General election – live: Sunak ‘fears losing own seat’ as poll predicts bigger Labour landslide than 1997

Rishi Sunak is reported to be worried about losing his own seat as a string of polls put the Conservatives on course for a historic defeat just hours before voting begins.

The party is set to suffer its worst general election result in history , according to a major poll for The Independent that suggests it will hold on to just 82 seats, as a Labour landslide gives Sir Keir Starmer ’s party 461.

Earlier, the last YouGov MRP of the campaign gave Labour the biggest majority for any single party since 1832, with 431 seats.

And a survey for More in Common predicted the Tories would win just 126 seats, against Labour’s 430.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and defence secretary Grant Shapps are among the veteran Conservatives set to be ousted, polls predict.

The prime minister is said to have told confidants on Tuesday he thought the vote in Richmond, North Yorkshire, was too close to call.

Today he insisted he was still in the fight after one of his closest allies, Mel Stride, appeared to concede the Tories were heading to a heavy defeat.