Awkward moment Grant Shapps discovers he’s live on air after ringing Sky News reporter just as a new mega-poll reveals he’s among a swathe of top Tories set to lose their seats – and then HANGS UP
Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps hung up on one tonight Sky News journalist live on air after being told he is on track to lose his seat at the general election.
The defense secretary appeared to hastily end a phone call after awkwardly discovering it was being broadcast live on television.
It came just as a new YouGov mega-survey showed Mr Shapps among a group of top Tories set to be expelled from the House of Commons on July 4.
Mr Shapps is defending a majority of almost 11,000 votes in his constituency of Welwyn Hatfield.
But a new MRP study, carried out by YouGov for Sky News, showed that Conservatives are on course to be reduced to just 140 seats after the general election.
Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates and presenter Sophy Ridge were discussing the survey results this evening when a phone call from Mr Shapps interrupted their broadcast.
Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates and presenter Sophy Ridge were discussing the results of a new YouGov poll when a call from Grant Shapps interrupted their broadcast
The defense secretary appeared to hastily end the conversation after awkwardly discovering it was being broadcast live on television
Answering his phone, Coates said: ‘Hi Grant Shapps, you’re live on Sky News.
‘I’m in the studio with Sophy Ridge – did you just see that according to the Sky News/YouGov projection you’re about to lose your seat?’
When there was no answer, Coates added, “He just put the phone down on me. Here we go.’
As well as Mr Shapps, other prominent Tory figures expected to lose their seats under the YouGov MRP study are Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt and former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The data, collected from more than 58,000 people, will make grim reading for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as it shows Labor has increased its lead over the Conservatives since March.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party looks set to win a whopping 422 seats, while the Tories have been reduced to just 140, according to the pollster’s analysis.
It would put Labor on course for a Commons majority of 194 – the largest margin for any party since 1924.
MRP models the outcome of the election in every constituency in Britain by identifying the views of different types of voters and then the type of voters in each seat.
The Liberal Democrats were forecast to win 48 seats, while the SNP would gain 17 and the Green Party would gain another MP.
A separate MRP analysis, published earlier today by More in Common and the News Agents podcast, had suggested Labor was on course for its biggest majority in 23 years.
That analysis is based on voting intention data collected from 15,089 adults in Britain between April 9 and May 29.
