General Election LIVE: Nigel Farage becomes Reform leader as new poll puts Labour 24 points ahead

Liberal Democrats pledge free personal care for people in need across England

Day-to-day care for adults in need, including the elderly and disabled, would be free under a Liberal Democrat government, the party has pledged.

Leader Sir Ed Davey described the issue as "deeply personal for me" as he vowed to place "fixing the care crisis" at the heart of his party’s offer to voters.

Provision of care should be based on need rather than ability to pay, the party said, as it promised what it described as free personal care for people either at home or in care homes.

This would cover nursing care, help with mobility, hygiene and medication, it said, adding that people in residential care would still have to contribute towards their accommodation. The party said its plan covers social care for those over 18, including working age adults, the elderly, and the disabled.

Sir Keir Starmer will 'close the door on Putin' with GB Energy

Labour would "close the door on Putin" by reducing Britain’s reliance on fossil fuel from overseas, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The party leader claimed Rishi Sunak’s "political collapse" on net zero commitments risks leaving the UK "over a barrel" as he linked the green power transition to issues of national security.

Sir Keir said: "Energy policy is now a matter of national security. It is a key component of our country’s resilience and capacity to weather future shocks.

"We simply cannot afford to remain as vulnerable to price spikes as we have been in the past. Keeping the lights on and heating our homes should not mean leaving our front door open to Russia."

First Minister John Swinney says a vote for the SNP is putting 'Scotland's interests first'

Swinney said: "We all know the Westminster system is broken. It’s delivered austerity, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. Scotland deserves better.

"I am asking you to vote SNP to put Scotland’s interests first."

The First Minister added that debates “can often turn into a bit of a shouting match”, but said “the times are far too serious for that”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader accuses UK and Scottish governments of 'losing sight of what matters'

Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "Over many years government ministers in London and Edinburgh have lost sight of what matters to you. You’re working harder but it feels like you’re falling further behind.

"We badly need some hope and a change of direction. Well, Scottish Liberal Democrats are all about hope, and we’re part of the change that’s coming.

He added: "Back the Liberal Democrats for a fair deal for you, for your family, and for Scotland."

Douglas Ross makes plea for voters to 'come together' to get the SNP out

The Scottish Conservative Douglas Ross said: "In many seats across Scotland it’s a straight fight between my party and the SNP. If the SNP win they will claim every seat as a mandate for independence.”

He added: "In key seats across up and down Scotland if everyone who wants to beat the SNP votes together for the Scottish Conservatives, we can end their obsession for good."

He told voters: "This is our chance. The SNP are down, but we need to get them out."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says Scotland is 'crying out for change'

Sarwar told an STV hustings: "Our country is crying out for change. And after 14 years of Tory chaos and failure, this is an opportunity Scotland cannot afford to miss."

He added: “Scotland can’t afford five more years of this rotten Tory government. We can’t miss this opportunity for change.

"Every vote for Scottish Labour is a vote to boot out the Tories, maximise Scotland’s influence, and deliver the change Scotland needs."

Clacton by-the-numbers

Clacton was the only parliamentary constituency ever to have been won by Ukip.

In 2014, the Conservative MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, announced he was defecting to the UK Independence Party (Ukip) and triggered a by-election, which he won with 60 per cent of the vote, becoming Ukip’s first elected member of Parliament.

He held the seat for Ukip at the 2015 general election with a much lower share of 44 per cent of the vote, with the Conservatives close behind on 37 per cent. It was the only seat won by Ukip at that election, despite the party receiving nearly four million votes across the UK.

Farage himself was the leader of Ukip at the time and stood as a candidate in Thanet South in the 2015 General Election, where he finished second.

In the years since 2015, Clacton has become a Conservative seat again, with Giles Watling winning it back from Ukip at the 2017 general election on 61 per cent of the vote, before winning a bigger share of 72 per cent in 2019.

Carswell did not stand at the 2017 election – he had resigned from Ukip a few months beforehand and finished his term in Parliament as an independent.

George Galloway says the return of Farage is 'bad news' for both Sunak and Starmer

The leader of the Worker's Party of Britain posted on social media: "Farage coming back is fatal for the Tories - perhaps existentially so - but is is very bad news for Starmer too.

"My Reform opponent called the Rochdale by-election a 'two-horse race' between me and him (he came sixth). But Rochdale is definitely a three-horse race now."

Galloway said his party was standing hundreds of candidates across the country and he would be "extremely disappointed" if the number elected was not in double figures.

