Sunak facing record number of Tory MPs standing down before election

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Rishi Sunak faces a record number of Tories standing down before July’s general election after five more of his MPs announced that they would not contest their seats.

Seventy-two Conservative MPs have now declared that they plan to leave Parliament rather than stand for re-election.

The current record is 75 – the number of Tories who stood down ahead of the Labour landslide at the 1997 general election.

There are fears the Conservatives are on track for a similarly heavy election defeat, with Mr Sunak trailing Labour and Sir Keir Starmer by around 20 points in the polls.

When Mr Sunak called the election on Wednesday, it had already been confirmed that 65 Tory MPs were standing down.

The announcement prompted a flurry of declarations by MPs on Thursday, with five confirming that they would not stand. More are expected to follow in the coming days.

On Thursday, Huw Merriman, the rail minister, and Jo Churchill, the employment minister, confirmed that they would not seek re-election. They were joined by Sir Michael Ellis, a former frontbencher, James Grundy, who entered Parliament in 2019, and Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy speaker.

Two former Tory MPs, Matt Hancock and Bob Stewart, who had already announced they were standing down at the election, also had the whip returned on Thursday, taking the total to 72.

Other senior Tory figures who had already confirmed they were leaving Westminster include Theresa May, the former prime minister, and Sajid Javid, the former chancellor and health secretary.

Some MPs had planned to stagger news of their resignations over the coming months ahead of an anticipated autumn election, but Mr Sunak’s surprise decision to trigger a summer poll forced their hand.

08:40 PM BST

That is all for today

Thank you for following The Telegraph’s live coverage of the general election campaign. Here are today’s headlines:

• Rishi Sunak visited Derbyshire, south Wales and northern Scotland as he kickstarted his election campaign

• The Prime Minister made a gaffe when speaking to voters in Wales by asking if they were looking forward to football this summer, when the country has not qualified for the European Championships

• Sir Keir Starmer started his campaign in Gillingham as he urged voters to “end the chaos” by backing Labour

• Richard Tice launched Reform’s campaign in London and said the party would stand candidates in every seat in England, Wales and Scotland

• Nigel Farage said he would not stand as a candidate for Reform but said he would campaign for the party nationwide, giving up his GB News show to do so

• The Conservatives challenged Sir Keir Starmer to a record six TV debates

• Rishi Sunak was accused of “committing hari-kari with his party” by Tory MPs “seething” at a surprise election

• Jeremy Corbyn is set to run against Labour in Islington North as an independent, it emerged

• Labour said it would scrap the Rwanda plan on day one even if flights were already scheduled

• Nick Thomas-Symonds, a Labour shadow minister, failed to rule out a coalition with the Lib Dems

• Rishi Sunak was left on course for a record number of Tory MPs to quit Parliament at the election as five MPs said they would not seek re-election

08:29 PM BST

Sewage spills in water ‘a total scandal’

Sewage spills in British waterways are “a total scandal”, Bridget Phillipson has said.

Labour’s shadow education secretary told BBC’s Question Time: “What’s been going on is a total scandal.

“We’re in a situation where there hasn’t been proper reporting of discharges. We absolutely need to see tougher regulation, more fines and firmer action on this.”

08:09 PM BST

Farage: Tories could have called election because I was going to stand

Nigel Farage has said the Conservatives called the general election because he was planning to stand as an MP.

The honorary president of Reform UK has said he will not stand for election on July 4.

“I have always said that there will be a moment when I throw my hat in the ring fully into British politics,” he told GB News. “I’ve also said aged 60, I’ve got one more card to play and it’s about when I play it.

“I had, to be honest with you, put in place some preparations to launch next week.

“I wonder whether the Conservative Party found out about it. I think the sense of panic that we saw yesterday, the badly prepared speech, might perhaps have prompted it a little bit.”

07:57 PM BST

Sunak rules out coalition with Reform

Rishi Sunak has ruled out a coalition with Reform UK.

Asked by LBC on a visit to the Port of Nigg in Scotland if he could rule out a coalition, the Prime Minister said: “Yes, of course I can rule that out.

“I’m not really focused on personalities elsewhere, I’m focused on delivering for the country and we live in an uncertain time and that’s why the choice for the country, the question for the country should be: who can build on the economic stability that we’ve not brought to ensure a secure future for everyone, and that requires bold action, it requires a clear plan.

“That’s what I bring to the table. For people who are focused on illegal migration, they will see a choice of a selection between Keir Starmer and me. It’s either one of the two of us who’s going to end up as Prime Minister after this election.”

07:54 PM BST

Hancock ‘proud to leave Parliament as Tory’

Matt Hancock has said he is “proud to leave Parliament as a Conservative MP” after having the whip restored.

The former health secretary was stripped of the Tory whip in 2022 after appearing on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.

“I’m proud to leave Parliament as a Conservative MP after two decades serving my country in opposition and in government,” he said. “I wish Rishi and all my colleagues all the best in the campaign to come.”

07:47 PM BST

Tice: All other parties ‘variants of socialism’

All other parties are “variants of socialism”, Richard Tice has said.

Asked if his party would fail to win any seats, the Reform UK leader told Sky News: “No, it’s different this time round.

“The country is broken. People are furious with the main two parties, the lies. They are all the same. They are all variants of socialism: high tax, big state, mass immigration.

“People don’t want that and that’s why this is an immigration election and that’s why we’re going to surprise everybody. We’re going to get millions of votes.”

07:44 PM BST

More migration in last two years than previous 950 years, Tice claims

There has been more migration in the last two years than any point since 1066, Richard Tice has claimed.

The Reform UK leader was being questioned by Sky News’s Sophy Ridge about a campaign graphic showing immigration levels remaining constant from 1066 until 1997 and then increasing dramatically.

“It’s not ridiculous at all,” he said when asked why he used it. “Because you’ve just confirmed it, since the Norman invasion for heaven’s sake.

“And since then, literally in the last two years we have seen more people settle in the UK than over the last 950 years up until 2000.

“And it puts it in context for people: the extent of the betrayal by the Tories, the extent of the lies and the deceit.”

07:34 PM BST

No one voted for mass immigration, says Tice

Richard Tice has said “no one voted for mass immigration”.

The Reform UK leader to Sky News: “No one voted for mass immigration and this is the reason why everyone is feeling poorer, worse off.

“Because we’ve got no economic growth and everybody is feeling worse off. People’s wages are going down.”

07:31 PM BST

In full: Sir Michael Ellis statement

07:20 PM BST

Sunak approaching record Tory MP election exodus

A total of 72 Tory MPs have now said they won’t stand at the next election after the whip was restored to Matt Hancock and Bob Stewart, both of whom had already said they would be standing down.

The record number of Tory MPs to stand down at an election is 75 in 1997.

07:10 PM BST

Sir Michael Ellis standing down as MP

Sir Michael Ellis, the Tory MP for Northampton North, has become the fifth Conservative today to announce they are standing down at the next election.

07:05 PM BST

Bill quashing sub-postmaster convictions passes Lords

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill has cleared the Lords and will head back to the Commons for consideration by MPs.

The Bill is set to quash the convictions of sub-postmasters who were victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal on Friday after it receives Royal Assent from the King.

At report stage in the upper chamber, peers argued that sub-postmasters who were prosecuted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should have been included in the Bill, but did not press the amendments to a vote.

06:49 PM BST

Conservative whip restored to Hancock and Stewart

The Conservatives have restored the whip to Matt Hancock and Bob Stewart.

The former health secretary was stripped of the Tory whip after appearing on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2022.

Col Stewart surrendered the whip in Nov 2023 after being convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence. It was later overturned in Feb 2024 but he has said he will leave Parliament at the election.

06:38 PM BST

Pictured: Sunak meets port workers

06:28 PM BST

Labour shadow minister refuses to rule out coalition with Lib Dems

A Labour shadow minister has refused to rule out a coalition with the Lib Dems.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, shadow minister without portfolio, told LBC: “There is obviously a party where we do not share values, they wish to break up the country we’re seeking the govern, that’s the Scottish national party. No deals before, during or after the election with the Scottish National Party.”

Asked if there could be a coalition with Sir Ed Davey’s party, he did not rule it out, saying: “With this we are not anticipating what the British public is going to do.

“We are not taking anything for granted. But there are some parties whose views are so far remote from ours, you could never envisage working with them.”

Mr Thomas-Symonds added that Labour would release its manifesto within a fortnight.

06:26 PM BST

Sunak ‘wrong-footed me with election announcement’, Farage admits

Nigel Farage has admitted that Rishi Sunak “wrong-footed” him by announcing the general election for July 4.

“The problem is, six weeks is such a short period of time to fight a parliamentary constituency and promote the cause around the country,” Reform’s honorary president told the BBC.

“And, you know, I think Rishi Sunak has wrong-footed an awful lot of people, myself included. Just, it’s not long enough to do it. It’s as simple as that.”

