Tony Blair has said Theresa May will win the general election - if the polls are correct.
The former Labour leader also refused to say he believed Jeremy Corbyn would make the best prime minister.
Blair had been a vocal critic of Corbyn’s leadership of the party.
In an interview with Sky News today, the former prime minister was asked what he thought the result of the June 8 vote would be.
If the polls are right, we know who’s going to be prime minister on 9 June. That’s not the issue,” he said. “It’ll be Theresa May if the polls are right.”
“I think the most powerful argument for Labour in this election because of the way the polls are, and the way the opinion polls are and the leadership issue, the most powerful argument for Labour is to say it’s important for our democracy that the government is held to account and needs a strong opposition.”
A string of polls has put May on course for an increased Tory majority - with some projecting a landslide of more than 100 seats.
A Ipsos/MORI poll for the London Evening Standard yesterday gave May the highest “best leader” score in its history, beating even Margaret Thatcher and Blair at their peak. Corbyn has one of the lowest personal ratings of any leader.
However both Labour and the Tories have told their voters the polls could be wrong.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said this week: “We now how tough this election is going to be, yes we are miles behind in the polls, but who believes the polls anymore?
“They got it wrong at the last election, they got it wrong in the referendum and God help us they got it wrong with Trump”.
And May told an election rally of a Corbyn victory: “Make no mistake – it could happen. Remember, the opinion polls were wrong in the last general election. They were wrong in the referendum.”
The Conservatives worry complacency amongst Tory voters could cause many to not bother turning out - reducing the chances of May winning a sizeable majority.
On Sunday, Blair said he would be voting Labour but suggested other people should vote tactically Lib Dem or Tory if those candidates opposed a so-called hard Brexit.