Glum Conservatives in U.K. try to shift the mood with promises as polls near

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged voters to throw him a lifeline in the U.K.’s July 4 election, promising to cut taxes and reduce immigration if his Conservative Party is re-elected

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday implored British voters, and his own party, to throw him a lifeline in the July 4 election, putting the promise of lower taxes at the heart of the Conservative Party’s election manifesto.

Mr. Sunak acknowledged that “people are frustrated with our party and frustrated with me,” but argued that the Conservatives are “the only party with the big ideas to make this country a better place to live.”

With the Conservatives trailing the left-of-center Labour Party in opinion polls, opponents said Mr. Sunak was making unrealistic and unaffordable promises in a desperate bid to stave off defeat. The launch of the Tories’ manifesto, its main package of pledges, came a day after Mr. Sunak was forced to deny rumours that he could quit even before polling day as the Conservatives are alarmed over his lackluster campaign.

Mr. Sunak insisted he had not considered resigning and said he was “not going to stop fighting for people’s votes.”

Mr. Sunak held the manifesto launch at Silverstone motor racing circuit in central England, home of the British Grand Prix, and it could be one of his last big chances to get his spluttering campaign back on track.

The central pitch

His central pitch was the claim that a government led by Labour’s Keir Starmer would raise taxes, while a Conservative one would lower them.