'Why is that funny?': Moment Rishi Sunak is challenged by local radio host as he laughs off questions about general election and refuses to name the date during PM's campaigning blitz with one month to go until crunch council contests

Rishi Sunak was challenged by a local radio host today as he laughed off questions about the date of the general election.

The Prime Minister was asked 'why is that funny?' by a BBC Radio Tees presenter after he chuckled when refusing to name the day when he will go to the polls.

His awkward radio clash follows recent frenzied speculation at Westminster that Mr Sunak might hold the general election this summer.

The Tory leader has previously insisted his 'working assumption' is he will send voters to polling stations to choose a new government in the second half of this year.

This was a stance Mr Sunak repeated in other radio interviews today, as he undertook a campaigning blitz in the North East ahead of local elections on 2 May.

But it has recently been claimed the PM might be forced to face the country earlier if he is threatened with fresh attempts by Tory rebels to topple him.

Downing Street will be nervous of moves against Mr Sunak should next month's council results in England and Wales prove dire for the Conservatives.

Speaking to BBC Radio Tees this morning, Mr Sunak was told by host Amy Oakden that the 'overwhelming' question being asked by her listeners was when the general election date would be.

This included listeners asking why he 'hasn't got the guts' to call a general election right now, Oakden said.

A laughing PM replied: 'Well, I've answered that question many times.'

When it was pointed out by Oakden that he had yet to name a date - and pressed him to do so - Mr Sunak continued to laugh and added: 'No, unfortunately not.'

Oakden then replied: 'Why not? Why is that funny? Sorry. Why are you laughing about that?' 

The PM responded: 'Because there's a way that we announce general elections, and it would be done in a formal and official way.

'And I think that the most important thing is the choice at the election. We've had definitely a tough few years as a country.

'We've been through a lot with the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, energy bills.

'But I believe that this year we've turned the corner and people can start to see that the plans that we've put in place are working, start to see positive change.

'You can see that most obviously in the economy.'

In response to the PM's interview on BBC Radio Tees, Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan said: 'Rishi Sunak laughing in the face of people crying out for change is the perfect example of how careless, callous and chaotic this Conservative Party is.

'While Sunak clings on it's obvious that people up and down the country are demanding he and this rabble stop hunkering in their offices.

'We need a general election now. People want the opportunity to kick the Conservatives out of power and they know they can by electing Liberal Democrats MPs.'

In a later interview with BBC Newcastle, Mr Sunak was again quizzed about the date of the general election and when he would 'face the music'.

The PM said: 'I've said that repeatedly and clearly my working assumption would be that we have a general election in the second half of the year. There's been no change to that.

'So I've been very clear about that. But actually, when I'm out and about across the country talking to people what they want to talk to me about are all the issues about what's happening with energy bills and taxes and inflation and what we're doing to tackle illegal migration.'