The hurly-burly is almost done. With only five days to the General Election, it’s time to cut through the rhetoric of the past six weeks and make a clear-eyed choice: Sunak or Starmer.
Let’s face facts. No other party can hope to govern, or indeed have the slightest impact on the nation’s fortunes over the next parliament. This is a two-horse race.
So, voters must decide not only who they want to see in power but also who they don’t.
In doing, so, however, they must be careful not to punish themselves by ushering in something far worse.
The hurly-burly is almost done. With only five days to the General Election , it’s time to cut through the rhetoric of the past six weeks and make a clear-eyed choice: Sunak or Starmer
Disillusioned Tories may wish to punish their party for its manifest failings of recent years
This has been a dull and dispiriting campaign, profoundly negative in tone and throwing up precious few original ideas. But that should not be allowed to detract from its epochal importance.
If the polls are to be believed, Labour is on course for an unprecedented ‘supermajority’, reducing the Conservative presence at Westminster to a barely relevant rump.
The Mail believes that would be a disaster for the political, cultural and economic life of this country.
With no effective opposition, it would give unbridled power to a Labour party which seeks to change Britain immeasurably for the worse.
Sir Keir has been careful to say as little as possible about what he would do for fear of frightening the horses.
However, what we have been able to glean is deeply disturbing.
A headlong rush to Net Zero which would beggar the country, soaring taxes, borrowing and debt, a war on motorists, carpeting the country with onshore wind farms, dismantling Brexit, throwing open our borders, caving in to the trans and critical race lobbies, obeisance to the unions, and giving the vote to 16-year-olds to cement their power.
Sir Keir has been careful to say as little as possible about what he would do for fear of frightening the horses
A headlong rush to Net Zero which would beggar the country, soaring taxes, borrowing and debt, a war on motorists, carpeting the country with onshore wind farms, dismantling Brexit, throwing open our borders, caving in to the trans and critical race lobbies, obeisance to the unions, and giving the vote to 16-year-olds to cement their power
Does the country want this kind of change? We think not, but right now, Britain is sleepwalking towards the precipice. We have just five days to snap out of this somnambulance.
In many respects, we are witnessing the most bizarre electoral turnaround of modern times.
Less than five years ago the Conservatives surged into power on a wave of optimism.
Corbynism had been routed, the interminable Brexit logjam was soon to be broken, and the air was full of anticipation.
Today, the Tories are fighting for survival. Many of their wounds are self-inflicted – notably the defenestration of their most successful leader in a generation and the chaos of the Truss interregnum.
But given the formidable global forces with which they had to contend, they have performed as well as, or better, than most other countries.
Through Covid, the furlough scheme kept millions afloat, while the vaccine miracle (for which Boris Johnson deserves much credit) beat the virus.
When Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy costs soaring, a subsidy scheme allowed families to keep the lights and heating on. People understandably complain that taxes are disappointingly high under this government, but such vast public outlays have to be paid for.
The alternative is increasing our towering national debt.
Through Covid, the furlough scheme kept millions afloat, while the vaccine miracle (for which Boris Johnson deserves much credit) beat the virus
When Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent energy costs soaring, a subsidy scheme allowed families to keep the lights and heating on
The European war also sent inflation spiralling above 11 per cent, causing severe financial hardship. Thanks to cautious economic husbandry, that is now back down to the Bank of England’s target level of 2 per cent – fulfilling the promise made by Rishi Sunak.
Taxes are beginning to fall again and only yesterday figures showed UK growth in the first quarter of this year was higher than forecast and outstripped that of all other G7 nations. There may have been mis-steps on the road but you know what to expect from Rishi and that he believes in a low-tax economy with tight controls on public spending and welfare.
By contrast, what do we really know about Sir Keir? He has reversed, jettisoned and flip-flopped on so many major issues it’s hard to keep up.
He declares himself to be a socialist, thought Jeremy Corbyn would have been a better prime minister than Boris, believed women can have penises and says those with savings do not fall into his definition of ‘working people’.
But on policy, he is little more than an empty vessel. To elect him would be to sign up to a mystery tour with no roadmap and no guarantee that you could ever go back.
And what of those behind him? Not his glossy Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, or suave health spokesman Wes Streeting but the class warriors among his MPs, seething Momentumites, climate cranks, anti-Semites, and other hard-Left agitators in the ranks?
He declares himself to be a socialist, thought Jeremy Corbyn would have been a better prime minister than Boris, believed women can have penises and says those with savings do not fall into his definition of ‘working people’
And what of those behind him? Not his glossy Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, or suave health spokesman Wes Streeting but the class warriors among his MPs, seething Momentumites, climate cranks, anti-Semites, and other hard-Left agitators in the ranks?
In the words of W. B. Yeats: ‘What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?’ We have no way of knowing exactly how damaging Labour’s assault on our institutions and finances would be but in their coolness towards Sir Keir, many fear the worst. The polls show that if Sir Keir did win, he would be the most unpopular incoming prime minister since records began.
He is not liked or trusted yet he’s 20 points in front. It is truly perverse. But it’s not too late to avert the calamity of a Labour supermajority.
First, the Mail’s advice to anyone tempted to vote Reform UK is simple – don’t! The disgusting outburst by one of its people calling Mr Sunak a ‘f*****g P***’ is the latest evidence that this Potemkin party is not fit for purpose.
Nigel Farage may have the common touch but he has revealed himself to be a Putin stooge. Aside from him, the party offers little more than bile, invective and white noise.
Traditional Tories should realise that a vote for Reform is a vote for Starmer – splitting the Conservative vote and making a Labour supermajority more likely. Do they really want that on their conscience?
More widely, a poll suggests that four million people – many of whom voted Conservative in 2019 – are still undecided about how to vote next week.
If enough of those back the Tories in the right places this time, that supermajority can be stopped. Today, we publish an eight-page guide to 132 constituencies where tactical voting can keep Labour out.
We urge all of our readers to study it and share the searchable version on MailOnline. Traditional Conservatives must park their anger and help ensure an effective opposition to Sir Keir’s divisive Socialist agenda.
Nigel Farage may have the common touch but he has revealed himself to be a Putin stooge. Aside from him, the party offers little more than bile, invective and white noise
Traditional Tories should realise that a vote for Reform is a vote for Starmer – splitting the Conservative vote and making a Labour supermajority more likely. Do they really want that on their conscience?
Mr Sunak began this campaign on the back foot. From the downpour which greeted his announcement of the election date outside Downing Street, to the absurd betting scandal, he has found the going tough.
But in the BBC debate on Wednesday we saw a revitalised Rishi – up for the fray and taking the fight to Sir Keir over tax, Net Zero, culture wars and the small-boats crisis, to which Labour has no answer but to let everyone in and give them asylum.
Labour wants to focus the election campaign on past Tory mistakes to deflect from its own glaring inadequacies. But the past 14 years, their triumphs and disasters, have been and gone. It is the next five that are on the line next Thursday.
To all Conservatives, the Mail says you have a right to be angry over your party’s previous errors, but don’t let your anger blind you to the perils of Starmerism. Remember that they who pour out vengeance risk tasting a bitter draught.
If Sir Keir does win a supermajority, five years will seem a very long, costly and depressing time, as Britain descends again into becoming the sick man of Europe. Wake up to the danger and we can still stop that happening.