Mr Farage added that he was “100 per cent behind” Richard Tice and will be “campaigning all over the country”.

06:19 PM BST

Downing Street refuses to honour Sunak’s £1,000 Rwanda bet with Piers Morgan

Downing Street has refused to honour Rishi Sunak’s £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan over Rwanda flights – pointing out that one failed asylum has gone there voluntarily.

The Prime Minister controversially shook hands on the wager during a television interview with the veteran journalist in February.

But yesterday Mr Sunak admitted that no asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda before the election under the government’s deportation scheme.

It prompted the former editor of the Mirror to tweet: “Dear Prime Minister, following your admission today that no flights will take off to Rwanda before the election, please send £1,000 to British Red Cross. Kind regards, Piers.”

But No 10 pointed out that one person had actually been flown to Rwanda, under a voluntary scheme.

06:12 PM BST

Sunak touring port near Inverness

The Prime Minister is touring a port near Inverness with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

Rishi Sunak spoke with port workers, discussing apprenticeships and the transition from old industries such as oil and gas to new ones such as renewable energy.

06:04 PM BST

Pictured: Sunak arrives in Scotland with Douglas Ross

06:01 PM BST

Labour’s Kevan Jones standing down at next election

Kevan Jones, the Labour MP for North Durham, has said he will not stand in the general election.

Mr Jones has become the 22nd Labour MP and 113th from all parties to say they will quit the Commons.

“In early June I will be undergoing surgery and treatment for an ongoing condition, which would make it impossible for me to fight the campaign that I and my constituents would expect me to do so [sic],” he wrote in a personal statement.

05:52 PM BST

Health Secretary intends to ban puberty blockers

The Health Secretary has told MPs she has a “clear intention” to introduce a “banning order” on puberty blockers after the Cass Review found children had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on their use.

Victoria Atkins set out plans to use a power bestowed on secretaries of state through the Medicines Act 1968 to stop medical firms from selling, supplying or importing puberty blockers.

Making a statement to the Commons, Ms Atkins said: “Today I want to set out my clear intention to introduce a banning order on puberty blockers, with limited exceptions, under Section 62 of the Medicines Act 1968.

“This is an extraordinary use of that power, but it is the right use of that power because we must protect our children and young people from this risk to their safety.”

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said he “welcomed” Ms Atkins’ approach to puberty blockers, which suppress the natural production of sex hormones to delay puberty.

05:50 PM BST

‘Mistakes made’ under Truss, admits minister

Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has admitted that “mistakes were made” during Liz Truss’s premiership.

“Absolutely, I will completely acknowledge that during that period mistakes were made,” she said. “Mistakes, by the way, that were reversed imediately by the Chancellor.

“And I would point to the decisive action that Rishi Sunak has taken since 18 months ago when he became prime minister.

“Inflation was at 11 per cent, this was a worldwide phenomenon, this was not just something that happened here, and he has taken decisive steps to bring inflation down so it’s now down to normal levels and that is absolutely crucial for so many people sitting at home.”

05:44 PM BST

Rwanda a ‘dividing line’ between Labour and Tories, says minister

The Rwanda plan is a “dividing line” between Labour and the Tories, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott has said.

“This is a really important dividing line between the two parties,” she said. “Between the Conservative party, who have taken action last year to bring down the number of people coming over here illegally.

“It was down by a third last year but we know it has to come down further but that is why we put the Rwanda plan in place in the face of opposition from the Labour Party every step of the way.”

She added: “This is an example of the choice that the British people are facing at this election.”

05:39 PM BST

Analysis: Nothing short of a miracle will keep Rishi in Number 10

In calling the election for July 4, Mr Sunak has given himself a very big challenge, Sir John Curtice writes.

On average polls taken since the local elections have put his party on just 23 per cent, 21 points behind Labour.

The last person to call a general election when his party was so far behind in the polls was John Major in 1997. But he opted to go to the country just a matter of weeks before he was legally obliged to do so. His timing could hardly be blamed for the Conservatives suffering their worst general election result since 1906.

Mr Sunak, in contrast, has called the election six months early.

Read Sir John Curtice’s full analysis here

05:31 PM BST

Police Scotland submit report on Peter Murrell to prosecutors

Police Scotland have submitted a report on former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland’s public prosecution service.

Mr Murrell, husband of Nicola Sturgeon, was charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the party in April.

The development comes on the day John Swinney, the SNP leader, launched his election campaign.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland has today (Thursday, May 23, 2024) submitted a standard prosecution report to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to a 59-year-old man who was charged on April 18, 2024, in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party.

“Investigations continue and we are unable to comment further.”

05:27 PM BST

Labour 17 points ahead in snap election poll

Labour have a 17-point lead over the Conservatives, according a snap general election poll.

The More in Common poll, conducted on May 22 and 23, put Labour on 44 points, Conservatives on 27, Reform on 10, the Lib Dems on nine and the Greens on five.

Pollsters have a wide range of leads, with YouGov reporting a 25-point Labour lead earlier today.

05:24 PM BST

Listen: The Daily T

05:21 PM BST

‘Turnip Taliban’ candidate launches campaign to oust Truss

An independent candidate from Liz Truss’s “turnip Taliban” opposition in South West Norfolk has launched his campaign to oust the former Prime Minister.

James Bagge, a retired Army officer and barrister, is seeking to overturn the ex-Tory leader’s 26,195 majority.

His brother, Sir Jeremy Bagge, led a campaign against Ms Truss in 2009 because they selected her as a candidate for the 2010 election without her telling them about an extramarital affair with a Tory MP.

Launching his campaign, Mr Bagge said: “The message on the doorstep is clear and unequivocal. The voters of South West Norfolk want and deserve a change.

“They want an MP who represents their interests and is not seeking merely to advance her own political ambition or far from credible conspiracies, while blaming others for errors and omissions.”

05:14 PM BST

Truss seeks re-election on local record

Liz Truss, the former Prime Minister, is seeking re-election on her local record.

The short-lived Tory leader made no mention of her time in Government as she said: “I’m looking forward to standing on my record in South West Norfolk.

“We’ve secured a new hospital, the Queen Elizabeth at King’s Lynn, we’ve also secured a banking hub for Downham Market, and Thetford will be getting £20 million of funding to help regenerate the town centre.

“I’m looking forward to getting across the constituency and meeting people on the campaign trail over the coming weeks.”

05:08 PM BST

Davey fails to rule out Labour coalition

Sir Ed Davey did not rule out a coalition with Labour as he insisted he would not “waste time” speculating about it, Amy Gibbons reports.

The Lib Dem leader said there is “no way” his party would prop up a minority Tory government, but was far less committal when asked if he would strike a power-sharing deal with Sir Keir Starmer, insisting he did not want to get “distracted” from the task at hand.

He told The Telegraph: “To be honest, all these questions, I think, are in danger of taking people for granted… we’re not going to do that.

“We’re going to focus laserbeam-like… on the issues for the campaign. So we’ll be focused on the health service… the economy, the environment, and talking about what we need to transform our political system… We’re not going to waste time thinking about anything else.”

Put to him that it didn’t sound like he was ruling out a coalition with Labour, he said: “No, I’m focusing on the issues that voters are raising with me.

“One thing I’ve noticed in my time in politics and watching other Liberal Democrat leaders in the past, is they have sometimes thought about what happens after an election, and if you do that, you get distracted. And you’ve got to be far more focused on the job in hand, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

05:03 PM BST

Pictured: Sunak lands in Inverness

04:59 PM BST

Watch: I’ll be back as a candidate, says Farage

Nigel Farage has said he will stand as a candidate in a general election in the future.

In a video posted on X, he said: “Now he [Rishi Sunak] may be relieved to know I am not going to stand as a candidate myself. Why? Six weeks isn’t long enough to fight a constituency seat and campaign around the country.”

He added: “So for those who think, ‘Thank goodness, he’s gone away’. No I haven’t gone away at all and at some point I’ll be back as a candidate as well.

“This just is not the right time for me. I’ve got one more big card to play in politics in my life. It’s not now.”

04:47 PM BST

Davey: Tactical voting ‘undemocratic’

Sir Ed Davey has suggested it would be undemocratic to ask people to vote tactically at the next election as he insisted the Liberal Democrats will not make any “pacts or deals” with other parties, Amy Gibbons reports.

The Lib Dem leader said it is up to individuals to decide how they vote when pressed on whether he would encourage people to back Labour in key swing seats to help get the Tories out.

However, he said there is “no doubt the vast majority of seats that are open for us to win” are currently held by the Tories, so his “top priority” is to defeat as many Conservatives as possible.

Asked if he would urge the public to vote tactically, for example by backing the Lib Dems in the Blue Wall and Labour in the Red Wall, Sir Ed told The Telegraph: “I don’t believe in deals or pacts or that sort of thing.”

He added: “It’s up to people how they [vote]. We’ve seen in the by-elections that we’ve won, and we won four amazing by-elections this parliament – we haven’t done that since the mid 1990s – what people worked out very quickly for themselves is who was the challenger to the Conservatives, and they made their own decisions.

