Farage: I was right to call migrant crossings an invasion

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Nigel Farage has said he was “right to use the word invasion” to refer to immigrants arriving in the UK.

Mr Farage drew backlash from charities and anti-racism campaigners in 2020 when he used the term to describe a group of children and adults getting out of a dinghy on a beach in Kent.

But speaking at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool on Thursday evening, the Reform UK leader claimed he had been proven right.

“I used a very naughty word, an unforgivable word, I said this would lead to an invasion,” he told the crowd. “You would have thought I’d advocated killing the first-born.

“But 4,000 boats and 127,000 people later, I think I was right to use the word ‘invasion’ because that is what this is.”

The speech at the seafront hotel marked the finale of Mr Farage’s tour of north-west England as he looks to win over voters in a typical Tory heartland.

Blackpool North and Cleveleys, the constituency where the speech took place, has been held by the Tories since 2010.

Mr Farage walked onto the stage as Eminem’s ‘Guess Who’s Back’ blared loudly from speakers and received rapturous applause throughout his hour-long speech.

In it, he claimed that the Conservatives had “breached the trust” of voters over immigration.

“Blair and Brown let in net 3.7 million people. Since the Conservatives in 2010, it’s net 4.3 million people,” he said.

“How big a breach of trust is that? We have tens of thousands coming in. How big a breach of trust is that with those of us that voted to get back control of our borders.”

He added: “Every home secretary tells us they will stop the boats, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, and now the very inappropriately named James Cleverly....

”No planes are going to Rwanda and this Prime Minister hasn’t got the guts to deal with it.”

He added: “As for Labour, nothing. They are going to crack down on the criminal gangs. Well folks, we’ve been cracking down on the illegal gangs in Blackpool for decades. Is it working? No. When the rewards are that high, they won’t stop.”

At the time when Mr Farage referred to immigrants as an “invasion,” his comments were criticised as “dehumanising”.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said: “Farage’s comment is completely dehumanising and designed to inflame tension against people in the most desperate situations.”

Join the conversation in the comments section. 

08:51 PM BST

That’s all for today...

Thank you for joining The Telegraph’s live coverage of day 27 of the general election campaign.

My colleague Jack Maidment will be back tomorrow to guide you through the day’s developments.

08:16 PM BST

Watch: Farage speech in full

08:10 PM BST

Farage: Tories and Labour don’t have credible plan to reduce immigration

Nigel Farage says that neither the Conservatives or Labour have a credible plan to reduce immigration.

He says: “Every home secretary tells us they will stop the boats, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, and now the very inappropriately named James Cleverly.

“No planes are going to Rwanda and this Prime Minister hasn’t got the guts to deal with it.”

He adds: “As for Labour, nothing. They are going to crack down on the criminal gangs. Well folks, we’ve been cracking down on the illegal gangs in Blackpool for decades. Is it working? No.

“When the rewards are that high, they won’t stop.”

08:00 PM BST

Nigel Farage defends calling small boats ‘invasion’

Nigel Farage has defended calling the small boats crossing the Channel “an invasion”.

He told an audience in Blackpool that he went out into the English Channel in 2020, adding: “I also said I predicted that this would become, and then I used a very naughty word, unforgivable word, a word for which I’ll never be forgiven.

“I said this will lead to an invasion.”

He added: “Well, I mean, you would have thought, you know, I’d advocated killing the first born.”

“But 4000 boats and 127,000 people later, I think I was right to use the word invasion, because that is what it is”.

07:57 PM BST

Reform values are ‘family’, ‘community’ and ‘country’

Nigel Farage has said that Reform UK’s values are based on “family”, “community” and “country”.

He told Blackpool: “Our values are those that the family matters, the community matters, that working with each other matters, that country matters. This is what Reform UK is.

“These are our values. These are our principles. And you’re very welcome to come in from anywhere in the world, from any religion.

“If you share those values with us, we can live together happily and in peace, but our irresponsible politicians have led us down a road where this no longer works.”

07:50 PM BST

‘The two big parties are in an unholy alliance with big international business’

The two major parties are “in an unholy alliance with big international business and the big banks”, Nigel Farage has said.

He told an audience in Blackpool: “Our belief is this, the two big parties are in an unholy alliance with big international business and the big banks, and that is all they care about.

“And what we care about are the five and a half million men and women in Britain running their own businesses, acting as sole traders.”

Mr Farage added that the “population explosion is diminishing the quality of life of everybody in this country”.

He continued: “This says nothing about the quality of the vast majority of people that come. We’ve all got friends that are coming from all over the world. We’re a very welcoming country. We just can’t take million upon million upon million.”

07:44 PM BST

Farage: I don’t want to be popular in the political class

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd in Blackpool, Mr Farage boasts that he is “immune to criticism”.

“I have a track record of standing up and fighting,” he says. “I have a track record of being virtually immune to criticism.

“I have a track record in the European Parliament of getting up again and again over the years and absolutely wrecking their day.

“I’m unafraid of authority. I’m unafraid of criticism. I don’t want to be popular in the political class. I don’t want to go to their poxy Notting Hill parties.”

“Voting for us is like voting for an open goal.”

07:36 PM BST

Farage: Alleged bets on election date tells us everything about ‘rotten political class’

Nigel Farage has said that the alleged bets on the election date by Conservative Party candidates “tells us everything we need to know about this rotten political class”.

“It’s as if they’re literally stealing the light bulbs on the way out of the building,” he told Blackpool.

“Is a scandal. It is. a disgrace and will learn much more about it over the course of the coming days, and it shows why they are completely unfit for office in every single way.”

He added: “I’ll bet you whatever you want, old son, that  we’re going to win seats in this election. If you want to come back to me. I’m very, very happy to take your money.”

07:33 PM BST

Tories have ‘breached the trust’ of voters over immigration

Speaking in Blackpool, Mr Farage says the Tories have “breached the trust” of voters over immigration.

“Blair and Brown let in net 3.7 million people. Since the Conservatives in 2010, it’s net 4.3 million people.

“How big a breach of trust is that? We have tens of thousands coming in.

“How big a breach of trust is that with those of us that voted to get back control of our borders.”

07:32 PM BST

Farage: Ignore the polls, we can win seats

Nigel Farage has suggested that recent polls are not accurately representing Reform UK’s success because fieldwork began before he became party leader.

