Putin wants Labour election victory, claims Sunak

Rishi Sunak has told voters that Vladimir Putin is hoping for a Labour victory as the general election campaign enters its final week.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the Prime Minister said the UK’s staunch support for Ukraine meant that “Russia does not want us to be re-elected”.

In a final appeal to stave off a Labour super-majority, he also accused Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, of “appeasing” Moscow, and claimed that Sir Keir Starmer would cut defence spending “on day one”.

Mr Sunak said: “The Conservatives have stood up to our adversaries to protect British interests and British values time and time again. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against Russian aggression, and we will keep doing so if re-elected.

“It is clear from the evidence Russia does not want us to be re-elected. 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. We cannot allow that to happen. Vote Conservative on July 4.”

His last-minute intervention came amid reports that Russia was attempting to bolster Reform’s prospects with a coordinated social media campaign.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation claimed to have uncovered a network of five Facebook pages “spreading Kremlin talking points” ahead of the election, with some encouraging support for Mr Farage’s party.

It is understood that Richard Holden, the Conservative chairman, has written to Simon Case, Britain’s top civil servant, and Sir Tim Barrow, the national security adviser, urging them to investigate.

Polls show the Tories heading for a landmark defeat. They go into Thursday’s election 20 points behind Labour, and face being reduced to just 100 seats. The intervention is a sign of a change of policy at Conservative headquarters, moving from ignoring the threat posed by Reform to attacking Mr Farage’s party.

On Saturday night, the Reform leader was embarrassed by a stunt from Led by Donkeys, a campaign group, when a banner featuring a smiling Putin and the phrase “I [heart] Nigel” dropped down behind him on stage.

Mr Farage dismissed claims that Russian-inspired bots were interfering in the election as “cobblers”.

The Tories are also keen to highlight what they see as Labour’s failings on defence. Although Sir Keir’s party has pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of national income, it has not – unlike the Conservatives – put a date on it.

Interviewed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Pat McFadden, Labour’s election coordinator, was unable to explain why the party had not made the commitment on defence but had done so on other issues.

Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, warned voters of “buyer’s remorse” if they allowed a Labour election victory, telling Sky News: “What I would say is just think, think in six months time how you’re going to feel. I have a strong feeling the shine is going to come off Labour pretty quickly.

“The buyer’s remorse will set in, and the bigger the Labour majority, the bigger the buyer’s remorse. Everyone still has it in their hands to stop that. Mark my words – dogs bark, cats meow, Labour put up taxes.”

Mr Dowden went on to say the alleged Facebook plot was a “classic example” of Russian interference, adding that “hostile state actors” – with Russia as a “prime example” – had been attempting to influence the outcome of the election.

Asked whether he was accusing Putin of backing Mr Farage, he told Sunday With Trevor Phillips, on Sky News: “There is a threat in all elections – and indeed we see it in this election – from hostile state actors seeking to influence the outcome of the election campaign. Russia is a prime example of this, and this is a classic example from the Russian playbook.”

The pages uncovered by ABC, with a combined following of 190,000, are said to bear “the hallmarks of a Russian influence operation”.

The broadcaster said they featured criticism of several political parties including the Conservatives and Labour, with some expressing support for Mr Farage and two reportedly describing him as “the people’s champion”.

On Monday, Mr Sunak will warn that an unchecked Labour government “would be a disaster from which it would take decades to recover”.

Speaking at a rally, he will say: “We have four days to save Britain from a Labour government. Labour would hike taxes by more than £2,000 for every working family, would shunt our politics to the Left and change the rules to ensure that they can stay in power for decades.

“If they get the kind of majority, the super-majority that the polls suggest, they will set about entrenching themselves in power. They will rewrite the rules to make it easier for them to stay in office and harder for anyone to replace them. So don’t surrender your voice to Labour on Thursday.

“I tell you this – once you have handed Keir Starmer and Labour a blank cheque, you won’t be able to get it back. A Labour government would be bad for our country, and an unchecked Labour government would be a disaster from which it would take decades to recover.”

Meanwhile, Sir Keir will embark on a three-day tour of the country in a final bid to persuade voters to back Labour. Mr McFadden said: “This week, people across the country face a clear choice – five more years of chaos with the Conservatives, or Keir Starmer’s changed Labour Party offering to turn the page and start to rebuild.

“If people don’t want to wake up on July 5 to five more years of economic chaos, to wake up knowing that all the future offers is the same as the recent Tory past, then they have to vote Labour and vote for change on Thursday. Change will only come if you vote Labour on July 4.”