Election predictions live: Keir Starmer says Tories ‘hysterical’ on 6pm row as Reform candidate quits over ‘racism’

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government meet Royal Mail chiefs “in the next hour” to fix the ongoing postal vote row.

It comes as reports emerged that voters hadn’t received their ballot papers with just 48 hours to go to the polls.

In response, the Labour leader told reporters in Derbyshire: “If you’re in government, and they are in government, at least for the time being, they need to sort it out and get on with sorting it out.

“Because what we can’t have these people who are entitled to a vote not being able to exercise it.

“So get on with the job, I’d say, and if the Post Office minister hasn’t met them, do it now in the next hour or two. Seriously, though, I mean, we’re running out of time. It’s not something you can do tomorrow.”

A candidate from George Galloway’s Workers party has suspended his campaign after his son was attacked while campaigning for him.

Wajad Burkey, who is standing in Sutton Coldfield, said the incident left him “fearful for life”.

He reported that his son and two other people were canvassing at 7.20pm on Sunday when they were attacked by eight men.

After his son was left with a head injury, Mr Burkey said: “I have suspended my campaign as I am fearful, frankly, for my life.”

In a statement, West Midlands Police said: “Around eight people arrived on motorbikes and cars before attacking the man with a baseball bat. A knife was also produced during the attack.

“The victim was left with an injury to the back of his head and went to hospital for treatment. We are examining CCTV and carrying out other enquiries.”

Sir Keir Starmer was questioned about his approach to tackling the small boats crisis during a visit to a warehouse in Derbyshire.

The Labour leader said: “We have to get to grips with it. We’ve got too many people making that journey across the channel, 50,000 people have come since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister – he said ‘I’m going to stop the boats’, 50,000 people have come on the boats.”

Sir Keir again set out Labour’s plan to tackle the gang by using cross-border intelligence-sharing and law enforcement action.

One worker said military veterans were on the streets while asylum seekers were being held in hotels.

Sir Keir said: “That is exactly why we’ve got to fix this problem. Because at the moment, it’s costing millions of pounds for the rent in hotels, that is just not sustainable.

“So, we’ve got to fix that problem. And you’re absolutely right, that you’ve got ex-military who are really struggling.”

Sir Keir Starmer said Labour needs a “strong mandate” to know it has public support to push ahead with the change required to help the “broken” country.

Asked why people should not fear a “supermajority”, Sir Keir said Labour needs to “fight for every vote” ahead of the polls closing at 10pm on Thursday.

He said during a visit to a warehouse in Derbyshire that: “People are saying the polls predict the future – they don’t predict the future, every single vote counts, every single vote has to be earned and in places like this it’ll probably go down to a few hundred either way and therefore the worst thing for people who want change is to think ‘job done’ and ‘we don’t need to vote because there’s going to be a majority in any event’. It isn’t job done.”

Sir Keir added: “Given that the country is pretty broken at the moment, a lot of things aren’t working, there’s a big job for us to do if we come in to serve and we need a strong mandate for that.

“We need to know the country genuinely wants this change and that we’re sort of all prepared to say this is the change that we want and it gives a real strong mandate to a government to say ‘we’ve asked you to change things, you need to get on with it’.

“The mandate is important to us if I’m honest because I want to know that people do want change. Our job then is to get on and do it.”

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed a Labour government with a massive majority would bring “more wokery”.

Mr Johnson made the attack on a campaign video backing Priti Patel, who is standing in Witham to be re-elected.

He said: “All of that would be put at risk by Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.

“Unless you vote for Priti in Witham there is a risk that we’ll get an even bigger Labour majority, a really big Labour majority, with more wokery, more illegal immigration, more pointless, limp kowtowing to Brussels and of course ever higher taxation for you and your family under Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.

“Don’t let it happen. Stick with Prit.”

Clacton is expected to receive an official visit by a US president if Nigel Farage pulls off victory on Thursday and his friend Donald Trump retakes the White House in November, Reform campaigners have been told.

With Mr Farage now the odds on favourite to win the seaside town against defending Tory MP Giles Watling his supporters are already beginning to look ahead to what will follow.

With the election of an international celebrity politician, Reform campaigners in Clacton have been told that Trump will visit if he is reelected against an increasingly tired looking Joe Biden.

Mr Trump’s love for golf may mean that Clacton Golf Club with its 18-hole links course, 10-acre practice field, putting and chipping areas and clubhouse with bar may need to prepare for an unusual guest.

Our Political editor David Maddox reports:

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice has accused the Conservatives of placing “Trojan horse” candidates to “spread lies” about the party.

In the past week, two Reform candidates have defected to the Tories blaming the ongoing row about racism in the party.

Mr Tice wrote on X: “Desperate toxic Tories sent us some Trojan horse candidates by offering jobs, safe council seats etc to spread lies.

“Their corruption will rightly be punished by voters on July 4. Many millions will vote Reform for change.”