Grant Shapps says Tories ‘fighting for every single vote’ as he faces questions on campaign

Oliver Browning

17 June 2024 at 6:32 am

A Conservative general election victory will be “tough”, a cabinet minister has acknowledged, in the latest sign that the Tory campaign is now focused on saving as many seats as possible to form an effective opposition.

Grant Shapps said on Monday 17 June that he is a “realist” and would not “try and pretend black is white” by claiming his party is on course for victory.

He did, however, insist they are “fighting for every single last vote”.

“I am entirely realistic about this, I know that we are the underdogs,” Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast.

OK! Magazine
Eamonn Holmes rips into Keir Starmer with hurtful five-word putdown after election victory
Eamonn Holmes made a savage dig at new prime minister Keir Starmer this morning as he announced the results of the General Election on GB News. The former This Morning star, 64, branded the Labour leader "deadly dull" as he fronted his Vo
PA Media: UK News
Jeremy Clarkson, Lily Allen and Brian May among stars reacting to Labour victory
Labour won a landslide victory in Thursday’s General Election.
The Telegraph
Every Tory MP is to blame for this defeat – myself included
Who’s to blame? All of us – every Conservative MP in the last Parliament – has a share of the blame for this defeat. For my part, I made life harder for my Party by calling publicly for tougher policy on migration and defence, and so made negative headlines about Tory splits and factions.
PA Media: UK News
Labour Government could be in trouble pretty quickly, claims Nigel Farage
The Reform UK leader who is also the new MP for Clacton, watched East Thurrock Community Football Club in Corringham on Saturday.
Sky News
Boris Johnson blames 'Pied Piper' Nigel Farage for role in 'destruction' of Tories
Boris Johnson says Nigel Farage played a "significant" role in the "destruction" of the Tories – while taking a swipe at those who ousted him from Number 10 back in 2022. Reform UK have secured five seats in the House of Commons including one for its leader Mr Farage, who succeeded in being elected in Clacton, Essex. Former prime minister Mr Johnson has dissected his party's performance in his Daily Mail column, saying the reasons why the Tories lost so many MPs were "complex" - but "the Yucatan asteroid in this catastrophe was obvious: it was Reform".
The Telegraph
Miracle survivor: how freak circumstances conspired to save ‘doomed’ Iain Duncan Smith
As one big Tory beast after another faced The Hunger Games on election night, one notably escaped the carnage. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, stood tall on the podium with the former and current Labour candidates whose vicious infighting had done him such a big favour.
Manchester Evening News
Labour's benefit reform plans for Universal Credit, PIPs and state pensions
The party has published what it plans to do in its manifesto, and it has a number of promises on the benefits system including Universal Credit and PIP
HuffPost UK
Laura Kuenssberg Tears Into Top Tory Who Says UK Is Still 'Instinctively Conservative'
Former health secretary Victoria Atkins made the claim 48 hours after her party endured a historic defeat at the polls.
The Telegraph
SNP hits out at Sturgeon’s political punditry on ITV as ‘pontification’
Nicola Sturgeon is facing an SNP backlash for “pontificating” on her party’s election disaster during a lucrative TV appearance.
The Telegraph
Biden vows to ‘beat Trump in 2020’ and says he’s proud to be a black woman in latest gaffes
Joe Biden vowed to beat Donald Trump “in 2020” as he pledged to stay in the presidential race and fight to save his re-election bid.
The Telegraph
Britain can no longer ignore the new sectarianism
The most significant result from Thursday may not have been the wipe-out of the Conservative Party. It might not have been the rise of Reform UK either, or the strain put on our first past the post electoral system by two distinct blocs of Right-wing voters. Instead, it could turn out to be the return of sectarian politics to England.
Herald Scotland
Ian Blackford calls Joanna Cherry 'bitter' as he offers lukewarm take on SNP leader
John Swinney must show voters he can be trusted as First Minister after a “very clear message” was sent to the SNP in the General Election results, a former Westminster party leader has said
The Telegraph
British Jews have reason to be frightened. This time it’s not Labour
On October 8, as the world was beginning to comprehend what had just happened in southern Israel, most decent people – including many who would go on to decry Israel’s retaliatory campaign – expressed genuine horror at what Gaza’s Islamist barbarians had done. But a substantial minority was openly cheering. Not just in Turkey and Iran, but in Toronto and London.
The Telegraph
The terrifying pro-Palestine campaign that hurt Labour – and threatens democracy
Along Birmingham’s busy main roads the day after the general election, Palestinian flags flutter from lamp-posts as traffic roars past. A sign near a major roundabout reads: “Vote for genocide. Vote Labour.”
ITN
Braverman warns of "big problems" under Starmer
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman comments on the Tories' "really bad result" in the election and warns of "big problems" being caused by Keir Starmer on the horizon, including scrapping of the Rwanda scheme. Ms Braverman refused to comment on suggestions that she would run for leader.
Sky News
Suella Braverman says 'idiotic strategy' led Conservatives to worst-ever election defeat
Suella Braverman has issued a scathing verdict as to why the Conservatives lost the election, blaming Rishi Sunak for pursuing an "idiotic strategy" that treated voters like "mugs". In an intervention that will be seen as her teeing up a potential leadership bid, the former home secretary said her party "failed in office and deserved this result". The former home secretary - who retained her seat of Fareham and Waterlooville but with a much-reduced majority - blamed "high taxes" and "high immigration" as well as "insane political correctness" she believed the party had embraced for the scale of the defeat.
The Telegraph
Labour is doomed unless it acts fast on migration and the NHS
You can point to Rishi Sunak’s poor leadership, you can talk about the Tories’ endless pointless errors. However, fundamentally, the Conservatives were ejected from office because NHS waiting lists were too long, the economy was weak, and immigration was uncontrolled.
The Telegraph
Forget the manifesto, the double death tax is coming
The rush to effect “change” in the next 100 days will become irresistible and the need to tear up the Labour manifesto to justify painful taxes on pensions, savings and “wealth” held in assets will play out.
Yahoo News UK
How confident are you that things will improve under Labour? Have your say
What type of prime minister do you think Sir Keir Starmer will be and do you think he will be good at the job?
The Telegraph
Germany is ‘classical battleground in Putin’s hybrid war on Nato’
Germany has become a “battleground” in Vladimir Putin’s hybrid war on Nato due to decades of lax security and pro-Russian sympathisers in the east, a senior intelligence chief has warned.