EXCLUSIVE: Matt Goodwin says Rishi Sunak is 'leading his party into oblivion'

• Labour - 46 per cent
• Conservatives - 22 per cent
• Reform - 10 per cent
• Liberal Democrats - 8 per cent
• Green - 8 per cent

Former Neighbours actor and popstar Holly Valance hints at Reform campaign role

The former Neighbours star has suggested she may help Nigel Farage in his bid to win a seat at the upcoming General Election.

Asked By GB News she would help by knocking on doors, she asked: “Does anyone want to see me knocking on their doors anymore?

“Maybe 20 years ago”, she quipped.

Read the full story here.

Pollster on Farage's announcement - 'nothing short of a disaster' for the Tories

Savanta's Political Research Director Chris Hopkins said: "This is nothing short of a disaster for the Conservative Party. Everything about this election, from the timing to the apparent strategy, was aimed at squeezing Reform UK's vote.

"With Farage's announcement that is now much harder, and Rishi Sunak has nowhere to go - politically or electorally.

"Let's be clear however - Farage's announcement today isn't about taking the country - it's about taking the Conservative Party. He is a significant upgrade on Richard Tice, but he remains a compelling issues campaigner, rather than a potential prime minister - Labour will be rubbing their hands with glee."

New YouGov poll shows Labour on course for 194-seat majority

A new YouGov poll has shown Labour is on course for the biggest ever election victory.

The poll, using the MRP (multi-level regression and post-stratification) technique and carried out for Sky News, suggests that Sir Keir Starmer’s party is on course to win 422 seats, with the Tories down to just 140.

This would be far fewer than the previous lowest number of Conservative seats in recent history: 165 in 1997, according to the poll for Sky News.

It comes as a GB News poll last Friday found that Labour is predicted to win by a landslide with a 302-seat majority, returning 476 seats compared to just 66 for the Conservatives.

Read the full story here.

Conservative reaction to Nigel Farage's announcement - 'handing Starmer a blank cheque to rejoin the EU'

The Tories said Nigel Farage is "doing exactly what Keir Starmer wants him to do" by standing in the General Election.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Nigel Farage risks handing Keir Starmer a blank cheque to rejoin the EU, impose the retirement tax on pensioners and hike taxes on hardworking Brits up and down the UK.

"Farage knows that Reform won’t win any seats, but he doesn’t seem to care that a vote for Reform only helps Labour. He’s doing exactly what Keir Starmer wants him to do.

"Just yesterday, EU insiders openly voiced their expectation that Starmer would seek a softer Brexit deal, opening the door to rejoining the EU all together. That would mean uncontrolled immigration and betraying the will of the British people.

"Is Farage really willing to risk undoing his life’s work by handing Starmer a blank cheque to rejoin the EU? Only a vote for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives can deliver a clear plan, bold action and a secure future for our country."

Farage says Trump is 'racing up ridiculous numbers' on social media

Nigel Farage said "I think the Donald’s got other things to be dealing with” when he was asked whether he had discussed his latest political move with the Republican presidential candidate.

"I think the Donald’s got other things to be dealing with just at this moment in time. He’s been rather busy, including joining TikTok and racing up to ridiculous numbers." he said.

Last week, Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in his historic New York criminal trial, becoming the first former or sitting president to be convicted of a crime.

Farage says 'very silly'' to ask about debate between him and Tice

Nigel Farage told journalists it was "very silly" to ask whether he and Richard Tice had reached the decision for him to take over as Reform UK leader, as he refused to answer the question.

Farage was asked during a Q&A with media whose choice it had been for him to replace Mr Tice as party leader, to which he responded: "Do you think he’s been bullied and strong-armed, I mean what are you suggesting?

"No, it’s a very silly question. Never mind."

Candidates standing in Clacton

Matthew Bensilum - Liberal Democrats

Natasha Osben - Green Party

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul - Labour Party

Giles Watling - Conservatives

Nigel Farage - Reform UK

Reform will get 'more votes than the Conservative Party', says Farage

Nigel Farage has said that he believes Reform UK could get more votes at the election than the Tories.

He said: "I think there’s every chance we’ll get more votes than the Conservative Party. I genuinely do.

"And you can all hold onto that in a few weeks’ time. But I genuinely believe we can get more votes in this election than the Conservative Party. They are on the verge of total collapse."

Nigel Farage says he wants to lead a 'political revolt'

Farage said: “Yes, a revolt. A turning of our backs on the political status quo. It doesn’t work. Nothing in this country works any more.”

