Can the Conservatives avoid a landslide defeat? Time is running out. The party appears to be staring into the political abyss. Labour’s average poll lead this month stands at 19 points, with recent seat projections suggesting that the Conservatives could be heading for a 1997-style landslide defeat — or worse.
In January 1997, under Sir Tony Blair’s leadership, Labour averaged a similar 21-point lead. The signs are ominous for the Conservatives. Yet in many ways, the world of 2024 is very different to 1997. If Rishi Sunak does decide to call the next election in the second half of the year, he will have more time to change his party’s fortunes than John Major did in January 1997.
