Election latest: Abbott makes cut for Labour after Starmer's admission; ex-Reform leader making 'painful discovery' about Farage (2024)

Faiza Shaheen, the former Labour candidate forChingford and Woodford Green, has confirmed that she has resigned from the party today.

She said the decision came with a "heavy heart", adding: "I will not beg and grovel to earn my place - I want to be treated as an equal and with the respect afforded to others".

It comes after she was blocked from being the party's candidate in the constituency that's been held by prominent Tory Iain Duncan Smith.

It added to accusations that Sir Keir Starmer was engaging in a purge of Labour's left-wing.

You can read her statement in full here:

Rishi Sunak has just been spotted arriving at Manchester Piccadilly station ahead of a televised debate with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tonight.

It's the first time we've seen Mr Sunak today, as he has likely been busy preparing for this evening's debate.

This pic was snapped by our chief political correspondent Jon Craig.

John Swinney, leader of the SNP and Scottish first minister, has insisted he should be involved in tonight's leaders' debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.

The two men are going head-to-head on ITV, but Mr Swinney says he should be there too "because I'm the leader of the third-largest party in the UK".

He added: "We're not living in a presidency. We're living in a parliamentary democracy."

Mr Swinney said the Tory and Labour leaders "agree on an awful lot" and "want to do the same things", pointing to bringing migration down and economic restraints.

"We should have a different voice in there, a voice really against austerity. And that should be my voice."

The Tories have today announced a proposal to cap the number of migrant visas being issued to bring down immigration.

But according to our economics and data editor Ed Conway, there's no sign such a plan would have the desired impact.

And despite several public "misconceptions" about migration levels in the UK, the figure has never been as high as now.

Watch Ed go through the data below:

Nigel Farage is in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, today - launching his election campaign as the new leader of Reform UK.

He is also now the party's candidate in the constituency - his eighth attempt at winning a parliamentary seat since 1994.

He has not yet been successful.

But some locals don't seem thrilled that Mr Farage has gained candidacy in the constituency.

A group have been spotted holding a banner reading: "Farage not welcome here."

The other candidates for Clacton are:

• Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labour;
  
• Giles Watling, Conservatives;
• Natasha Osben, Greens;
  
• Matthew Bensilum, Lib Dems.

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow immigration minister, has accused the Tories of breaking "every single election commitment on immigration since 2010".

He was responding to Tory candidate Danny Kruger appearing to admit this is the case in a private recording obtained by LBC, saying "migration has risen every single time" the Conservatives pledged to reduce it.

Mr Kinnock said the Tories were now "admitting what the public already know" both "in public and in private".

On cutting immigration, he said they have been "promising pots of gold and delivering magic beans".

He said Labour's "practical plan to reduce immigration" included requiring employers to recruit and train local talent and setting up a Border Security Command to "smash the criminal gangs".

Labour's National Executive Committee is finalising the party's list of candidates for the general election - and Diane Abbott has made the cut.

Sky News has seen the list of candidates, and can confirm Ms Abbott has been selected for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

It comes after the veteran left-winger said she intended to stand as Labour's candidate following months of uncertainty over her future.

A row has been ongoing for weeks over the treatment of Ms Abbott, after briefings - apparently incorrect - the leadership wanted to bar her.

Sir Keir Starmer has denied this was the case, with top Labour figures repeating that she would be free to run for her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat after the party whip was restored last week.

She'd been suspended for more than a year over comments in which she suggested Jewish people did not experience racism, which she retracted and apologised for.

The Labour leader admitted today that he and Ms Abbott have not spoken in "two or three" months (see 10.13 post).

The main focus of the day for the Conservatives is their proposal to place an annual cap on worker and family visas.

This is part of their efforts to make sure immigration figures fall year-on-year if they remain in government after the election.

Temporary work routes, such as seasonal agricultural workers, would not fall within the cap.

Immigration has become a key battleground in this election after net migration hit a record high of 745,000 last year.

And it was supercharged yesterday by Nigel Farage's return to the frontline of British politics.

Under the Tory plan, a Migration Advisory Committee will look at the numbers to balance the country's economic needs against the pressure on public services before suggesting a level to the government.

The government will then decide on a cap and put it to a vote in the Commons.

Home Secretary James Cleverly faced questions on the campaign trail today about why the government hadn't suggested its own number for the cap.

He said the plan would balance needs and costs, and a Tory majority would "take those figures and utilise them professionally".

The home secretary said migration is putting pressure on public services and "getting the balance right is a conversation that is long overdue".

It's 12pm - and we're now well into the second full week of the general election campaign.

There is just a month to go until polls open across the UK on 4 July.

Here's what you need to know so far today:

• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is in Greater Manchester, where he has been meeting voters at a cafe in Bolton;
• His party is pushing their energy policy - which is in large part the formation of Great British Energy - and promising to "close the door" on Russian President Vladimir Putin;
• Meanwhile, Labour has been finalising its list of candidates for the election and Diane Abbott has made the cut;
• That's despite Sir Keir admitting the pair have not spoken in "two or three months";
• Sir Keir has also agreed today that immigration needs to "come down" - as the Conservatives are pushing today - but couldn't guarantee how this would happen under Labour.
  

• Speaking of the Conservatives and immigration, they've been pitching their plans for an annual cap on worker and family visas;
• Home Secretary James Cleverly hasn't been able to solely focus on that, though, as he's also faced questions on Nigel Farage's return to frontline politics with Reform UK;
• He told Sky News Reform is simply a "vehicle" for Mr Farage's "self-promotion" after he became the party's new leader;
  
• But ourpolitical correspondentMhari Aurorais hearing Rishi Sunak could soon suffer yet more defections as a result of Mr Farage's return and a poll yesterday projecting a Labour landslide.

• The Liberal Democrats are have pledged to provide free day-to-day care for adults in need, including the elderly and disabled, should they win the election;
• And never shy of a photo opportunity, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has provided a rather literal interpretation of his party's bid to bring down the so-called Blue Wall;
• And back toNigel Farage - he's kicking off his election campaign in Clacton, Essex, today after confirming his candidacy for the constituency yesterday.

Here are a couple of other stories that may interest you:

Our essential political podcast,Politics At Jack And Sam's, is going out every week day through the election campaign to bring a short burst of everything you need to know about the day ahead as this election unfolds - here is today's edition.

Tap here to follow Politics At Jack At Sam's wherever you get your podcasts.

Never shy of a photo opportunity, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has provided us with a rather literal interpretation of his party's bid to bring down the so-called Blue Wall at this election.

Just as the Tories took chunks out of the Red Wall (Labour's traditional strongholds) back in 2019, the Lib Dems are hoping to do the same to the Conservatives this time.

Today Sir Ed is in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, which was won by the Tories with a 46% share of the vote last time out.

His party came second with 41.8%, so it's a big target.

Sir Ed was there this morning with local candidate Tom Morrison, where they enjoyed a spot of appropriately-themed Jenga…

The other candidates in Cheadle are:

• Alexander Frank Richard Drury, Greens;
• Kelly Fowler, Labour;
• Tanya Manzoor, Workers Party;
• Mary Robinson, Conservatives.