Election latest: Sunak responds to Reform poll lead

Rishi Sunak has responded to last night’s YouGov poll result placing Reform ahead of the Tories for the first time.

The prime minister claimed: “We are only halfway through this election, So I’m still fighting very hard for every vote.

“And what that poll shows is – the only poll that matters is the one on July 4 – but if that poll was replicated on July 4, it would be handing Labour a blank cheque to tax everyone, tax their home, their pension, their car, their family, and I’ll be fighting very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“And actually, when I’ve been out and about talking to people, they do understand that a vote for anyone who is not a Conservative candidate is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in No 10.

“So if you want action on lower taxes, lower migration, protected pensions or a sensible approach to net zero you’re only going to get that by voting Conservative.”

The Plaid Cymru’s leader has criticised criticised Farage’s comments on Net Zero causing “massive self-harm” to people’s energy and fuel bills.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Rhun ap Iorwerth said it is one of the “worst elements of the culture war” and warned there is “self-harm” in not addressing the environmental issue.

Nigel Farage has said the government’s net zero plans are  deindustrialising the UK.

The Reform lead says: “I’m arguing the impact that we are doing, which is an enormous act of economic self-harm.

“We’re irrelevant .. what we’ve done hasn’t benefitted the planet at all.”

The Uk has vowed to reduce greenhouse gases emissions to net zero by 2050.

“Rayner spoke carefully, as if she were a minister,” says Rentoul.

“Her words carried more weight than anyone else’s on the seven-person panel, because power has already shifted. Mordaunt besieged her, haranguing and attacking, as if she was trying to disrupt the new government. It didn’t help that her criticism of Rayner on immigration was, ‘You’ve had 14 years to come up with a plan’, as if it was Labour’s record that was under discussion.”

Shadow minister Wes Streeting has insisted that Labour will introduce a cap on adult social care costs by October next year.

But the pledge did not appear in the party’s manifesto published yesterday.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “That’s the plan, as things stand.”

Adult social care charging reforms, which includes a £86,000 cap, were due to be implemented by the Conservatives from October 2023 but they were delayed by two years.

Asked whether he could make a firm commitment, he responded: “We don’t have any plans to change that situation and that’s the certainty and stability I want to give the system at this stage.”

Johnny Mercer has been out campaigning to be re-elected in his seat of Plymouth Moor view.

He has posted a video of him accompanied with a caption that read: “Poll out overnight. Totally understand why people are thinking Reform, you won’t find me slating them.”

In the video, the Conservative candidate added: “If you want me to continue as your MP and put you first in everything, you’ve got to go out and vote. It’s not a done deal – we’re fighting like hell down here.”

Boris Johnson has let it be known he is abroad for most of this election campaign. 

But he has made an intervention – to back a candidate who called for Sunak’s head just weeks ago. 

Simon Clarke has been openly calling for the party to replace the PM 

In a new video Mr Johnson says he “passionately” wants Mr Clarke re elected.