Sunak cancels media questions in wake of D-Day debacle

Rishi Sunak appeared to be avoiding questions from the media on Saturday’s campaign trail in the wake of his early departure from D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

The Prime Minister did not take questions from the media while touring County Durham and Yorkshire as was originally planned, with the Tories citing time constraints.

He spoke with volunteers away from public view at a walled garden at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, before attending a village fete in Great Ayton, a North Yorkshire village in his Richmond constituency.

The opportunity to question Mr Sunak which had been expected by journalists was called off as the D-Day row continued.

Labour criticised Mr Sunak for “ducking the cameras and dodging” media questions on the campaign trail on Saturday.

Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: “If Rishi Sunak is going to come out with yet another desperate wish list of manifesto proposals this weekend, the least he can do is face up to proper public scrutiny over how he plans to pay for them, what the impact on people’s finances will be, and when he intends to deliver on the first set of pledges he made to the British people 18 months ago.

“But instead, he has spent the day ducking the cameras and dodging all those legitimate questions - just another farcical episode in this calamitous Conservative campaign. It’s time to turn the page on this chaos, and vote for change with Labour on 4 July.”

It came after Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, said Mr Sunak had made a “mistake” by skipping the D-Day event and Penny Mordaunt branded the decision “completely wrong”.

Mr Sunak was forced to apologise for leaving France before an international ceremony attended by world leaders including US President Joe Biden to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings.

Sir Ed Davey said people were “flabbergasted” by the Prime Minister’s decision, which was “such a letdown for our whole country and our history, particularly for our brave veterans”.

The Liberal Democrats leader said: “I share the concerns of veterans and people across the country who feel really let down and are upset, and indeed some very angry,” he told the PA news agency during a visit to Newbury.

Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer said it was his “duty” to thank veterans at the D-Day event the Prime Minister skipped.

06:00 PM BST

That’s all for today

That’s all for today. Thanks for following our live election coverage.

Check the website for the latest updates.

05:39 PM BST

What’s happening tomorrow?

The Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride; Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader; and SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn are set to be on the Sunday morning broadcast round.

Sir Keir and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney are expected to hit the campaign trail while Scottish Tory deputy leader Meghan Gallacher is out and about in Perthshire.

05:31 PM BST

Mark my words: Reform will be the next opposition, then government awaits, says Farage

“Lifelong Conservative voters have never been more disillusioned with their party,” writes Nigel Farage in The Telegraph.

The Reform UK leader continued: “The surprise victory of David Cameron over David Davis in the leadership election of 2005 set the Tories on a course from which it may not recover.

“That is why this is the moment for Reform UK, my party, to replace the Tories for good.”

Read the full story here. 

05:22 PM BST

A child reaches for Sir Keir Starmer’s glasses during visit to Harlesden Town Garden, north west London

05:09 PM BST

Labour planning a dozen secret tax rises, says Chief Secretary of the Treasury

Labour is planning a dozen secret tax rises, according to the Chief Secretary of the Treasury.

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer today insisted there “won’t be any surprises on tax” under a Labour government.

Despite this, Laura Trott, Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: “Keir Starmer has not only made promises that will hike up taxes on hardworking families by £2,094 to fill his £38.5 billion black hole, but he and his Shadow Chancellor are now also planning 12 secret tax rises which they are hiding from voters.”

She added: “The question for Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves is clear: what are the 12 tax rises planned for later this year that Labour won’t put in their manifesto?

“Only the Conservatives have a clear plan to take the bold action needed to cut taxes and end the double tax on work, putting more money in people’s pockets and creating a brighter and more secure future for the British people.”

04:49 PM BST

Prime Minister plays splat the rat at fete

Rishi Sunak played splat the rat at a village fete in Great Ayton, Yorkshire, while on the General Election campaign trail today.

In the classic game, a rat-shaped object is dropped by its “tail” down a near vertical tube without warning and the player attempts to strike it with a bat before it falls to the ground.

Mr Sunak appeared to swing and miss as the rat plummeted down the tube and onto the ground.

04:28 PM BST

Sir Ed Davey plays crazy golf on campaign trail

Sir Ed Davey was pictured playing crazy golf at Wokingham Family Golf in Berkshire while on the General Election campaign trail.

