Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are gearing up for a historic general election as they prepare to face the judgment of the electorate.

Victory for Mr Sunak would mean an unprecedented fifth term of Conservative rule, while a triumph for Sir Keir would see Labour return to power for the first time in 14 years.

The Prime Minister called the election on May 22 and the subsequent six weeks have seen major dividing lines emerge on tax, net zero policy and private education.

The campaign has been shaken up by Nigel Farage returning to frontline politics to lead Reform UK. Both Mr Farage and Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, hope to take as many seats as possible from the Tories.

Polling taken before voting opened suggested Labour had a lead of almost 20 points over the Tories, prompting Mr Sunak to warn against handing Sir Keir a “blank cheque” by giving him a “super-majority” in the Commons.

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