General Election campaigning remains suspended as terror threat level raised

Updated

The major party leaders' campaigns for the June 8 General Election will remain suspended after the terror threat level was raised to its highest level following the Manchester attack.

Prime Minister Theresa May will continue handling the response to the atrocity, chairing another meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday morning.

The campaigns of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat counterpart Tim Farron will also remain paused.

The Tories said they would not be campaigning at local or national level on Wednesday after Mrs May announced that the terror threat level was being increased from severe to critical - meaning another attack could be imminent.

Mrs May spoke to Mr Corbyn in the hours after the bomb attack which killed 22 in Manchester, and agreed to put the contest on hold until further notice.

The two leaders are understood to have remained in regular contact about the situation, the worst terrorist incident ever during a general election period.

Labour confirmed its events planned for Wednesday had been cancelled.

"The Labour Party's General Election campaign remains suspended until further notice," a party spokesman said.

But while the ceasefire in the national battle remains in place, Labour said its candidates could use their discretion to participate in low-key events in their constituencies.

Labour's Mike Gapes, who hopes to return to Parliament in the Ilford South seat, said: "We must not allow murderous terrorists to undermine our democratic society. I will be resuming political campaigning tomorrow morning."

The Liberal Democrats said the party's campaign remained suspended.

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