“Since I came back, we might be doing a little bit better than we were before. Please ignore all of that. They say we’re getting no seats, that’s what those polls out yesterday suggested.”

He added: “In most of England, geographically, we are now the challengers to the Labour Party”.

He told Blackpool: “If you vote reform in Blackpool North, if you vote reform in Blackpool South and don’t waste your vote with the Conservatives, then I truly believe we can run close and even beat Labour in this town.”

07:28 PM BST

‘We’re given the narrative that all immigration is good’

The Reform UK has said that the “narrative through the mainstream media” is that “all immigration is good”.

He told an audience in Blackpool: “We’ve always been much more global than any other European country.

“Then Mr Blair gets into power, opens the doors up in a way we’ve never seen before, and we’re given the narrative through the mainstream media, the political classes, and our kids are told at school all immigration is good, control is not needed and these bad dudes like Nigel Farage that question the numbers are really beyond the pale.”

07:25 PM BST

Nigel Farage attacks Sunak over leaving D-Day celebrations early

Nigel Farage has attacked Rishi Sunak over leaving D-Day celebrations early.

He told an audience in Blackpool: “Didn’t the recent shenanigans in D-Day just sum up where the heart of this Prime Minister really is.”

The Reform UK leader said of Brexit: “We voted to get back control of our country. We voted to honour those that went before us and made the sacrifice so that we could be free. We voted so that our children and grandchildren could live in that freedom and liberty, but we voted to get back control of our borders.”

07:21 PM BST

Farage quotes Eminem as he gets on stage in Blackpool

Nigel Farage quoted Eminem’s “Without Me” as he got onto the stage in Blackpool.

The leader of Reform UK said: “Guess who’s back? Back again? Because I’ve been retired for four years. I thought it was all done.”

Mr Farage has repeatedly used the song during his election campaign.

07:18 PM BST

Reform UK Blackpool South candidate: ‘We’re fed up of the false promises’

Mark Butcher, the Reform UK candidate for Blackpool South, has promised to “fight for every single resident of this town” ahead of introducing Nigel Farage.

He told the audience: “Our town needs change. We’ve listened to these political parties for the last 14 years, and they have. They’ve just driven us into the ground. They haven’t given us any hope or inspiration.”

He added: “I will fight for every single resident of this town.”

Mr Butcher said: “The people of Blackpool are fed up of the lies, we’re fed up of the false promises.”

07:13 PM BST

Farage to take to the stage in Blackpool

Nigel Farage is speaking to a packed out crowd at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, Albert Tait reports.

This is a constituency that has been held by the Tories since 2010, but it is now one of Reform UK’s target seats at the general election.

There was some fairly loud techno music playing from speakers earlier, despite the age demographic of the room skewing slightly older.

Dan Barker, the Reform UK candidate for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, introduces himself as the “warm-up act” before Farage appears.

He says: “The choice for change is Reform UK”.

06:51 PM BST

Nigel Farage to go live on social media at 7pm

Nigel Farage will be going live on social media at 7 o’clock this evening, Reform UK has said.

The party leader will be appearing on a livestream on his social media platforms in around ten minutes.

We will be bringing you all the latest.

06:47 PM BST

‘Renters will be better off with Labour’ declares Starmer

06:16 PM BST

Nigel Farage watches England v Denmark in Blackpool

06:00 PM BST

Sunak mocked over Euros post amid party gambling probe

Rishi Sunak is being mocked on social media after expressing his support for England in the Euros match this afternoon, with users asking if he had any “betting tips”.

The Prime Minister posted on X shortly before kick-off: “Good luck England! Hope I don’t lose my voice before the debate later.”

It comes after it emerged that the Gambling Commission is looking into alleged bets on the date of the general election by two Tory candidates.

Several accounts posted comments mocking Mr Sunak over the scandal. Steve Cooper asked: “Did you place a bet?” Patrick Allies wrote: “got any betting tips?”

05:41 PM BST

In pictures: Today on the campaign trail

05:22 PM BST

Huge spike in bets on day before Sunak announced election

Data has revealed that a flood of bets were placed on a July election on the day before one was announced by Rishi Sunak, Nick Gutteridge writes.

Analysis of data provided by bookmakers showed that almost all the wagers on a July poll – totalling thousands of pounds – were made in a few hours on May 21.

At just after 5.15pm the next day, Mr Sunak announced the surprise summer election, having previously been widely expected to call a contest in the autumn.

Read more from The Telegraph’s Chief Political Correspondent here

05:00 PM BST

Pictured: Anneliese Dodds decorates Labour battle bus for the Euros

05:00 PM BST

Corbyn tells Starmer to ‘own it’ over his role in 2019 Labour campaign

Jeremy Corbyn has said that Sir Keir Starmer should “own it” over his support for the former Labour leader during the 2019 election.

Sir Keir has said during the election campaign that he only backed Mr Corbyn, in whose shadow cabinet he was serving, in 2019 because he “never thought they would win”.

Mr Corbyn, who is now standing as an independent in Islington North, said of Sir Keir’s comment: “He didn’t say that at the time”.

He told The Evening Standard: “He never hinted at that, or intimated that at any stage to me. We did press conferences and events together in the 2019 election.

“He was part of the shadow cabinet that agreed the manifesto, and part of the Clause V [meeting of senior Labour figures] who agreed the manifesto. Own it. I was there, he was there… and there were witnesses.”

04:45 PM BST

Tories take over Reform again in YouGov poll

The Conservatives have taken over Reform UK again in the latest YouGov poll

The pollster was the first to put Nigel Farage’s party ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, with Reform last week on 19 per cent while the Tories were on 18 per cent.

But the “crossover” moment appears to have been short-lived, as the Tories have pulled back into second place this week, polling at 20 per cent to Reform’s 18 per cent.

However, a poll just released by Redfield & Wilton has put Reform ahead of the Conservatives for the first time, with Mr Farage’s party leading by just one percentage point.

Both polls show the two parties in an incredibly close race for second place, with Labour far ahead.

04:19 PM BST

I’d rather lose to the Tories than Farage, says Clacton Labour candidate

The Labour candidate in Clacton has said that he would rather lose to the Conservatives than to Nigel Farage in the constituency.

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul said that it was “really important that I do everything I can” to prevent the Reform UK leader winning, and said it “furthers my resolve to keep going”.

Asked by PoliticsHome about whether the Tories would have the best chance of winning against Reform in Clacton if the Labour candidate took a step back, Mr Owusu-Nepaul said: “If I’m honest, of course I’ve thought that, because in my hearts of hearts I would rather the Tory get back in than have Farage.”