In recent weeks, the Liberal Democrat leader has fallen multiple times from a paddleboard into Windermere, cycled down a steep Welsh hill and slid down a water slide in Somerset.

Flipping burgers in a back garden on the campaign trail in Wiltshire on Thursday, Sir Ed insisted that his events were designed to make important points to voters.

He said: “So, in the Lake District, we were talking about sewage and the fact that the Conservatives have allowed water companies to pump their filthy sewage into precious environments like the Lakes, or our rivers and our beaches, and we’re campaigning about that.

“When I came down that slide with those children, that was about mental health – the mental health of our children and young people – which has again been ignored by the Conservatives.”

04:14 PM BST

Starmer insists ‘no surprises on tax’ under Labour

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted there “won’t be any surprises on tax” under a Labour government.

His comments come after the Tories have repeatedly said Labour has a £38.5 billion black hole in their spending promises which would necessitate a £2,000 tax raid on each UK household.

However, during a campaign visit in Camden, north London, today, Sir Keir promised he would not raise taxes, aside from those already proposed.

He said: “There won’t be any surprises on tax. All of our plans are fully costed, fully funded, none of them involving tax rises over and above those that we have already set out.”

The Prime Minister previously highlighted a Treasury analysis that suggested there was a major black hole in Labour’s spending approach, arguing it would inevitably lead to higher taxes.

Sir Keir denied the claims and accused Mr Sunak of breaking the ministerial code and lying.

Mr Sunak denied that he misled the public over the warning.

04:12 PM BST

Frost helps launch Braverman campaign

Lord Frost helped launch Suella Braverman’s campaign to be elected in Fareham today.

Posting a picture of himself and Ms Braverman holding ice creams, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “If you’re in Fareham & Waterlooville constituency, vote Suella on July 4.”

03:43 PM BST

Sir Keir Starmer potting plants with leader of Camden Council Georgia Gould

02:43 PM BST

Sunak warm welcome in North Yorkshire

Rishi Sunak received a largely warm welcome from villagers at a fete in Great Ayton, a North Yorkshire village in his Richmond constituency.

The Prime Minister met stall holders, chatted with members of the public and played a game of  “splat the rat”.

He was welcomed by applause from some who appeared to be local Conservative members, but a consultant who identified herself as only Chloe to the PA news agency asked the Prime Minister about the NHS backlog as he arrived.

The doctor, who said she recently rejoined Labour ahead of the election, said she “wanted to know what his plan is for waiting lists” and claimed the Government had left the NHS “completely unprepared” for the pandemic.

Elsewhere at the fete, children shouted “we love you Rishi” and filmed the Prime Minister as he visited a stall fronted by gift bags which read “Wine or Surprise”.

02:21 PM BST

More than three million people watched the BBC election debate

The BBC General Election debate between seven senior political party figures was watched by more than three million viewers, the broadcaster has said.

An average audience of 3.2 million tuned in across BBC One and the BBC News Channel on Friday evening to watch the politicians clash over D-Day and support for war veterans, immigration and the state of the NHS, according to overnight ratings.

The line-up for the first multi-party debate in this year’s campaign featured Penny Mordaunt, the Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

02:12 PM BST

Sunak visits Bishop Auckland on campaign trail

The Prime Minister visited a walled garden at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, on Saturday’s campaign trail.

An opportunity for the media to ask questions of Rishi Sunak did not take place as was originally planned.

It comes after Mr Sunak  faced backlash for leaving a D-Day commemorations early in Normandy on Friday.

At the garden, Mr Sunak spoke with volunteers Margaret Lambert and Hilary Bellwood, who encouraged him to apply for an allotment garden.

He also watered plants with Jane MacBean, Conservative candidate for Bishop Auckland.

Members of the public could be seen gathered at a hillside above the garden to try and catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister within.

02:00 PM BST

Starmer to overhaul business rates to ‘level the playing field’

Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to level the playing field for small businesses as he pledged to overhaul the business rates system.

The Labour leader said: “We want to replace them with a system that works better, because at the moment there’s not a level playing field between businesses that are online and those that are sort of bricks and mortar.

“It’s been a problem for a long time, the Government hasn’t fixed it and small businesses have all gone through a really hard time in recent years.

“So, that’s our plan, we want small businesses to thrive because they are the backbone of our economy and they need that stability in our economy, and they need to know that their energy bills are actually going to be lower and stable.”

