A look at some top general election stories in the last stretch of the campaign
With only eight days to go before voters grab their IDs and head to the nearest polling station, here is a look at some top stories in the last stretch of the general election campaign.
Gamble-gate
Now the campaigns defining scandal, the party leaders will be sure to face questions on the betting scandal in their final leaders’ debate tonight.
On Tuesday Tory Cabinet Minister Alister Jack admitted to placing three bets on the general election date, although denied breaking the rules and said a claim he made about winning £2,100 on a bet was just “a joke”. It was the latest in the ongoing betting scandal rattling the Conservative campaign, although Labour have also suspended a candidate who is being investigated for a bet put on his own constituency.
Gillian Keegan was out this week trying to salvage some integrity for the Tory party as she attempted to claim that “this stuff doesn’t cut through” with voters, despite a YouGov poll finding the story has had the most cut-through with Britons other the last few days. The saga goes on.
Polling
Aside from the main two parties, new polling has shed light on the battle for Islington North where Jeremy Corbyn is running as an independent after being blocked from standing for Labour.
The poll showed that, while there is large support for him in the constituency he has represented for nearly 40 years, Corbyn is currently on track to lose the seat to Labour. The bombshell poll commissioned by Stats for Lefties and conducted by Survation found Praful Nargund the candidate for Labour has the support of 43% of voters, with Corbyn in second place on 29%.
On the other end of the political spectrum, a series of polls have been less than favourable for the Reform UK party showing support has slid following Nigel Farage’s controversial comments claiming the West provoked Putin to invade Ukraine. Could it be the stagnation of his party’s support?
Car crash interviews
Another day, another car crash interview from a Tory Minister, this time it was Mel Stride who was set out yet again to bless our screens. The Work and Pensions Secretary faced a brutal grilling about the party’s huge public spending back hole highlighted by the IFS, as he went to great lengths to avoid giving a straight answer.
Coming up: Tonight is the final of the leaders’ debates between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer on BBC at 8:15pm, while tomorrow will see junior doctors go on a five day strike from 7am, Thursday 27 June until Tuesday 2 July.
(ITV News / screenshot YouTube)
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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