Tony Blair issues warning to Keir Starmer on immigration and 'wokeism'

Grant Shapps says Tories ‘fighting for every single vote’ as he faces questions on campaign

Latest stories

Eamonn Holmes rips into Keir Starmer with hurtful five-word putdown after election victory

Jeremy Clarkson, Lily Allen and Brian May among stars reacting to Labour victory

Every Tory MP is to blame for this defeat – myself included

Labour Government could be in trouble pretty quickly, claims Nigel Farage

Boris Johnson blames 'Pied Piper' Nigel Farage for role in 'destruction' of Tories

Miracle survivor: how freak circumstances conspired to save ‘doomed’ Iain Duncan Smith

Labour's benefit reform plans for Universal Credit, PIPs and state pensions

Laura Kuenssberg Tears Into Top Tory Who Says UK Is Still 'Instinctively Conservative'

SNP hits out at Sturgeon’s political punditry on ITV as ‘pontification’

Biden vows to ‘beat Trump in 2020’ and says he’s proud to be a black woman in latest gaffes

Britain can no longer ignore the new sectarianism

Ian Blackford calls Joanna Cherry 'bitter' as he offers lukewarm take on SNP leader

British Jews have reason to be frightened. This time it’s not Labour

The terrifying pro-Palestine campaign that hurt Labour – and threatens democracy

Braverman warns of "big problems" under Starmer

Suella Braverman says 'idiotic strategy' led Conservatives to worst-ever election defeat

Labour is doomed unless it acts fast on migration and the NHS

Forget the manifesto, the double death tax is coming

How confident are you that things will improve under Labour? Have your say

Germany is ‘classical battleground in Putin’s hybrid war on Nato’