01:37 PM BST

Labour’s GB Energy plan ‘very popular’, says Starmer

Labour’s GB Energy plan is “very popular” with small businesses, Sir Keir Starmer has claimed.

Speaking at 3 Locks Brewery in Camden, the Labour leader said: “Everybody must remember for a small business you put your money in, you put yourself in, you put your whole self in, and they take risks.

“They’ve had a really hard time with this Government in recent years, so our plan is to support small businesses and give them that chance that they need.

“That does involve replacing rates, because business rates put a real drag on businesses. It also involves stabilising the economy, of course, and Great British Energy, because what’s come up here, comes up with all small businesses, energy is too expensive.

“What you can’t have if you run a small business is sort of costs that you can’t control, so Great British Energy, a publicly-owned company for renewables, is very, very popular with small businesses.”

01:22 PM BST

Farage won Friday’s election debate, a poll finds

Nigel Farage won Friday night’s seven-way BBC election debate, according to a poll.

A snap poll of 1,031 voters by More in Common found most thought Mr Farage won the debate, followed by Angela Rayner. Mr Farage received 25 per cent of the vote while Ms Rayner received 19 per cent.

The Green Party’s Carla Denyer was the third most popular with 11 per cent, Stephen Flynn for SNP received 10 per cent and Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, took 7 per cent of the vote. Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth took 5 per cent and 2  per cent respectively.

The debate saw Britain’s main seven political parties clash ahead of the general election on July 4.

Mr Farage, who returned to frontline politics for Reform this week and is standing as an MP in Clacton, challenged his political rivals on immigration and net zero policies.

01:07 PM BST

Reform UK membership has reached 40,000, says Farage

Nigel Farage has said Reform UK membership has surpassed 40,000 today.

Posting a video of himself on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: “Reform UK membership has reached 40,000 in the last hour. Something is happening out here. “

01:04 PM BST

Sir Keir says it was his ‘duty’ to thank veterans at D-Day commemoration

Sir Keir Starmer has said it was his “duty” to thank veterans at the international D-Day event which the Prime Minister skipped.

He did not answer a question on whether Rishi Sunak’s apology was enough.

On a campaign visit to 3 Locks Brewing Company, a canal-side craft brewery in Camden, the Labour leader told broadcasters: “I thought it was very important to be there myself as leader of the Labour Party.

“I took a little bit of time on Thursday just to contemplate what it must have been like for those young men to run up the beach at 17, 18, 19 years old, into gunfire. And of course, this was Allied troops. This was different countries all working together, that international effort, and to consider that they didn’t share a uniform, they didn’t share flags, they didn’t share a language, but what they did share was a determination to carry out the task that was asked of them, which led to the liberation of Europe.

“I found that very, very moving. I thought it was my duty to thank the veterans who were there on their own behalf, but also on behalf of those that didn’t return.”

12:44 PM BST

Starmer meets first time voters in north London

Sir Keir Starmer has met young people in north London who are voting for the first time this year.

The Labour leader pulled the first pint of the day at 10.55am at 3 Locks Brewery in Camden.

Scrapping the Rwanda scheme, helping young adults through the cost-of-living crisis and bettering education were key priorities for the students he spoke to.

Sir Keir was heard saying “if all else fails”, he will be back at the brewery on July 5.

12:35 PM BST

People are ‘flabbergasted’ by Sunak’s decision to skip D-Day event

People are “flabbergasted” by Rishi Sunak’s decision to skip a D-Day event, the Liberal Democrats leader has said.

Asked whether he was buoyed by the fiasco potentially boosting his party’s electoral prospects, Sir Ed Davey told the PA news agency during a visit to Newbury: “No, I share the concerns of veterans and people across the country who feel really let down and are upset, and indeed some very angry.

“One of the best privileges of being a prime minister is to represent our country at these important events that mean so much to people.

“D-Day was one of the most important dates in our country’s history. It was the 80th anniversary. Some of those veterans will never, ever see a major commemoration again.

“I think people are just flabbergasted by what the Prime Minister did.”

12:08 PM BST

Pictured: Sir Ed Davey plays tennis

11:51 AM BST

Lib Dems are not a party of nimbys, says Sir Ed Davey

Sir Ed Davey has denied that the Liberal Democrats are the party of nimbys for focusing on national parks amid a housing crisis and low economic growth.

