Rishi Sunak has insisted has insisted he is “proud” of the Tories’ disastrous general election campaign.
The prime minister made the surprising comment during an ill-tempered interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning.
With just four days to go until the country goes to the polls, the Conservatives remain as far behind Labour as they were when Sunak called the election nearly six weeks ago.
Since then, the PM has been hit by a string of gaffes, controversy and scandal.
Despite this, Sunak said: “This campaign is something that I am proud of, and that’s what I’m here to talk about.”
An incredulous Kuenssberg replied: “Really? After everything, you’re proud of the campaign.”
The PM said: “Yes, I am.”
Sunak’s troubles began on the very first day of the campaign, when he was soaked to the skin while announcing the election date outside the front door of No.10.
He was also forced to apologise following a furious backlash after he left the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings early.
The last two weeks of the campaign have also been overshadowed by the Tory gambling scandal, which saw Sunak eventually dump two candidates accused of betting on the date of the election.
Two senior party official have also taken leaves of absence over the controversy, while one of Sunak’s close protection team has been arrested.
Dozens of opinion polls throughout the campaign have also confirmed that the Tories are on course for their worst ever election result, with predictions that they could even end up with fewer than 100 seats.