The Labour candidate told the publication: “The sentiment that [Mr Farage] espouses is so dangerous… There was, all of a sudden, a lot of weight on my shoulders to perform to the best I could, to ensure that we could put in a good show to oppose him.”

He added: “I feel like I’m doing this for every Black and brown person in the country, and doing this for a lot of working-class people in the country.”

04:02 PM BST

Tory figures being looked into over betting allegations ‘incredibly stupid and venal’ says former leader

Tory figures who are being looked into over allegations of betting on the date of the General Election are “incredibly stupid and venal”, Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said.

Two candidates are being looked into by the Gambling Commission over alleged bets on the date of the general election.

The former Tory leader told The News Agents podcast: “I just think it’s people being incredibly stupid and venal when they do that sort of thing.

“First of all, what the hell are they doing betting anyway the outcome of an election? They’re meant to fight it, not foresee what may happen. And don’t make money out of it…

“This is a vocation. So, if it is a vocation, you need to behave like it’s a vocation, and your job is to try and get your party back into government, it’s not to play games with it. So, that is unacceptable and whatever happens to them wouldn’t be hard enough in my book.”

He added that politicians lose the public’s trust “when we start playing games with where we think the future lies”.

“They absolutely hate that.”

03:55 PM BST

Osborne: Sunak went too early with election to capitalise on positive inflation news

Rishi Sunak called the general election too early to be able to capitalise on the positive news on inflation in his campaigning, George Osborne has said.

Yesterday, inflation fell back to the Bank of England’s two per cent target for the first time in nearly three years, but it today voted to keep interest rates steady  at 5.25 per cent.

Mr Osborne, the former chancellor, said: “The irony here is that if Rishi Sunak had not called an early election, today would be the day when the Bank of England almost certainly would be cutting interest rates for the first time in a couple of years.

He added: “If he had waited to the Autumn, as all of his senior cabinet were urging him to do and everyone was expecting him to do, he would today not be in the middle of an election campaign. He’d be able to say ‘Look, the interest rates are coming down’. And over the next few months, he would have had an answer to Rachel Reeves’ charge.

03:41 PM BST

George Osborne: Starmer cannot assume he’ll get two terms if he wins huge majority

Sir Keir Starmer cannot “assume” that he will have two terms as prime minister if he wins a huge majority, George Osborne has said.

Despite polls predicting a landslide win for the Labour leader, the former chancellor has said that Sir Keir will have to work to “justify” a large majority.

The former chancellor said: “I don’t think Starmer can assume that ‘I’m in now for a couple of terms if I get this huge, historic majority.

This election, it’s been many things. It’s been a big rejection of the Conservatives, so far. It’s been too much interest, to my liking, in Nigel Farage. And there’s no doubt been a very professional Keir Starmer campaign.

“But I don’t still see any of the kind of enthusiasm and endorsement of a Labour plan for government that I think you’d need to cement right now a long period of Labour government.

“They’re going to have to do the work after the election to justify the very big majority that they look likely to win.”

03:28 PM BST

Former Tory MP says recent polls make ‘grim reading’ for party

The recent polls predicting a Tory wipeout at the election make “grim reading”, Sir Charles Walker has said.

A major poll for The Telegraph yesterday predicted that around three-quarters of the Cabinet would lose their seats, including Rishi Sunak, with the party slumping to 53 seats.

In response to the polls, the former Tory MP said: “Well my heart doesn’t leap does it, it makes grim reading. I thought we would be performing better this far into the campaign, I really did. I thought that the gap would be closing.

“I still think the gap will close. I think we’ll do, well we have to do significantly better than that. I’m still in it to win it, you have to be in it to win it because we have hundreds, thousands of activists knocking on doors and it would be completely disingenuous of me, no it would be wrong of me, not disingenuous, it would be wrong of me to come onto this programme and say ‘well it’s all over’ because I’m not knocking on doors, they’re the ones knocking on doors.”

He added: “But it looks really really bad”.

03:17 PM BST

Party should withdraw support for candidates found guilty of election betting - Ross

The Conservative Party should withdraw its support from any candidates found guilty of using inside information to bet on the date of the general election, Douglas Ross has said.

Asked about reports the Gambling Commission was investigating a second Tory candidate for placing a bet on the date of the election, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives said: “(The investigation has) been set up to look at these allegations, and if anyone is guilty of using (information) that they were privy to, to place bets, to financially benefit from that, it is completely unacceptable, it is completely wrong and they should no longer have the support.

“But there is an independent process and I think it’s right that due process is allowed to continue.”

02:53 PM BST

Who do you think will win the general election?

Are you certain that Labour are going to win the general election? Or do you think that the Tories could revive their fortunes and win yet another term in office? How do you fancy the other parties’ chances?

Let us know who you think will win in The Telegraph’s readers poll below.

02:36 PM BST

Labour’s Islington North chairman who ‘hid in bush when spotted campaigning for Corbyn’ quits

The Labour chairman of Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency has been forced to resign after allegedly hiding behind a hedge when caught campaigning for the former party leader.

Alison McGarry is understood to have quit on Wednesday after being spotted urging residents to back Mr Corbyn, who is running against Labour as an independent in Islington North.

She is said to have hidden behind a hedge when she was caught, and later resigned rather than be sacked by the party. Labour’s rulebook states that any members who campaign for rival candidates will be expelled.

Read more on this story here.

02:29 PM BST

Former Green Party leader criticises Tories over ‘sickening’ Labour attack ad

Caroline Lucas has criticised the Conservatives over their latest Labour attack ad, describing it as “sickening”.

The video, publlished on social media, suggests that a Labour government would roll our the red carpet for small boat migrants and offer them a warm welcome (see post at 14:03).

The former Green Party leader said that the ad was “disgusting”.

She wrote on X: “Imagine the mindset that made this. People are dying. Afraid. Exploited and desperate.

“The Tories now chasing Reform to the very hard right and it’s sickening.  Just when you think they couldn’t sink any lower …”

02:19 PM BST

James Cleverly won’t stand for Tory leadership – yet

James Cleverly will not stand to become Conservative leader after the general election, it has been reported.

Allies of the Home Secretary said he would not battle to replace Rishi Sunak, a day after it emerged that security minister Tom Tugendhat is expected to run for the leadership.

