General election latest: Farage under fire after claiming Sunak 'doesn't care about our culture' (2024)

A battle bus for George Galloway’s Workers Party has been spotted parked on a red line in London.

Greg Hands, the former chairman of the Conservative Party, said the Workers Party “need to obey traffic laws” as he posted a picture of the bus in Chelsea Embankment on X.

After returning to Parliament by winning the Rochdale by-election in February, Mr Galloway vowed to field hundreds of candidates across the country.

Nigel Farage reiterated his claim that the “election is over” while appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC this morning.

It came after Reform UK leader wrote in the Telegraph that his party wants “to replace the Tories for good” and be the main opposition to a Labour government.

Read Mr Farage’s comments in full here.

Alex Salmond’s Alba Party will “make its mark” at the General Election, the former first minister of Scotland has said.

The Alba leader took aim at his former party the SNP, claiming it has a lack of strategy to achieve Scottish independence.

Speaking on BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, he said Alba is “credible” with “excellent prospects”, adding: “I think we’re going to do great and we are going to have substantial results in a number seats.

“You’ll see Alba making its mark at this election.”

Mr Salmond confirmed earlier this week that he is not standing for election himself, instead setting his sights on the Scottish Parliament in 2026.

Angela Rayner has accused the Tories of “smearing” a Labour candidate who took part in the D-Day 80th anniversary events.

Labour’s Bayo Alaba, who is running for Southend East & Rochford, was criticised for being in France while the Tory candidate for the seat, Gavin Harran, was out campaigning.

Mr Alaba had parachuted into Normandy for the D-Day event and has raised almost £7,000 for the Royal British Legion and Trust Links.

Ms Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, said on X: “Tories smearing Bayo Alaba, Labour’s candidate for Southend for visiting France? We see you.

“He was parachuting into Normandy as part of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, to raise money for the Royal British Legion and Trust Links charities.

“We’re proud of him. Shame on you.”

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted Labour will not raise taxes, despite reports from The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) that tax rises would be necessary.

Sir Keir told reporters in Essex: “We will not be raising taxes on working people. That means we won’t be raising income tax, national insurance or VAT.

“We will launch our manifesto very soon and that will have no tax surprises in it because all of our plans are fully funded and fully costed and none of them require tax rises over and above the ones that we’ve already announced.

“What we do need to do, just to take up the challenge that’s been put to us is, we do need to grow the economy. We do need to make sure that the economy and living standards across the whole country are growing and that’s why step one, in government if we get to serve our country, will be to stabilise and grow our economy.

He added: “We are not returning to austerity.”

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “critical” of the early release scheme for prisoners but added that “tough decisions” would have to be taken by a Labour government.

Speaking to reporters at a campaign event in Essex, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “I am critical of the Tories’ early release scheme because what’s happened is that they’re releasing early, prisoners who should still be in prison and that’s a shocking state of affairs.

“Like the many problems that they have left for the country, if we do come into power we’re going to have to fix it.

“Now that will involve building prisons, that will involve taking tough decisions because the money has been allocated for prison building but there are tough decisions about planning and getting those prisons up.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper have arrived in Essex where they will set out how Labour plans to crackdown on antisocial behaviour if they win the General Election.

They will also meet activists and victims of antisocial behaviour.

Rishi Sunak has continued to defend the Tories’ claim that Labour will raise taxes by £2,000.

The figure, which he referenced repeatedly in a debate with Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday, has been questioned by Labour and Britain’s statistics watchdog, the Office for Statistics Regulation.

The Prime Minister posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, which explained that the figure was reached by analysis of 27 Labour commitments.

He said: “You’ve probably read a lot of reports about Labour’s £2,094 tax rise for every working household.

“That’s caused a lot of debate. Here’s how it’s calculated:”

A £2 hourly pay rise could help tackle the care worker shortage, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.

He told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “If you paid this extra money to care workers, I think people would make a choice of not working in supermarkets or Amazon warehouses and things like that because they would feel that the tough job of being a carer would be properly rewarded.”

Sir Ed, who has previously spoken of his own caring responsibilities for his disabled son, added: “There are millions of people who have similar experiences to me and my family where they are doing a lot of the caring.

“If we support carers who are caring for their loved ones at home, then actually a lot of the caring will be done by families.

“If you are more generous with respite care, with carers’ allowance and helping people into work so they can balance caring and working - we have got a full package so yes, it is about paying care workers better and valuing them more.

