General election latest: PM laughs off washout election launch; Starmer on why he wants to lower voting age (2024)

Why are so many Tory MPs going? Is it because they read the opinion polls and believe their party's time is up and they don't fancy the hard slog and often unrewarding grind of opposition?

There's a famous quote attributed to James Callaghan, during the 1979 general election campaign, shortly before Labour was swept from power by Margaret Thatcher.

"You know there are times, perhaps once every 30 years, when there is a sea-change in politics," avuncular "Sunny Jim" observed shrewdly to his close aide Bernard Donoughue.

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The Conservatives have "failed" on water pollution issues and let big companies "off the hook", Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.

Hitting the campaign trail in Chichester, West Sussex, the party leader said the public are "alarmed" about the damage being done to rivers and seas in the UK.

He donned a red lifejacket (safety first!) on a visit to Birdham Pool Marina alongside parliamentary candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.

In the run-up to the general election, the Lib Dems have unveiled plans to abolish the regulator, Ofwat, and introduce a new one to tackle the sewage crisis.

The party claims its analysis shows water company bosses have received some £54m in bonuses since 2019.

According to the Environment Agency, sewage spills into England's rivers and seas more than doubled in 2023 with 3.6 million hours of spills last year - equal to about 400 years - compared with 1.75 million hours in 2022.

Rishi Sunak has posted pictures of himself campaigning in Wimbledon today, after holding a breakfast with veterans in Yorkshire.

"It's clear what the British people want - bold action and a clear plan. That's what we will deliver," he wrote on X.

The images come after Labour accused the prime minister of taking a day off from the election trail.

The Unite union has criticised Labour's package of workers rights for having "more holes in it than Swiss cheese".

General secretary Sharon Graham accused the party of watering down its policies after rebranding "Labour's new deal for working people" as "Labour's plan to make work pay".

Reports suggested it could go through a formal consultation process with businesses, potentially toning down the pledges, but Sir Keir Starmer has insisted the package was the "most significant set of protections for a generation".

Ms Graham said: "The number of caveats and get-outs means it is in danger of becoming a bad bosses' charter.

"Working people expect Labour to be their voice. They need to know that Labour will not back down to corporate profiteers determined to maintain the status quo of colossal profits at the expense of everyone else.

"The country desperately needs a Labour government, but the party must show it will stick to its guns on improving workers' rights."

Elements of the deal include a "right to switch off", a proposed ban on zero hours contracts and stronger employment rights from day one of a new job.

Sir Keir told the BBC: "We have come to an agreement with the trade unions on the new deal for working people.

"There’s been no watering down. This is the most significant set of protections for a generation.

"It's also something which I think employers and good businesses would say, 'looking at the detail of it, this is what we're doing in good businesses.'"

Labour and the Conservatives have been going back and forth since this morning over whether Rishi Sunak has taken a day off from the campaign.

The prime minister met with veterans for breakfast this morning but his plans for the rest of the day have not been publicly confirmed on the first weekend since the election was called.

After Labour MP Stella Creasy said Mr Sunak was taking a "duvet day", a Tory source hit back, insisting he was leading "from the front", having done 51 interviews since the campaign started.

Separately, Conservative minister Bim Afolami pointed to the breakfast in Mr Sunak's constituency as evidence he was on the trail, but now Labour has accused Mr Sunak of "hiding away in his mansion".

Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: "While Rishi Sunak spends today hiding away in his mansion, Liz Truss is yet again reminding voters that he has no control over his party and desperate Jeremy Hunt is making more completely unfunded promises."

Liz Truss, who was responsible for the 2022 mini-budget, said in an interview with the Telegraph that Mr Sunak should scrap all net zero targets in order to win the election.

"Five more years of the Tories will mean more of this chaos – with the British public left paying the price every single day."

Rishi Sunak is expected to be out campaigning tomorrow.

By Gurpreet Narwan,political correspondent

Richard Tice could only command an audience of about 17 at the Vine Hotel in Skegness, where he is hoping to become an MP.

It's an inauspicious start.

Reform UK is eyeing up Brexiteers. 75% of people here voted to leave the European Union and people here are among the least likely to regret that decision.

However, Reform is unlikely to overturn the Tories' majority, which stands at about 25,000.

The polls suggest there's just one point between Labour and the Conservatives but a boost for Reform could deliver that victory to Labour.

It's a pattern that could play out in key hotspots across the country - that's what Labour will be hoping at least.

What are the rules on voter ID?How does tactical voting work? In what different ways can you cast your ballot?

The countdown to the election is on - and already the amount of information can seem overwhelming.

We cut through the noise to bring you what you need to know, from registering to vote, to election day and what happens next.

Read on here...

The shadow chancellor says Labour's manifesto is "ready" to be published.

Rachel Reeves went on to criticise government plans for "uncosted, unfunded tax cuts" on a campaign visit to a supermarket in west London.

She suggested the Conservatives would cause a repeat of Liz Truss's mini-budget in 2022.

"I want taxes on working people to be lower, but the Conservatives have now put forward a number of un-costed, unfunded tax cuts similar to what Liz Truss did just 18 months ago."

She continued: "The risk of another five years of Conservatives is that they do exactly the same thing all over again."

Earlier this month, Jeremy Hunt said the tax burden would go down under a Conservative government.

He signalled a desire to cut taxes in the autumn, following the 2p cut to national insurance at the spring budget, and to scrap national insurance altogether in the future.

He called accusations that scrapping national insurance would create a £46bn funding gap and lead to higher taxes on pensioners "fake news".

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he wants 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to cast a ballot.

"Yes, I want to see both 16 and 17-year-olds. If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote," he said, speaking at Marston Road, the stadium of Stafford Rangers FC.

Yesterday, party sources told The Times they would be "extremely surprised" if the policy wasn't in its first King's Speech if it comes to power.

There are more than 1.5 million 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK, which would increase the voting-age population by roughly 3%.

Scotland and Wales have already lowered the voting age to 16 for local elections and in those for the regional parliaments.

In 2014, 16 and 17-year-olds were able to vote in the Scottish independence referendum.

Rishi Sunak is not the only leader drinking tea on the campaign trail this morning.

Sir Keir Starmer has been pictured stopping for a hot drink with voters in the West Midlands.

In a shock win, Labour challenger Richard Parker beat incumbent Andy Street to become the next mayor of the combined authority on 2 May.

Mr Starmer was seen walking with Labour's candidate for nearby Stafford, Leigh Ingham, and speaking to residents.