The Times reported that Mr Cleverly has told friends he does not plan to put himself forward.

But he is said to not have ruled out the prospect entirely.

You can read the full story here. 

02:03 PM BST

Tories publish new immigration attack ad against Labour

The Conservative Party has published a new attack advert on social media taking aim at Labour on the issue of illegal immigration.

The video suggests that a Labour government would roll out the red carpet for small boat migrants and offer them a warm welcome.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, seized on the video and pointed out the Government’s record on tackling crossings:

01:50 PM BST

Pictured: Nigel Farage poses with supporter in Cheshire

01:40 PM BST

Liz Truss to blame if Tories lose election, suggests Gove

Michael Gove has suggested that Liz Truss is to blame if the Conservatives lose the election.

The Housing Secretary said the Tories’ chances of re-election had taken “a bit of a knock” by the previous prime minister’s disastrous mini-budget.

However he refused to name Ms Truss, referring instead to the “period between Boris and Rishi”.

You can read the full story here. 

01:13 PM BST

Who should I vote for in the general election?

Which party shares your views on the big issues of the day?

The Telegraph has created a knockout manifesto game so that people can find out which party they align with.

You can find it here. 

01:04 PM BST

Richard Tice welcomes ‘good luck’ from pigeon

12:51 PM BST

Ukrainian Railways wish Boris Johnson a happy 60th birthday

Boris Johnson yesterday celebrated his 60th birthday and Ukrainian Railways marked the occasion by sending him its very best wishes.

Mr Johnson has used the state-owned railway company when visiting Kyiv in the past.

The company posted on Instagram that Mr Johnson was a “great friend of Ukraine” and the “hero for Ukrainian railway workers”.

It said: “We look forward to another visit and meeting on board!”

12:43 PM BST

Boris Johnson memoir will ‘shatter the mould’

12:38 PM BST

Businesses have ‘nothing to worry about’ with Labour government, says Reeves

Rachel Reeves has told business chiefs they have “nothing to worry about” in Labour’s plans for workers.

Speaking at The Times CEO summit, Ms Reeves was asked if Labour was under pressure from unions to provide a more generous package for workers, including banning zero-hours contracts.

She said: “I would say to businesses, you’ve got nothing to worry about from Labour’s new deal for working people and our plans to make work pay.”

12:26 PM BST

Starmer denies Labour official referred to ‘flattening the whole green belt’

Sir Keir Starmer has denied a Labour Party official said a future government should “flatten the whole green belt”.

Politico’s London Playbook email quoted an unnamed party official this morning, who said: “I don’t care if we flatten the whole green belt, we just need more houses in this country.”

Rishi Sunak posted the quote on Twitter, along with the caption: “Good to finally get Labour’s real views on Britain’s green belt.”

Speaking at a housing development in North Yorkshire, the Labour leader told journalists: “No, that wasn’t Labour Party officials. That wasn’t Labour Party policy.

“What we will do is we will build the one and a half million houses that we need over the next five years on projects like this, with the facilities they need, because what you need here is the schools and the GPs and the facilities that are needed for housing.

“We will get on and do the building we need to do, but we’d of course protect the countryside, as you’d expect.”

12:13 PM BST

Starmer won’t be drawn on potential for Nato talks with Trump

Sir Keir Starmer would not be drawn on whether he would try to meet former US president Donald Trump at the Nato summit in Washington DC in July, should he win the general election.

When asked by journalists whether he would, Sir Keir said: “Well, I’m not going to get ahead of myself by suggesting what might happen the other side of the election.

“What I will say is this – that the Labour Party has a proud history when it comes to Nato. We were a founding signatory to the treaty, which was in Brussels, with [Ernest] Bevin’s signature on it. We’re absolutely committed to Nato. That’s an unshakable commitment.

“We will, of course, work with others in relation to anything to do with Nato, which we are already doing in opposition.”

12:11 PM BST

Farage’s sharp shooting leaves Cheshire crowd impressed

After delivering his short campaign speech, Nigel Farage had a go at shooting clay pigeons at Catton Hall in Cheshire, writes Albert Tait. 

After hitting three out of four, the Reform leader put down his gun and said it was important to “quit while you’re ahead”.

He then gave his Reform team a quick lesson on gun safety, saying “never point a gun at someone’s chest”.

The crowd he had addressed moments earlier had filed out of the hall to watch the Reform leader and were left impressed by his sharp shooting.

12:06 PM BST

Lib Dems ‘taking nothing for granted’, says Sir Ed Davey

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party would “take nothing for granted” after a poll for The Telegraph suggested it could surge to 50 seats on July 4.

Sir Ed told broadcasters: “Polls are out everywhere. They are all over the place and the only one poll that matters is on July 4.

“So, we’re going to take nothing for granted. We’re going to work really, really hard.

“There’s a lot of people haven’t made up their mind yet. I want to tour the country, get over the Lib Democrat message – whether it’s on health and care, whether it’s on fixing our economy and helping people with the cost of living, or whether it’s on things like sewage or the environment campaign we’ve been running.”

12:03 PM BST

Labour to outlaw rent ‘bidding wars’, says Starmer

Labour would ban landlords from conducting rent “bidding wars” between prospective tenants, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Asked how Labour would tackle escalating rents without implementing a rent cap, the Labour leader told Sky News: “You can stop the bidding wars because what happens there is the landlord effectively goes between two or three different renters driving the rent up and up and up.

“We won’t allow them to do that. We will introduce a law that says you can’t do it because at the moment what happens is they sort of go back between the renters.

“The other thing we need to do is stop the extortionate deposits that are being asked of people, and make sure the conditions are good because we’ve heard of these terrible cases with mould and damp and the effect it has on people, in some tragic cases even death.”

12:01 PM BST

Starmer claims Tory stamp duty pledge is unfunded

Sir Keir Starmer said he would not “follow the Government down the road of unfunded commitments” on stamp duty changes.

He told the BBC: “In the Budget the Government set out clearly its plan, that was costed, in relation to stamp duty and we will hold to that because it’s fully costed.

“In this election campaign, they are desperately putting unfunded bids on the table day after day after day. What they are saying on stamp duty is another example of that.

“I’m not going to follow the Government down the road of unfunded commitments because when you lose control of the economy it’s working people that pay the price.”

Labour has confirmed it will not mirror a Tory pledge to keep the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers at £425,000 (see the post below at 09.56).