“It is also (about) looking after the millions of family carers.”

Labour shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has declined to rule out ending the Conservative Government’s early release scheme for prisoners.

She told the BBC: “I think actually the Government needs to level with the public. We all know that prisons are running at either 98% capacity or 99%. It is a dereliction of duty that the Government hasn’t actually released all of the figures about their early release scheme - they’ve actually been doing that in secret.

“It would be irresponsible for me from Opposition, without seeing the data about the number of offenders that have been released or having all of that information, to make those decisions now.”

When asked if she would rule out continuing early release, Ms Mahmood said: “It would be irresponsible to make those decisions from Opposition without all of the information to hand.

“An incoming Labour government, if we’re privileged enough to win, would have to lift that bonnet and see what horrors await.”

Labour’s shadow justice secretary says the party’s planning reforms could deliver 20,000 more prison places

Shabana Mahmood said a Labour government would bring prisons outside of the planning system to help with the issue of overcrowding.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC, she said: “We are going to deliver the full 20,000 places that this government actually promised.

“The money is there. They have failed to get on with building.

“On day one, we would designate prisons as being of national importance so that those decisions are ultimately made by ministers rather than the usual planning process.”

On whether this would force local communities to accept prisons on their doorsteps, she said: “We always want to work with communities and we would of course deal with infrastructure.

“It’s in everybody’s interests that the sites for prisons are suitable sites.”

Labour shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has defended her party from being “changed into the Conservatives”.

Responding to a comment made by Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer during Friday’s seven-way BBC debate that Labour had “changed into the Conservatives”, Ms Mahmood said: “That’s exactly the kind of stuff you’d expect from some of the smaller parties.”

She told Sky News: “There are billions of pounds worth of difference between us and the Tory Party, because we will make different decisions.

“For example, levying VAT on private school fees, we will get non-doms to pay their fair share. We’ll make sure oil and gas giants pay their fair share with the proper windfall tax. That is a big difference between us and the Tory Party.”

Labour’s Shabana Mahmood says comments by Nigel Farage about Rishi Sunak were “completely unacceptable”.

The Reform UK leader said the Prime Minister “doesn’t care about our history, our culture” after he left the D-Day 80th anniversary events early.

Laura Kuenssberg has focused heavily on his comments on her BBC show this morning, asking for reaction from Ms Mahmood and Tory cabinet minister Mel Stride.

Ms Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said: “This is a classic Nigel Farage trick. Lean just far enough to signal a bit of a dog whistle and then lean straight back and sound perfectly reasonable...

“We can all see exactly what Nigel Farage is doing. He’s got form and this is completely unacceptable. This is a man that has a track record of seeking to divide communities.

“He just wants to do it with a veneer of respectability.”

Labour shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the party’s manifesto was endorsed “by the will of the room” at a closed-door meeting on Friday.

Her comments came despite trade union Unite refusing to endorse the Labour manifesto over reservations about the party’s position on zero-hours contracts, fire and rehire practices, and oil and gas licences.

Ms Mahmood told Sky News: “There was a huge amount of positivity in the room. It was a shorter Clause V meeting than others that I have been to before, previous General Elections, and actually, at the end of the meeting, we endorsed a manifesto by a claim, which is unusual for the Labour Party.

“So it was a very positive mood in the meeting. Of course, one or two of our trade union colleagues had particular policies that they wanted to push further. But the mood in the room was very much that we were going to remain fiscally credible, make sure everything was fully funded, fully costed, and that’s what we did.”

She added: “It was by acclamation, at the end, by the will of the room.”

Mel Stride says he is “uncomfortable” with comments made by Nigel Farage about Rishi Sunak leaving the D-Day 80th anniversary events early.

The Reform UK leader joined criticism of the Prime Minister by saying he ‘doesn’t care about our history, our culture’.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Tory cabinet minister Mr Stride said: “I think they were deeply regrettable comments...

“I think they are suggesting things... I’m not going to go any further than that because I don’t want to stoke anything up. It just seems to me that’s an ill-advised thing to have said.

“I feel very uncomfortable with that.”

Nigel Farage says that Rishi Sunak “insulted” the Americans by leaving the D-Day 80th anniversary events early.

Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Reform UK leader said: “What an insult to the Americans. That took place above Omaha Beach, where the Americans suffered so grievously.

“He has made the biggest mistake of his political career. If it wasn’t an election campaign, there would be a leadership challenge against him this week.

