Election latest: New poll shows what public think of Rishi Sunak leaving D-Day commemorations early (2024)

Labour's election manifesto has been finalised, a spokesperson says.

Senior figures and union officials met today to work out the final details, said to include promises on workers rights and recognising Palestinian statehood.

Sky News understands the pledges will included recognition of a Palestinian state before the end of a peace process.

"Today's meeting has endorsed Labour's manifesto," said the spokesperson.

The manifesto is otherwise understood to be cautious on new commitments, and to emphasise economic stability and national security.

It is based around the six key pledges Sir Keir has set out during the campaign.

These include economic growth, recruiting 6,500 more teachers and tackling NHS waiting lists and anti-social behaviour.

The manifesto is set to be unveiled next Thursday.

"On 4 July, the British people will have the chance to vote for change - to stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild our country," said the Labour spokesperson.

Some 65% of Britons believeRishi Sunak's decision to leave D-Day commemorations before they ended was unacceptable, a new poll finds.

This includes68% of those who voted Conservative and 71% of those who voted Labour in 2019.

Just 8% of the 5,778 adults surveyed viewed his actions as completely acceptable, while 43% thought they were completely unacceptable.

Participants were asked whether they thought it was acceptable or unacceptable that Rishi Sunak left the commemorations in France before the international events had concluded in order to take part in an election interview.

While region and gender made little difference to the public's reaction, older people were the most critical.

Approximately 75% of people aged over the aged of 65 thought it was somewhat or completely unacceptable, compared to 49% of 18 to 24-year-olds.

The children's minister has admitted not knowing how much child benefit is worth.

David Johnston conceded he "should have found out before I came on here" in an interview with LBC.

He was promoting Tory plans to make high earners eligible for more of the allowance.

Asked how much current child benefit is worth, Mr Johnston said: "That I'm afraid I don't know.

"It's actually not a Department for Education policy, it's a DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] one."

Broadcaster Nick Ferrari replied: "Sorry, is your title minister for children? And you don't know what the child allowance is?"

Mr Johnston said: "Well we don't mind the benefits I'm afraid, but you're right, I should have found out before I came on here.

"I'm sorry that I don't know the amount."

Child benefit is £25.60 a week for the eldest or only child in a family and £16.95 a week for younger children.

Under existing rules, parents or parents' partners start to lose the allowance if they earn more than £60,000, and it is taken away entirely when one's income tops £80,000.

The Conservatives unveiled plans today to allow people to keep some allowance on incomes up to £160,000 - a policy that would cost the Treasury £1.3bn.

This would save 700,000 families £1,500, said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

While Rishi Sunak has insisted his decision to leave D-Day commemorations early shouldn't be "politicised", Labour's Jonathan Ashworth says the prime minister's move was politically motivated.

"This disrespect is shocking, but I think it reveals something unbecoming about both his judgement and his character," said the shadow paymaster general.

"What type of person thinks it is more important to rush away from an event like this to go and do an interview to try and score political points and save his own skin than truly honour the fallen."

He continued: "It was him who put political party ahead of country."

Mr Ashworth accused the PM of "scrambling out an apology" today.

"The right thing to do was to stay at that event."

As the Tory battle bus pulled into a school in the Gloucestershire town of Stonehouse, the reporters and camera crews onboard immediately scuttled off up the road in the opposite direction of the campaign stop.

Their interest had been piqued not by the presence of a politician, but by a road sign.

After a tense interview in the playground of a Swindon nursery in which Rishi Sunak had been forced to apologise for leaving D-Day commemoration events early - something criticised as offensive by politicians and military folk alike - his next campaign stop was on a street called "Veterans Way".

Election campaigns often progress in peaks and troughs with errors and lapses of judgement giving rise to other awkward situations which - without the background controversy - would have at one point been totally irrelevant and innocuous.

They can also throw up strange sights - like that of three national broadcast camera crews filming a sign in the middle of the Gloucestershire countryside while an exasperated Tory official glumly looks on.

You know what they say, prime minister - it never rains.