The Lib Dems vowed to plough £50 million a year into maintaining three new national parks in their latest policy offer.

He said: “No, far from it. You’ll see when we publish our manifesto we’ve got ambitious plans on housing as well, but the right houses in the right places.

“But people don’t just want houses, they want to know that there’s the environment there to enjoy. And investing in the environment is right to deal with the nature crisis.”

He accused the Conservatives of being the party of nimbys, “but they’re also the party of developers”.

Sir Ed added: “They have a developer-led approach. We have a community-led approach.”

11:35 AM BST

Sunak ‘letdown whole country’ over D-Day, Sir Ed Davey said

Sir Ed Davey has said Rishi Sunak’s snub of a major international D-Day event was “a letdown for our whole country”.

On a campaign visit to Victoria Park in Newbury, Berkshire, the Liberal Democrats leader told broadcasters: “I’ve felt pretty cross about this. I’ve talked to veterans and they feel quite angry. So, I think they need to do more.”

He urged the Conservatives to give some of the cash donated to the party by Frank Hester, a businessman who was embroiled in a racism row, to charity.

“I think the Conservative Party should give £5 million of that donation to a veterans charity. I think if they did that, then people might be able to draw the line.

“But it’s such a letdown for our whole country and our history, particularly for our brave veterans.”

11:17 AM BST

Angela Rayner mocked for accusing Penny Mordaunt of ‘abstract failure’

Angela Rayner was mocked after she criticised the Tories for 14 years of “abstract failure”.

Responding to Penny Mordaunt’s criticism of Labour’s net zero policies at Friday’s BBC general election debate, the deputy Labour leader hit back at the Conservative government record.

Ms Rayner said: “I asked the people to look at their record, and [the Tories] constantly spout these lies that [Labour] is going to stop people’s cars, that we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that, when really the reason they say that is their 14 years of abstract failure.

“[The Conservatives] have failed the British people and people can see that.”

Online commentators speculated that Ms Rayner meant “abject failure”, defined as a complete failure or failure to the maximum extent possible.

Read the full story here. 

10:49 AM BST

Key moments from last night’s debate

Here are a eight key moments from last night’s seven-way BBC debate.

• Labour’s defence credibility ‘is shot’

Ms Mordaunt lambasted Ms Rayner on defence saying “Labour’s credibility is shot” because Vladimir Putin would never believe Sir Keir Starmer would push the button.

•  PM’s D-Day actions wrong

Ms Mordaunt also apologised over the Prime Minister’s decision to leave the D-Day commemorations early.

• NHS model questioned

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said that Britain needed to “change the funding model” for the NHS and adopt a French-style system.

• Population crisis from immigration

Mr Farage warned that Britain was living through a “population crisis” that is “making us poorer”.

• Labour challenged over taxes

Ms Mordaunt challenged Ms Rayner to explain how Labour would fund its big spending policies without tax rises in a fiery exchange.

• A new voting system

Mr Farage called for proportional representation as he called for a change in the UK voting system.

• Hostile environment

Ms Mordaunt mocked Ms Rayner over claims that Labour’s new company Great British Energy will not produce any electricity.

• Tackling knife crime

“You can go shoplifting now, any of you,” Mr Farage told BBC audiences as he advocated for more stop and search powers while answering a question about crime allegedly rising in England and Wales by 8 per cent since 2019.

10:08 AM BST

Election style tracker: Penny Mordaunt’s ‘Texan blow-dry’

It might seem like a trifling point, compared to the heavy hitting policies and the small matter of the future of the country, but what Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak choose to wear on the campaign trail is weighted with meaning.

Image is everything in politics – see the damage done by that bacon sandwich when Ed Miliband was running a decade ago – so how politicians present themselves can make all the difference.

Almost two weeks into the campaign, Sunak and Starmer’s style choices have already made headlines, from Sunak donning a £750 rucksack to visit Cornwall and thus sending an accidental reminder of his luxury lifestyle with a billionaire father-in-law.

Starmer has attempted a workaday approach, but raised eyebrows when it was pointed out that his black jacket was by Paris brand Sandro and cost £500.

Read the full story here.

09:28 AM BST

Farage feeds on the fish he shot in a barrel at the Hunger Games

he BBC leaders’ debate was a bit like Voltaire’s description of the Holy Roman Empire. It was neither a debate nor did it involve actual leaders, writes Parliamentary Sketchwriter Madeline Grant.

