Election latest: 'I'd bite your hand off' - Tory candidate's incredible reaction to poll projecting historic defeat (2024)

The Sun newspaper today backed Labour to win the general election, turning its back on the Tories for the first time since 2005.

We ask farming minister Mark Spencer if that is a blow to his party, and he points out the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph are still backing the Tories (only four of 11 titles that have announced endorsem*nts are backing them).

He also notes The Sun says "there is still no plan from Labour on immigration", and raises questions around tax rises.

The Sun's headline is Britain "needs a new manager", and Sophy Ridge says it appears the Conservative Party may need one as well.

We ask if he would consider a leadership bid, and he replies he needs to win his own seat before talking about that.

"I want to see Rishi Sunak be prime minister - that's what I've been campaigning for for the last six weeks. That's what I'll be doing right up 'til the end of polling tomorrow night at 10pm."

Our main story tonight is a YouGov poll - their final one of this election campaign - projecting Labour to win 431 seats in tomorrow's vote.

That would be the party's best result ever and the largest majority enjoyed by any single party since 1832.

If you're just joining us and need a quick catch up on the projection, including how the other parties will fare and some big names tipped to lose their seats, we've got you covered.

Watch our deputy political editor Sam Coates run through the numbers below:

On the final day of campaigning, Sir Keir Starmer has been on a whistle-stop tour of much of the UK, visiting Scotland, Wales, and England.

Polls suggest his party is on course for the biggest majority since 1832 and our political editorBeth Rigby says the jeopardy of this election has gone.

"The jeopardy in many ways has gone - if it was ever there. We can see Labour is heading for a big majority," she says.

"How big it will be without a single vote cast is unknown. When I talk about a big majority, I would say bigger than Boris Johnson in 2019 when he won 80 seats.

"That would be an astounding victory for Keir Starmer, who inherited a party that had its worst election defeat in 2019 when they just returned 203 MPs.

"So the scale of achievement, just to get a one-seat majority, is incredible."

But Beth adds that sources in both the Tory and Labour camps "have said there are still dozens of seats that are still undecided and could go either way".

She explains any sense of jeopardy actually lies with Reform UK and how they perform will affect the Conservatives.

We stand on the threshold of a landmark election.

Power has only changed hands once in the last 26 years, but after voters troop out to libraries, village halls and schools tomorrow to exercise their democratic right, power is almost certain to change hands once again.

If the polls are right, it will be a day for the record books.

Labour is on course for their biggest ever majority - surpassing even 1997 – and the Conservatives are expected to be turfed out of power for the first time in 14 years, truly the end of an era.

Will Sir Keir Starmer achieve the staggering victory that the pollsters expect - and if he does, what will he do with it?

And how will a Conservative Party rebuild and regroup if Rishi Sunak does lead Britain's most successful political party to its worst defeat?

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgeis live now on Sky News.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Sophy is joined tonight by Tory minister Mark Spencer and Labour shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symondson the eve of what could be a historic general election.

On Sophy's panel tonight are:

• Adam Boulton, Sky's elections commentator;
• Mhairi Black, SNP's former deputy leader at Westminster;
• Ed Vaizey, former Conservative minister.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgefrom Monday to Thursday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

By Darren McCaffrey, political correspondent

On a slightly damp afternoon, in a summer so far marked by disappointing weather, the Conservative campaign bus pulled into a primary school in rural Hampshire today.

A smattering of Lib Dem activists (I counted five) had bothered to turn up to protest the against the prime minister. I say protest - it was actually to gloat, and even then through mild bemusem*nt rather than anger.

They knew the game was up. It felt like everyone knew the game was up.

I mean a campaign stop with five-year-olds the day before the election seemed a little pointless.

It was a day riven with resignation.

Earlier, the work and pensions secretary had essentially conceded, talking about a future Labour government, pleading to voters not to give Sir Keir Starmer a "supermajority".

The next stop was a campaign visit in a seat the Tories might actually hold - though that has been a feature of the entire campaign.

Almost exclusively, we've only been in seats with Rishi Sunak that should have traditionally been ultra Conservative. Village pubs, farm shops, garden centres and large homes have been ubiquitous.

The last stop is one final campaign rally tonight, with maybe a hundred people - we've been told not to expect any surprises.