“The man is not fit to lead the country.”

A cabinet minister has dismissed the idea that Rishi Sunak could hand over the leadership of the Tory Party after facing criticism for leaving the D-Day 80th anniversary events early.

Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said Mr Sunak would “absolutely” lead the party into the election and “there should be no question of anything other than that”.

He told Sky News: “He has recognised that he made a mistake. He deeply regrets that he has apologised unequivocally for that.”

He added: “The Prime Minister has accepted that he made a mistake. He has apologised unequivocally for that.

“And I think he will be feeling this personally, very deeply because he’s a deeply patriotic person. He will be deeply uncomfortable with what has happened.”

It comes after Nigel Farage said that one more “gaffe” could see the Tories lose all its seats at the election.

A report has warned the next government must raise taxes or cut public services - despite Labour and the Conservatives vowing not to raise taxes.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) report looks at how spending as a proportion of national income has changed since the 1950s and how it will change in the next government.

It said the current Government’s spending has increased by “significantly more” than under any previous post-war Conservative government.

IFS research economist Bee Boileau said whoever wins the General Election on July 4 “will have a choice”.

“They can cut the scope of what the state provides, or accept further worsening of public services which already look under strain,” she said. “Or they can raise taxes, or borrow more, in order to top up spending and maintain real-terms levels of departmental funding.

“Neither the Conservative Party nor the Labour Party has been clear about which of these options they would take. Neither has shown any ambition to cut the scope of the state.”

Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd has arrived at the BBC ahead of her appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg from 9am this morning.

She will appear alongside Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, Labour’s shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

John Swinney has written to Sir Keir Starmer, urging Labour to explain where £18 billion in cuts predicted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) will come from.

The First Minister of Scotland urged the Labour leader to “be open with voters and admit where the axe will fall under the Labour Party’s plan for £18 billion cuts to public services”.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner failed to answer the same question during the BBC leaders’ debate on Friday.

The IFS said there is a “conspiracy of silence” between Labour and the Tories over details and warned of around £18 billion of “sharp cuts”.

In the letter, Mr Swinney said £18 billion of cuts would be a “wrecking ball to public services”.

However, Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said the SNP’s election campaign is “built on empty rhetoric” and accused the party of “butchering” the country’s public services.

A Reform UK candidate who was due to contest Sir Gavin Williamson’s seat has withdrawn from the race and endorsed the Conservatives.

Tom Wellings had been confirmed to fight the new seat of Stone, Great Wryly and Penkridge in Staffordshire for the Right-wing party.

But it has since emerged that, despite apparently submitting his nomination papers on Wednesday, he has withdrawn from the contest, saying he was concerned that his candidacy risked handing victory to Labour.

According to a furious Richard Tice, the Reform chairman, Mr Wellings did so at the last minute without informing the party – giving Sir Gavin, a former defence and education secretary, an easier path to victory.

For all the details, read the full article here.

Labour’s net zero plans risk leading to blackouts and public unrest, the Energy Secretary has claimed.

Claire Coutinho told The Telegraph Labour’s pledge to convert Britain to clean power by 2030 – five years earlier than the Conservatives – would put the country’s energy security in jeopardy.

She said her major concern about Sir Keir Starmer’s “unrealistic” target was that the UK did not yet have the renewable energy infrastructure in place “to make sure we can keep the lights on”.

The Telegraph can reveal that the Tory manifesto will include a pledge to reform the remit of the official climate watchdog so it is forced to take account of the cost to households and the effect on energy security when advising ministers on carbon targets.

Read the full article here.

Nigel Farage says the Tories could face electoral wipeout if they make one more “gaffe” on the campaign trail.

The Reform UK leader’s comments came after Rishi Sunak was forced to apologise for leaving D-Day commemorations in Normandy early.

Speaking to the Sunday Express, Mr Farage said: “One more gaffe like that (D-Day) and they could all lose their seats.”

The Prime Minister’s campaign has been marred by gaffes which have seen him face criticism from opposition parties and even his own MPs.

Mr Farage told the newspaper that he had a “six-year masterplan” to “reshape politics” and carry out a takeover of the Tories.

It’s the third Sunday of the general election campaign and we’ve got a busy day ahead.

From 9am, Tory MP Mel Stride, Labour’s shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn will be appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC.

Elsewhere, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper will visit the east of England for a campaign visit related to a crackdown on antisocial behaviour.

And Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney is on a campaign visit to Paisley.