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Rishi Sunak has claimed the outcome of the next general election is not a “foregone conclusion” as he seeks to rally disillusioned Conservatives hit by the punishment in last week’s local elections.
During a visit to a community center in north London on Monday, the British Prime Minister stressed that he was “absolutely determined to fight incredibly hard for what I believe in and for the future country I want to build.”
He added: “The result of the next general election is not a foregone conclusion and is actually closer than….” . . many people say.”
At the weekend, Sunak told The Times that the local elections – in which the Tories lost almost 500 council seats and a key mayoral post in the West Midlands – “suggest we are heading towards a deadlock parliament with Labor as the largest party.” .
He warned that a split vote would result in Labor being “backed in Downing Street by the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens”, which would be a “disaster for Britain”.
The prime minister’s comments are part of an attempt to raise public concerns about the possibility of a volatile progressive coalition led by Labor.
A similar tactic was used successfully by the Conservative Party in the run-up to the 2015 general election, when Ed Miliband was Labor leader.
According to party insiders, Sunak is planning a general election in the autumn, with a campaign expected to be driven by more positive economic data in the coming months.
“I am more determined than ever to show the country that we are making progress in the areas that matter to them and that we will deliver for them,” he said on Monday.
Sunak referred to previously announced cuts to income tax, falling inflation and measures to reform the welfare system.
However, some within the party were not convinced that his recent campaign would be worthwhile. One Tory MP described it as “wishful thinking”. Another said there was “an almost irrefutable feeling of ‘time for a change'” that no amount of rhetorical sleight of hand could reverse.
A former minister in Sunak’s government said he did not think a stalemate in Parliament was likely and argued the government should instead present a vision and narrative for the coming years “that holds our politics together”.
Sunak and his cabinet ministers cited a Sky News general election forecast this weekend, based on recent local election results, which suggested Labor would not be able to secure enough votes to form a majority.
However, poll expert John Curtice criticized Sky’s methodology and warned against extrapolating national poll results from local results.
“It has long been the case, particularly since the late 1980s, that the way people vote in local elections does not necessarily accurately reflect the way they would vote in a general election,” he told the BBC and pointed out that the Lib Democrats, Greens and Independents tend to be doing better and better.
Labor campaign manager Pat McFadden played down the possibility of Labor forming a coalition with its opposition parties.
“Our goal is to win a majority, to govern, to meet the mood for change and we are not planning any alliances or pacts with anyone,” he told Sky on Sunday.