Sunak uses threat of Labour ‘supermajority' in final push
The Independent|July 02, 2024
But leading pollster says result could be closer than expected
DAVID MADDOX
Sunak uses threat of Labour ‘supermajority' in final push

Rishi Sunak is set to begin a 48-hour blitz around the country with a desperate final appeal to voters to support him in order to “stop a Labour supermajority”. The prime minister will kick off a final push on the last two days of a dramatic general election campaign with a speech claiming that just 130,000 voters could make the difference.

He told demoralised supporters and party activists to remember the spirit of the England football team pulling level in the 95th minute on Sunday, saying: “It’s not over until it’s over.”

It comes as:

  • Sir Keir Starmer starts his own final push in the key battleground of the Midlands

  • A leading pollster warned that the result will be much closer than the polls seem to indicate

  • Tory MPs in the North and Midlands said they believe they are in close fights and can win

  • Labour privately warned that the polls may have made their supporters complacent

  • Support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK appears to be ebbing

In a speech later today as he fires up his battle bus for a whistlestop tour, the prime minister will say: “The outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion. If just 130,000 people switch their vote and lend us their support, we can deny Starmer that supermajority. Just think about that: you have the power to use your vote to prevent an unchecked Labour government.

“So we must redouble our efforts in these final days, and deliver the strongest Conservative voice in the next parliament. We are fighting for the future of our country, and every door we knock on, every leaflet we deliver and every call we do will make a difference.”

Mr Sunak will point out that “a huge number of seats” in this election “will be decided by just hundreds of votes”.

This story is from the July 02, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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This story is from the July 02, 2024 edition of The Independent.

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