New YouGov polling has put both Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats within a hair’s breadth of the Conservative Party, with Electoral Calculus calculations suggesting it could land Rishi Sunak’s party in third place at the General Election.
The prime minister pledged to halve immigration and unveiled a £17.2 billion package of tax cuts as he fought to keep his place in No 10.
With Labour’s poll lead remaining at a stubbornly high level, the Tory leader sought to get the party’s campaign back on track with the launch of his General Election manifesto at the Silverstone motor racing circuit.
He acknowledged that people were “frustrated” with him and admitted the Tories “have not got everything right”.
But the Conservatives “are the only party in this election with the big ideas to make our country a better place to live”, the Prime Minister said.
Attack ads
So-called attack ads posted by the Conservative Party this week have been warning traditional Tory voters that they could come third as a means of getting voters on side ahead of the General Election.
And according to the latest polling, they could be right.
A Sky News / YouGov poll puts Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party just one point behind the Tories, with the Lib Dems climbing four points too.
Electoral Calculus estimates suggest that would put the Labour Party on 471 seats with the Lib Dems on 73 and the Conservatives on 61.
Here’s how the numbers look on the FT’s seat projector tool:
Related: Objects thrown at Nigel Farage during campaign trip to Barnsley