Cleverly warns Labour will 'distort' political system

Conservative James Cleverly has warned that a Labour government would seek to "distort" the UK political system.

The home secretary was speaking as the general election campaign entered its final week, with the Tories seeking to warn against a Labour "super majority", as Sir Keir Starmer's party continues to dominate the opinion polls.

Labour has promised to phase out the remaining hereditary peers - Lords who inherit a seat in Parliament - in its manifesto, as well as giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote.

Meanwhile, Labour has unveiled a new message as the 4 July poll nears, urging voters to avoid "waking up on July 5 to five more years" of Conservative government.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Cleverly said Labour would "pack up" the House of Lords and give votes to 16-year-olds, foreign nationals and "criminals".

Only votes for 16 and 17-year-olds and changes to the House of Lords are in the Labour manifesto - there is no mention of votes for prisoners and an earlier suggestion of votes for EU citizens has been ditched.

Mr Cleverly said: "They have said they're going to distort political system.

"I think there's a real risk that they take a majority, if that's what they get, to try to lock in their power permanently, because they don't really feel confident they're going to be able to make a credible case to the British people at the next election."

The home secretary was echoing the words of Rishi Sunak, who is expected to tell a campaign rally on Monday that there are "four days to save Britain from a Labour government".

He is expected to say: "If they get the kind of majority, the super majority that the polls suggest, they will set about entrenching themselves in power."

Over the weekend, Labour won endorsements from the Sunday Times and the Financial Times to add to those from the Economist - all titles that have previously backed the Conservatives.

Labour has also won backing from the Guardian and Observer, the Daily and Sunday Mirror, the Independent, and Scotland's Daily Record; whereas the Conservatives are the choice of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, the Sunday Express and the Mail on Sunday.

Labour's Jonathan Ashworth welcomed the new endorsements from the newspapers.

"But the real endorsement we want is is the endorsement of the British people on Thursday," he told BBC Breakfast.

Labour has held a consistent 20-point poll lead for the last 18 months and maintained this with four days to go until polling day - but Mr Ashworth urged against complacency.

As Labour press officers handed out pillows with Mr Sunak's face on them, Mr Ashworth urged voters to "vote for change" on Thursday, so they don't "wake up to five more years of Rishi Sunak".

"To those who are still making up their mind or those who think this is a done deal -it is not," he said.

"Every single vote will count and if you want to get rid of the Conservatives, the way to do that is Labour."