“I don’t believe it’s terribly democratic for parties to do pacts and deals and stand down. That’s not the right thing to do.”

04:34 PM BST

Starmer wants to ‘skate through’ election without facing questions at debates, claim Tories

Senior Tories have tried to pile the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to agree to weekly TV debates with Rishi Sunak during the general election campaign.

Claire Coutinho, the Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, claimed Sir Keir and Labour wanted to “skate through” the election campaign “without telling anyone what they really think”.

She said: “That’s why we should have weekly debates - so people know exactly where we stand.”

Richard Holden, the chairman of the Conservative Party, echoed a similar sentiment as he asked Sir Keir: “Don’t you think the British public deserve to know what you actually stand for?”.

The Telegraph revealed earlier today that the Tory election campaign is challenging Sir Keir to a record six TV debates as they attempt to show Labour has no plan for the country.

Both Sir Keir and Mr Sunak have publicly said for months that they would be willing to take part in TV election debates.

04:32 PM BST

Four Tory MPs stand down after election announcement

Four Tory MPs have announced their departures from political life the day after Rishi Sunak called an election as the party braced for an avalanche of resignations.

James Grundy, a Red Wall MP who entered Parliament in 2019, Dame Eleanor Laing, a Deputy Speaker of the Commons, and Jo Churchill, the employment minister, revealed they would not contest the next general election on Thursday.

Dame Eleanor, the MP for Epping Forest, and Ms Churchill, who represents Bury & St Edmunds, became the 66th and 67th Conservative MPs to confirm they will leave the Commons following the next national poll amid fears of an exodus in the parliamentary party.

Mr Grundy, who represented Leigh, then announced he would not contest the new Leigh and Atherton seat.

Huw Merriman, the rail minister, has also confirmed he will not seek re-election on July 4.

Read the full article here

04:23 PM BST

Mordaunt: Tories are the underdog

Penny Mordaunt has said the Conservatives are the “underdog” in the general election as she urged voters to not back “ruthless socialists”.

The leader of the House of Commons said in the final business questions session before the election: “The fact is that nothing matters more to the Labour Party than the interests of the Labour Party and their paymasters.

“Ruthless socialists led by a weak and unformed leader. In six weeks’ time we will know the answer from the British people.

“We Conservatives may be the underdog, but we’re on the right side and that is on the side of the British people.”

04:11 PM BST

Rail minister standing down

Huw Merriman, the rail minister, has said he will not be standing for re-election on July 4.

The Tory MP for Bexhill and Battle, who was first elected in 2015, has been rail minister since October 2022.

04:04 PM BST

Pictured: Farage reads The Telegraph

04:02 PM BST

Good afternoon

Jack Maidment, our Politics Live Blog Editor, has now handed over the baton to me, Tim Sigsworth.

I’ll be guiding you through the rest of this afternoon’s developments.

03:54 PM BST

Comment: How Starmer could throw away a 20-point lead

Sir Keir Starmer and Labour are leading in the polls by 20-odd points and he is heading for Downing Street with a massive majority. But so was Theresa May in 2017, writes James Frayne. 

In campaigns, unexpected things happen. And they are more likely to happen to candidates who are not natural campaigners – politicians that cannot put in great performances that sway the electorate. In short, candidates like this are not in control.

Starmer campaigns more like May than Lord Cameron, let alone the great political geniuses of Tony Blair or Boris Johnson. As such, he is vulnerable to things happening to him in the campaign – and ultimately to looking like he just has not got what it takes to be prime minister.

You can read the full piece here. 

03:44 PM BST

Nigel Farage ‘was all set to run as MP’ but changed mind over early election

Nigel Farage was preparing to announce his candidacy for the general election next week, but ditched the idea when Rishi Sunak called an early election, sources have told The Telegraph.

You can read the full story here. 

03:35 PM BST

Tories: Votes for Lib Dems could open door to Labour government

Richard Holden said voting for the Liberal Democrats “cannot deliver anything apart from” a Labour government as he responded to Sir Ed Davey’s campaign launch in Cheltenham.

The chairman of the Conservative Party said: “A vote for the Liberal Democrats cannot deliver anything apart from a Keir Starmer-led Labour Government which would increase taxes on hard-working families by £2,094, taking us back to square one.

“Sir Keir Starmer wants people to vote for the Liberal Democrats because he knows this means more seats for Labour in Parliament.

“The choice at the election is clear: stick with the plan in an increasingly uncertain world by choosing bold action for a safer, more secure and more prosperous future with Rishi Sunak, or go back to square one with Sir Keir Starmer and the same old Labour.”

03:12 PM BST

Tory Party manifesto 2024: Sunak’s expected policies for the election

Tory backbenchers are urging Rishi Sunak to set out a radical blueprint to cut taxes and immigration when he unveils the Conservative Party’s general election manifesto later in the campaign.

So what might be included?

My colleague, Nick Gutteridge, has taken a look at what Mr Sunak could include in the Tory manifesto.

You can read the piece in full here. 

02:57 PM BST

Tories use Lord Kitchener-style poster to warn: ‘Vote Reform get Labour’

The Conservative Party has clearly identified the electoral threat posed by Reform UK to Rishi Sunak’s hopes of returning to No 10.

The Tories have mocked up a version of the famous “Lord Kitchener Wants You” poster from the First World War showing a smiling Sir Keir Starmer pointing at voters.

It states in large block capital letters that “Starmer needs you to vote Reform”. Then at the very bottom of the poster it states “Vote Reform Get Labour”.

Safe to say this message will be repeated again and again by the Tories in the coming weeks.

02:43 PM BST

Sunak decided on summer election after locals, says Osborne

Rishi Sunak decided to call a summer election after the local election results, George Osborne has said.

The former Chancellor told his Political Currency podcast: “I am told by the people I’ve been speaking to that there was a wide circle of up to 40 people involved in the planning of this, ever since the local elections.

“The Prime Minister made a decision after the local elections that he was going to go for an early poll. It was a pretty brilliantly-held secret. And a secret held from most of the Cabinet and from a lot of the broader Tory family.”

He added: “This is what Downing Street is thinking: things are basically not going to get any better for the Prime Minister. Nothing is shifting the polls. They’ve tried a series of announcements from defence spending to national insurance, tax cuts – things haven’t shifted.

“He’s often accused of dithering, of over-analysing things and not taking bold decisions. He’s taken a bold decision to shift the dial, to get the campaign underway to force the choice to make people focus on the argument.

“The alternative of waiting through the summer was only going to make things worse because the mood in the country about ‘a time for a change’ would only have grown.”

02:33 PM BST

Labour’s only Kent MP was not invited to Starmer’s launch event in Gillingham

Rosie Duffield was snubbed by Sir Keir Starmer at his election launch event in Kent this morning - even though she is the only elected Labour MP in the county.

The MP for Canterbury - who has angered many in her party for her stance on women’s rights - only found out about the event on Twitter.

Sir Keir launched his election campaign at Gillingham Football Club.

02:29 PM BST

Watch: Sunak asks Welsh voters if they are ‘looking forward’ to Euros - despite not qualifying

I reported earlier today about Rishi Sunak’s football-related misstep in Wales this afternoon (see the post below at 13.13).

Footage of the PM asking Welsh voters if they were “looking forward to all the football” this summer, despite the fact Wales did not qualify for the Euros, has now emerged.

ITV News Politics posted this clip on Twitter:

02:24 PM BST

Swinney: Scottish independence will be secured through ‘democratic pressure’

John Swinney said Scottish independence will be secured through “democratic pressure”.

Speaking in Edinburgh, the SNP leader said: “We will win our country’s independence and win the powers to bring about a better Scotland through democratic pressure.

“So, on July 4, independence day, make sure your voice is heard.”

02:20 PM BST

Swinney takes aim at ‘Brexit supporting’ Starmer

John Swinney sought to pitch the general election in Scotland as a two-way battle between the SNP and the Tories.

The SNP leader said: “The challenger for every Tory seat in Scotland is the Scottish National Party. So by voting SNP you can get rid of this Tory government.”

Turning to the Labour leader, Mr Swinney said that Sir Keir Starmer “now supports Brexit whatever the cost to Scotland”.

“I don’t think Scotland should put up with that anymore,” he said.

02:15 PM BST

John Swinney: ‘Never has a government deserved to lose more’ than Sunak’s

John Swinney said that he was “up for the cut and thrust of the election campaign” to come as he launched the SNP’s campaign at an event in Edinburgh.

But he said he hoped the contest could be a “unifying moment too”.

Mr Swinney went on to take aim at the Tories as he said: “They are so chaotic they don’t even know when it is raining outside. Never has a government deserved to lose more than Rishi Sunak’s Government.”

02:10 PM BST

Lib Dems offering voters a ‘fair deal’, says Sir Ed Davey

Sir Ed Davey said the Liberal Democrats were offering voters the chance to secure a “fair deal”.