11:56 AM BST

Starmer: ‘Polls do not predict the future’

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said “polls do not predict the future”, after weeks of positive polling for his party.

Asked whether Labour voters should “bother” turning out given a forecasted majority, Sir Keir said: “Polls do not predict the future and I’m well aware that every single vote has to be earned and it will only be earned if people put their trust and confidence in Labour.”

11:52 AM BST

Tories have ‘lost their soul’, says Farage

The Conservatives have “lost their soul”, Nigel Farage said as he addressed a crown in Cheshire.

The Reform leader said: “The Conservatives deserve to lose the election and Labour don’t deserve to win. Don’t feel guilty for leaving them, they’ve left you. 14 years of Tory government and they may as well rename themselves the SDP.

“Low tax, low liberty, high immigration party… they’ve lost their soul.”

11:42 AM BST

Farage: ‘Labour don’t deserve to win’

Nigel Farage concluded his speech in Cheshire with an attack on the Tories and the Labour Party.

The Reform UK leader said: “I just take the view that the Conservatives deserve to lose the election and Labour don’t deserve to win.”

11:40 AM BST

Farage claims Gen Z turning to Reform

Nigel Farage admitted Reform UK was “not doing well with the Millennials” but he said “something extraordinary is happening with Gen Z”, writes Albert Tait. 

“There’s an awakening of a young generation who have had enough of being dictated to, of being lectured to,” he said.

“I’ve been sent these incredible photos of young lads [at Euro 2024 in Germany] wearing masks with my face on. There are crowds singing my name.”

11:38 AM BST

Farage: Reform could win over ‘many, many more millions’ of voters

Nigel Farage said “anything is possible” for Reform UK ahead of July 4 as he said he believed there are “many, many more millions” of voters who his party could win over.

Speaking in Cheshire, the Reform leader said: “There are many, many more millions than the millions who already say they are going to vote for us with a very high certainty to vote, there are many, many more millions thinking about it.

“Haven’t yet made their mind up, some who are still clinging onto the idea they might vote Conservative and some who are saying we are going to vote Labour in disgust.

“We could do much, much better than we are doing right now.”

11:33 AM BST

Labour ban on trail hunting a ‘massive step too far’, says Reform leader

Labour plans to ban trail hunting are a “massive step too far”, Nigel Farage said.

The Reform UK leader told a crowd in Cheshire: “That frankly is an imposition on the personal freedom of individual people, whether rural people or city people coming out at the weekend, it is a massive step too far.”

Mr Farage said it was “very important” to defend the “rural way of life”.

11:28 AM BST

Farage: Sunak ‘hasn’t got the guts’ to leave ECHR and stop Channel crossings

The small boats crisis is a “national security emergency and it cannot be viewed any other way”, Nigel Farage said.

The Reform leader rejected the idea that Labour could stop the Channel crossings as “cobblers”.

He then said the only way the UK will gain control of its borders is if it leaves the European Convention of Human Rights.

Speaking in Cheshire this morning, Mr Farage said: “We will never send any planes to Rwanda. We will never send anybody to Rwanda all while we are part of the court based in Strasbourg that was set up with the best intentions immediately after World War Two with huge support from people like Winston Churchill.

“But that court that has now become activist, that court that has now become interventionist, that court that is no longer fit for purpose, and that court that says we cannot control our own borders, who might be here and who we can get rid of.”

He added: “Of course the lofty barrister Sir Keir, he loves all these international courts and Sunak hasn’t got the guts to deal with it because it would split his own party.

“But we are clear: we must leave the European Court of Human Rights and take back control.”

11:20 AM BST

Tories are ‘bitterly divided’, says Farage

Nigel Farage sought to appeal to the rural vote as he delivered a speech in Cheshire this morning.

Speaking at a country club, the Reform leader said: “Who will stand up best for the interests of our rural communities too? Is it me?

“Or is it a bitterly divided Conservative Party who seem to hate each other...”

He sarcastically referred to Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer as “inspiring figures” which drew a laugh from the crowd.

11:16 AM BST

Farage: Reform ‘doing much, much better’ than opinion polls suggest

Nigel Farage criticised recent general election polls which he said were “out of date”.

It comes after an exclusive Telegraph poll predicted Reform would win no seats.

“So these polls are not wrong, but they’re massively out of date,” the Reform leader said.

“We’re doing much, much better than that.”

11:15 AM BST

Farage felt like he was ‘letting voters down’ by not standing

Nigel Farage is at Catton Hall in Cheshire and started his speech to a small and enthusiastic crowd by saying “guess who’s back”, writes Albert Tait. 

The Reform leader said: “I’ve been retired for four years. I wasn’t going to stand in this election, I wasn’t going to get back involved, but I started to go out and campaign and travel around the country with some other candidates.

“ I began to get the sense that people on the street walking up to me and saying, why are you not standing? As if, you know, Nigel, you’re letting us down.”

11:11 AM BST

Gove: Tory victory on July 4 would be ‘a stretch’

Michael Gove has admitted a Conservative general election victory on July 4 would be “a stretch”.

Asked by broadcasters whether he thought his party could win the contest, the Levelling Up Secretary said: “Yes. I mean, it’s a stretch, but yes.”

He added: “We are absolutely the underdogs. It’s incredibly tough, we’re up against it. But it is possible and you’ve got to believe that in order to ensure that you do the electorate a service.

“So, of course we’ve got to point out what the consequences would be if Labour were in, what the consequences would be if Labour get a majority as some of these polls – and polls are snapshots, not predictions – as some of these polls indicate that they might. But you’ve got to fight it.”

11:06 AM BST

Coming up: Nigel Farage campaign speech

Nigel Farage is out and about on the campaign trail today and he is due to deliver a speech in Cheshire a little bit later this morning.

We are expecting to hear from the Reform UK shortly.

11:03 AM BST

Farage predicts Tory wipeout will be even worse than polls suggest

A Conservative wipeout at the general election could be even worse than a major opinion poll suggests, Nigel Farage has claimed.

The Reform UK leader said Tory fortunes are continuing to worsen after polling from Savanta for The Telegraph found the governing party is on track to slump to just 53 seats.

Mr Farage also declared he was willing to place “the biggest bet in my life” that Reform will win seats on July 4 after the constituency-level survey of 18,000 people predicted it would be left without any MPs.

The Savanta poll predicts Rishi Sunak will become the first Prime Minister ever to lose their seat at a general election.

