'Supermajority' claims by Conservatives are 'voter suppression': Labour leader Starmer

London, Jul 3 (PTI) UK's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer on Wednesday said the claims of the governing Conservative Party that his party is on course for a very large election victory in Thursday's election amounted to "voter suppression".

Starmer's reaction came after Tory cabinet minister Mel Stride said the Labour Party was "highly likely" to win the largest majority in modern British history in Thursday's general election - capping off weeks of Conservative warnings, including by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of a "supermajority" for Labour.

In comments that all but conceded the election, Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said he "accepted where the polls are", which suggested "tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority".

Speaking to BBC Radio, he indicated that the Labour Party's victory could surpass the 492-seat majority won by the coalition National Government in 1931.

He added: "What therefore matters now is what kind of opposition do we have? What kind of ability to scrutinise government?" Asked about the comments, the 61-year-old Starmer said: "It's really voter suppression." Stride was "trying to get people to stay home rather than go out and vote," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Speaking to reporters at a campaign election event in Carmarthenshire, he added: "If you want change you have to vote for it.

"I know there are very close constituencies across the country, I don’t take anything for granted.

"I respect the voters, and I know that we have to earn every vote until 10 o’clock tomorrow night,” who hopes to be the next British prime minister, said.

Meanwhile, Sunak has tried to play down comments made by Stride, one of his senior ministers, earlier in the day that appeared to concede Labour are likely to win a large majority, saying: "He wasn't quite saying that." "What Mel was doing was warning of what a very large Labour majority, unchecked, would mean for people," Sunak said, adding he is "fighting hard for every vote".

The 44-year-old British Indian leader also claimed that he has seen analysis showing that "just 130,000 people can make the difference in this election".

"So, everyone watching who thinks, 'oh, this is all a foregone conclusion', it's not," Sunak added.

On Thursday, polling booths will open across the country at 7 am and close at 10 pm as voters elect their MPs for the UK Parliament’s 650 constituencies  - with 326 required for a majority and to avert a hung Parliament. PTI AKJ AKJ