Peter Byrne/PA
Ian Dunt’s predictions that the Conservatives could be staring down the barrel of an extinction-level event could be bang on the money if the latest polls are reflected at a general election.
YouGov’s weekly tracker puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party 30 points ahead of the Tories, the highest it has been since the disastrous Liz Truss administration.
Just 18 per cent of voters are now willing to back Rishi Sunak’s party, with the threat of Reform UK abating slightly with a two-point drop to 13 per cent.
The Lib Dems (9 per cent), Greens (7 per cent) and SNP (3 per cent) all follow on under 10 per cent of the national vote.
The poll is the first national indicator of how the Tories are perceived following a walloping in the local elections.
The Conservatives lost nearly 500 council seats, the West Midlands mayoral race and the Blackpool South by-election.
Sunak also faced further setbacks this week after another MP, Natalie Elphicke, defected to Labour ahead of PMQs.
Speaking to Sky News, Ian Dunt, a columnist for the i newspaper, said: “The more you look into the numbers, after last week’s local elections, tactical voting, the more disturbing it is for Tory MPs, as that suggests voters are looking who is best placed to hurt the Tories.
“They’re looking at an extinction-level event…”
Related: List of the 104 MPs standing down at next general election
