Yet another poll predicts a Labour landslide – Starmer’s greatest fear now is that people won’t bother to vote

Yes, the Tories will lose, and lose big – but, if the polls are right, to a Labour majority smaller than Tony Blair’s in 1997. John Rentoul explains how a complacent public might help the Conservatives save a few ministerial scalps

Exit poll: The new YouGov MRP survey puts Labour on a huge majority, and only slightly less than Tony Blair’s in 1997 (PA)

Rishi Sunak and his election campaign chief, Isaac Levido, ought to be pleased. The latest pre-general election “megapoll” is much better for the Conservatives than the last one, offering a few tiny glimmers of hope for the party as they face down an almost certain – and, indeed, massive – defeat.

For starters, while Survation’s MRP poll in The Sunday Times at the weekend projected the Tories being reduced to 98 seats, last night’s YouGov MRP poll would only cut the Tories to 155 seats. It would still be the worst result for the Conservatives since the party took its modern form in 1834; worse than the 156 seats held against the Liberal landslide in 1906.

But at least this latest poll would give Labour a majority smaller than Tony Blair’s in 1997, even if it also gives the Tories fewer seats than the 165 the party won then.