A new poll has heaped more misery on the Conservatives - showing Labour is on course for the biggest majority in history.

The study by YouGov released this evening predicts Kier Starmer will end up with a majority of 194 seats, taking a total of 427 seats from the 650 available.

That would be a gain of 221.

The Conservatives are predicted to lose 232 seats, ending with only 140 MPs, as the Liberal Democrats are also expected to do well, gaining 41 MPs to end with 48.

There is no prediction of a break-through for either Reform UK (with zero seats) or the Green Party, expected to gain only one seat.

However, the YouGov polling was carried out before this evening’s other surprise announcement that Nigel Farage is taking over the leadership of Reform UK and will after all contest the election himself, standing in Clacton.

Reform UK is expected to perform better with Mr Farage playing a prominent role, which could spell yet more angst for the Conservatives.

YouGov’s findings come just three days after another poll by Electoral Calculus (EC) predicted the Conservatives could be on course to lose all but three of 18 Kent seats up for grabs on July 4.

The Tories currently have 15 of 17 constituencies in the county, with Weald of Kent being added to the list this time to reflect Kent’s growing population.

The mega-poll shows only Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge) and Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) will survive from the existing Tory MPs.

If the polls are correct, Conservative candidate Katie Lam will win the new Weald of Kent seat.

Early last month, EC data showed the Conservatives losing all but five of the seats on offer this time.

The latest poll, released on Friday, used Multi-level Regression and Poststratification (MRP) to make its predictions, based on a nationwide sample of 10,000.

Based on these responses the pollster sees the number of Conservative MPs plummeting to as low as 66 with Labour on 485 and the Lib Dems on 59 - an even more dramatic result than that predicted by YouGov.

EC takes into account a range of factors, not least voting intentions, but also census data and trends.

It also takes into account tactical voting on election day, with research showing a strong anti-Conservative trend.

EC states: “We are currently projecting a major shift in Kent.

“The main headline is that out of the 18 parliamentary constituencies in Kent, the Conservatives are on track to lose all but three seats. This would be a major swing towards Labour, who are predicted to pick up 12 seats in Kent from the Conservatives.

“The Liberal Democrats are projected to pick up one seat from the Conservatives, in Tunbridge Wells.

“If current trends hold until election day, this would be the worst electoral performance for the Conservatives in Kent in modern history, going all the way back to the 19th century.”

EC founder Martin Baxter said that in 1997, when New Labour bulldozed through Britain, Kent was one of the few remaining relative strongholds.

He added: “For this election, however, that trend seems to be shifting, as the Conservatives are projected to lose over three-quarters of their seats in Kent, with Labour reaping most of the benefit. “

“Not only are the Conservatives losing votes to Labour and the Lib Dems, but they are also being squeezed by Reform UK, who are picking up disillusioned Conservative voters in large numbers.”

The Liberal Democrat hopeful Mike Martin is expected to pick up Tunbridge Wells, where sitting Conservative Greg Clark resigned.