Rishi Sunak has said he has "absolutely not" given up hope of winning the upcoming general election, despite warnings from Tory allies about the potential for a Labour "supermajority."
Sunak cautioned against granting Keir Starmer a "blank cheque" if Labour comes to power, but maintained his confidence in a Tory victory, reported The Independent.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suggested the Conservatives are now fighting to avoid a repeat of the 1997 Labour landslide.
Shapps told Times Radio that proper accountability requires preventing Labour from securing a supermajority.
Sunak affirmed his commitment to winning. Asked by journalists if the shift in rhetoric indicated the Tories had accepted defeat, Sunak replied, "No, absolutely not. What you saw yesterday is we’ve put a manifesto forward which has got a very clear set of tax cuts for the country, tax cuts at every stage of your life.
"Whether you’re working or setting up a small business, tax cuts when you’re trying to buy your first home, tax cuts for pensioners, and tax cuts for families.
"And I’m really energised to now have a chance to put a very clear plan to the country and talk about all the things I want to do."
He added that the manifesto showed a "clear direction of travel" that the Tories would take if they win the election, The Independent reported.
Polls have long predicted that Labour will win a solid majority in the July 4 election, marking their return to power after nearly fifteen years in opposition.
Sunak's campaign faced further challenges last week when right-wing firebrand Nigel Farage announced his candidacy for MP, and the prime minister was widely criticised for leaving D-Day commemoration events in France early.
Apsana Begum