“On the Tory wipeout, I think it could be even bigger than Savanta suggests,” Mr Farage told The Telegraph. “I think things are getting worse and worse for them.”

You can read the full story here. 

10:49 AM BST

Pictured: Gove talks to journalists on the Tory campaign battle bus this morning

10:41 AM BST

Election is ‘never over until it is over’, says ex-Tory MP

Robert Halfon said it is “never over until it is over” as he insisted the Tories can still narrow the gap to Labour.

The former Tory MP and minister who is not contesting the election told GB News: “The way I see it, it is never over until it is over and of course the opinion polls don’t look great for the Conservatives.

“But I am out in my constituency campaigning for my successor almost every day... and I don’t meet one person, not one, unless they are a Labour activist or a Labour member, who says they love Starmer or they are going to vote Labour.

“What I do see is of course anger against us, without a doubt, partly and mostly because of the cost of living challenges that people have had to face.”

Mr Halfon said he believed that when it comes to the crunch on July 4 some wavering voters will return to the Tories.

“I don’t think it is going to be quite as bad as the papers are showing,” he said.

10:27 AM BST

Hunt: I like and respect Rachel Reeves

Jeremy Hunt said he liked and respected Rachel Reeves but they were offering very different approaches on taxation.

Speaking at The Times’ CEO Summit, the Chancellor said of his shadow: “I have a lot of respect for Rachel Reeves, I like her as a person and I think what is the big difference between her approach if she becomes chancellor and my approach? It does boil down to tax.”

The Chancellor added: “The Labour perspective is that they believe taxation is broadly a force for good, they believe that for social justice reasons, and they are content with tax levels as they are, in fact the Labour manifesto is actually planning to increase taxes by about £8 billion a year.

“If we’re going to bring down taxes, and I’m speaking as the Chancellor who put them up and put them up significantly, it is a lot of hard work. It is a lot of discipline. But I think that is very, very important for our economic future.”

10:13 AM BST

Truss mini-Budget did not cause ‘sustained economic scarring’, says Hunt

Jeremy Hunt said it is not “fair” to claim there is “sustained economic scarring” from Liz Truss’s mini-Budget.

The Chancellor told The Times’ CEO Summit: “It was one of the – well it was the most – dramatic week in my life in terms of decisions I had to take when I got that rather unexpected call from Liz Truss asking me to be Chancellor.

“Which I thought was a hoax and refused to take the call and could not imagine any situation ever where Liz Truss would actually ask me to be Chancellor, so that was a bit surreal, and then in that first week literally I’m picking the entire mini-budget.

“But I don’t think it’s fair to say that there was a sustained economic scarring from that. I think if you look at us now with lower inflation, higher growth than most major economies we’re actually doing very well.”

10:11 AM BST

Farage: ‘Immigration is the real reason for the housing crisis’

Nigel Farage claimed neither the Tories or Labour were “telling the truth” about the nation’s housing crisis.

The Reform leader blamed immigration for rising rents and a shortage of housing as he suggested the two main parties would not acknowledge the issue.

He said in a campaign video posted on Twitter this morning: “For the Labour and Conservative parties today is housing day. They are going to talk about housing, access to housing and the Labour Party are going to talk about rents.

“I wonder whether either of them will mention the fact that the British population has risen by 10 million since Tony Blair came to power, six million of that since the Tories came to power in 2010 and 85 per cent of that directly down to immigration.

“That is why people can’t get houses, that is why rents have gone up 20 to 30 per cent in the last four years alone. But I bet you they don’t even mention it and that is why we are the only party in this election telling the British people the truth.”

10:03 AM BST

Tories: Labour would impose ‘first-time buyer tax’

The Tories said Labour would impose a “first-time buyer tax” because of its failure to adopt a Conservative pledge on stamp duty (see the post below at 09.56).

Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, said: “Not only have Labour admitted they would impose the first-time buyer tax, they have also admitted they would ‘flatten the whole green belt’. If Labour win an unaccountable majority, this shows they think they can do whatever they want.

“The first-time buyer tax, on top of Labour’s £2,094 tax raid in council tax and other taxes, will punish hardworking people by as much as £11,250 in tax on their first home.

“Whilst Labour flatten ‘the whole green belt’ and hike up the cost of buying a home, the Conservatives have a plan to make the dream of homeownership a reality by abolishing stamp duty for the majority of first-time buyers and improving the Help to Buy Scheme.”

09:56 AM BST

Labour won’t mirror Tory stamp duty pledge, confirms shadow housing minister

Labour will not mirror a Tory pledge to keep the stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers at £425,000.

The property price threshold at which stamp duty kicks in for first-time buyers was temporarily raised by Liz Truss from £300,000 to £425,000 and the Tories pledged in their manifesto to make the higher threshold permanent.

Matthew Pennycook, the shadow housing minister, said Labour is not making the same promise which means the threshold will revert to £300,000 from next April.

Asked if Labour could adopt the Tory pledge, Mr Pennycook told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme: “The Conservatives have outlined a very specific policy. I think it is a desperate policy, it is unfunded.

“We have not got the same policy in place. Our offer for first time buyers is a Freedom to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme that will help those who are able to afford mortgage repayments but struggle with a deposit onto the housing ladder.”

09:46 AM BST

Poll: Kemi Badenoch is the future of the Tory party – no one else survives

Kemi Badenoch will be the future of the Conservative Party by default as the only “big beast” left standing after the election, an exclusive poll for The Telegraph suggests.

Not only most of the Cabinet – including Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt and James Cleverly – would be wiped out under a Labour mega-majority, but also leadership contenders including Penny Mordaunt and Suella Braverman.

Among others said to be contemplating leadership bids, only Tom Tugendhat is predicted to keep his seat, raising the possibility of a Badenoch-Tugendhat run-off as the Right of the party fights the centrist One Nation Tories for control.

You can read the full story here. 

09:34 AM BST

Jeremy Hunt: Tory victory on July 4 not ‘the most likely outcome’

Jeremy Hunt said a Tory win at the general election on July 4 is not “the most likely outcome”.

Asked if the Conservatives can win the election, he said: “It’s going to be very tough. I don’t think any of us would pretend that is the most likely outcome.

“We can certainly do a lot better than the polls are suggesting and we are working very hard to do so.”

Mr Hunt was also asked about the specific battle in the Godalming and Ash constituency in Surrey he is standing in.

