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RISHI Sunak’s “betrayal” on borders and immigration will cost the Tories the election, Nigel Farage has blasted.
The Reform president said five years of the Conservatives not doing “a darn thing” meant some Leave voters “hate” the PM’s party “and they’re not gonna vote for it”.
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In a fiery clash on our Never Mind The Ballots daily election show, Farage told Sun Political Editor Harry Cole that the Government had repeatedly failed to bring net migration under control.
He added that three successive Tory manifestos had pledged to keep net migration in the tens of thousands a year, and in 2019 the party promised to “honour the Brexit vote”.
Farage said: “The betrayal, the lies from the Conservative Party at every election since 2010 on legal immigration are just astonishing.
"Net migration is three-quarters of a million a year. I’m sorry, this is betrayal, and that’s how I feel about it.”
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The Brexit frontman said some Leave voters would be put off backing Sunak over the record figures, blasting: “Those people hate your party, and they’re not gonna vote for it, and I have to say, I don’t blame them.”
Farage also claimed the Government had failed to put enough distance between Britain and Brussels, meaning Keir Starmer's Labour could undo parts of it if they win.
He said: “Starmer would find it very difficult to drag us back to the single market position if the Conservatives had taken us away from it.
“We haven't done a darn thing over the course of the last five years.
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“We haven’t deregulated, we haven't moved away, and it’s an absolute tragedy that it’s now so easy for a Labour government to pull us closer.”
But former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith insisted voting for Reform would “destroy” everything Brexiteers believed in because it would hand Keir Starmer the keys to No.10.
IDS said parts of Whitehall, including the Treasury, supported higher levels of net migration.
The staunch Brexiteer’s own seat, Chingford, in North East London, is at risk of swinging to Labour if Reform attracts enough disaffected Tory voters.
He contested: “The whole idea is to get legal and illegal migration down and get rid of illegal migration.
“The problem has always been the Treasury and others like the idea of migration.
“My point is, if your party, Reform, ends up standing in all the seats, they will end up delivering exactly what they don’t want.”
Farage has previously fended off Conservative criticism that a vote for his party would only boost Labour.
At a speech in Dover on Tuesday, he said: "Given that Labour are going to win, why not vote for something you actually believe in."
A new poll this morning has seen Labour's lead over the Tories grow to 27 per cent - despite Rishi Sunak's campaign blitz.
The survey by YouGov found 47 per cent of Brits are backing Labour, while just 20 per cent support the Tories and 12 per cent Reform.
But a separate poll last night - conducted by JL Partners - showed Labour’s lead down six points since March.
The outlier survey undertaken for the Rest is Politics podcast has Labour on 40 to the Tories 28 percent.
YouGov's latest research for Sky News indicates that the PM's campaign efforts are so far failing to revive his party's prospects.
Given such numbers would hand Sir Keir Starmer the keys to No10, morale amongst Tory MPs will likely remain low.
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But Mr Sunak nonetheless has been out meeting voters and talking to media every day - despite his message struggling to cut through.
On each campaign visit the PM has insisted that the election isn't a done deal and he will fight for every vote.
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FOR WHOM THE BELL POLLS
THE Sun's exclusive polling reveals that Labour is on course for a big win on July 4.
Savanta expert Chris Hopkins said: "The polls haven't moved in 18 months.
"There's this assumption that they're now going to start moving as soon as the election campaign is called.
"But I think what we've seen so far in the race is that Rishi Sunak isn't a great campaigner, frankly.
"And I think that there's this there is still this assumption that if the polls move, they will move in one direction, i.e. they will narrow.
"I don't think that's a given at this point. I think that, as Ryan said, you know, Labour have to have an incredibly safe campaign.
"And I think it doesn't it doesn't benefit them to to go all guns blazing on policy."
Pollster Chris added: "I think, you know, 'safe' is kind of the the word of the day.
"Sure, the Conservative Party has to come out with something, but it does feel like a really real core vote strategy at the minute."
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