Awkward moment Grant Shapps discovers he's live on air after ringing Sky News reporter just as a new mega-poll reveals he's among a swathe of top Tories set to lose their seats - and then HANGS UP

Cabinet minister Grant Shapps tonight hung up on a Sky News journalist live on air after being told he is on course to lose his seat at the general election.

The Defence Secretary seemed to hurriedly end a call after awkwardly discovering it was being broadcast on live TV.

It came just as a new YouGov mega-poll revealed Mr Shapps is set to be among a swathe of top Tories to be ousted from the House of Commons on 4 July.

Mr Shapps is defending a near-11,000 vote majority in his Welwyn Hatfield constituency.

But a new MRP study, carried out by YouGov for Sky News, showed the Conservatives are on course to be reduced to just 140 seats after the general election.

Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates and presenter Sophy Ridge were discussing the poll results this evening when a call from Mr Shapps interrupted their broadcast.

As he answered his phone, Coates said: 'Hello Grant Shapps, you're live on Sky News.

'I'm in the studio with Sophy Ridge - have you just seen that you're about to lose your seat according to the Sky News/YouGov projection?'

When no answer came, Coates added: 'He just put the phone down on me. There we go.' 

As well as Mr Shapps, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, House of Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg are among other prominent Tory figures projected to lose their seats under the YouGov MRP study.

The data, collected from more than 58,000 people, will make grim reading for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as it shows Labour has extended its lead over the Conservatives since March.

Sir Keir Starmer's party looks set to win as many as 422 seats, with the Tories reduced to just 140, according to the pollster's analysis.

The would put Labour on course for a Commons majority of 194 – the largest margin for any party since 1924.

MRP models the outcome of the election in every constituency across Britain by identifying the views of different types of voters and then the type of voters in each seat.

The Liberal Democrats would win 48 seats, according to the forecast, with the SNP on 17 and the Green Party gaining another MP.

A separate MRP analysis, published by More in Common and the News Agents podcast earlier today, had suggested that Labour was on course for its biggest majority in 23 years.

That analysis is based on voting intention data collected between April 9 and May 29 from 15,089 adults in Great Britain.