Sunak’s last-ditch plea to voters: deliver hung parliament to stop Labour ‘supermajority’

2 July 2024, 06:26 | Updated: 2 July 2024, 10:11

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Rishi Sunak will today issue a desperate plea to voters two days out from the General Election, urging them to return a hung parliament in order to stop a Labour "supermajority".

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister will insist that the election “is not a foregone conclusion”, despite dire polling which suggests his party could slump to their worst-ever defeat.

But Mr Sunak is warning that if just 130,000 people in marginal seats changed their minds, Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party would be denied a "supermajority".

Mr Sunak's warnings derive from a YouGov poll, which suggested Labour's predicted 200-seat majority would fall away if those people switched their votes to the Tories.

If that, a hung parliament is the likely outcome.

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The term 'supermajority' is largely associated with the Government in America and relates to a specific proportion of votes in excess of a simple majority. For example, needing 60 per cent of the vote to win.

Critics have suggested the term has no relevance to the UK political system, as a party with a majority of 20 or 200 is just as powerful.

Nonetheless, the Prime Minister has continued to urge voters not to hand Sir Keir a "blank cheque" this Thursday.

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On Tuesday, Mr Sunak will say: “The outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion. If just 130,000 people switch their vote and lend us their support, we can deny Starmer that supermajority.

“Just think about that: you have the power to use your vote to prevent an unchecked Labour government.”

Mr Sunak will go on to say that a "huge" number of seats at the election will be decided by hundreds of votes.

He continued: “So, every vote we move will have an impact and make it more likely that your Conservative candidate is returned to Parliament so that they can be your voice, represent your values and stand up for you.”