Richard Tice will now serve as chairman of the Reform UK party, Farage said after he took over from Tice as leader.

Clacton was the seat of former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell who defected to Farage's former party Ukip. It has returned a Tory MP at every election since 2017.

Nigel Farage confirms he will be running in Clacton, Essex

Nigel Farage said the General Election campaign needs some “gingering up” as he took over as the leader of Reform UK and announced he would be running in Clacton.

After Richard Tice handed over the party’s reins at a press conference, Farage said: “We put out the operations notice for today under the title ’emergency election announcement’.

"We did that because we think this election needs a bit of gingering up. Thus far, it is the dullest, most boring election campaign we have ever seen in our lives. And it’s funny because the more the two big party leaders try to be different, the more they actually sound the same."

BREAKING: Nigel Farage becomes Reform UK leader

Nigel Farage confirms he is the new leader of Reform UK.

Read the full story here.

Richard Tice accuses Tories of trying to 'squeeze out' Reform UK

Tice said that "word is spreading like wildfire" about Reform UK.

Nigel Farage set to make announcement within the next few minutes

The former Brexit Party leader is set to make an 'emergency general election announcement' within the next few minutes in central London.

Popstar Holly Valance is in attendance at the event.

You can watch full coverage of the announcement live on GB News.

First Minister John Swinney accuses Conservatives of being 'on the warpath' against Holyrood

He said: "The Conservatives are interested in using any excuse they can to erode the powers of the Scottish parliament."

The First Minister added that the Tory election pledge to rewrite the Equality Act would "erode the powers" of the Scottish Parliament in the process.

Swinney added that the Equality Act changes marked "an explicit, outright threat" and "an attack" on devolution.

Green Party peer says people are looking for 'some hope'

Baroness Jenny Jones told Talk: "The Green Party is targeting four seats in particular, and we're hoping to pick them all up because, quite honestly, we have just gone through the most incredibly chaotic and destructive time.

"People are looking for some change and they are looking for some hope and that's what the Green Party is very good at.

"We do have good policies, founded in fact and well costed."

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace says he 'did not regret' reducing army numbers

The former MP for Wyre and Preston North told the BBC: "We weren’t able to fund defence for the size of the army, and we have been like that since I served in the army in 1991."

He argued that "hollowing out has been a way for successive Labour governments and Conservative governments to hide."

He added: "Governments didn’t want to pay for defence, they wanted to pose in front of the Red Arrows, and Trooping the Colour, and you know Tony Blair’s Government wanted to send the army to the Iraq war, but they didn’t want to really pay for it properly."

Lib Dems gatecrash Rishi Sunak's campaign trail

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's campaign trail in Henley-on-Thames has been gatecrashed by the Lib Dems, as deputy leader Daisy Cooper stormed past him on a boat along the river.

Sunak appeared unaware as a boat filled with orange signs sailed past the Conservative leader, as he spoke to locals by the riverside.

The Lib Dems taunted afterwards that the Prime Minister has been "struck by a small boat crisis".

The Conservative leader jokingly hit back: "Classic lib Dems, always selling voters down the river."

WATCH THE MOMENT HERE

Labour's lead, Tories trailing, Reform right behind, languishing Lib Dems - let's break down the figures

With that fresh data from JL Partners in mind, GB News has taken a closer look at some of the key stats from two of its most pertinent polls.

Pollsters asked current and recent GB News viewers which party they'd vote for if a General Election was held tomorrow - that's the poll which has given Labour a 21 percentage point lead - but let's look at how the seven key parties have fared.

• The Labour Party: A 46 per cent vote share - up from 39 per cent in April (a 7 point rise).
• The Conservative Party: A 25 per cent vote share - down from 28 per cent in April (a 3 point fall).
• Reform UK: An 18 per cent vote share - down from 20 per cent in April (a 2 point fall).
• The Liberal Democrats: A 6 per cent vote share - no change from April.
• The SNP: A 2 per cent vote share - no change from April.
• The Green Party: A 2 per cent vote share - down from 3 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).
• Plaid Cymru: A 0 per cent vote share - down from 1 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).

Just 1 per cent of voters would vote for another party - that's no change from April.

As GB News' Political Editor Christopher Hope highlighted, only one in four GB News viewers voted for Labour in 2019 - and the stats show there is a "significant amount of switching".

Meanwhile, a poll of current GB News viewers has handed Britain's major parties dourer hopes - but again, notably, only Labour have made gains.

