Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has “certainly not” given up on the Tories’ campaign in the Red Wall, Michael Gove has insisted.
The Prime Minister has been forced to deny reports he is focusing on Tory heartland areas – formerly safe Conservative seats – at the expense of Red Wall constituencies won in the 2019 election – after campaigning in north Devon.
It comes after three mega-polls yesterday indicated the potential scale of Conservative wipeout ahead of the July 4 election.
When asked by City A.M. if Sunak had given up on northern seats, Gove replied: “No, certainly not.”
“I think that Rishi is in Teesside, and it’s also the case that he’ll be in South or West Yorkshire either later today or tomorrow. So no, and I’m having to go to Teesside next week myself,” he said.
Pressed on the Prime Minister’s whereabouts in the wake of Wednesday’s polling news, Gove, during a campaign stop themed around housing, said: added: “I think he’s in New York and Harrogate.”
He added: “He’s going to be appearing in front of a huge BBC audience and voters later and Rishi’s been on the campaign trail across the country from Caithness to West Devon.
“He’s got the miles and so I don’t think anyone can think the Prime Minister’s been hiding from scrutiny and tonight’s debate or Question Time appearance, isn’t the last occasion when he’ll be appearing in front of a studio audience, let alone in front of the public.”
And asked to address the government’s expected defeat, while Gove admitted “the polls make for pessimistic reading at the moment”, he insisted: “They’re a snapshot, not a prediction.
“What we need to do in the two weeks ahead is make sure we concentrate on having as many conversations with people that emphasise to them the risk of voting Labour, the risk to their personal prosperity, to the nation’s economy, to security, and hardworking families.”