The 15 best memes and jokes of the 2024 general election - so far (2024)

After months of speculation, Rishi Sunak confirmed that Britain will go to the polls on 4 July.

Mr Sunak, the leader of the Conservative Party, announced on 22 May that he had sought permission from the King to dissolve Parliament, prompting the start of the election period.

His speech outside No 10 was aired shortly after 5pm during a drizzling day in central London.

It came after several hours of feverish rumours across Westminster when meetings began being postponed and Cabinet members cancelled visits and appearances.

In the absence of any confirmation from Tory party aides, theories began being thrown around on social media, including a possible Cabinet reshuffle or some senior Tories losing their jobs.

Now political candidates from all parties have traded in their House of Commons passes for campaigning leaflets, and swapped their weekly surgeries to knock on constituents’ doors.

As the campaigning gets under way, here is a completion of the best memes that have been published so far.

The febrile atmosphere

On Wednesday, by mid-morning, Westminster’s political lobby was alight with rumours that Mr Sunak was going to call a general election.

It led to hours of speculation on social media, which inevitably seeped into meme territory as journalists mined aides for information and spads stayed silent.

Rishi’s rainy speech

At around 5pm that evening, a familiar badgeless lectern was placed outside of 10 Downing Street and reporters waited anxiously for Mr Sunak to step out and address the nation.

However, he left viewers feeling baffled and amused after he decided to not use an umbrella while giving his speech, instead opting for his navy suit to become slowly more drenched as the heavens opened.

To make matters worse for him, a member of the public blasted D:Ream’s 1994 hit “Things Can Only Get Better” through the Downing Street gates as he spoke – a nod to the 1997 election as Labour used the track as their official campaign song.

Following the conclusion of his speech, Mr Sunak walked away from the lectern with a serious look and sodden shoulders, prompting a string of memes being posted on social media.

Rishi Sunak and Paddington Bear

During the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022, artist Eleanor Tomlinson garnered praise for her artwork of the late Queen walking along while holding hands with Paddington Bear. She created it after the Queen starred in a sketch where she had afternoon tea with the famous bear.

Since then, the image has been parodied a number of times with other news stories, with Mr Sunak’s announcement being the latest rendition.

Brenda’s brilliant return

In 2017, during Theresa May’s tenure as prime minister, the UK was hit with election fatigue after Mrs May decided to call a general election on 8 June of that year.

In the three years prior, Britons endured a Scottish independence referendum, a previous general election and a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union.

Following Mrs May’s announcement, the BBC asked a punter, known as Brenda from Bristol, for her thoughts on the latest election, prompting this exasperated response below and cementing her as a social media legacy.

Comedian Joe Lycett posted the meme again moments after Mr Sunak confirmed the 2024 general election, reigniting its popularity once more.

Sir Keir Starmer gets his own memes too…

While Labour HQ was delighted that Mr Sunak had called an election, Sir Keir Starmer and Labour also didn’t escape the witticisms of the British public.