Keir Starmer should be “worried” about his 25-point poll lead, the chairman of the Conservative Party has said.
Nadhim Zahawi said the atmosphere at Tory HQ was “incredibly positive”, despite the party having just heavily lost a by-election.
In an interview with Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Zahawi was shown a graph detailing Labour’s poll lead.
“I would be worried if I was Keir Starmer,” he said. “If you look at his numbers it’s very soft. There’s not a great passion for what Keir Starmer’s saying.”
Ridge told him: “You’d be worried you were Keir Starmer? Look at that red line.”
Zahawi said the Conservatives were in “rebuilding” mode and the poll numbers would soon move in the “right direction”.
“The phones are ringing at CCHQ,” he added. “The atmosphere in the building I think is incredibly positive.”
The latest YouGov poll showed Labour leading on 47%, with the Conservatives trailing a distant second on 22%.
On Thursday Labour held Chester in a by-election and doubled its majority over the Tories.
Polling guru professor John Curtice said Labour was now in a “stronger position” than at any point over the last 12 years and would “undoubtedly” win a majority if the by-election result was replicated at the general election.
He said said it “probably confirmed” the polls showing Labour had a 20 point lead nationally over the Conservatives.
One senior Tory MP said it was now “almost impossible” for Rishi Sunak to win in 2024.
It comes as several Conservative MPs - including former chancellor Sajid Javid - announced they would quit parliament at the election.