The Lib Dem leader said: “A fair deal where everyone can have a decent home that is secure and clean and an affordable, comfortable retirement when the time comes.

“A fair deal where every child has a decent school, where they can have the opportunity to realise their potential.

“A fair deal when everyone can access high quality healthcare they need, when they need it, where they need it. That is the fair deal that the Liberal Democrats are fighting for.”

02:06 PM BST

Sir Ed Davey: ‘The Conservatives have to go’

Sir Ed Davey claimed the Conservative Party was “out of touch” as he launched the Liberal Democrats’ general election campaign in Cheltenham this afternoon.

“With this election we have the chance to win the change our country so desperately needs,” he said.

Sir Ed said the NHS was “on its knees under the Conservatives”.

“It really is time for change and that means the Conservatives have to go,” he said.

02:03 PM BST

Sir Ed Davey set to launch Lib Dem campaign in Cheltenham

Dozens of activists with orange placards are gathered in Cheltenham to kick off the Lib Dems’ general election campaign, writes Amy Gibbons.

Sir Ed Davey will be arriving shortly to deliver a speech to camera before taking questions from journalists.

As preparations were made for the event, a passer-by made his feelings clear by repeatedly shouting “go away” from across the street, to laughs from the gathered crowd.

The campaigners have been joined by party MP candidates Cameron Thomas, Roz Savage, Max Wilkinson and Paul Hodgkinson

02:02 PM BST

Energy Security Secretary repeats Tory demand for weekly TV debates

01:59 PM BST

King Charles approves order to prorogue Parliament for election

The King has approved an Order in Council to prorogue Parliament ahead of the general election.

The King held a quickly convened Privy Council at Buckingham Palace this morning where he undertook his duties in preparation for the country going to the polls on July 4.

The order, which was published on the Privy Council’s website, showed that the monarch ordered that Parliament be “prorogued on a day no earlier than Friday the 24th day of May 2024 and no later than Tuesday the 28th day of May 2024, to Friday the 31st day of May 2024, to be then holden for the despatch of divers urgent and important affairs”.

01:51 PM BST

Sunak gifted umbrella by Tory MP after wet Downing Street speech

A Tory MP has sought to help Rishi Sunak avoid a repeat of his drenching in Downing Street yesterday as she gifted the Prime Minister an umbrella.

Mr Sunak announced the general election in the pouring rain, prompting questions over why he had not opted to make the announcement inside No 10.

Maggie Throup, the Tory MP for Erewash, gave Mr Sunak an umbrella as a gift this morning as he campaigned in Derbyshire.

01:35 PM BST

Rees-Mogg: Farage not standing ‘inevitably helpful’ for Tories

Nigel Farage’s decision not to stand at the general election for Reform UK is “inevitably helpful” for the Conservative Party, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.

The senior Tory MP, who urged Rishi Sunak to strike an election pact with Reform earlier this month, said that while Mr Farage will be campaigning he will not be as “fully involved” as if he was a candidate.

Asked if he was relieved by Mr Farage’s decision not to stand, Sir Jacob told the BBC Radio 4 World at One programme: “I hold Nigel in the highest regard. He and I work together on GB News, I do the programme immediately after his everyday, though not for the election period.

“He is a very capable campaigner. He is one of the most important figures in British politics of the last couple of decades.

“So the fact that he is not a candidate for an opposition party is inevitably helpful for the Conservatives.”

Told that Mr Farage will still be campaigning for Reform, Sir Jacob replied: “That is slightly different though, isn’t it? If you are not fully involved, you’re not actually standing yourself, that is a difference.”

01:24 PM BST

Tories won’t be harmed by Rwanda flight timing, suggests Rees-Mogg

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested Rwanda flights not taking off before the election would not harm the Tories’ electoral chances.

Asked if he would rather have seen the flights taking off before July 4, the former business secretary told the BBC Radio 4 World at One programme: “I would have liked them to have gone two years ago. I am quite happy with the election being when it is.

“The Government will be judged on its overall record. A few months here or there doesn’t really make much difference.

“Actually it shows some decisiveness by the Prime Minister.”

01:20 PM BST

Commons deputy speaker to step down as MP at election

Dame Eleanor Laing, the Commons deputy speaker, has announced she will stand down as an MP at the general election.

She tweeted that it was “time for me to move aside and give others the opportunities that I’ve been fortunate to have”.

01:13 PM BST

Sunak suffers football misstep on campaign trail in Wales

Rishi Sunak appears to have suffered a football-related misstep as he campaigned in south Wales this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reportedly asked people during a visit to a brewery if they were looking forward to the football - an apparent reference to the European Football Championship tournament which will get underway on June 14.

Wales did not qualify for the event after losing on penalties to Poland in a play-off final in March.

One of the people the PM was meeting was quick to point that fact out to the premier.

Tom Larkin, a politics producer at Sky News, tweeted the incident which was also witnessed by the BBC:

01:06 PM BST

Pictured: Sunak tours a brewery in south Wales

01:05 PM BST

Jeremy Corbyn set to run against Labour in Islington North

Jeremy Corbyn will announce that he is standing against Labour as an independent candidate, presenting a major headache for Sir Keir Starmer.

The former Labour leader is set to imminently unveil his campaign to defend his North London seat, which he has represented for more than 40 years.

His decision will present an unwelcome distraction for Sir Keir and risks exacerbating splits between the Labour leadership and the left wing of the party.

Labour HQ has been forced to fast-track the selection process for Islington North following the Prime Minister’s shock decision to call a snap election.

01:04 PM BST

Tory chairman urges Starmer to agree to TV debate challenge

Richard Holden has challenged Sir Keir Starmer to agree to a debate every week with Rishi Sunak.

The Telegraph broke the news this morning that the Tories wanted there to be six TV debates/

Mr Holden, the chairman of the Conservative Party, told Sir Keir on Twitter: “Don’t you think the British public deserve to know what you actually stand for?”

12:56 PM BST

Labour issues ‘urgent appeal’ to supporters for donations

Labour has issued an “urgent appeal” to its supporters to make donations to the party’s general election warchest.

An email has gone out to supporters urging them not to “let your fellow Labour supporters down”.

It said: “It could not be more important for you to give £3, or any amount right now.”

The email also urged people to “ignore the polls”.

It said: “History tells us that when they spend more money than us, we lose. It’s as simple as that. The Tory Party is an unflinching, election-winning machine.”

12:47 PM BST

Nigel Farage gives up GB News show for election campaign

Nigel Farage is giving up his GB News show for the election campaign to avoid falling foul of Ofcom rules, Reform UK leader Richard Tice has revealed.

Mr Tice told journalists at his party’s campaign launch that Mr Farage, its honorary president, would be hitting the election trail in seats across the country, writes Nick Gutteridge. 

“Noone loves and is more experienced at campaigns than Nigel. He’ll be in Boston, he’ll be everywhere, you won’t be able to hold him back,” he said. 

“He’s not doing any TV presenting during the whole period,” Mr Tice added. “He’s standing down and so he won’t be presenting GB News.

“Obviously our friends at OfCom, they do have a particular focus on GB News. So he won’t be presenting during the election.”

12:45 PM BST

Labour strong favour on betting markets to win election

Labour are the prohibitive favourite on the betting markets to win the next general election.

Live odds being offered by BetFair Exchange on College Green in Westminster put a Labour victory at 1/5.

A no overall majority was put at 6/1 and a Conservative majority was put at 28/1.

12:40 PM BST

Sunak tells small businesses he has ‘got your back with lower taxes’

Rishi Sunak is meeting voters during a visit to a brewery in south Wales alongside the Tory MP Alun Cairns.

The Prime Minister sat at a table with a handful of people, telling those around him that “running a small business is an incredible thing”.

He said the Tories have “got your back with lower taxes”.

12:36 PM BST

Tory MPs accuse Sunak of committing ‘hari-kari’ with his party

Rishi Sunak has been accused of “committing hari-kari with his party” by Tory MPs who have been left “absolutely seething” at the surprise announcement of a July election.

Even members of the Cabinet were in the dark about the move until Wednesday, with MPs and party activists now scrambling to get their campaigns off the ground.

Those seeking re-election have to launch into a six-week campaign with limited preparation, while MPs leaving Parliament may not get the chance for farewell speeches.

However, The Telegraph has been told that speculation of a move to remove Mr Sunak as leader with no confidence letters will not come to fruition.

You can read the full story here. 

12:32 PM BST

Election will not impact infected blood compensation plans, says Atkins

Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, has insisted the general election “will in no way affect the process that is all already under way” on paying compensation to the victims of the infected blood scandal.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Atkins said: “Throughout the election period Government officials and I will continue to study the report to make sure that the lessons of Sir Brian’s inquiry are learned and that these mistakes can never be repeated, and we will work with the NHS Business Services Authority to make sure that everyone who is eligible receives the second interim payment of £210,000 over the summer.”