Asked if he could win in his constituency, Mr Hunt told the Times CEO Summit in London: “Genuinely in my seat I think it’s too close to call.

“I have a very middle class electorate in Surrey, very highly educated and actually they have been very mobile voters for all my time in Parliament, so I think it’s very hard to call. I still meet a lot of people who say they haven’t yet made up their mind.

“So I genuinely don’t know the answer to that question. I’ve had the conversation with my kids, I may not be an MP after the election, and that’s OK, that’s democracy, all that sort of stuff.”

09:27 AM BST

Sunak takes aim at Labour over housebuilding

09:07 AM BST

Hunt: Labour government must have ‘effective opposition’

Jeremy Hunt has appeared to become the latest senior Tory to concede that the Conservatives could be heading for defeat on July 4.

The Chancellor told the BBC: “I think it’s very important if Labour win, that they have an effective opposition in Parliament.”

His comments came after Grant Shapps warned of the dangers of handing Labour a “super majority” victory while Mel Stride said if the polls were correct the opposition could be on course for the “largest majority virtually in the history of this country”.

Mr Hunt’s comments came ahead of an expected speech by the Chancellor at The Times’ CEO summit this morning.

09:00 AM BST

Pictured: Lord Cameron welcomed to Paris by French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne

08:52 AM BST

Tories focus on housing with two weeks to go until July 4

08:47 AM BST

Labour could fill public bodies with ‘yes men’ to ‘entrench’ power, claims Gove

Labour could install “yes men and women” in public bodies to help “entrench” its power if it wins the general election on July 4, Michael Gove suggested this morning.

Claiming Labour would use a large majority to “rig the system” and ensure it remained in power, the Cabinet minister told the BBC: “My concern is that Labour would use whatever tools they have, if they have that sort of level of unchecked power in the Commons, to entrench it.

“I think there are a number of other things that they would seek to do as well, for example make sure that many of the public bodies that we all rely on to help to run our lives, instead of having a balance of people from across the political spectrum with real skills that will help, I think there may be a tendency for them to put people who will be yes men and women in.

“That is certainly a concern that I’ve heard from voters in some of the conversations that I’ve had and I do think that it is a factor.”

08:34 AM BST

Boris Johnson announces release date for ‘unrestrained’ memoir

Boris Johnson has announced the release date for his “unrestrained” memoir in which he will give his account of his time in Downing Street.

The former prime minister’s book, called Unleashed, will be published by William Collins on Oct 10 this year, with Harper releasing it in the United States five days later.

Unleashed will cover Mr Johnson’s political career from his eight years as mayor of London, to the ‘Brexit wars’ in parliament and his premiership.

You can read the full story here.

08:21 AM BST

Gove: Labour could become a ‘forever government’

If Labour win a big majority on July 4 the party could “rig the system” to create a “forever government”, Michael Gove has claimed.

The Levelling Up Secretary told Sky News: “I hope we are getting our message across on tax and one of the things is that if people do reflect on the polls, and of course some may, they will ask themselves this question: If Labour do have that really big majority, what is to stop them rigging the system?

“What is to stop them giving votes to EU citizens, 16 year-olds, prisoners, and making sure that they could be a forever government.” 

08:19 AM BST

Gove ‘confident’ Sunak will be re-elected as MP

Michael Gove said he is “confident” Rishi Sunak will be re-elected as an MP.

A Savanta and Electoral Calculus polling analysis for The Telegraph suggested Mr Sunak was on track to become the first prime minister ever to lose their seat at a general election.

But Mr Gove told Sky News: “I am confident that the Prime Minister will be returned in Richmond as I am confident that lots of Conservative candidates will be returned.

“But what we need to do as a party and a Government overall is to have a conversation with the electorate.

“The electorate will of course look at polls and front pages but what they are really interested in are policies.”

08:14 AM BST

Gove: ‘Reprehensible’ to bet on election date using inside information

Michael Gove has said it would be “reprehensible” for someone to use inside information to bet on the date of the general election.

Asked about reports the Gambling Commission was investigating a second Conservative candidate for placing a bet on the date of the election, Mr Gove told the BBC: “If people have used inside information to place bets, that is deeply wrong.

“What I can’t do is sort of get too much into the detail of the case while an investigation is going on.

“But I can talk about the broad principle and you’re absolutely right, it’s reprehensible.”

08:11 AM BST

‘Odds are against’ Tories heading into July 4, concedes Gove

Michael Gove suggested the “odds are against” the Conservative Party but the Tories will battle until the “final whistle”.

He told Sky News: “Obviously the polls are not the cheeriest reading… I am a Scotland fan so you wait until the final whistle.

“Sometimes it looks as though the odds are against you but you keep on fighting.”

07:57 AM BST

Tories not in ‘Fergie Time’ yet, says Gove

Michael Gove insisted there is still time for the Conservatives to defy the general election opinion polls as he said: “We’re not in ‘Fergie Time’ yet.”

The phrase “Fergie Time” refers to the stoppage time period at the end of football games when a team could score a late goal. It is named after Sir Alex Ferguson whose Manchester United teams were famous for scoring late goals.

Mr Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, told Sky News: “There are opinion polls, as I’ve acknowledged and as we both know, that are not great, but it’s not the 90th minute, we’re not in ‘Fergie time’ yet.

“There is still an opportunity for us to make these arguments and as we make these arguments my experience – and I know it’s just me and a range of seats, not every seat in the country – my experience is that when you do talk to voters, outline some of the tax dangers, outline some of Labour’s plans for the future, then people do think twice and people do recognise that by voting Conservatives you are both ensuring that there is a strong Conservative voice in Parliament, but also you are doing everything you can to prevent a series of tax increases that won’t just hit pensioners and first-time buyers, but also will hit the economy in the guts.”

He added: “I’m a Scotland fan, so you wait until the final whistle. Sometimes it looks as though the odds are against you, but you keep on fighting.”

07:45 AM BST

Polling expert: Tories on course for worst election performance since First World War

The Conservative Party is currently heading for its worst general election performance since the First World War, according to Professor Sir John Curtice.

The polling expert said the party could be on course to win its lowest ever number of seats in the House of Commons.

Asked if the Tories were currently on course for an electoral wipeout, Sir John told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “In terms of vote share, the Conservatives are at the moment heading for their worst performance since the First World War, since the advent of the mass franchise, by a country mile.