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

Labour is promising to get more young people on the housing ladder as it announces its "freedom to buy" scheme.

The party is pledging to make the existing mortgage guarantee scheme- which sees the government act as a guarantor for people unable to save big deposits - into a permanent fixture if it wins the election on 4 July.

Sir Keir Starmer is also committing to an overhaul of the planning system, including reintroducing housing targets, claiming his measures will see 1.5 million more homes built over the next five years.

"After 14 years of Conservative government, the dream of home ownership is out of reach for too many hard-working people," he said.

"Despite doing everything right, they can't move on and up. A generation faces becoming renters for life.

"My parents' home gave them security and was a foundation for our family. As prime minister, I will turn the dream of owning a home into a reality."

Read more here:

Until voters go to the polls on 4 July, the Politics Hub will be looking back at some memorable moments from previous general election campaigns.

Nigel Farage has claimed that the furore over Rishi Sunak leaving D-Day commemorations early yesterday was the prime minister's "Gillian Duffy moment" (see post at 2pm).

So what better time than to look back at this classic piece of campaign heritage?

Politics loves a "gate" and none were as impactful on the 2010 campaign as one that may have marked the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown.

"Bigotgate" was born after the then prime minister described a voter airing concerns about immigration in Rochdale as a "bigoted woman".

Mr Brown muttered it after an exchange with her on camera, not realising he was still being picked up by a microphone, and the comment was subsequently broadcast.

Previous entry: Boris Johnson hides in a fridge

By Jennifer Scott and Tim Baker, political reporters

Over in Essex, the drama has been ramping up regarding the selection of Tory party chairman Richard Holden as the candidate for Basildon and Billericay.

You may remember there was fury from the local Conservative association after the party's HQ presented them with a shortlist of just one candidate - if you don't, let our chief political correspondent Jon Craig fill you in.

And now today - on the day all parties' candidates need to be finalised by the 4pm deadline - reports have suggested there have been enough complaints to call an emergency meeting about ousting Mr Holden.

We have spoken to some people in the know about the association upset, and while they confirmed there had been a sufficient number of complaints, they told us there was not enough time to hold a meeting, let alone to deselect Mr Holden and reselect a new candidate.

But while they may have accepted their lot with the party chairman, there is still much anger with Tory HQ...

The full list of candidates standing in Basildon and Billericay is below:

• Christopher Bateman - British Democratic Party
• Stephen Conlay - Reform UK
• Stewart Goshawk - Green Party
• Alex Harrison - Labour Party
• Richard Holden - Conservative and Unionist Party
• Edward Sainsbury - Liberal Democrats

The Lib Dems have hit photoshop today, altering a photo from the D-Day commemorations in Normandy yesterday to take aim at the prime minister.

Rishi Sunak is under fire after leaving the anniversary events early, later going on to give a TV interview.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron took his place, joining world leaders including US President Joe Biden for the remainder of the events.

And it's a picture of former prime minister Lord Cameron standing alongside leaders like Germany's Olaf Scholz, Mr Biden and France's Emmanuel Macron which has been doctored by the Lib Dems.

Mr Cameron has been removed and replaced with an empty space representing the prime minister.

It's captioned "dereliction of duty" - a criticism levelled at the prime minister a number of times today.

Mr Sunak has apologised for leaving early, describing it as a "mistake".

Nigel Farage has described the furore over the prime minister leaving D-Day commemorations early yesterday as his "Gillian Duffy moment".

He was referring to an infamous election campaign fiasco in which then prime minister Gordon Brown shared his less-than-flattering view of lifelong Labour voter Gillian Duffy.

In perhaps the best-known hot-mic moment in British politics, Mr Brown called Ms Duffy a "bigoted woman".

It was a bombshell moment for a prime minister already having a tough 2010 general election campaign.

Now, Reform UK's new leader Mr Farage has said Rishi Sunak has had his own such moment.

"This is the Gillian Duffy moment .... it was a catastrophe for Gordon Brown," he told ITV.

"The one thing people have always associated the Conservative Party with is being basically patriotic.

"It's led by a man who very clearly isn't."