'Super majority' for Labour can give Starmer 'unchecked power', warns Shapps

Grant Shapps has cautioned voters against giving Labour a "super majority" in the July 4 general election, warning it would grant Keir Starmer unchecked power.

The defence secretary said that a decisive win for Starmer could allow him to act without restraint, placing the country in a "dangerous place," as reported by The Telegraph.

Shapps' comments followed questions about Conservative social media adverts suggesting the Tories could be reduced to just 57 seats, indicating a defensive campaign.

A recent YouGov poll placed the Conservatives just one point ahead of Reform UK, with Labour maintaining a significant lead. The survey was conducted after Rishi Sunak's D-Day disaster.

Shapps told Times Radio: "If you want a proper system of accountability, you don’t want to give somebody a super majority. If Keir Starmer were to go into No 10 with unchecked power, it would be very bad news for people in this country."

Shapps emphasised that there is still "everything to fight for" and noted that "polls have been wrong before."

The Conservative strategy, supported by social media, aims to dissuade potential Reform voters from helping Labour secure a larger majority than Tony Blair's 1997 landslide.

An advert suggests the Tories could be left with only 57 seats on a 19 per cent vote share, even if Reform gained no MPs, reported the newspaper.

Shapps criticised Labour's plans, claiming they would cost £2,094 per working family. Labour dismissed this figure, with Keir Starmer calling it "absolute garbage" and accusing Sunak of "deliberately" lying.

Shapps added: "The country doesn’t function well with majorities the size of Blair’s. There are many hardworking MPs who can hold the government to account, and we’d say those are Conservative MPs."

His remarks come as Sunak and Starmer prepare for a Sky News event in Grimsby, where they will answer questions from journalist Beth Rigby and the studio audience.