“And secondly, not even the More in Common poll suggests they are going to quite reach their lowest ever number of seats in the House of Commons which is 156 all the way back in 1906.”

07:39 AM BST

Sunak’s campaign ‘has not had any success’ in reducing Labour lead, says polling expert

Rishi Sunak’s general election campaign has “not had any success” in narrowing Labour’s opinion poll lead, a polling expert said this morning.

Professor Sir John Curtice told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that Labour’s lead over the Conservatives was broadly the same now as it was when Mr Sunak triggered the election.

He said: “Labour are now averaging 41 per cent which is three points down on where they were when Mr Sunak called the election.

“But they still remain 20 points ahead of the Conservatives because the Conservatives are now on 21 per cent which is also three points down on where they were.

“So Mr Sunak’s campaign has not had any success, according to these regular polls, in narrowing Labour’s lead.”

07:30 AM BST

Tories can be ‘proud’ of 14 year record in government, says Gove

The Tories have a record in government over the last 14 years of which they can be “proud”, Michael Gove said.

The Levelling Up Secretary told Times Radio: “Yes, some things went wrong. There was a brief period, I won’t go into names, when economic management was not perhaps as surefooted as it should be.

“But I do think that overall that is a record of which we can be proud.”

07:23 AM BST

Gove: Tories must ‘fight’ for victory until the ‘final whistle’

The Conservative Party must “fight” for victory until the “final whistle” is blown on the general election campaign, Michael Gove said.

Asked if he believed the election was still for winning or if it was now a case of trying to ensure the Tories lose less badly, the Levelling Up Secretary told Times Radio: “Well, I am a Scotland fan so I am used to adverse circumstances and grim predictions but I also believe that you wait until the last minute, until the final whistle has blown, and you fight until that point.

“Therefore, of course, you can look at the opinion polls, and I have got a lot of respect obviously for the methodological clarity that they bring to sampling public opinion.

“But this election is not an election between Savanta and YouGov. It is between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak and there is therefore a choice of policies, and for example on housing, my brief, I think we have got better ideas.”

07:07 AM BST

The Tory big beasts set to lose seats in election bloodbath

Three-quarters of the Cabinet are on course to lose their seats in an election bloodbath of senior Tories, a major poll for The Telegraph has revealed.

‌James Cleverly, Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt are among 21 ministers set for the axe as leadership hopefuls are felled in a Labour landslide.

Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who worked together in the Home Office, would also lose their seats as would former prime minister Liz Truss.

You can read the full story here. 

06:56 AM BST

What is happening in the general election campaign today?

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will lock horns in their latest TV showdown in York this evening, exactly two weeks before Britain goes to the polls.

The BBC Question Time special will also feature Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, and John Swinney, the SNP leader. Football fans will be pleased to know there is no clash with the England game.

Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, is out on the campaign trail for the Tories this morning, where he will take questions from the media.

Sir Keir is heading to North Yorkshire, where he will tour a housing development ahead of his own grilling by reporters.

Sir Ed is on a visit to South Yorkshire, while Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is set to make a speech in Cheshire.

Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, and Rachel Reeves, his aspiring successor, are speaking at The Times’ CEO summit.

Then at 8pm, the leaders of the UK’s four biggest parties will take to the stage for the Question Time special. With just two weeks to go, it presents one of Mr Sunak’s last opportunities to skewer his opponent in a bid to transform the Tories’ fortunes in the polls.

06:46 AM BST

Tories ‘still have time’ to close Labour poll gap, insists ex-Conservative leader

There is “still time” for the Conservatives to persuade voters not to back the Labour Party, a former Tory leader has insisted.

Lord Howard said Rishi Sunak and the Tories must “redouble our efforts” during the last two weeks of the general election campaign.

He suggested that improving economic data, like inflation falling to 2 per cent, could make a big difference to Tory fortunes in the run up to July 4.

Asked what Mr Sunak could do to narrow the gap to Labour, Lord Howard told GB News: “Well, he needs to redouble, not just Rishi Sunak, but we all need to redouble our efforts to get the message across. And of course the evidence on inflation is new evidence, it only came out [yesterday] morning, it came out after all these polls were taken.

“So as the evidence increases, that we really have turned the corner, that there really is a good future for our country if we stick with the plan and stick with the Conservatives, there is still time to persuade people that they shouldn’t throw it all away and risk the higher taxes that inevitably will come with a Labour government.”

06:37 AM BST

Lord Howard: Tories must focus on ‘very, very many people’ who are still undecided

The Tories must focus on winning over the “very, very many people” who are still “genuinely undecided” over the next two weeks, Lord Howard said as he argued the general election on July 4 was not yet done and dusted.

The former leader of the Conservative Party was asked about a poll for The Telegraph which showed the Tories could end up with just 53 seats.

He told GB News: “I can only talk from my own experience. I’ve been on the doorstep every day this week. And apart from today, when I had a very positive response, on the other days, what’s become clear is that there are very, very many people who haven’t made up their minds, who are genuinely undecided.

“And I think the task that faces the Conservative Party in the two weeks that remain of the campaign, is to persuade those people who haven’t made up their minds that we have genuinely turned the corner.

“We’ve now got the lowest inflation rate in the G7 apart from Italy, the highest growth rate in the G7, apart from Canada, which is the same as ours. And after all of the hard times that we’ve been through, because of COVID, because of the war, because of the increase in the price of energy, we have now turned the corner.

“We have a really good future ahead of us if we stick to the Conservatives, and stick to the plan. That’s what we’ve got to try and persuade people of in the two weeks that remain of the campaign.”

06:29 AM BST

Lord Lamont: ‘Unexpected’ Tory turnaround still possible

Lord Lamont insisted an “unexpected” turnaround is still possible for the Conservatives after a major poll suggested the party is heading for electoral wipeout.

The Tory former chancellor said Savanta and Electoral Calculus polling analysis for The Telegraph showing the Tories could end up with just 53 seats on July 4 was “shocking”.

But he argued there could still be a “dramatic change” in fortunes for the party.

The Conservative peer told GB News: “They [the polls] are shocking, that is true. But my own view is you wouldn’t expect me really to comment in great depth on them.

“If you are involved in the election you want your side to win, you carry on fighting right to the end, regardless of how the other side are doing.

“There is everything to fight for, the unexpected in politics often happens. I think the important thing is just to keep on fighting. I don’t believe all polls. Sometimes dramatic changes do happen. There is no alternative but to fight on anyway.”