Five more Tory MPs quit as campaign begins with gaffes

Sunak stays dry but he suffers a bruising first day after admitting that no Rwanda flights will take off before 4 July

- DAVID MADDOX

Rishi Sunak suffered a catastrophic first day of campaigning yesterday after announcing his decision to call a general election for 4 July.

The prime minister began the day by infuriating Tory MPs as he was forced to admit deportation flights to Rwanda will not go ahead before the election, prompting senior figures to declare the policy “dead”.

An exodus of Conservative MPs saw five more – including two ministers – declare they will not seek reelection, taking the total to 70.

Mr Sunak’s problems were compounded when the first poll taken after the election announcement revealed support for the Tories has fallen even further, while Labour’s lead has widened. The Techne UK poll, shared with The Independent, put Labour up one on 45 per cent, and the Tories down two at 19 per cent – the first time they have been below 20 per cent.

Even more concerning will be the apparent rise in support for Reform UK on the right, up two to 14 per cent with the Lib Dems on 12 per cent and Greens on five per cent.

Prospects of a split among right-wing voters also increased yesterday when Reform UK announced it would field candidates in 630 constituencies.

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak was embarrassed on the campaign trail when it emerged a man asking a question at a public forum was in fact a Tory councillor. Then he made a gaffe in Barry, south Wales by asking voters if they were “looking forward to the football” – even though Wales had failed to qualify.

With an enormous deficit in the polls to make up, the prime minister desperately needed a good first day on the campaign trail.