Boris Johnson has made a surprise appearance at a Conservative rally – with just a single day of the election campaign remaining.
The former Prime Minister spoke at the event in central London at just before 10pm and claimed it was “way past Keir Starmer’s bedtime”.
Johnson spoke before his successor and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and addressed the crowd with a rousing speech that saw the audience chanting his name.
He accused the Labour leader Sir Keir of trying to “usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war with a huge majority”.
Read more
Election 2024: Business leaders prefer Starmer and Rayner’s cabinet over Tories’, poll finds
The ex-MP told campaigners gathered at the National Army Museum: “We must not let it happen.
“Don’t let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don’t let Putin’s pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis – which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.
“Friends, if you actually – everybody, if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel you’ve got a few thousands to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday.
“If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.”
And he said: “But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, don’t you, everybody?
“There’s only one thing to do – vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.”
Making his own speech at the event, which cabinet minister Michael Gove described as a “late-evening, pre-clubbing” gathering, Sunak also took aim at his Labour opponent.
The Prime Minister said: “Now, Boris is right to say now is the time for all Conservatives to come together to deny Labour that supermajority that Keir Starmer craves.”
He added: “It suits lots of people to say the result of this election is a foregone conclusion but I know that it is not.
“Just 130,000 people switching their vote, giving us their support, is what it will take to deny Labour that supermajority they want. Every single vote matters.”
But Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper hit back at Johnson’s appearance, saying: “This is an insult to everyone who made heartbreaking sacrifices during the pandemic.”
“Rishi Sunak has reached a desperate new low, turning to a man who discredited the office of Prime Minister and lied to the country time after time.”