Rishi Sunak is stepping up grim warnings about Britain under Labour government as the election campaign enters its final phase.
The PM is kicking off a three-day blitz by visiting Staffordshire, with fears running high that Keir Starmer is on track for a ‘supermajority’.
Speaking to a group of workers, he acknowledged ‘frustration’ with the Tories but warned that Labour had ‘no answers’ and think about their own ‘bank accounts’ as well as the nation’s security.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir has been challenged over whether he would be the least popular Labour leader ever to enter No10.
Conservatives have laying out a grim vision of how life could change with Sir Keir in No10, cautioning that he will ‘rig’ the electoral system to cement his grip on power, by handing 16 and 17-year-old the vote.
They are also hammering the message that Labour will hike taxes more than they are admitting, as well as delighting Vladimir Putin by weakening the UK’s defences.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has been forced to deny they will bow to union pressure to bring in a four-day week.
Mr Sunak has seized on the England team’s comeback win as he tried to rally Conservatives for the last push.
The PM posted a picture of himself celebrating along with the message ‘it’s not over until it’s over’ after the late Euros victory last night.
There have been claims that Mr Johnson is his best hope of blunting the attack from Nigel Farage.
Focus groups by More in Common found that the ex-PM could woo back wavering voters as he has ‘some of the same authenticity/boldness qualities they like in Farage’.
In other twists and turns in the campaign today:
Back on the campaign trail, Mr Sunak said: ‘It’s a big week, I’m going to cut straight to it. I know many of you who supported us in the past have some hesitations about doing that again.
‘I know you’re frustrated with me, frustrated with our party, it hasn’t been an easy few years for anybody, I get all of that, we haven’t got everything right, we’ve made mistakes. I appreciate and hear your frustration.
‘But when you go to the polls on Thursday you have to remember this is not a by-election. This is a choice about who governs our country for years and I would urge you not to sleepwalk into that, think about what that will mean for you and your family and the impact that’ll have.
‘In particular, if these polls are right, and Labour are in power with a supermajority, you have to think about what that will mean – a Labour government unchecked, no-one to hold them accountable, no-one to stand up to them in Parliament and all of the impact it would have on all of your lives.
‘If you hand Labour a blank cheque you will not be able to get it back.’
Mr Sunak added: ‘If I remain as your Prime Minister on Friday we will keep going to cut all of your taxes.’
Mr Sunak warned yesterday that Vladimir Putin wants the Tories to lose the election on Thursday because Labour would weaken the UK’s defences.
He accused Sir Keir of planning to cut UK defence spending ‘on day one’ which he said would ’embolden our enemies’.
In a dig at Reform, he argued that any other party than the Tories in government would amount to appeasing the aggression of the Russian leader.
‘Russia does not want us to be re‑elected,’ Mr Sunak said as he pointed to the Tories’ record on standing up for Ukraine.
‘Putin would like nothing more than for Britain to step back, to appease his aggression rather than face it down, and that is what will happen with another party in power.
‘Nigel Farage has talked of appeasing Russia, which will only play into Putin’s hands, and Labour will cut UK defence spending on day one.
‘This will embolden our enemies and send a signal to our allies that Britain is not with them any more.’
Labour advisers have been playing down the prospect of legislating for a four-day week, despite the huge Unison union formally backing the idea.
Dozens of businesses and politicians upped the pressure last week by signing a letter calling for the move – although many firms are alarmed that the idea is practically impossible.
Touring broadcast studios this morning, Home Secretary James Cleverly voiced alarm that Labour will rig the voting system to keep themselves in power.
He added: ‘The reason that this is so important, is because Labour have already said they are going to gerrymander the system, they have said they’re going to pack out the House of Lords, they’ve said they’re going to get votes at 16, they’re going to get votes for foreign nationals, they’re probably going to get votes for criminals.
‘They are determined to have a permanent Labour government and they are quite willing to distort the British political system to get that – that is what is at stake. This is not an election which is about giving the Conservatives a bit of a telling off, and many people might think that is legitimate.
‘This is about the next five years and beyond and Labour are going to put up taxes, that is inevitable because of the spending commitments they’ve already made, let alone the ones they’ve hidden from people.
‘They have said they’re going to distort the political system and I think there’s a real risk, there is a genuine risk that they take a majority if that is what they get to try and lock in their power permanently, because they don’t really feel confident that they’re going to be able to make a credible case to the British people at the next general election.’