Crucially, this is the data which has left Reform neck-and-neck with the Conservatives. In that poll:

• The Labour Party: A 33 per cent vote share - up from 27 per cent in April (a 6 point rise).
• Reform UK: A 22 per cent vote share - down from 23 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).
• The Conservative Party: A 22 per cent vote share - down from 25 per cent in April (a 3 point fall).
• The Liberal Democrats: A 3 per cent vote share - down from 4 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).
• The Green Party: A 1 per cent vote share - down from 2 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).
• The SNP: A 0 per cent vote share - down from 1 per cent in April (a 1 point fall).

But between the Tories and the Lib Dems sit two sizeable voter blocs, who are either unconvinced or unsure. A noteworthy 11 per cent would not vote (down 1 point since April), while 6 per cent don't know (up 2 points since April).

Labour hold 21 POINT LEAD among GB News viewers - and one Reform UK stat is DAMNING for Sunak

Labour has almost doubled its lead over the Conservative Party in just a month among GB News viewers, a new poll has revealed.

Data from pollsters JL Partners, who posed current and recent GB News viewers the question “Which party would you vote for if there were a General Election tomorrow?” handed Starmer’s Labour Party a 46 per cent vote share - while the Tories sit at just 25 per cent. Reform UK sit at 18 per cent.

In fact, Labour were the only party to have gained any vote share since the last poll in April, adding seven percentage points while the Tories and Reform UK dropped by three and two points respectively.

But how would that look in Parliament? If only GB News viewers voted, Labour would take 379 seats - well past the 326 needed for a majority.

It's a major jump from their 206 seats held just before Parliament was dissolved pre-election last week.

Meanwhile, the Tories would hold just 184 seats. While comfortably the second-largest party, this would mark a notable 161-seat decline from the 345 they held until last week.

Amid all the data and the noise on Labour and the Tories, polling of just current GB News viewers handed Reform UK a 22 per cent vote share, placing them neck-and-neck with Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives.

That news - and the speculation that Brexit heavyweight Nigel Farage may be standing as an MP for Reform - will doubtless spark serious concerns among the Tory leadership as it battles for marginal seats, including Farage’s rumoured constituency of Clacton.

New date set for take off of first Rwanda deportation flights

The Government has told the High Court that it now plans to begin removals to Rwanda in late July after it previously told a judge that flights would not take off until after the General Election.

Late last month, judge Mr Justice Chamberlain ordered the Cabinet Office and Home Office to tell the court the earliest date they planned to start removals.

The order was made in the context of a challenge brought by the FDA trade union, with Government lawyers telling the judge on May 29 that it “does not intend to carry out enforced removals to Rwanda before the General Election on July 4 2024”.

At the start of a hearing on Monday in a challenge brought by charity Asylum Aid, the High Court in London heard the first flight is now planned for July 24.

Diane Abbott will 'win' claims Labour frontbencher

While Nigel Farage's announcement has turned all heads in Westminster, the internal Labour Party row over Diane Abbott continues to rumble on.

Speaking on GB News this morning, Shadow Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said the party veteran should stand and win as a Labour candidate at the General Election.

He told GB News: “She's clear to stand at the General Election. I'm a big fan of Diane, she is a trailblazer in our party and I expect her to stand and to win.

“All of that is, of course, subject to the National Executive Committee of Labour signing off all candidates, myself included, at a meeting tomorrow. I expect Diane to stand and I expect her to win.”

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Reform UK hinted as early as Friday that today was a 'very big day'

GB News understands that Reform UK supporters in Essex received an email on Friday about the party’s countywide strategy which hinted at an announcement today. GB News' Jack Walters reports:

An email, sent out by Essex’s Reform UK organiser, concluded by describing today as “potentially a very big day for the county”.

Clacton twice voted for Farage’s former party in 2014 and 2015.

Many believe the coastal constituency, a reservoir of populism, is Farage’s best bet for his eighth shot at entering Parliament.

When asked if Farage’s announcement will be “spicy”, a Reform UK source told GB News: “It could be.”

Kemi Badenoch slams Farage for attempting to 'destroy' Tory party

Appearing on GB News this morning, before Nigel Farage teased his 4pm announcement, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has ruled out working with the former Brexit Party leader in future because of his stated goal of destroying the Conservative Party.

Asked if she could welcome him into the Conservative Party, she told GB News: “Nigel Farage is a very interesting character.

“He has been very influential, of course, but he has stood against the Conservative Party multiple times and he has said that his aim is to destroy the Conservative Party.

“So, why would you welcome someone into your organisation when they say they want to destroy it?

“I will work with anyone who wants to help deliver a Conservative agenda.