12:22 PM BST

Telegraph readers weigh in on Farage’s decision not to stand

Nigel Farage provided the first major moment of the general election campaign this morning when he announced he will not be standing as a candidate.

Telegraph readers have been delivering their verdict on his decision in the comments section of today’s politics live blog:

12:15 PM BST

Sunak arrives in Wales for second leg of whirlwind UK tour

Rishi Sunak has now arrived in Wales for the second leg of his whirlwind campaigning tour of the UK’s four nations.

After answering questions from workers at William West Distribution in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, the Prime Minister is making a campaign stop in South Wales before heading up to Scotland later today.

12:14 PM BST

Rwanda preparations continue, insists No 10

Preparations for Rwanda deportation flights continue, Downing Street said, after Rishi Sunak admitted they will not take off before the election.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Civil Service serves the Government of the day and continues to deliver existing Government policies. And so that work will continue.”

He said the timetable “hasn’t changed” and that “we’ve always said those early weeks of July”.

The spokesman denied the timeline has been affected by a recent court ruling in Belfast that provisions of the UK’s Illegal Migration Act should be disapplied in Northern Ireland.

12:12 PM BST

Tories challenge Starmer to a record six TV debates

The Tory election campaign is challenging Sir Keir Starmer to a record six TV debates as they attempt to show Labour has no plan, The Telegraph can reveal.

A source close to Rishi Sunak has told The Telegraph that the Prime Minister is willing to debate the Labour leader every week of the campaign.

That would amount to six debates, which is more than any Prime Minister has agreed to since TV debates were first introduced in 2010.

You can read the full story here. 

12:10 PM BST

Starmer tells voters he knows ‘what it’s like to struggle’

A new Labour Party campaign video stresses Sir Keir Starmer’s working class credentials, with the leader telling voters that he “knows what it’s like to struggle”.

The video starts with Sir Keir talking about his childhood as the son of a toolmaker and a nurse.

He said: “It was tough going at times and one of the things that helps me in the cost of living crisis we’re going through now is knowing what it’s like to struggle.”

12:09 PM BST

Tory election slogan: ‘Clear plan, bold action, secure future’

The Conservative Party’s general election campaign slogan is “clear plan, bold action, secure future”, according to a new video posted by Rishi Sunak on social media.

The video uses Mr Sunak’s election speech in Downing Street yesterday as narration, with the audio accompanying a rapid fire series of images and footage of the PM’s time in office:

11:54 AM BST

Tice seeking to take 15th safest Tory seat in the country

Richard Tice is contesting the 15th safest Tory seat in the country by standing in Boston and Skegness, writes Dominic Penna. 

It is currently held by Matt Warman, who won 61 per cent of the vote at the 2019 election, giving him a majority of 25,621.

Boston and Skegness voted 75.6 per cent in favour of Brexit at the 2016 referendum, meaning it was more in favour of Britain’s departure from the EU than anywhere else in the country.

The previous year, Ukip beat Labour into second place at the 2015 general election, winning 34 per cent of the vote to the Conservatives’ 44 per cent. The Brexit Party did not stand a candidate in the seat in 2019 as Nigel Farage’s party stood aside in hundreds of constituencies.

11:41 AM BST

Nigel Farage did not attend Reform UK campaign launch

Nigel Farage, the honorary president of Reform UK, did not attend the party’s general election launch in central London this morning.

Senior figures in attendance included Richard Tice, Lee Anderson, Ann Widdecombe and Ben Habib but Mr Farage was absent.

11:36 AM BST

Tice: ‘If you want change you have got to vote for it’

Concluding his remarks, Richard Tice said: “You can’t trust the Tories and as we know Labour wants more mass immigration. If you want change, folks, you have got to vote for it.

“On July 4, vote for change, vote for Reform UK.”

11:33 AM BST

Migration levels ‘simply not fair’, says Tice

Richard Tice said that the level of net migration to the UK was “simply not fair”.

The Reform leader said the choice at the election would be between “more of the same from the main two parties or do you want change”.

He said Reform was the only party to have set out a “clear, bold plan for healthcare reform” as he reiterated his pledge to achieve zero waiting lists in two years.

11:24 AM BST

Reform will stand candidates in 630 seats, says Tice

Richard Tice said Nigel Farage will be “helping out significantly in campaigning” after the latter announced this morning that he will not be standing as a candidate.

Mr Tice said Reform will stand candidates in all 630 seats across England, Scotland and Wales and he will be standing in the constituency of Boston and Skegness.

He said: “Contrary to what all the commentators say... we are going to win seats. We are going to win seats.”

11:22 AM BST

Sunak ‘absolutely terrified’ of Reform, claims Tice

Richard Tice is now on his feet at Reform UK’s campaign launch.

He said that Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street election announcement “typifies the utter incompetence and uselessness of this Conservative Government”.

He accused Mr Sunak of having “cut and run” by calling an early general election as he claimed that the PM was “absolutely terrified” of Reform “going up and up in the polls” while the Tories “have been sinking”.

11:18 AM BST

Electoral Commission announces deadline for voter registration

The Electoral Commission has announced the deadline for registering to vote in the general election on July 4.

Those wishing to take part in the ballot must make sure they’re registered by 11.59pm on Tuesday June 18.

The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday June 19. For a proxy vote or voter authority certificate, it is 5pm on Wednesday June 26.

11:17 AM BST

Uncontrolled immigration ‘at the root’ of many of UK’s problems, says Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe is now addressing Reform UK’s campaign launch.

Referring to today’s net migration figures, she said the number of people coming to the country will have a “huge impact on housing” and a “huge impact on health services both local and regional”.

She said: “That is what we are now facing and that it why uncontrolled immigration is at the root of so much that is going wrong”

11:12 AM BST

Ben Habib to stand in Wellingborough

Ben Habib said he will be standing as a candidate in the constituency of Wellingborough at the general election.

Mr Habib finished third in the seat in a by-election in February this year.

11:09 AM BST

Tory minister announces she will not stand at election

Work and Pensions minister Jo Churchill has announced she will not stand again in the coming general election.

In a letter posted on Twitter, the Bury St Edmunds MP said she had reached the decision for “family reasons”.

Ms Churchill could be seen on the Government frontbenches in the Commons chamber this morning around the time the announcement was posted.

11:07 AM BST

Reform’s Ben Habib: ‘The country is in dire straits’

Ben Habib, the deputy leader of Reform UK, is introducing Richard Tice.

Mr Habib said: “Make no mistake that this general election is an incredibly important one for the United Kingdom.

“The country is in dire straits.”

Mr Habib claimed that Rishi Sunak had called the election now because he had concluded there was “no fiscal room” for tax cuts later this year.

On Reform’s electoral hopes, Mr Habib said that “the political wind is in our sails”.

11:03 AM BST

Richard Tice arrives at Reform UK launch event

Richard Tice was surrounded by photographers as he arrived at Reform UK’s general election campaign launch event this morning.

We should be hearing from Mr Tice imminently.

10:51 AM BST

Richard Tice to frame July 4 as ‘The Immigration Election’

Richard Tice will launch Reform UK’s general election campaign with a press conference in central London at 11am.

It is already clear what his focus is likely to be: the party’s YouTube stream for the event has the title “2024: The Immigration Election”.

10:49 AM BST

Farage ‘could have completely transformed British politics’, says polling expert

A polling expert said Nigel Farage has missed his chance to “completely transform” British politics by not standing at the next general election, writes Dominic Penna.

Tom Lubbock, a founding director at JL Partners, pointed to a survey earlier this month which showed the former Ukip leader returning to lead Reform UK would have boosted the party’s popularity by six percentage points.

“It would have been a huge shift in the political dynamic,” Mr Lubbock said. “I imagine it will be the most important thing that happens in the first five days of the campaign.

“Not having Nigel is just going to be incredibly unhelpful for Reform because Richard Tice just isn’t as well-known. I don’t think it’ll make the blindest bit of difference to the final outcome of the campaign, but my God, you might find the Conservative Party in a much better state on the day after the election without Farage than you would otherwise.

“It makes no sense – this was Farage’s moment, he is one of the luckiest generals out there. He was gifted an electoral chance almost nobody has ever got. Maybe Nick Clegg was the last person to have such a chance to upset the status quo. He could have completely transformed British politics had he weighed in.”

10:45 AM BST

Sunak called early election to avoid Rwanda plan being ‘tested’, claims Starmer

Rishi Sunak has never believed in the Rwanda plan and has called an election early so it is not tested before the poll, Sir Keir Starmer claimed.

The Labour leader told reporters in Gillingham this morning: “Rishi Sunak clearly does not believe in his Rwanda plan. I think that’s been clear from this morning, because he’s not going to get any flights off.

“I think that tells its own story. I don’t think he’s ever believed that plan is going to work, and so he has called an election early enough to have it not tested before the election.

“We have to deal with the terrible loss of control of the border under this Government, we have to tackle the small boats that are coming across – nobody but nobody should be making that journey.

