The Conservative Party’s Grant Shapps has warned of the dangers of a Labour supermajority while attempting to position the Conservatives as a crucial counterbalance to the expected Labour landslide. Here’s the full story.
Grappling With Potential Disaster
As the general election approaches, the Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, grapples with the potential of an overwhelming Labour victory under Keir Starmer.
Labour Leads in Polls
With Labour still convincingly ahead in poll after poll, the Conservatives are becoming increasingly frantic as the threat of being banished into opposition looms.
Shapps Warns of Supermajority
The panic has reached such levels that Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, has taken to the airwaves to warn of the dangers of a Labour supermajority, which could surpass even Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory if the polls are to be believed.
“Unchecked Power”
Shapps told Times Radio, “The concern would be that if Keir Starmer were to go into No 10… and that power was in some way unchecked, it would be very bad news for people in this country.”
Vague Labour Plans
He continued, “A blank-cheque approach, allowing someone to do anything they wanted, particularly when their particular set of plans are so vague, and they say ‘change’, but you have no idea what they actually want to change to.”
Lack of Opposition
Shapps’s primary concern is that an overwhelming Labour majority would lack effective opposition, leading to governance without sufficient checks and balances.
Accountability in Government
He highlighted the importance of maintaining a “proper system of accountability,” asserting that “the country doesn’t function well when you get majorities the size of Blair’s or even bigger.”
Conservative Supermajorities Ignored
However, he did not mention previous Conservative supermajorities and whether those were similarly bad news for the country.
Shifting Campaign Focus
As the election draws closer and the Conservatives remain firmly behind in the polls, the Conservative campaign has shifted from campaigning for victory to warning voters of the implications of a Labour supermajority.
“Blank Cheque” Warning
Their messaging, mainly through social media, emphasises the risks of handing Labour what they call a “blank cheque.”
Reform Party Vote Impact
An online advert aimed at potential Reform Party voters starkly states that a vote for smaller parties would effectively reduce the Conservative presence in Parliament, thus enabling Labour to dominate unchallenged.
Poll Scepticism
Despite all the polls showing Labour comfortably leading the Conservatives, Shapps and the Conservatives have quickly reminded voters that “the polls have been wrong before.”
Galvanising Conservative Base
This profound scepticism towards polling is part of a broader effort to galvanise the Conservative voter base by stressing the uncertainty of polling and their desperate need for each vote.
Starmer on Voting
Despite their persistent lead in the polls, Labour leader Keir Starmer has consistently pushed back against the notion that a Labour victory is a foregone conclusion.
“Vote for Change”
Starmer has repeatedly told voters that no vote has been cast yet and that “if you want change, you have to vote for it.”
Impact on Smaller Parties
Focusing on a Labour supermajority has significant implications for smaller parties like the Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats.
Consolidating Right-Wing Vote
The Conservative campaign’s framing suggests that votes for these parties would inadvertently facilitate a Labour landslide by diluting Conservative support.
Fragmented Opposition
This strategy aims to consolidate the right-wing vote behind the Conservatives to prevent a fragmented opposition.
Campaign Effectiveness Questioned
However, this campaign, though only recently launched, has not yet borne fruit as Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats rapidly catch up to the Conservatives in the polls.
Recycled Election Tactics
The current Conservative strategy bears a striking resemblance to tactics seen in previous elections.
2017 Labour Strategy
In the 2017 general election, Labour candidates in some areas suggested that voters could support them without fear of Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister, assuming Theresa May would secure a substantial victory.
Reverse Strategy
The Conservatives now appear to be employing a similar strategy, but in reverse, to attempt to limit Labour’s predicted success.
Focus on Preventing Supermajority
As the election draws ever closer, the Conservative Party is increasingly focused on preventing a Labour supermajority, having seemingly consigned themselves to the fact that a Labour victory is all but assured.
Mobilising Conservative Voters
This narrative framing of the necessity of effective opposition will likely play a critical role in mobilising Conservative voters while framing the election as a crucial juncture for the country’s political future.
Shapps’s Positioning
The Conservative Party, through Grant Shapps, is positioning itself as the essential bulwark against a Labour supermajority that could lead to what they claim would be unchecked governance.
Uncertain Outcome
However, whether this most recent pivot in Conservative messaging will affect the election outcome remains to be seen.
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