Rishi Sunak insists Tories can win General Election after Grant Shapps said victory unlikely

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has insisted the Tories can still win the General Election despite dire polling and an admission from his defence secretary Grant Shapps that a Conservative victory was "not the most likely" outcome on July 4.

Speaking earlier, Shapps said that to claim the Tories are on course for a win would be to “try and pretend black is white”.

But speaking during a visit to a Centrica gas rig as he headed back on the campaign trail after a weekend of geopolitical events, Sunak said that he while he understood people’s frustrations, the Conservative Party were on "the right track".

Labour has an average 20-point poll lead over the past week – on 41% ahead of the Tories on 21% and Reform UK on 15%.

Last week, a poll put Reform UK ahead of the Conservatives for the first time.

Nigel Farage launched Reform UK’s manifesto on Monday that tapped into many cornerstones of traditional Tory pledges, including an abundance of tax cuts, a freeze on immigration and a promise to fix the NHS with a French-style insurance scheme.

Asked if he understands people’s frustrations with the Tory Party during a visit to the gas rig, with some voters deciding to turn to Reform UK, Sunak replied: “Of course I understand people’s frustrations with that – I mean that’s undeniable, and I’ve been very clear that we have made progress, but there is more to go.

“There’s still two-and-a-half weeks to go in this election, I’m fighting hard for every vote because I believe we can win," he told reporters on a visit to Centrica’s Rough 47-3B gas rig.

“And there’s a very clear choice at this election: it’s having your taxes cut by the Conservatives or facing significant tax rises with the Labour Party.”

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“But the point now is we are on the right track and this election is about the future.”

Mr Shapps earlier told Times Radio it is “possible to win the election”, but conceded it is “not the most likely outcome”, adding: “I’m a realist.”

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