“But the serious response to that, rather than the gimmick from the Government is to smash the gangs with a new border command that will work across countries to take those gangs down and stop this vile trade.”

10:40 AM BST

Labour accuses Tories of ‘chaos and failure’ on immigration

Labour accused the Conservatives of total “chaos and failure” on immigration as the party responded to the numbers published by the Office for National Statistics today.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said: “These figures show the total Tory chaos and failure on immigration as net migration has more than trebled since Rishi Sunak and his party promised to get it down at the last election.

“14 years of Conservative failure on both the economy and immigration has led to around a 50% increase in work migration in the last year alone because they have disastrously failed to tackle skills shortages. The Tories can’t even manage to clean up their own chaos.

“Labour will bring in proper plans to link the points-based immigration system with boosting skills here at home.

“This General Election is a choice – more chaos with the Conservatives, or a Labour government that can fix the chaos and get a grip on the immigration and asylum system again. It’s time to turn the page on Tory chaos and deliver real change with Labour.”

10:36 AM BST

Labour caught off guard by July election, Burnham admits

Andy Burnham has admitted that Labour was not expecting a July election.

The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester told BBC News that it was “odd” that Rishi Sunak had not called the election on May 2, the date of the local elections.

“I guess he’s trying to surprise people,” Mr Burnham said.

“But from what I know of Labour’s operation, they, I think, were expecting the autumn but they are very ready and they have been for some time, to be honest.”

10:34 AM BST

Sunak’s ‘clear plan’ is just a ‘loose collection of soundbites’, says Burnham

Rishi Sunak’s “clear plan” for the country is nothing more than a “loose collection of soundbites”, Andy Burnham has said.

The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester told BBC News: “I do think he maybe has got the date [of the election] wrong for that reason because his troops don’t seem completely ready for it.

“But also because I don’t think people are feeling that the claims that he is making about things changing are actually coming through in the economy or in terms of his plan on immigration.

“So I do feel the Prime Minister may have made a misstep here with his choosing of the date, but also with the slogan about a clear plan. Really? Do many people feel that he’s got a clear plan other than a loose collection of soundbites?

“I think there was a plan, it was called levelling up. But that plan was torn up at the Conservative conference in Manchester last year so I think he’s made a couple of missteps.”

10:33 AM BST

James Cleverly: ‘There is more to do’ on reducing net migration

James Cleverly said today’s migration numbers from the Office for National Statistics (see the post below at 09.35) showed there was “more to do”.

But the Home Secretary insisted Tory efforts to reduce the number of people coming to the UK were working.

He said in a statement: “The latest migration statistics show a 10 per cent fall in net migration last year, with visa applications down 25 per cent so far in 2024. This shows the plan under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives is working but there is more to do. That is why we must stick to the plan, not go back to square one.

“The choice is clear in this election – sticking with our bold, clear plan to control immigration with Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives or going back to square one with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party who don’t believe in immigration controls, want an illegal immigration amnesty and have no plan to stop the boats.”

10:29 AM BST

Reader poll: Has Sunak made the right decision?

Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a general election on July 4 stunned Westminster yesterday.

The big question this morning is whether the Prime Minister has made the right choice, given the Tories are currently around 20 points behind Labour in the opinion polls.

You can have your say in our reader poll below:

10:24 AM BST

Tories: Starmer is ‘obsessed with the past’

The Tories claimed Sir Keir Starmer was “obsessed with talking about the past” as they responded to the Labour leader’s campaign launch this morning.

Richard Holden, the chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “Sir Keir Starmer does not have the conviction, courage or plan that Britain needs to secure a brighter future in a more uncertain world. He is obsessed with talking about the past because he does not have a plan for Britain’s future and would take us back to square one.

“Starmer has a track record of lacking the courage and strength to stick to his guns and that means you cannot trust him not to increase your taxes, raid your pension or burden your children with extra borrowing.

“The choice is clear: stick with the plan by choosing bold action for a safer, more secure and more prosperous future with Rishi Sunak, or go back to square one with Keir Starmer and the same old Labour.”

10:21 AM BST

Electoral Commission chief urges politicians to behave ‘responsibly’

The chief executive of the Electoral Commission has urged politicians to behave “responsibly” during the general election campaign.

Vijay Rangarajan issued a plea for people to engage “respectfully and constructively” with different viewpoints, so campaigning can take place “without anyone experiencing threats, abuse or intimidation”.

In a statement released this morning, he said: “It’s important that voters can hear from a range of voices over the coming weeks. We call on political parties, campaigners, volunteers and candidates to undertake their vital role responsibly and transparently so that voters can have confidence in the information they see and receive.

“Spending rules are in place to provide an even playing field, and we will be publishing information on donations to parties throughout the campaign for transparency.

“We also call on all campaigners to engage respectfully and constructively with opposing viewpoints. Campaigning can and should take place without anyone experiencing threats, abuse or intimidation.”

10:04 AM BST

Today’s general election campaign diary

Rishi Sunak kicked off the day with a campaign rally in Derbyshire this morning and will then go to Scotland, where he will campaign alongside Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross late this afternoon.

Sir Keir Starmer launched his campaign at Gillingham Football Club in Kent this morning, speaking alongside Angela Rayner and local Labour candidate Naushabah Khan. Further details of Labour’s plans for the day have not been disclosed.

Reform UK is giving a press conference in central London at 11am with Richard Tice, its leader, and Ann Widdecombe, its immigration spokesman.

Sir Ed Davey will later today campaign and speak for the Lib Dems in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

09:57 AM BST

Starmer tells voters: ‘If you want change you have to vote for it’

Sir Keir Starmer said voters will have the choice between “two different countries” when they cast their ballot on July 4.

Concluding his remarks at a campaign launch event in Gillingham, the Labour leader said: “This election is about a choice, two different countries, two different futures, decline and chaos continuing under the Tories or rebuilding our country under Labour.

“The power of the vote is with you. If you want change you have to vote for it.

“And if you vote Labour it is a vote to stop the chaos, it is a vote to turn the page and it is a vote to rebuild our country together.”

09:51 AM BST

Starmer asks voters for ‘opportunity to change our country’

Sir Keir Starmer said “change is hard” but “we’ve changed the Labour Party”.

“All we ask now, humbly, is the opportunity to change our country and put it back in the service of working people,” he said.

The Labour leader said delivering economic stability would be one of his main priorities.

He said that “if you lose control of the economy, it is working people who pay the price”.

09:48 AM BST

‘Nothing will change’ if Tories win five more years in power, says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer claimed “nothing will change” if the Tories win the general election as he said if the Tories lose the election they will leave office with an “absolutely unforgiveable” record.

Speaking at a rally in Gillingham, the Labour leader said: “For a government to leave after 14 years our country with living standards worse than when they started is absolutely unforgiveable.

“And what is their plan, Rishi Sunak’s plan? £46 billion of unfunded tax cuts. They haven’t learned a thing and if they get five more years they will carry on in the same way, nothing will change.

“So a vote for Labour is a vote to stop the chaos.”

09:43 AM BST

Starmer urges voters to ‘end the chaos’ at general election

Sir Keir Starmer said “voters now get to choose” as he launched Labour’s general election campaign.

Speaking at a rally in Gillingham, Sir Keir said: “At long last the election has been called. The time has come and the wait is over.”

The Labour leader said voters now have “the power, the chance, to end the chaos, to turn the page and to rebuild Britain”.

09:40 AM BST

Sir Keir Starmer launches Labour campaign in Gillingham

Sir Keir Starmer is launching the Labour Party’s general election campaign with a rally in Gillingham this morning.

Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, is introducing Sir Keir.

She said that it was “brilliant” that voters can now “finally get a say on the future of Britain because we need to turn the page”.

Ms Rayner said voters are “crying out for change”.

09:38 AM BST

I’ll work ‘damn hard’ to improve NHS, vows Sunak

Rishi Sunak has vowed to “work damn hard” to improve the NHS.

Asked at a campaign event in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, by a man who said he and his wife are on waiting lists for scans, Mr Sunak said: “I’m going to do what I think is right for the country and when I haven’t got it, done it, as well as I would have wanted to, like on the waiting lists, I’ll be straight with you about it.

“But I’m going to work damn hard to make sure I get you and your wife the treatment you need.”

09:38 AM BST

Rwanda plan ‘has been a con from start to finish’, says Cooper

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said Rishi Sunak’s admission that Rwanda flights will not take off before the next general election showed the deportation scheme “has been a con from start to finish”.

The Labour frontbencher said: “With all the hundreds of millions they have spent, it would be extraordinary if ‘symbolic flights’ didn’t take off in early July, as the Tories planned.

“But Rishi Sunak’s words confirm what we’ve known all along - he doesn’t believe this plan will work and that’s why he called the election now in the desperate hope that he won’t be found out.

“The choice at this election is between a Tory Party with no credible plan and no grip, and a Labour government that will deliver a fully funded Border Security Command to smash criminal gangs and tackle dangerous boat crossings.

