John McDonnell has said the polls that show the Conservative Party has a commanding lead over Labour are wrong.
“I don’t believe the polls. They got them wrong at the last election. They got them wrong in the referendum. They even got them wrong with Trump’s election in America - so I don’t believe the polls,” he told Sky News this morning.
A YouGov survey for The Times on Monday gave the Conservatives a huge 21 point lead over Labour.
The survey showed May on 44% with Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour trailing with just 23%. It is Labour’s worst position according to YouGov since 2009.
MPs are expected to vote this afternoon in favour of allowing May to hold a snap election on June 8.
McDonnell said once the “real issues” of education, the NHS and Brexit were debated during the campaign “you will see the polls narrow”.
The shadow chancellor said the policies Labour had set out over the past two weeks were “immensely popular” with voters and may have forced the prime minister to hold an early election.
The ComRes poll found Labour’s plan for a £10 minimum wage was supported by 71% of people.
And the survey found 53% of people backed Labour’s policy of introducing universal free school meals for primary school children, paid for by imposing VAT on private schools.