Sunak 'ignored warning by his own campaign chief' about early election

Rishi Sunak ignored warnings by his own campaign chief before calling July's general election and leading the Tories to an historic defeat, it has been revealed.

Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist who led the Conservatives' campaign, is said to have urged Mr Sunak to wait until the autumn before calling an election.

According to a new book by political journalist Tim Shipman, Mr Levido warned the the then PM he would not be able to 'throw punches with both fists' at Labour unless the economy improved.

Mr Sunak shocked Westminster in May this year by using a rain-sodden speech in Downing Street to call a general election for 4 July - much earlier than most expected.

The Tories went on to lose more than 250 seats and retained only 121 MPs in the House of Commons as Sir Keir Starmer's Labour secured a 174-seat majority.

It was the Conservatives' worst defeat in the party's parliamentary history.

In an extract of 'Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone', Mr Levido is said to have issued a blunt warning to Mr Sunak in a memo on 3 April.

'It is strategically most beneficial to have an autumn election in October or November,' the memo said.

'We need as much time as possible for economic metrics to improve and for voters to feel better off.' 

It added: 'The election will be a fist fight, and we want to be able to throw punches with both fists – our economy fist, and our policy platform/reform fist.

'In summer, our ability to fight on the economy will be weaker, meaning we will have to punch harder with our reform fist in order to hurt Labour and inject urgency into the campaign.

'Whereas in autumn, our ability to throw punches on the economy will be stronger, meaning we can hit Labour hard with both fists.'

Since Mr Sunak called the election, inflation has dropped below 2 per cent, the Bank of England has twice cut interest rates, and the energy price cap has fallen.

Mr Levido is also said to have warned Mr Sunak that he would be 'surprising' Tory MPs by calling the election earlier than expected and 'pissing them off', as most of the 'good, hard-working MPs' wanted to wait longer before holding a contest.

But, according to the book extract, the then PM was 'not enjoying' his time in No10 ahead of calling the general election.

'Every day was grinding him down,' a minister told the author.

'He was dragging himself along for public service, for the sake of the party and the country, making himself do it. 

'He was not enjoying office. In the end, his approach was, 'Nothing else is working. Just bring it on.'