Tories cling to hope that wipeout polls are wrong as gallows humour kicks in
Party hopes to limit damage by warning of βsupermajorityβ while thoughts also turn to aftermath of defeat
For some Tory candidates, despair is the appropriate mindset in the final days of the election campaign. Others are angry. Many remain disbelieving of polls that point to a Labour landslide. Ahead of polling day, there are already those worried about a swift leadership election lurching the party further to the right. A certain gallows humour has also kicked in. βYou know what they say,β said one candidate. βItβs always darkest before itβs completely pitch black.β
As Tory candidates complete a torrid campaign that began with Rishi Sunakβs rain-soaked announcement of a July election, the full range of emotions is on display among them. For most candidates who spoke to the Observer last week, Sunakβs decision to leave D-Day commemorations early came up as the main frustration, even eclipsing the election date betting scandal.
Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Scott Heppell/AFP/Getty Images
Β© Photograph: Scott Heppell/AFP/Getty Images