Conservative claims Labour is on course for a very large election victory amount to “voter suppression”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
On Wednesday, Tory cabinet minister Mel Stride said Labour was “highly likely” to win the largest majority in modern British history at the general election – capping off weeks of Conservative warnings of a “supermajority” for Sir Keir.
In comments which all but conceded the election, Mr Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said he “accepted where the polls are”, which suggested “tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he suggested Labour’s victory could surpass the 492-seat majority won by the coalition National Government in 1931.
He added: “What therefore matters now is what kind of opposition do we have? What kind of ability to scrutinise government?”
Asked about the comments, the Labour leader said: “It’s really voter suppression.”
Mr Stride was “trying to get people to stay home rather than go out and vote,” Sir Keir said.
Speaking to reporters at a campaign n election event in Carmarthenshire, he added: “If you want change you have to vote for it.
“I know there are very close constituencies across the country, I don’t take anything for granted.
“I respect the voters, and I know that we have to earn every vote until 10 o’clock tomorrow night.”
Mr Stride was the second senior Conservative in 24 hours to publicly admit the likelihood of defeat.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman wrote in The Telegraph newspaper on Wednesday that the election was “over” and that the Conservatives “need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition”.
Ms Braveman predicted a post-election “fight for the soul of the Conservative Party” – one, she said, that would decide whether it continued to exist at all.
Ms Braverman, a frequent critic of the prime minister, has been touted as a potential Tory leader after Rishi Sunak.
Mr Stride’s comments suggest the Conservatives now think warning of a Labour victory will sway undecided voters more effectively than arguing in support of the Tory record.
They follow a last-minute appearance on the campaign trail by former PM Boris Johnson, who was greeted with applause and cheers when he joined one of the party’s final rallies on Tuesday night.
He told the crowd at the London event: “When Rishi asked me to come and help, of course I couldn’t say no”, and said a Labour government would increase taxes and fail to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Labour’s election coordinator Pat McFadden tried to downplay the idea of a landslide victory for his party – telling the BBC “nothing is decided about this election, change will only come if people go and vote for it”.
Mr McFadden said his party wanted a majority to “roll up our sleeves and get on” with their manifesto pledges.
Pressed on whether Labour’s claim that homeowners would pay £4,800 more on their mortgages if the Conservatives won the election – which BBC Verify has found to be misleading – had hurt trust in politics, Mr McFadden said he was “proud of our campaign”.
He said the claim, based on questionable assumptions, revealed the Conservatives’ unfunded promises and “a gulf between the two manifestos”.
Labour “took pains not to over-promise to recognise the economic realities,” while the Conservative manifesto was “just the latest instalment of what we saw from Liz Truss two years ago,” Mr McFadden added.