A seemingly random selection of people, from Nigel Farage and Angela Rayner to Carla Denyer and Rhun ap Iorwerth (no, me neither) were gathered into a large mausoleum-like space and encouraged to bellow at each other. Think Fifteen to One meets the Hunger Games.

Adding to the sense of “80s game show” about the whole affair was Penny Mordaunt’s bouffant; pure Dallas, with just a hint of Mrs Thatcher.

It was like something from a nature documentary; designed to intimidate shorter, balder candidates, like Stephen Flynn and the woman from the Green Party.

Read the full story here.

09:21 AM BST

Small businesses on Saturday

Labour has pledged to “pull up the shutters” for small businesses and will unveil a series of policies to attract entrepreneurs.

Among its pledges are a business rates overhaul, a plan to accelerate the establishment of banking hubs, and an antisocial behaviour crackdown to “revitalise” high streets.

09:15 AM BST

Conservative candidates hit the road

The Conservatives are hitting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s home turf, so expect to see the big blue battle bus somewhere in Yorkshire.

The party previewed its “Backing Drivers Bill” overnight, which Transport Secretary Mark Harper said would support drivers “in the face of Labour politicians desperate to tax them off the roads” - banning Wales-style blanket 20mph limits and reversing the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expansion from inner into outer London.

08:52 AM BST

Transport Secretary agrees Sunak made mistake over D-Day

The Transport Secretary has said he agreed with Rishi Sunak that it was a mistake to leave D-Day events early.

Asked whether he agreed with fellow Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt’s assessment that it was “completely wrong”, Mark Harper told BBC Breakfast on Saturday: “I don’t know what the detail was of putting the Prime Minister’s schedule together, which, as he said, was done some time ago before the election campaign was called.

“But look, it was a mistake. People make mistakes. The Prime Minister has made a mistake. He’s apologised for it. And he’s apologised to those that would have been particularly hurt by it.”

Mr Harper also said: “I agree with the words that he set out in his remarks yesterday when he was interviewed about it.”

08:48 AM BST

Telegraph readers have their say

Following the debate, Telegraph columnist Sherelle Jacobs argued “Nigel Farage may just have made real inroad”, whereas writer Tom Harris suggested it was Stephen Flynn and Rhun ap Iorwerth “representing nationalists in Scotland and Wales who fared best”.

Telegraph readers also weighed in with their verdict. An exclusive Telegraph poll showed 59 per cent of over 75,000 readers thought Nigel Farage came out on top, followed by Penny Mordaunt with 17 per cent of readers’ votes.

Many readers were impressed by the leader of Reform’s performance, arguing he was the only one who spoke sense when discussing important issues such as the state of the NHS, immigration and knife crime.

Reader M.F. argued “this has been an excellent night for Reform” with “Farage managing to get some good points across” whilst “everyone else was squabbling”.

Read the full story here. 

08:46 AM BST

Pugnacious Farage lands blows that leave rivals reeling in BBC election debate

They say you should never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel, and that adage should now include never picking a fight with someone who has their own TV show, writes Associate Editor Gordon Rayner.

Nigel Farage, unleashed into a live debate for the first time this election, was polished, pugnacious and popular.

Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the Commons, made a decent fist of trying to keep up with him, but hamstrung by the reality of 14 years in Government, she was elbowed into second place by the charismatic Reform UK leader.

Read the full story here. 

08:43 AM BST

Head of UK’s Armed Forces refuses to criticise Sunak over D-Day decision

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, head of the UK’s Armed Forces, declines to criticise Rishi Sunak over his decision to leave D-Day commemorations early.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, he said: “I don’t think it’s for me to comment on those political aspects... it’s a contentious political issue”.

Rishi Sunak has apologised for leaving D-Day commemorations in Normandy early to head back to the UK to carry out a general election TV interview.

The Prime Minister tweeted “it was a mistake” not to stay in France for the international event after he had attended the earlier British ceremony in Normandy.

Mr Sunak has come under intense criticism after it emerged he missed the event with fellow world leaders to head back to the UK for an ITV interview.

08:42 AM BST

Good morning and welcome

Good morning and welcome to The Telegraph’s live general election coverage.

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