“It’s time to turn the page on Tory chaos and choose a Labour government that will restore our border security.”

09:35 AM BST

Record level of migration was even higher than previously thought

Net migration was higher than previously thought, hitting a record of 764,000 in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

However, net migration, the difference between those entering the UK and leaving, fell by 10 per cent last year to 685,000.

The 685,000 total for the year to December 2023 is still the third highest on record and nearly three times the level in 2019, when the Tories pledged to reduce migration in their election manifesto.

The ONS said some 1.22 million people are estimated to have arrived in the UK in the year ending December 2023 to work, live or study, while 532,000 left.

You can read the full story here. 

09:32 AM BST

Sunak jokes ‘five years will do’ as he sets out plan to stay in No 10

Rishi Sunak said he was unlikely to be Prime Minister in 15 years’ time as he joked that “five years will do”.

The Prime Minister took part in a Q&A with workers at a company in Derbyshire this morning and one person raised the NHS treatment backlog.

Mr Sunak said: “You talked about training more doctors and nurses, we are doing that. With the best will in the world I probably won’t be your prime minister in 15 years’ time which is how long it takes to train one of these consultants.

“Five years will do. But I made that decision because you are right because we haven’t done that before.”

09:30 AM BST

Labour will put up your taxes, claims Sunak

Rishi Sunak has claimed that Labour would hike taxes if Sir Keir Starmer wins the next election.

Speaking at a campaign event in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, Mr Sunak said: “Crucially, talk about pound in your pocket, your taxes are being cut. Because of what we’ve been able to do, an average person earning £35,000 is getting a £900 tax cut.

“That’s what you get with the Conservatives, your taxes being cut so your hard work is rewarded, your family has financial security.

“That is a contrast at this election because, as I said, the Labour Party are going to spend more money, and that is just going to put your taxes up.

“There’s no other way to pay for it, they can pretend all they want. More spending equals more taxes, and I don’t want to see that happen.”

09:24 AM BST

Scottish Tories will ‘take the fight to SNP’, says Douglas Ross

Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said the party will “take the fight to the SNP”.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “The Scottish Conservatives will take the fight to the SNP, beat the nationalists in crucial seats up and down Scotland and get the focus back on what people have been telling me on the doorsteps for months that they want their governments to be focused on.

“It’s about improving our education system, investing in the NHS, it’s about growing our economy, creating good jobs, but they know that in crucial seats it’s going to be a very close fight between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP.

“If they back the Scottish Conservatives, their priorities will be at the forefront, if they back the nationalists it will be about independence.”

09:22 AM BST

McFadden questions if Sunak would remain as PM if Tories win election

Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden questioned whether Rishi Sunak would remain as prime minister if the Conservatives were to win the election.

Put to him while speaking to BBC Breakfast that Rishi Sunak’s comments about Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday were a “very personal attack”, Mr McFadden said: “We think the Tories will throw everything at this election”.

Mr McFadden added: “They’ve had 14 years, all they’re offering is five more years of the same as what we’ve had in the last 14, more chaos.

“I mean, if the Conservatives were to win, do we even know if Rishi Sunak would remain as prime minister, be subject to one of the bouts of leadership challenges that always takes them over? So we’re not surprised that they will throw personal attacks at Keir Starmer.”

09:11 AM BST

Farage says he will not stand as Reform candidate

Nigel Farage has announced he will not be standing at the general election.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the honorary president of Reform UK said he will “do my bit to help in the campaign, but it is not the right time for me to go any further than that”.

09:10 AM BST

No confidence letter rumours are ‘ridiculous’, says former minister

Tobias Ellwood labelled reports that Tory rebels had submitted letters of no confidence in Rishi Sunak to try to oust him before Parliament is dissolved as “ridiculous”.

The no confidence letter rumours were put to the former defence minister during an interview on Sky News and he said “how ridiculous is that”, adding: “If there’s one thing that will put the electorate off, it’s an absence of sense of purpose, an absence of drive, an absence of passion, an absence of unity.”

The senior Tory MP added: “Let’s go into this fight showing that we’re determined. If we go in there with any form of defeatist attitude, it will be felt by the electorate, and it will impact on whether we narrow in the polls, close in towards a hung parliament, lose well or lose badly, that is up to us, to all those people that are even considering putting in letters, I mean how daft is that.”

09:06 AM BST

Starmer ‘assuming he can waltz into No 10’, claims Sunak

Rishi Sunak claimed Sir Keir Starmer was “assuming that he can waltz into Downing Street”.

The Prime Minister told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “He doesn’t have the courage to tell the country what he is going to do on all the key issues that you and I have been talking about and he doesn’t have a plan.

“He is assuming that he can waltz into Downing Street and take the British public for granted.”

09:01 AM BST

SNP manifesto is ‘well advanced’, says Swinney

John Swinney, the SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland, said the general election announcement came as a surprise but it was welcome.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Obviously we expected there to be an election sometime during this year but I think all the signals were it was likely to be in the autumn.

“But the fact that it’s going to be now, in the next six weeks, is welcome and it gives us the opportunity to take our message to the people of Scotland that Westminster government is giving us austerity, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis and independence would give us the power to take our own decisions like re-joining the EU, ending austerity and supporting those in need and Scotland will only become independent if people vote SNP.”

Mr Swinney said all of the SNP’s candidates “are in place” and the party’s manifesto “is well advanced”.

08:53 AM BST

No Rwanda flights before election an ‘utter humiliation’ for Sunak, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats said Rishi Sunak conceding that Rwanda flights will not take off before the general election represented an “utter humiliation” for the Tory leader.

Alistair Carmichael, the party’s home affairs spokesman, said: “This is an utter humiliation and admission of defeat from a Prime Minister who has thrown millions at his failing vanity project.

“The Rwanda scheme has been an immoral and expensive disaster from day one. To think that the money already spent on this failing policy could have paid for nearly 7 million GP appointments instead just adds insult to injury.”

08:51 AM BST

Sunak admits small boat numbers are up in 2024

Rishi Sunak admitted that small boat Channel crossings had increased in 2024.

Asked if the number of arrivals was going up or coming down, the Prime Minister said there were “different ways to look at it”.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that the “last 12 months the numbers are down by about a third, the first few months of this year they are up, almost exclusively  because of a new set of arrivals from Vietnam”.

He said he believed he had made “good progress” on tackling small boat crossings and he had a “clear plan” to make further progress.

08:40 AM BST

Voting Green is ‘not a wasted vote’, says party co-leader

Voting for the Green Party is “not a wasted vote”, its co-leader Carla Denyer said this morning.

Ms Denyer said the Greens are aiming to stand in every seat across England and Wales for the first time.

Asked on BBC Breakfast how she would counter the refrain from some politicians and some voters that supporting the Greens at a general election is a wasted vote, she said: “I would simply say it’s not a wasted vote if you vote for the party whose policies you agree with, that is how democracy works.”

She added the Green Party is “aiming to stand a full slate across England and Wales” and has already selected about 95 per cent of its candidates, but will be focusing its efforts on a “handful” of seats.

08:36 AM BST

Sunak on announcing election in pouring rain: ‘It was a bit wet’

Rishi Sunak said it was “a bit wet” when he announced the general election in Downing Street yesterday but he insisted he did not regret delivering the statement outside No 10 in the pouring rain.

The Prime Minister told LBC: “I’m not going to deny that it was a bit wet. I’m not a fair-weather politician.

“I believe very strongly in the traditions of our country. And when you’re making a statement of that magnitude as Prime Minister, I believe in just doing it in the traditional way, come rain and shine, in front of the steps of Downing Street.”

08:34 AM BST

Election decision causes uncertainty on passage of key pieces of legislation

The Prime Minister could not guarantee that infected blood victims would get compensation authorised or that Martyn’s Law and the Renters Reform Bill would be passed before Parliament is prorogued ahead of the general election.

On infected blood payments, Rishi Sunak told LBC radio: “It’s because it requires a conversation with parties across Parliament, that’s why. But I will do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that we do get that through.”

It was put to him that on Wednesday, just a few hours before he called the election, he told the mother of a Manchester Arena bombing victim that Martyn’s Law in her son’s name would be introduced before the summer recess.

Mr Sunak said: “Again, these are all conversations that need to be had with other parties across Parliament.

“When Parliament dissolves, there are procedures in place to govern what can and cannot be passed…

“You have a couple more days to get the last bits of legislation through. I can’t force those through on my own.”

“It’s the same answer on all of these questions,” he said when challenged over whether the Renters Reform Bill would be completed by the end of the so-called wash-up period.

08:21 AM BST

Farage expected to attend Reform campaign launch amid announcement rumours

Nigel Farage is expected to attend Reform UK’s general election campaign launch amid speculation over whether he could announce a return to the political frontline.

The party’s honorary president said last night after Rishi Sunak announced the contest on July 4: “As for what I do, I’ll think about it overnight.”

Richard Tice, the Reform leader, is due to hold a press conference at 11am to set out his election plans.

