention by promoting a healthy diet.
Diesel and petrol prices fall at fastest rate since December
The price of petrol and diesel in the UK is falling at the fastest pace this year, with households paying about £4 less to fill up a family car than they did a month ago.
Tech firms must help refund victims of fraud, says HSBC
HSBC has thrown its weight behind calls for tech firms to pay up for fraud, saying incoming compensation rules requiring banks to reimburse scam victims up to £85,000 will fail to stem the flow of fraud, and prove that the financial sector is not the problem.
Succession drama Fox News fate at stake as Murdochs take family shares to court
One family succession battle is gripping the media and dominating water cooler conversations at the New York headquarters of Fox News.
Leftist Dissanayake wins Sri Lankan presidential election after historic runoff
A Marxist leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has won Sri Lanka's presidential election, in what is being seen as a widespread rejection of the old political elite blamed for the country's continuing economic woes.
Gaza Seven killed in Israeli airstrike on school shelter
Seven people were killed yesterday after an Israeli airstrike hit a school housing displaced people in western Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said, amid fears that Gaza's worsening humanitarian crisis might be forgotten as tensions boil between Hezbollah and Israel.