Rishi Sunak has reportedly shelved plans for a summer election. (Image: Getty)

       Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reportedly shelved plans for a summer general election in a bid to boost his hopes of being re-elected.

       According to The Telegraph, Downing Street is now aiming to hold the next general election in the autumn, with Sunak pinning his hopes on the Rwanda flights taking off and the economy stabilising.

       It comes on the back of a disastrous local election result for the Conservative Party, which saw the Tories losing lost 397 council seats, while the Labour Party gained 186.

       The Telegraph says Downing Street sources have suggested an election could have been called for June or July had there been a successful plot to oust Sunak.

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       Rishi Sunak is now expected to call a general election in the autumn. (Image: Getty)

       Rebels inside the Conservative Party are however said to have given up attempting to change the party leader, believing Sunak is now "80 or 90 percent likely" to shun a summer election, instead calling one in October or November.

       One ally told The Telegraph: “I definitely think the weight of views is to go later as there’s still plenty we can keep doing to show delivery.”

       Sunak was however offered a glimmer of hope from the University of Oxford academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, who said the results point towards a possible hung parliament.

       They estimated a nationwide election would put Labour at 34 percent of the vote share and the Tories at 27 percent - just a nine-point gap for Sir Keri Starmer.

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       Academics put Labour on 34 percent. (Image: Getty)

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       This gap is much smaller than general election polling, which has consistently put Labour around 20 points ahead of the Conservative Party.

       In a bid to get on top of the election results, Sunak is likely to unveil new details of his welfare shake-up this week.

       And the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee will announce its decision on an interest rate cut on Thursday.

       Conservatives will hope at least one cut comes before the election, so it can say the eceonmy is the right direction.

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