Rishi Sunak has insisted he will serve a full five years as an MP if he loses the election – rather than quitting to escape to California.
The beleaguered PM told reporters at the G7 summit in Italy that he was planning to stick around if the Tories are wiped out at the polls amid speculation he could throw in the towel.
And he claimed he would serve five more years as PM if elected – despite the Tories changing leader three times since the last General Election. Asked if he could commit to serving a full five year term as PM or all five years as an MP if he loses, Mr Sunak said: “Yes – and yes.”
He also said that he wasn’t planning to change his campaigning style – despite being pushed into third place by Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK in a bombshell poll on Thursday. Pressed on whether he planned to change his tactics, he said: “No, we’re out and about and I think it’s really good that both manifestos are out now because it’s very clear on the choices in the election.”
He claimed the Tories would cut taxes – despite the party setting the country on course for the highest tax burden since the Second World War. And he said Labour would hike people’s taxes – despite Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves offering an “ironclad” commitment not to increase national insurance, income tax or VAT over the next Parliament.
Mr Sunak was dogged by questions about the Conservatives’ dire performance in the polls as he attended what could be his final major summit as Prime Minister in Puglia, Italy. Last night, a bombshell poll revealed Reform UK had overtaken the Tories for the first time, in a major blow to Mr Sunak’s hopes.
The YouGov survey put Nigel Farage’s party at 19% to the Conservatives 18%, in a hammer blow to the Prime Minister’s flatlining campaign. But Mr Sunak claimed a vote for Reform would offer a “blank cheque” to Labour as he desperately sought to appeal to right-wingers deserting his party.
He said: “We’re only halfway through this election right? So I’m still fighting very hard for every vote. I always say the poll that matters is the one on July 4 – but if that poll was replicated on July 4, it would be handing Labour a blank cheque to tax everyone.”