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General Election LIVE: Farage, Rayner and Mordaunt among leading figures in seven parties facing off in debate
7 June 2024, 07:19 | Updated: 7 June 2024, 21:13
Leading figures from the Conservatives, Labour and Reform UK took part in a heated debate on Friday evening ahead of the General Election.
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Penny Mordaunt from the Conservatives, Angela Rayner from Labour, Daisy Cooper from the Liberal Democrats, Stephen Flynn from the Scottish National Party, Nigel Farage from Reform UK, Rhun ap Iorwerth from Plaid Cymru, and Carla Denyer from the Greens clashed in the debate.
It comes after a day of criticism of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for leaving D-Day anniversary commemorations early. He has since apologised.
Voters across the country will go to the polls on July 4.
Follow the latest developments below
Today's Highlights
- Tune into LBC for the election results tomorrow.
- Rishi Sunak said he had a "very good chat" with Boris Johnson as the ex-prime minister made a surprise appearance at a Tory rally in London last night.
- Labour may have to hike inheritance tax or raid pensions, Rachel Reeces' adviser admits - but move will be 'unpopular'
- LBC Exclusive: Andrew Tate's brother, Tristan, is one of George Galloway's biggest financial supporters and has made large donations to his political campaign.
- The Conservatives describing a Labour landslide in Thursday's General Election as "likely" is an attempt of "voter suppression", according to Sir Keir Starmer.
- ‘It’s over’: Braverman concedes defeat in election as she says Tories need to prepare for ‘reality of opposition’.
Reminder: Tune in to LBC for the election results tomorrow
Join LBC for Britain Decides our election night coverage, starting Thursday at 10pm.
Our flagship program will be led by Andrew Marr and Shelagh Fogarty, with The News Agents' Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall providing expert analysis as results unfold.
This comprehensive seven-hour show will be broadcast live on LBC, Global Player, TikTok, and YouTube, with a simulcast on LBC News.
Stay tuned for real-time updates and insightful commentary throughout this pivotal night in British politics.
Tomorrow...
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Lib Dems focused on taking Conservative seats says Daisy Cooper
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the party has focused on taking Conservative seats in the General Election rather than competing with Labour.
Ms Cooper said: “We’ve always said that our target is to remove as many Conservative MPs as possible. We are in second place to the Conservatives in around 80 seats around the country, and we’ve had to target our resources in those areas.”
She added that the Conservatives have "taken a wrecking ball to standards in public life".
Farage addresses crowd on army vehicle
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has entered his party's rally at Clacton pier on an army vehicle to the tune of Without Me by Eminem.
He addressed the crowd on immigration, saying: “How are you getting on for dentists in Clacton? Well then you should have come by dinghy.”
Mr Farage went on to start a chant of: “We want our country back.”
Starmer: Labour government will rise to the challenge of populism
Sir Keir Starmer said he hopes tomorrow's election will see Britain start to rise to the challenge of populism, adding it's a “huge chance to take our country forward”.
The Labour leader stressed his desire to address the “shared challenge” presented by populism “across Europe and across the world”.
Following the electoral success of the populist National Rally party in France and polls suggesting Donald Trump could return to the White House, Sir Keir has spoken of the need to offer a “progressive” alternative to populism.
Populism is a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.
It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment.
Reflecting on the campaign on its last day, Starmer also said he was “surprised by the negativity of the Tory campaign” with its focus on warning about a Labour “supermajority”.
Sunak 'campaigning hard for every vote' despite likely Labour landslide
Rishi Sunak has insisted he is still in the election fight after one of his closest allies appeared to concede the Conservatives were heading to a heavy defeat.
The Prime Minister said he was “doing what I believe is right for the country” and could “look myself in the mirror” knowing he had worked as hard as he could.
But his Cabinet ally Mel Stride acknowledged Labour was likely to win “the largest majority any party has ever achieved”.
Suella Braverman admitted to Tory defeat this morning saying: "It's over and we need to prepare for the reality and frustration of opposition."
Despite this, Mr Sunak has said he will fight on: “This election is ongoing. I am campaigning hard for every vote.”
“'Clear conscience is the softest pillow’, as my father-in-law says
“I am someone who has the courage of my convictions, I’m not someone who changes their opinion with the weather, which is what Keir Starmer does”, the PM added.
Sir Ed Davey and Daisy Cooper drive off in a pink Cadillac on their last campaign stop
The Lib Dem leader gave a stump speech at Hammond’s End Farm in Harpenden to the tune of ABBA’s Take A Chance On Me.
Confetti and pyrotechnics blasted out before Sir Ed and Ms Cooper departed in the back of the car.
Sir Ed told supporters: “We have a special job to kick the Conservatives out of government and then to start repairing the terrible damage they’ve done to our country.”
Labour may have to hike inheritance tax or raid pensions
Labour may have to hike inheritance tax or raid pensions in the future, a new tax adviser to Rachel Reeves has admitted.
Sir Edward Troup, the former HMRC Permanent Secretary, is one of a new panel of experts Labour has appointed to advise on its efforts to “modernise” the tax office.
Read more here: Labour may have to hike inheritance tax or raid pensions, Rachel Reeves' adviser admits - but move will be 'unpopular'
Sir Keir Starmer says the UK won't rejoin the single market in his lifetime
Sir Keir Starmer has said he "doesn’t think" the UK will rejoin the European single market in his lifetime.
The Labour leader said: “I’ve been really clear about not rejoining the EU, the single market, or the customs union, or returning to freedom of movement."
He added: "I’ve been equally clear that I do think we can get a better deal than the botched deal we got under Boris Johnson.”
Labour will 'get on with the hard yards' of sorting prison crisis says Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has said a crisis in prison capacity is a "shocking indictment on this Government".
The Labour leader was asked whether he would contemplate releasing prisoners early to deal with the situation.
He responded: "I'm very concerned about the situation because it's appalling that we're in a place [...] where the Government has allowed a situation where we don't have enough prison places for the people who need to be in prison."
In what would appear to be an early declaration of victory, Sir Keir Starmer added: “We’re going to have to get on with the hard yards of sorting this mess out.”
'British politics will break up', says Farage
Looking past Friday, Nigel Farage said: "British politics will break up in the five years".
He added: “I think there’ll be a different electoral system and you won’t even recognise it a few years down the road.”
The Reform UK leader also expressed “regret” at his party “letting some bad people” stand as candidates at the General Election.
Speaking in Clacton, Mr Farage said: “As I understand it, I didn’t know it at the time, but quite a lot of the Reform candidates – about an eighth of them – were literally just ‘please would someone please come and stand for us’ so we’ve got some people we shouldn’t have.”
Boris Johnsson was also dubbed a “busted flush, a hypocrite and a liar” by the Reform UK leader.