Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will go head to head tonight in the very first TV debate of the General Election.
The hour-long ITV leader’s debate is set to start at 9pm and will be moderated by Julie Etchingham, who also hosted the televised events in the last three national polls. The two men will face questions in front of a live audience on all the major issues of the day – with the cost of living, the NHS and defence likely to be high up the agenda.
It’ll be shown live ITV1, ITVX and STV and STV Player. The Mirror will be providing all the key build-up on this live blog throughout the day. Yesterday, Rishi Sunak suffered his latest embarrassing moment when he was ‘photobombed’ by a small boat full of activists. The Prime Minister was speaking in front of the cameras in Henley-on-Thames when the craft, packed with Liberal Democrat supporters holding placards, suddenly appeared behind him.
His ailing campaign was also rocked by the news Nigel Farage is returning as Reform leader – and a new nationwide opinion poll showed them heading for their worst defeat in over a hundred years. Sir Keir Starmer meanwhile described the recent scenes in Gaza as “horrifying” and reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to a ceasefire in a landmark speech on defence.
Follow the latest on the General Election below
Labour promises to crack down on ‘unfair’ car insurance
Labour has called for an investigation into the “out of control” cost of car insurance.
Millions of drivers have been hit by the rocketing price of motor insurance over the past two or three years.
Insurers say they are passing on a sharp rise in the cost of claims, driven by a big increase in everything from car parts to second-hand motors.
Many in the industry insist they have been making a loss on motor policies. But Louise Haigh, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority needed to probe the sector.
Exclusive: Labour promises to crack down on ‘unfair’ car insurance as quoted prices leap 56%
Lib Dems pledge free day-to-day care
The party are promising what they describe as free personal care, which would be provided either at home or in care homes.
Sir Ed Davey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that people “would be able to afford personal care” and that workers would be attracted into the profession by paying them £2 an hour above the national living wage.
What time is ITV General Election debate tonight?
The first General Election debate between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will be shown on ITV on Tuesday, 4 June.
Millions are expected to tune in to watch the Labour leader take on the Prime Minister in what is expected to be the first of several explosive clashes ahead of polling day next month.
Key battle lines are already drawn ahead of the debate as both sides are bolstering the defences and sharpening their attacks. The Tories are expected to focus on gender, defence spending and pensions as Labour reinforces policy in areas of net migration and the UK’s nuclear deterrent. But when are the debates and how can you watch them? We have all you need to know.
What time is and where to watch tonight’s General Election debate
Tories want immigration cap
MPs would vote on the number of visas handed out each year under the Tories’ latest election pitch.
Rishi Sunak wants to cap the number of visas in an effort to make migration numbers fall year on year in a future parliament.
Net migration in the year ending December 2023 stood at 685,000, the second highest on record, despite the Conservatives pledging to bring numbers down.
GB Energy will ‘shut the door on Putin’
Sir Keir Starmer will meet pensioners in the North West of England today to discuss the cost of energy and talk about Labour’s plans for GB Energy.
Following on from Monday’s focus on strengthening Britain’s defence, Labour will push energy as a national security issue.
On Tuesday, he will say the party’s plan to set up a publicly owned clean energy company will help to protect the UK from spikes in the price of fuel like those that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“With Great British Energy, my changed Labour Party will close the door on Putin,” Sir Keir has said.
Majority of parents want free school meals for all primary school children
An overwhelming majority of parents in England support extending free school meals to all primary school children.
A poll conducted in the week after Rishi Sunak called the General Election found more than three quarters (77%) support universal provision of free dinners, regardless of parental income.
The Deltapoll survey for the National Education Union (NEU) found only one in 10 (11%) oppose the move, which is already in place in London, Scotland and Wales.
Majority of parents want free school meals for all primary school children
Welcome to our live blog
We’ll be bringing you all the latest General Election news and build-up to tonight’s TV debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.