Prime Minister Bill English to announce election date

Prime Minister Bill English is expected to announce the date for this year's general election following a National Party caucus meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Prime Minister Bill English is expected to announce the date for this year's general election following a National Party caucus meeting.

MPs are gathering for the meeting at Premier House in Wellington and they'll be the first to know.

Mr English will then hold a press conference in the Beehive at 2pm on Wednesday.

The election is widely tipped to take place in September.

The caucus meeting, the first of the year, will focus on the legislative agenda for the rest of this parliamentary term and the party's election strategy.

National came to power in 2008 under former prime minister John Key, and will be seeking a fourth term under Mr English.

He's expected to give a clear indication of the government's election year priorities when he makes his State of the Nation speech on Thursday.

Labour and the Greens gave their joint speeches on Sunday, an unprecedented coming together aimed at persuading voters they're capable of running a stable coalition government.

-AAP