That in itself is hardly a surprise.

The Conservative campaign started in a very wet Downing Street, it ends in the drizzle in Southampton.

It has simply petered out.

With ABBA's Take A Chance On Me blasting across a field in Hertfordshire, Sir Ed Davey arrived in the Liberal Democrats' battle bus for what was billed as the last big stunt of his campaign.

Whether his antics have cut through, we will find out tomorrow, but he certainly can't be faulted for enthusiasm.

Yellow confetti exploded as Sir Ed left the bus with both hands waving in the air, laughing and smiling in front of his supporters.

"This is it. Tomorrow we have the chance to win the change our country desperately needs," he said.

"After so many years of being let down, taken for granted by this out-of-touch Conservative government, this is a chance to vote for something different."

Sir Ed continued: "You may have noticed that I've quite enjoyed this campaign."

The leader said he has travelled 6,000 miles, visited 50 constituencies and bungee jumped 160ft, to cheers from the crowd.

Pyrotechnics were ignited as he came to the end of his speech, before he ditched the orange theme for the backseat of a pink Cadillac and made his exit, waving to the crowd.

On the final day of campaigning, the Sky News correspondents who have followed party leaders to every corner of the UK reflect on the key moments.

From kayaking photo opportunities to people who bet against their own election chances - they tell Niall Paterson how the stories have cut through and the impact they could have on polling day.

Joining Niall are our political correspondents - Darren McCaffrey with the Conservatives, Serena Barker-Singh on the Labour bus, Matthew Thompson following the Liberal Democrats, Gurpreet Narwan from the Reform trail, andConnor Gillies with the Scottish National Party.

It's time for your evening bulletin as the final day of the election campaign nears its climax.

Here's what you need to know:

• Labour are on course for the biggest majority achieved by any British political party since 1832, according to a new YouGov poll;
• Sir Keir Starmer's party are tipped to win 431 seats, with the Tories way behind with 102;
• Among the Conservative heavyweights set to lose out are a former leader, Iain Duncan Smith, and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt;
• Our deputy political editor Sam Coates says the Tories could be facing an "extinction-level event", with some within the party fearful the result on Thursday could be "even worse";
• You can check the projected result where you live below:

• The big breaking news before YouGov's poll was The Sun endorsing the Labour Party for the first time since 2005;
• Our chief political correspondent Jon Craig said while newspaper endorsem*nts aren't as significant as they once were, it's still a "big boost".
  

• Rishi Sunak insists he hasn't given up on the Tories' election hopes, though his most headline-making appearance today was on ITV's This Morning, where he said sandwiches were his favourite food;
• Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has enjoyed his final day of campaigning, beginning with a tractor race and ending it by driving away in a hot pink Cadillac car;
• Reform's Nigel Farage has also been out and about today, and admitted he would "think about" resigning if he doesn't become an MP for the first time;
• And the Green co-leader Carla Denyer is eyeing up what would be a huge win over in Bristol Central, where Labour's Thangham Debbonaire is under pressure and expressed concerns over delays to postal votes;
• Other candidates there are Reform's Robert Clarke, the Lib Dem Nicholas Coombes, Kellie-Jay Keen from the Party of Women, and Samuel Williams from the Conservatives.

Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge will be live from 7pm - the final instalment before the election.

On Sophy's panel tonight are Sky's elections commentator Adam Boulton, the SNP's former deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black, and former Tory minister Ed Vaizey.

We'll also be joined by Conservative food and farming minister Mark Spencerand Labour's shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds.

A Tory has told ourdeputy political editorSam Coatesthey'd "bite your hand off" for the result projected by YouGov's latest poll.

That's right - a Conservative candidate thinks the real result in the election could be "even worse" than the historic defeat being projected for the party this evening.

Sam says some within the Tory party reckon they could end up with under 100 seats, which would be an "extinction-level event".

It's clear, he adds, that Rishi Sunak's "gamble has failed".

He notes this is a projection and so "there is a range of uncertainty and error", with about 89 seats "very close to call", but it still represents a "disaster" for the prime minister.

Sam adds: "You have the highest number of seats for Labour since records began and the lowest number of seats for the Conservatives.

"You have to go back to the 19th century in order to find anything as big as that."