General election latest: Boris Johnson appears at late-night Conservative rally to introduce Rishi Sunak

Boris Johnson has come out all guns blazing at a late-night rally to gather momentum for Rishi Sunak’s stuttering election campaign.

Mr Sunak’s predecessor was cracking jokes and full of soundbites in a speech intending to electrify support for Sunak who is facing dire polling ahead of the general election on Thursday.

Johnson accused Sir Keir Starmer of trying to “usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war”.

He told buoyed campaigners: “Don’t let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don’t let Putin’s pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis – which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.

He added: “If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.”

It came as the UK’s postal vote system is “creaking”, the chief of the election watchdog has said, as a “record” amount of postal votes are expected this year.