UK election: Rishi Sunak urges people to vote to stop Labour ‘supermajority’, Starmer rejects ‘desperate’ attempt

In a final effort to decide his own fate, British Chancellor Rishi Sunak issued an impassioned call to Conservative supporters on Thursday, urging them to rally together against the prospect of leader Keir Starmer’s Labour Party winning a majority.

read more: UK election 2024 live updates: Sunak, Starmer and Farage vote as millions in Britain wait for next Prime Minister

The warning came as Britons vote in a general election that is widely expected to return the opposition Labour Party to power, ending nearly 15 years of Conservative rule. “The vote is now open. Vote Conservative to stop a Labour supermajority that would mean higher taxes for a generation,” Sunak said in a post on X, as the high-stakes battle unfolded as voters headed to the polls.

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The country’s first nationwide vote since Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s landslide victory over the Conservatives in 2019 comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak made a surprise call to hold it six months earlier than planned.

Mr Sunak had warned during the election campaign that a Labour majority could give unlimited power to the opposition, and despite denying any suggestion he would concede defeat, he and the Conservatives were focused on mitigating potential losses.

With recent polls consistently showing Labour holding a large lead, the Conservatives have targeted wavering supporters and criticised Starmer’s policies, with the rhetoric intensifying in the final weeks of the campaign and accusations flying from both sides.

In response to Mr Sunak’s claims, Labour has strongly denied any plans to raise taxes on workers and vowed not to raise income tax, national insurance, corporation tax or VAT. Mr Sunak’s camp has accused Mr Starmer of intending to be a part-time chancellor, citing comments about family time which Mr Starmer has dismissed as a desperate and hysterical attack.

According to British media reports, the Conservative strategy included warnings of economic downturn under a Labour government, including scenarios of a FTSE 100 index crash and potential power outages, while Labour continued to urge the British public to vote for change.

Mr Starmer dismissed Mr Sunak’s attempts to stir fears of a landslide victory for the opposition as “desperation”. “It’s really desperate. My family is really important to me and they’re important to everybody watching this campaign,” Mr Starmer told reporters during a campaign visit. “It’s getting more desperation and it’s getting hysterical.”