“I’ve worked with Labour MPs, on this issue of a sex agenda, for example. I've worked with SNP MPs who disagreed with their government in Scotland, so I'm open to working with everybody.

“What I'm not open to is having people who are not Conservatives to try and join the Conservative Party so they can destroy it.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Nigel Farage to make 'emergency election announcement' in just hours

I will be making an Emergency General Election announcement at 4pm today.

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 3, 2024

Nigel Farage has set tongues wagging with a teasing social media post in which he has declared he'll make an "emergency General Election announcement" in fewer than six hours.

The self-styled "Honourary President of Reform UK" could bring an end to months of speculation over whether he may run as an MP on July 4, with pollsters suggesting the former Ukip heavyweight could seriously stunt Conservative hopes if he officially joins the party.

Despite campaigning for Reform UK, Farage had said he would not stand for Richard Tice's party this year as he wants to "focus on the US election" and Donald Trump's campaign - but his latest post could flip things entirely.

Richard Tice has labelled this year's contest "the immigration election", and has slammed soaring levels of net migration, "establishment experts" and "weak, feeble politicians who have broken Britain".

He's also said the PM was "absolutely terrified" by Reform's upward progress in the opinion polls - and a link-up with Farage would likely only send Sunak's worries into overdrive.

Starmer unveils nuclear weapon 'triple lock' in campaign speech

Sir Keir Starmer has been joined at a campaign event in Greater Manchester by 10 ex-military Labour candidates.

The 61-year-old is making a campaign speech promising a "triple lock" on the nuclear deterrent as he seeks to firm up his security credentials.

Starmer has been attempting to shift perceptions of Labour’s defence stance following the party’s time under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, a long-standing critic of Nato and Trident.

Addressing those in attendance at the event, the Labour leader said: “The post-war period is over and a new age of insecurity has begun.

“An era where the burden of history for people and nations will once again be heavier on our backs.”

He described national security as the “most important issue of our times” adding that under a Labour Government national security “will always come first”.

Farage tipped to become Tory MP

Director of the Popular Conservatism movement Mark Littlewood has claimed it is "too late" for Nigel Farage to stand for Reform in this year's General Election, as he predicts the party will "fold into the Conservatives".

Farage made his decision not to stand for Richard Tice's party this year as he wants to "focus on the US election" and Donald Trump's campaign.

Speaking to GB News, Littlewood hit out at Farage's decision and said he has been the "single most influential politician" in the last 10 to 15 years, "without needing to be an MP".

He then predicted that Farage could become an MP in the future, but not for Reform.

Littlewood predicted: "I think Nigel Farage will become an MP in the future. Most likely more likely than not, but probably under Conservative Party colours.

READ THE FUL STORY HERE

Lib Dems announce pledge to end 'environmental vandalism' after sewage pumped into rivers

The Liberal Democrats have called for new protections for rivers and coastlines to end “environmental vandalism”.

The party have announced an expansion of marine protected areas and a new Blue Flag status for rivers will be included in their General Election manifesto.

In response to sewage being pumped into bathing water status rivers, the Lib Dems have outlined plans for new Blue Flag rivers, setting legally binding targets to prevent sewage dumping in those sites.

Blue Flag rivers would give special protected status for swimmers and wildlife.

The party claims the current Government bathing water scheme is “toothless” and has failed to protect waterways from sewage discharges by only requiring increased water quality testing.

Diane Abbott unleashes fresh attack on Starmer - before quickly backtracking

Diane Abbott has apparently accused Sir Keir Starmer of telling "more lies" in a hastily-removed social media post late last night.

Sharing an image of a Guardian headline which quoted the Labour leader of saying he "actually has more respect for Diane than she probably realises", Abbott said: "More lies from Starmer."

The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP had made the jab at 9.39pm on Sunday night - but within the minute, the "Tweet" had been deleted, sparking further speculation over her position within the party.

Sunak vows to legally protect 'biological sex' if Tories win election in key trans pushback

The Prime Minister will vow today to legally enshrine "biological sex" under English law if he is successfully reelected in a bid to protect women-only spaces.

Sunak will make the key manifesto pledge later today - which will see a section of the Equality Act, which protects against discrimination on "sex" grounds, changed to mention "biological sex" in a move to cast off doubts about where trans people sit under the law.

Under the PM's plans, trans women - people whose "biological sex" is male, but identify as female - would be barred from places like women's prisons and domestic abuse victims sessions; that is, they would be given the same legal standing as men.

CHECK OUT THE FULL STORY HERE