On a day when Nigel Farage called for a head-to-head debate with Mr Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister tried to take back control of his own election campaign as he flew back from the G7 conference in Italy.
The Reform UK leader began the day taunting the Tories with a video of him singing an Eminem song: “Guess who’s back? Back again!”
Labour then accused the Tories of lying again after a cabinet minister claimed a Starmer government would introduce 18 new taxes, including a capital gains tax raid on people selling their homes.
The Tories were left reeling when a YouGov poll on Thursday put Mr Farage’s Reform UK ahead of them by a point – 19 per cent to 18 per cent. The same poll had Labour on 37 per cent and suggested that the Conservatives are on track to win fewer than 100 seats for the first time in their 346-year-history.
A Whitestone poll yesterday was the sixth in 24 hours to confirm Reform is at least closing the gap on the Tories, up one to 17 per cent, with the Tories down three to 19 per cent and Labour down one to 41 per cent.
But with Tory ministers now openly warning of a Labour “supermajority”, Mr Sunak insisted that voting for Reform UK would be “handing Labour a blank cheque” as he tried to play down the prospect of Mr Farage’s party overtaking the Conservatives.
The prime minister predicted a comeback, stressing that “we are only halfway through this election” and the choice between the Tories and Labour will “crystallise for people between now and polling day”.
Esta historia es de la edición June 15, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 15, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Relax Kemi, history's on your side in the battle with Farage
Conservative MPs are worried. They weren’t worried when Andrea Jenkyns, formerly one of their number, defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
Unlike Starmer, Farage's charisma lights up the room
The extraordinary poll showing Reform UK has overtaken the Labour Party in popularity can be attributed to many factors.
Okolie follows in footsteps of giants with weight switch
Lawrence Okolie is a big lad, and he has always been a big lad.
Year of living dangerously: our season awards for 2024
Kieran Jackson on best driver, biggest shock and much more
Injury-plagued City cannot afford to slip up in Turin
Manchester City's manager had his head in his hands.
Liverpool's imperfect win maintains perfect campaign
The mathematics of a complicated competition may remain unclear but one element is apparent.
Thames Water's operation is simply not good enough
Deeply in debt and proposing huge price hikes, the troubled company is holding customers to ransom
Murdoch loses court case in real-life 'Succession' battle
Rupert Murdoch's attempt to give his eldest son control of his family media empire has been blocked by a US court after a lengthy legal battle with three of his other children.
Netanyahu takes witness stand in corruption trial
Benjamin Netanyahu has become Israel’s first sitting prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant – having taken the witness stand in his lengthy corruption trial.
US shooting suspect shouts as he's dragged into court
Mangione: 'It's an insult to the intelligence of Americans'