ELECTION DIGEST

A series of polls at the weekend have put the Conservatives on track to win a majority in the general election.

The Savanta Comres poll for the Sunday Telegraph has the Conservatives on 41 per cent, Labour on 33 per cent, the Lib Dems on 14 per cent and the Brexit Party on

5 per cent. A Yougov survey for the Sunday Times also puts the Tories way ahead on 45 per cent, Labour on 28 per cent, the Lib Dems on 15 per cent and the Brexit Party on 4 per cent.

And a Deltapoll for the Mail on Sunday also put the Prime Minister’s party on 45 per cent ahead of Labour on 30 per cent.

The four point rise for the Tories – and one point rise for Labour - came at the expense of the Liberal Democrats.

In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, a Sinn Fein candidate has predicted unionist farmers will help her retain her seat.

Michelle Gildernew, left, insisted many pro-remain unionists in Fermanagh and South Tyrone see her as a better option than her Leave-voting unionist rival, Tom Elliott.

Ulster Unionist Mr Elliott, a unionist farmer himself, said he is still a “soft” leaver but agrees with his new party leader, Steve Aiken, that remaining in the EU would be better than the terms of the withdrawal deal.

However, he believes a no-deal exit would also be preferable to the proposed UK/ EU agreement.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood believes unionist voters are stumbling into a DUP trap by linking Brexit proposals to a united Ireland.

The nationalist from the Irish border city of Londonderry urged people to opt for candidates opposed to withdrawal from the EU during next month’s general election.

Democratic Unionists believe Boris Johnson’s proposed deal would create a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.