‘Don’t sleepwalk into unchecked power with Starmer’, PM says as he insists life under Tories is ‘undeniably better’ now
RISHI Sunak has warned voters not to “sleepwalk” into a Labour government and claimed things are “undeniably” better for Brits than a few years ago.
The Prime Minister defended the Tory election campaign this morning as the polls show little sign of movement with just 48 hours to go.
Speaking to the BBC this morning, Sunak issued a call to the British public about the dangers of an “unchecked” and “unaccountable” Labour supermajority.
Asked if he was already considering defeat, he said: “No, I’m very much still talking to people about our plan and our plan is to cut everyone’s taxes, to protect their pension, to secure their borders and to reduce migration.
“At the same time an election is a choice, they are a choice between different parties, my point is that if the polls are to be believed and Labour win a big majority then they will be unchecked and unaccountable to people and that will give them licence to put up everyone’s taxes and make us a soft touch of migration when it comes to the entire European continent
“I don’t think that is right and I don’t want people to sleepwalk into that. I’m working very hard for every vote.”
Asked about the latest opinion polls, which show Tory hopes flatlining at 20 per cent, Sunak said: “That’s not going to stop me from working as hard as I can during these last days of the campaign to talk to as many people as possible about the choice.
“I was up at 4 this morning talking to workers at a distribution facility, I’m here talking to you, I’ll be out til the last moment of this campaign because it’s a really important moment for our country.”
He defended the Tory campaign, despite it having failed to narrow the gap with Labour.
On whether he had got the fight wrong, he said: “No, actually. Everywhere I’ve been going, people are waking up to the dangers of what a Labour government would mean for them, particularly when it comes to taxes.”
He said that under the Tories things are “undeniably” better than they were a few years ago.
He said: “When it comes to the things that we want to do, people can see that we have turned a corner.
“It has been a difficult few years but undeniably things are in a better place now than they were, people are starting to feel the benefits of that.”
With 48 hours until polls open, the PM was leaving nothing to chance in his mission to secure more votes.
At 3am on Tuesday the Tory battle bus departed from his Leicestershire Hilton hotel, heading 90 minutes south to an Ocado warehouse in Luton.
In the dead of night, the PM spent 20 minutes in a gigantic fridge watching robots whizz across aisles packing shopping bags for customers.
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The few humans working in the warehouse at 4.30am enjoyed watching their celebrity guest quality check that smoked salmon and avocado had been placed in the correct paper bag by the buzzing machines.
Back on the road at 5am it was time to make a pit-stop for breakfast.
At a services near the Cotswolds Mr Sunak picked up bags of Maccies for his aides and hungry reporters travelling with him.
Hashbrowns in hand he revealed he’s given up fasting for the election campaign.
The smiling PM said: “I can’t manage it during an election, I just can’t manage it with these hours.”
By 8am Mr Sunak was touring the aisles of a Cotswolds Morrisons.
He met with the store fishmongers and stacked three loaves of bread on the bakery shelves.
A few aisles away a shopper told reporters: “I’ve voted Conservative all my life but not anymore.
“I’m voting Reform this time.”
Today the PM is also due to visit a distribution centre and farmyard barn, before heading to a night-time rally in London.
Rishi’s determination to “fight til the end” come as Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised for saying he will clock off at 6pm on a Friday.
The dad-of-two insisted he would continue to have “protected time for the kids” at the end of the week.
The Labour leader said that he will “not do a work-related thing after 6pm pretty well come what may” which will continue on reaching Downing Street.
Speaking to Virgin Radio, he said: “I don’t believe in the theory that you’re a better decision maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a dad and have fun for your kids,
“Actually, it helps me. It takes me away from the pressure, it relaxes me and I think actually, not only is that what I want to do as a dad, it is better.”
Sir Keir told breakfast host Chris Evans: “Politics, some people think if you fill your diary 24/7 and don’t do anything else, that makes you a much better decision maker. I don’t agree with that. I think you’ve got to make space.”
Cabinet minister Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero slammed the opposition leader, telling LBC: “I think he’s going to get a shock if he goes into government and thinks that he doesn’t have to work past 6pm.”
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting defended the Labour leader when asked on Times Radio if he would work beyond 6pm on a Friday, saying: “I’m sure I will be and I’m sure Keir will be doing so too.
“The attacks on him are a total disgrace and it shows how far these people have fallen, how heavily they’re scraping the barrel and why they need to be removed from office on Thursday.”
He added: “Let me say something about the Conservative Party. The party that turned Number 10 into a giant lockdown party now wants to lecture others on their work ethic.
“It’s a disgrace and the stench of their lies and hypocrisy is even more overwhelming than the vomit they left for Downing Street cleaners, and like those cleaners we’ll clean up the Tories’ mess too if we’re given the chance on Thursday, and as far as I’m concerned, given their behaviour this morning, that change can’t come soon enough.”