There has been speculation that Mr Farage could stand as a Reform candidate. Such a move would represent a significant headache for the Tories as Reform attempts to win over disillusioned Conservative voters.

Mr Farage told GB News last night that there was “no commitment either way from me at the moment”.

08:18 AM BST

Voters will ‘get to know Starmer much better’ in coming weeks, says McFadden

Voters will “get to know Keir Starmer much better” in the run up to the election, Labour’s national campaign coordinator has said.

Pat McFadden said the public will see a Labour leader “driven by a patriotic idea of public service”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What people will see in the next six weeks is someone who is driven by a patriotic idea of public service. He’s got his sleeves rolled up, he’s published the first steps that he wants to enact in that event last week, and he’s ready to serve the British people.”

He added: “I think of course in a short campaign in the next six weeks where people are looking at politics more than they normally do, they will get to know Keir Starmer much better.”

08:16 AM BST

Sunak concedes no Rwanda flights before election

Flights carrying migrants to Rwanda will take off “after the election”, Rishi Sunak has conceded.

The Prime Minister told LBC: “If I’m elected, we will get the flights off.”

Pressed further on timing, he said: “No, after the election. The preparation work has already gone on.”

08:02 AM BST

Labour in ‘good shape’ in Scotland, insists Pat McFadden

The Labour Party is in “good shape” in Scotland, Pat McFadden said this morning.

Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator said Scotland could play a key role in determining the outcome of the general election on July 4.

He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: “We are in good shape in Scotland. We assume nothing, but the really critical thing is that power of the vote in Scotland to send much more than a message, to actually be part of sending a Labour government to Westminster.”

Asked whether the party would do any deals if there is a hung parliament, Mr McFadden said: “We are not doing any deals, the aim is for a majority, we know that that’s ambitious but we want to bring stability to the country and I believe that voters in Scotland have got a critical role to play in this.”

Asked whether all the party’s candidates for Scottish seats were in place, he said: “We might have a few to select but if there’s anything like that to do we’ll do it in the next few days”.

07:59 AM BST

Pictured: Sir Keir Starmer leaves his London home on first day of election campaign

07:53 AM BST

Labour election chief urges voters to ‘ignore the polls’

Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said people should “ignore the polls” and “assume nothing about the outcome” of the general election.

Put to him on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that Labour is well ahead in the polls, which would make it Labour’s election to lose, the senior MP said: “Look, I would encourage people to ignore the polls because we start this election with not a single vote being cast, not a seat being won, or lost, and we assume nothing about the outcome.

“And the basic choice will be, we can carry on with five more years of what we’ve already had for the past 14, or we can vote for change.”

07:52 AM BST

Scottish Greens will stand at least 31 candidates at general election

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said the party will stand at least 31 candidates, more than ever before in Scotland.

She told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Having Scottish Greens in the room at every hustings, at every media event, means that the climate and nature emergencies get a look-in because without us there they tend to get forgotten altogether.”

Asked whether there is a concern that Scottish Greens standing in a greater number of seats might split the independence vote, she said that is “kind of neither here nor there”.

Asked whether any deals could be done in areas where it is very tight between the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives, for example, and whether the Scottish Greens might step out of the way, she said: “There has been no discussions of deals, there are no deals of that kind, we’ve already chosen our candidates.”

07:51 AM BST

Sunak appears to admit Rwanda flights will not take off before election

Rishi Sunak has appeared to admit that the first Rwanda flights will not take off before the general election on July 4.

He said the first Rwanda flights “will go in July” if the Tories win the election and “we have already put the preparations in place for that”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “If I’m re-elected as Prime Minister on July 5, these flights will go, we will get our Rwanda scheme up and running.”

The Prime Minister said that if Sir Keir Starmer wins the election “we won’t have that programme, we won’t have that scheme, we won’t have a deterrent”.

He claimed that under Labour there would be “no change” on the small boats crisis.

07:42 AM BST

PM denies he called election to get ahead of bad economic and migrant data

Rishi Sunak denied that he had called the general election on July 4 to get ahead of potentially damaging economic and migration numbers.

It was suggested to the Prime Minister during an interview on BBC Breakfast that the “real reason” he had opted to go to the country earlier than many people anticipated was because inflation could rise later in the year and migration numbers could also get worse.

He replied: “No, no, that is not the real reason. When it comes to the economy, of course I know there is more work to do.”

On migration, Mr Sunak said that he had a “clear plan” to tackle small boats Channel crossings.

07:34 AM BST

Sunak guarantees Rwanda flights will take off if he wins election

Rishi Sunak said the “penny is dropping” across Europe that his Rwanda plan is the right approach to tackling illegal migration as he guaranteed deportation flights will take off if he wins the general election.

He said the Rwanda plan “is going to work” and it showed that he was “prepared to do bold things for our country”.

He told GB News: “If you elect me, if I am Prime Minister on July 5, those flights will go off to Rwanda and we will begin to put in place the deterrent that we need to stop the boats because there is no way to stop this problem unless you can have a deterrent.”

07:29 AM BST

Starmer would make UK ‘soft touch of Europe’ on illegal migration, claims Sunak

Sir Keir Starmer would make the UK the “soft touch of Europe” on illegal migration and would do “absolutely nothing” to stop small boat Channel crossings, Rishi Sunak claimed this morning.

The Prime Minister said much of Europe was now backing his Rwanda migrant deportation plan and the “only person that doesn’t is Keir Starmer”.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Sunak said: “Everyone else is starting to agree with my approach which is bold. The one person that doesn’t is Keir Starmer.

“That is a choice at this election. He thinks that we should just offer an amnesty to illegal migrants, to make us a soft touch of Europe, it would make us a magnet for thousands of migrants coming from everywhere.”

He added: “It is pretty clear that on this issue, not only does he not share the country’s values that it is a problem, he is going to do absolutely nothing about it.”

Sir Keir has said he would scrap the Rwanda plan. One of his six main election pledges is to set up a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators to tackle smuggling gangs.

07:22 AM BST

Time to ‘talk properly about the future’, says Sunak

It was suggested to Rishi Sunak that his decision to call the general election at a time when the Tories are 20 points behind Labour in the polls was something akin to the “Charge of the Light Brigade”.

The Tory leader said that “it is clear that the economy has turned a corner”, with inflation now “back to normal” and the economy is growing again.

He said it was now time to “talk properly about the future”.

He told GB News: “I am clear that it is only me, it is only the Conservative Party that has a record of bold action, that has got a clear plan and that is how we are going to deliver a secure future for the country.”

07:18 AM BST

Sunak says he chose July 4 because ‘economic stability has been restored’

Rishi Sunak is starting his day by answering questions on GB News.

Asked why he had chosen to hold the election on July 4,  the Prime Minister said that “economic stability is now returning to the country” and it was “clear that we have turned a corner”.

Speaking in Derby, he said: “So now is the moment to look to the future and the world is clearly in a more uncertain place than it has been in decades and the question for the country is, the choice at this election is, who has got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future for you and your family.

“That is the choice at this election, now that the economic stability has been restored we can turn to that question and that is the conversation I look forward to having.”

07:14 AM BST

Lib Dem manifesto not ready yet

The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto is “very advanced” but not yet ready, the party’s deputy leader has said.

Daisy Cooper told LBC: “Our ideas are fairly advanced but, as you won’t be surprised to hear, given the announcement yesterday was a bit of a surprise, there’s a little bit of work to do to cross the Ts and dot the Is.”

She also said her party would be “focusing our resources” on areas “where we’re in the best position” to beat Tory MPs.

“There are 80 seats around the country where Liberal Democrats are in second place to the Conservatives, and it’s in those areas where in order to beat the Conservative MP, people need to vote for the Liberal Democrats,” she said.

07:11 AM BST

Lib Dems categorically rule out election pact with any other party

The Liberal Democrats have categorically ruled out making any general election deals with any of the other political parties.

Daisy Cooper, the party’s deputy leader, said there would “absolutely not” be any pacts during the campaign which begins in earnest today.

However, she swerved questions about whether the Lib Dems would be open to forming a government with Labour afterwards.

Ms Cooper told LBC: “There have never been any pacts and there won’t be any pacts because we don’t need any pacts.”

On whether the Lib Dems would hold government-forming talks with Labour if it comes short of a majority, she said: “I’m not going to think about anything that happens after 10pm on polling day.

“We are completely focused on winning as many votes as possible and beating Conservative MPs right now.”

07:10 AM BST

Sunak and Starmer to kick off general election campaigns

The leaders of the UK’s political parties will kick off their general election campaigns in earnest today after Rishi Sunak triggered the national contest on July 4.

Mr Sunak will do a mini broadcast round before embarking on a two-day whistlestop tour of all four UK nations.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, will head to the south east England in a sign he wants to make inroads in Tory areas.

Richard Tice, the Reform UK leader, will hold a press conference in London setting out his party’s plans while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is expected to visit one of his party’s target seats.