Stephen Hawking has announced that he’s backing Labour at the general election on Thursday.
The respected astrophysicist, who is widely considered to be the world’s smartest man, warned that five more years under the Conservatives would be a ‘disaster’ for public services.
Speaking after an interview with Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner, he said: “I’m voting Labour because another five years of Conservative government would be a disaster for the NHS, the police and other public services.”
The endorsement comes despite Hawking’s previous reservations towards Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
He previously said: “I regard Corbyn as a disaster. His heart is in the right place and many of his policies are sound, but he has allowed himself to be portrayed as a left wing extremist.”
The Labour leader spoke to NME last week in a wide-ranging interview where he revealed his favourite song of all time and whether he preferred Oasis or Blur.
In the run-up to Thursday’s election, he has also received a series of high profile endorsements both in the UK and overseas.
Actor Danny DeVito urged UK voters to back Corbyn – posting an impassioned appeal on Twitter.
He’s also received the support of the Grime scene too, with the likes of JME, Novelist and Akala announcing that they will be backing Labour.