Sunak overruled Cameron and chose to call a July 4, 2024, election in a bid to surprise Labour and bolster Tory chances.

The campaign faced a string of missteps and controversies that hampered governance and the bid for re-election, from a rain-soaked Downing Street address to criticism of a D-Day event, a betting scandal involving a No. 10 aide, and opposition to anti-smoking legislation.

The narrative comes from Sir Anthony Seldon’s forthcoming book, Sunak at 10: The Last Conservative PM?, serialized in The Independent and set for publication by Atlantic Books.

The election produced a historic Conservative wipeout, with the party losing hundreds of seats and suffering major political damage.

Cameron reportedly publicly backed Sunak’s early-election move after a meeting, even as he privately advised against it.

Cameron is said to have urged Sunak not to call an early snap election in July 2024, arguing it would be a strategic mistake and that the Conservative agenda was on track.