Starmer v Sunak: who are the men vying to be PM in the UK general election?

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, left, and the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, have both sought to distance themselves from their predecessors. Composite: Getty/Guardian Design Team

Over the next five weeks the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the leader of the opposition, Labour’s Keir Starmer, will be battling to persuade voters that they are the best person to helm the next government.

Sunak’s election announcement last week surprised many political commentators because his Conservative party is trailing Labour in the opinion polls by more than 20 percentage points.