Rishi Sunak warns voting for Reform UK will only help Labour's Keir Starmer become PM as he's confronted by a voter who's backed the Tories since Thatcher... but has now switched to Nigel Farage's outfit over Net Zero and immigration

Rishi Sunak today warned that voting for Reform UK would only help put Labour's Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street as he was confronted by a disgruntled former Tory.

The Prime Minister stressed that only 'one of two people' would be in No10 after the general election - either him or the Labour leader.

There is growing panic in Conservative ranks about the rising popularity of Reform, with fears the insurgent party will split the right-wing vote at the election and prompt a Tory wipeout.

A new poll this week showed the Nigel Farage-backed outfit are now only six points behind the Conservatives after surging to their highest vote share.

Mr Sunak was challenged directly about the threat posed to Tory fortunes by Reform when he was quizzed on a radio phone-in show this morning by a voter called Jerry, from Whitley Bay in the North East.

He told Mr Sunak he had voted for the Conservatives ever since 1979, the year that Margaret Thatcher became PM, but had now switched to Reform due to his unhappiness with the Government's handling of Net Zero and immigration.

Responding to Jerry on LBC Radio, Mr Sunak told him:  'Jerry, first of all, thanks for your support for the party over so many years. That's fantastic.

'And I'm sorry to hear about it. But all I'd say is next election, there's going to be one of two people prime minister at the end of it - me or Keir Starmer.

'On the two issues that you mentioned, you should just come to a view on who you think it's more likely to deliver for you.'

Mr Sunak went on to highlight how he had 'changed our approach' to Net Zero last year by watering down key climate targets.

'I was very clear that we can't rush to it in an ideological way that saddles costs of £5,000 £10,000, £15,000 on ordinary families like yours.

'I didn't think that was right, I changed the policy on it. Of course, we're gonna get there.

'I've got young kids, I care about the environment. But we should do that in a sensible way, especially when we're doing a better job on it than pretty much anyone else.

'I got an enormous amount of flak from people for that. But I think it's the right thing for the country. So I think you and I are aligned on that.'

The PM also acknowledged, in terms of immigration, 'the numbers are too high' but suggested he had 'inherited' the issue from his predecessors in No10.

'I've taken more action on this issue than anyone else,' Mr Sunak added.

'And when it comes to tackling illegal migration, I'm battling the Labour Party and everyone else to get our Rwanda Bill through Parliament.

'Those are the issues that you care about, I care about them too. I've already showed that I'm delivering on them.

'If you vote for Reform, all you're going to do is put Keir Starmer in power. And then we're going to get no action on those things that you care about.

'Migration is not going to come down, the boats will not be stopped. And he will adopt an ideological approach to Net Zero, reverse the changes I've made, and that's going to cost you and everyone else.

'You don't need to even believe me; just look at what Sadiq Khan is trying to do in London with ULEZ and it should give you all the evidence that you need.'