Labour manifesto newest: Keir Starmer launches election blueprint

Sir Keir Starmer was heckled by a climate protester as he began his speech to launch his party’s manifesto in Manchester, with the demonstrator swiftly escorted out.

Keir Starmer is now speaking on stage at the Labour manifesto.

Here are some pictures of the Labour leader Keir Starmer and deputy Angela Rayner at the Labour Party launch in Manchester.

Ms Rayner handed over to Richard Walker, the CEO of Iceland, who says he likes what he sees from Labour

He said that under the Tories there had been ‘endless infighting and broken promises’

The Tories are out of ideas. Only Labour can change this country’s trajectory of dismal economic proformance.

Mr Walker previously backed the Tories but switched allegiance to Labour earlier this year.

Labour deputy Angela Rayner is speaking on stage as the election manifesto is launched.

She says growth would be delivered ‘in every corner of the country’ under Labour.

We have changed the Labour Party, and with this manifesto, we can change Britain.

She said Labour knows ‘the task at hand is daunting’ but promised it would never take power in government ‘for granted’.

Ms Rayner said:

When we deliver growth, it will be in every corner of the country.

Today we publish our plan for the change we need to meet the challenges ahead.

Our chance to end the chaos, turn the page and start a new chapter. What we now ask is to make that change a reality.

We’re now waiting to hear from Labour at the election manifesto launch in Manchester but here’s a picture of Sir Keir Starmer holding the physical document with members of his shadow cabinet.

We’re now just minutes away from Labour launching its general election manifesto in Manchester.

We will bring you updates from throughout the launch.

While Sir Keir Starmer is in full on campaign mode with the launch of the Labour manifesto, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has swapped Britain for Bari as he heads to the G7 summit in Italy.

Mr Sunak will today take a break from campaigning as he meets world leaders including US President Joe Biden.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Sir Keir Starmer was roundly mocked on social media last night after repeating his father was a toolmaker during the Sky News event in Grimsby.

The Labour leader was met with groans and laughter as he reminded the audience about his father’s job

Read Arthur Parashar’s report here:

When Labour publishes its manifesto later today many will be combing the fine print for its pledges on tax.

The party has repeatedly ruled out raising taxes for working people so VAT, income tax and national insurance but has been pressed on whether it could increase capital gains to help fund its programme.

Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden insisted today Labour is not looking to reform council tax as one way to bring in revenue.

Asked if the public should expect spending cuts in future if Labour is elected, Mr McFadden told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

We refuse to accept defeat on these things. So we do believe, for example, reform to the planning rules to get the infrastructure we need, the roads, the railways, the labs, the data centres, the one-and-a-half million new homes, that can make a difference to growth.

Labour market reforms, to make a better childcare offer to working parents so that they come back to work, that can make a difference to growth. Getting more of the long-term sick off benefits and into work could mean hundreds of thousands more people at work, matching emigration and skills policy, so that we do more to train our own workers, that can make a difference to growth.

The Labour leader will prioritise wealth if he is elected Prime Minister, he will say today at his party’s launch in Manchester.

Mr Starmer is expected to say:

Wealth creation is our number one priority. Growth is our core business – the end and the means of national renewal.

The mandate we seek at this election is for economic growth. This changed Labour Party has a plan for growth. We are pro-business and pro-worker, the party of wealth creation.

Labour has already ruled out raising rates of income tax, national insurance or VAT, and said the manifesto will contain no tax rises that have not already been announced.

For those who didn’t catch last night’s leaders’ event on Sky News, here is the moment the Labour leader squirmed as he was challenged over past remarks showing support for Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Starmer was asked about comments he made declaring Mr Corbyn would make a ‘great PM’ but insisted he only said that because he was certain Labour would lose the election.

See the video below:

Here are some of the pledges we can expect to see in the Labour manifesto when it is unveiled today in Manchester.

• Extra 40,000 NHS appointments per week
• 6,500 more teachers in secondary schools
• School breakfast clubs
• Border security command
• 13,000 more police officers and community support officers
• Great British Energy – a new publicly-owned company to deliver clean energy

Mr Starmer says the pledges will be funded by introducing VAT to private school fees, expanding the windfall tax and closing the tax gap by cracking down on tax avoidance.

Sir Keir Starmer will say wealth creation is his top priority as he look to woo Conservative voters with his election manifesto.

The Labour leader is bidding to capitalise after a poll showed he came out on top in a crucial TV showdown with Rishi Sunak last night.

Our political editor James Tapsfield has the story here:

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the Labour manifesto launch in Manchester.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say creating wealth will be his number one priority if he is elected Prime Minister in three weeks.

The Labour leader arrives in Manchester after taking part in a Sky News leaders’ special in which two-thirds of voters said he performed better than Rishi Sunak.

Follow our blog today for latest news, reaction and analysis to Labour’s manifesto launch.