Start saving now: Tories go to war over Labour tax ‘rises'

Shapps admits Sunak win is 'not the most likely outcome' amid increasing poll gloom

- Nicholas Cecil and Rachael Burford

THE Tories launched an all-out tax war on Labour today with an alarming warning to millions of people across Britain to start saving if they think Sir Keir Starmer will get into No10.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was sent out onto the airwaves as polls pointed towards the Conservatives being hammered on July 4. He admitted that a Tory election win was "not the most likely outcome". Some senior Tories were urging Rishi Sunak to change tactics and launch deeply personal attacks on Labour leader Sir Keir in the last few weeks of the campaign.

But Mr Shapps instead doubled down on the tax onslaught, even though the Tory claims have been undermined by the Treasury, independent fact checkers and the UK's statistics watchdog, and have so far failed to improve the party's dismal polling some 20 points behind Labour.