Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has voiced strong concerns in a bid to prevent Keir Starmer from achieving a “supermajority” surpassing Labour’s historic 1997 landslide.
He cautioned that such an outcome would spell “very bad news” for the nation, as it would grant Labour “unchecked power,” posing a potential danger to the country.
Despite Labour maintaining a lead of approximately 20 percentage points in the polls, Shapps emphasized, “The polls have been wrong before.”
His comments align with the Conservative Party’s latest social media campaign, which urges potential Reform Party voters to consider the risks of giving Starmer unchecked authority in parliament.
The Conservative Party’s online adverts highlight a scenario where they could be reduced to just 57 seats in parliament with a 19% vote share, even if the Reform Party fails to secure any seats.
Shapps reiterated the party’s determination to “fight for every single seat in this country,” portraying the Conservatives as the only viable opposition to Labour.
Shapps’ remarks directly counter Nigel Farage’s assertion that the Reform Party is “the real opposition now” and that the upcoming July 4 election marks a new beginning for his party.
Shapps argued that the election outcome will inevitably result in either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer becoming Prime Minister, warning that an unchecked Starmer administration would be detrimental to the country.
“A blank-cheque approach, allowing someone to do anything they wanted, particularly when their particular set of plans are so vague, and they say ‘change’, but you have no idea what they actually want to change to, other than the fact that they’ve outlined plans which would cost £2,094 to every working family in this country.”
Grant Shapps
The Conservatives have faced criticism for repeating the claim that Labour’s policies would cost each household an additional £2,094 in taxes over the next parliament.
Treasury permanent secretary James Bowler clarified that ministers had been instructed not to attribute the figure to civil servants and that it should not be linked to the civil service.
The shift in the Conservative campaign strategy is evident in their Facebook adverts, which are being heavily promoted on social media.
Last week, the party tested adverts targeting a small group of voters, warning them not to “hand Keir Starmer a blank cheque” and suggesting that a vote for the Reform Party or the Liberal Democrats would leave Labour unchallenged.
In recent days, this strategy has escalated into a broader defensive campaign, with the Conservatives paying to reach hundreds of thousands of people with adverts warning that the party could fall to third place in the House of Commons behind the Liberal Democrats.
Adverts directed at older voters caution that voting for any party other than the Conservatives will “hand Keir Starmer a massive majority,” potentially harming pensioners.
This unusual messaging appears to signal the Conservatives’ acceptance that defeat is likely, and their plea to core voters is to ensure a substantial Conservative presence in parliament remains.
Sunak’s Interview and Apology
On Tuesday night, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared in an ITV interview, which has since generated controversy due to his absence from part of the D-Day commemorations in France to record the segment. Sunak has since repeated his apology for the oversight.
During the interview, Sunak shared personal reflections, noting that his parents made significant sacrifices to prioritize his education, resulting in his family going without “lots of things” during his upbringing.
As such, the Conservative Party’s efforts are focused on mitigating Labour’s potential dominance and maintaining a robust opposition in parliament.
Whether these strategies will resonate with voters remains to be seen, but the high-stakes nature of the political landscape is undeniable.
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