Rishi Sunak seizes on England's comeback amid final election push

Rishi Sunak has seized on the England team's comeback win as he kicks off a frantic 72-hour push to election day.

The PM posted a picture of himself celebrating along with the message 'it's not over until it's over' after the late Euros victory last night.

The rallying cry to Conservatives comes as Mr Sunak tries to rein in Labour's huge poll lead, and stave off the threat that Reform splits the right-wing vote on Thursday.

The premier is expected to target the Midlands and step up warnings that Keir Starmer in No10 would push up taxes and go easy on Vladimir Putin, as he tries to shore up the voting coalition Boris Johnson secured at the 2019 election.

But there have been claims that Mr Johnson is his best hope of blunting the attack from Nigel Farage.

Focus groups by More in Common found that the ex-PM could woo back wavering voters as he has 'some of the same authenticity/boldness qualities they like in Farage'.

Rishi Sunak posted a picture of himself celebrating along with the message 'it's not over until it's over' after the late England Euros victory last night

There have been claims that Boris Johnson (pictured) is the Tories' best hope of blunting the attack from Nigel Farage

Tories fear that Mr Farage's (pictured) Reform will split the right-wing vote on Thursday and hand Labour a huge majority

Mr Sunak warned yesterday that Vladimir Putin wants the Tories to lose the election on Thursday because Labour would weaken the UK's defences.

He accused Sir Keir of planning to cut UK defence spending 'on day one' which he said would 'embolden our enemies'.

In a dig at Reform, he argued that any other party than the Tories in government would amount to appeasing the aggression of the Russian leader.

'Russia does not want us to be re‑elected,' Mr Sunak said as he pointed to the Tories' record on standing up for Ukraine.

'Putin would like nothing more than for Britain to step back, to appease his aggression rather than face it down, and that is what will happen with another party in power.

'Nigel Farage has talked of appeasing Russia, which will only play into Putin's hands, and Labour will cut UK defence spending on day one.

'This will embolden our enemies and send a signal to our allies that Britain is not with them any more.'

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Home Secretary James Cleverly voiced alarm that Labour will rig the voting system to keep themselves in power.

He added: 'The reason that this is so important, is because Labour have already said they are going to gerrymander the system, they have said they're going to pack out the House of Lords, they've said they're going to get votes at 16, they're going to get votes for foreign nationals, they're probably going to get votes for criminals.

Rishi Sunak (pictured) issued a stark warning suggesting electing any other party than the Tories would appease the aggression of Russia

The PM accused Keir Starmer (pictured) of planning to cut UK defence spending 'on day one'

'They are determined to have a permanent Labour government and they are quite willing to distort the British political system to get that – that is what is at stake. This is not an election which is about giving the Conservatives a bit of a telling off, and many people might think that is legitimate.

'This is about the next five years and beyond and Labour are going to put up taxes, that is inevitable because of the spending commitments they've already made, let alone the ones they've hidden from people.

'They have said they're going to distort the political system and I think there's a real risk, there is a genuine risk that they take a majority if that is what they get to try and lock in their power permanently, because they don't really feel confident that they're going to be able to make a credible case to the British people at the next general election.'

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