Rishi Sunak reveals he is in touch with Boris Johnson about election (2024)

Rishi Sunak revealed he is in touch with Boris Johnson about the election battle today as the upbeat PM handed out bacon sandwiches in the West Country.

The PM said he was in touch with his predecessor 'just the other day' discussing the 'damage' that Keir Starmer would do.

Allies of Mr Johnson have played down the prospect of him making a major return to the political frontline over the next five weeks.

Mr Sunak was in Cornwall this morning as he pushes another big Tory policy announcement, vowing to scrap 'rip off' low-quality university degrees and boost apprenticeships.

He picked up breakfast for the media pack and staff at a local cafe - although he when he offered to pay he was told a 'handsome' official had already settled the tab.

The latest stage of the drive towards July 4 came as a YouGov poll suggested Labour's lead has extended to 27 points. Redfield & Wilton and Survation have also shown the gap widening in the early stages - although JL Partners has given Mr Sunak a glimmer of hope by indicating a narrowing.

In other election moves today:

• Labouris struggling to contain a row about Diane Abbott being blocked from standing as a candidate at the election;
• Junior doctors have announced a six-day strike finishing on July 2 - just two days before the election;
• A YouGov poll has suggested Labour's lead has extended to 27 points;
• A top think-tank has poured scorn on Labour's plan to slash NHS waiting lists by warning of the 'challenging' public finances the party will face if it wins power.

Speaking to the Telegraph podcast, Mr Sunak said he was in touch with Mr Johnson - amid hopes from MPs that the ex-PM might campaign in Red Wall seats.

'He's a busy guy as well, but we were in touch literally just the other day, actually, about the risk that Starmer poses to the country's security and the damage he would do. I worry about Keir Starmer's complacency around security,' Mr Sunak said.

Survation and Redfield & Wilton Strategies both found that Labour is 23 points ahead overall.

A survey by Deltapoll of 1,517 British adults online, carried out from May 23-25, put Labour on 45 per cent, the Conservatives on 23 per cent, Reform on 10 per cent, the Liberal Democrats on 9 per cent, and the Greens on 6 per cent, with the SNP on 3 per cent, Plaid Cymru on 1 per cent and other parties on 2 per cent.

The latest poll by Opinium, carried out on May 23 and 24 among 2,050 UK adults online, put Labour on 41 per cent, the Conservatives 27 per cent, Reform 10per cent, the Lib Dems 10 per cent and the Greens 7 per cent, with the SNP on 2 per cent, Plaid Cymru on 1 per cent and other parties on 1per cent.

But the JL Partners research, conducted Friday and Saturday, put Labour on 40 per cent, while the Tories were on 28 per cent - up two points since the start of May.

Labour's lead has slipped from 18 points in April and 15 points in early May.

The pollster said the main reason was a shift among over-65s, with the Conservativesgoing from a 10-point lead over Labour to a 20-point lead in the age group.

A simple average of all polls carried out in the seven days to May 28 puts Labour on 45 per cent, 21 percentage points ahead of the Tories on 24 per cent, followed by Reform on 11 per cent, the Lib Dems on 9per cent and the Greens on 5per cent.

Mr Sunak took the overnight sleeper train from London Paddington to embark on a day of campaigning in the south west of England.

Chatting with staff at a seafront cafe, Mr Sunak described his journey as 'jolly'. But when he went to pay for the breakfast the woman serving him said a 'handsome' aide had already done so.

Boris JohnsonLabourRishi SunakKeir Starmer