Tory lead down to eight points – as Remainers target key seats

‘On course for a majority of 14’

THE Conservatives’ lead narrowed yesterday, putting them just eight points clear of Labour.

With three days to go until the election on Thursday, the polls tightened – putting the Tories on course for a 14-seat majority.

Fears were also growing that a tactical voting campaign could cost Boris Johnson his majority after Remainer groups said just 41,000 voters could swing the election.

The Savanta ComRes poll for The Sunday Telegraph now shows the Tories on a similar figure to where they were at the start of the campaign.

Almost half of those surveyed said that they would feel worried if they woke up on Friday to find that Jeremy Corbyn was the prime ministhan ter. Some 38 per cent said they would feel worried to find that Mr Johnson was to remain in No 10, the paper reported.

The poll puts the Tories on 41 per cent and Labour on 33 per cent, matching a Telegraph poll published at the beginning of the campaign.

The Tories have dropped by one point and Labour have gained a point since an earlier survey published by the paper last week.

The Liberal Democrats remained on 12 per cent and the Brexit Party’s support stayed steady at 3 per cent.

Insiders have identified the main danger to the Tories as T’n’T – which stands for ‘turnout and tactical voting’ and could tip the balance by more 30 seats. It came as a report claimed that Mr Johnson would be denied a majority if just 41,000 people voted tactically in 36 seats.

Today, pro-Remain group Best for Britain will launch a report showing that tactical voting could swing the election if an average of just 1,131 Remainers in each of the 36 seats switched their vote.

Its survey of almost 30,000 voters found the Conservatives are on course to win 345 seats in the House of Commons, giving Johnson a majority of 40.

However, analysis for the group – which is campaigning for a second EU referendum – found that in 36 seats the Tory candidate could be defeated if 2,500 or fewer Remainers decided to switch their vote.

Overall, the campaign group said that as few as 40,704 pro-EU tactical votes in these seats could produce a hung parliament, which could in turn deliver a second referendum. According to the poll, Mr Johnson’s majority has been more than halved since a similar survey was conducted by Best for Britain a fortnight ago.

The campaign group said if Remainers were prepared to ‘hold their nose and vote for the party with the best chance of stopping the Tories’ then Mr Johnson could still be deprived of overall victory.