Election news
- Starmer launches 'battle bus' - and makes Johnson fridge gag
- Sunak pledges £20m to 30 towns across UK
- New poll suggests Tories will lose all but 66 seats
- Watch: Teen asks Sunak 'why do you hate young people?'
- Be in the audience for our election leaders event
- Live reporting by Faith Ridler
Expert analysis
- Beth Rigby:Starmer made an unforced error
- Paul Kelso:How do Labour and Tory energy pledges measure up?
Election essentials
- Trackers:Who's leading polls?|Is PM keeping promises?
- Campaign Heritage:Memorable moments from elections gone by
- Follow Sky's politics podcasts:Electoral Dysfunction|Politics At Jack And Sam's
- Read more:Who is standing down?|Key seats to watch|How to register to vote|What counts as voter ID?|Check if your constituency is changing|Your essential guide to election lingo|Sky's election night plans
Galloway addresses supporters at Workers Party campaign launch - updates
The leader of the Workers Party of Britain, George Galloway, is addressing party supporters at their election campaign launch inAshton-under-Lyne.
Watch the launch live here, and follow updates below (this post will be updated):
- Mr Galloway opens by praising their candidate in the constituency who just spoke (see previous post), Aroma Hassan, who is hoping to defeat Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner;
- "They [the Tories] thought they were pulling a surprise election. Well, it may have been a surprise to some, but not to us - we have been on a permanent election footing";
- He talks about their launches in various locations in the country, and singles out the capital, saying they are fielding "practically a candidate in every constituency in the whole of Greater London";
- Their campaign, Mr Galloway declares, has "started exceptionally well, while Keir Starmer's campaign has blown up in his face";
- He labels the Labour leader a "silent assassin" for an alleged cull of left-wing candidates;
- Continuing his attack on Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Galloway claims that Sir Iain Duncan Smith had already packed his bags when Faiza Shaheen was removed as the Labour challenger in Chingford and Woodford Green;
Workers Party of Britain launch election campaign - follow live
The Workers Party of Britain are launching their election campaign in Ashton-under-Lyne today.
Aroma Hassan, the party's candidate for the constituency - who is running against Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner - is first to speak.
She says she "believes in being the change I want to see".
Ms Hassan hits out at Labour and the Conservatives, saying that "term after term, we're promised things" and that they "dance around pretending they're different parties but we see them".
She also takes aim at "the media" and "the establishment".
D:Ream ban Labour from using Things Can Only Get Better in election campaign
The pop band behind New Labour's 1997 anthem Things Can Only Get Better has banned Sir Keir Starmer from using the song in the election.
D:Ream's founding members Alan Mackenzie and Peter Cunnah said they were dismayed to hear their number one hitplay through a loudspeakeras Rishi Sunak announced he was calling a general election on 4 July.
The pair told LBC their first thought was: "Not again."
"The fact that it's gone back to a political thing, I find disturbing. I was thinking, can we get on with our lives? But now it's come back," Cunnah said, speaking from his recording studio at home in Donegal.
You can read more from Sky News here:
'My kids would not probably describe me as a Swiftie'
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today said his children would probably not describe him as a Taylor Swift fan, ahead of the popstar's tour of the UK.
He told journalists on the campaign trail in Redcar: "My kids would not probably describe me as a Swiftie.
"I think they would be not OK with that description.
"Their level of fandom is considerably more than mine and I'm not sure I pass the threshold in their eyes."
Mr Sunak declined to say which Taylor Swift song "best describes (his) current position in the polls", when asked by The Sunday Times.
The prime minister replied: "My encyclopaedic knowledge of Taylor Swift is probably not sufficient to deal with that, but what I can tell you is that the only poll that I'm focused on is the one on 4 July.
"Has she got a song about 4 July? I don't know, I'll have to go and check the canon."
Politics at Jack and Sam's: The Day... Trump altered British politics
Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard are already in your podcast feeds with their daily guide to the election day ahead.
This is day nine of the campaign. Jack and Sam discuss Donald Trump's show-stealing convictions in the US, continued accusations of a purge of Labour's left, and how the parties will be preparing for next week's first TV debate.
👉Tap here to follow Politics at Jack at Sam's wherever you get your podcasts👈
Email Jack and Sam: jackandsam@sky.uk
Catch up on the latest news from the campaign trail
It's 1pm - here's what you need to know this lunchtime.
Both Labour and the Conservatives have been out on the campaign trail, launching their "battle buses" for the rest of this six-week race.
Let us get you up to speed on everything you may have missed today…
- Labour is in Uxbridge, west London, kicking off a 5,000-mile trip around the UK on their "battle bus", fronted by deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner;
- Launching the bus, Sir Keir Starmer made a few digs at the Conservatives - and former prime minister Boris Johnson, who was an MP in Uxbridge - saying of the bus: "This one I'm reliably told has got a fridge at the back of it, so check that Boris Johnson isn't in there - he used to be around these parts";
- The joke is in reference to the former prime minister hiding in a fridge as he tried to avoid a TV interview with Good Morning Britain;
- Later, Sir Keir refused to comment on the row with Diane Abbott, avoiding even saying her name when asked about the situation around her candidacy.
- Rishi Sunak is in the North East of England, where he too launched a campaign bus baring the slogan: "clear plan, bold action, secure future";
- Ahead of his arrival, a soundtrack of indie and pop from the 2000s and 2010s played, includingMr Brightside by the Killers, and Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, two US bands;
- The Conservatives have also pledged to give £20m to 30 towns across the country - a move the Labour Party has branded a "reckless, unfunded commitment";
- Science minister Andrew Griffith clarified today that this is a pledge of £600m - with £20m earmarked for each of the 30 towns identified by the party.
- And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is taking a break from the campaign trail today to "be a dad", and look after his son John - who has special needs;
- Despite this, the Lib Dem campaign continues, with Treasury spokeswoman Sarah Olney on a visit in Eastbourne;
- Reform UK leader Richard Tice is in Skegness with honorary president Nigel Farage, and the pair have been spotted stopping for an ice-cream and chatting with locals.
Here are a couple of other stories that may interest you:
Our essential political podcast,Politics At Jack And Sam's, is going out every week day through the election campaign to bring a short burst of everything you need to know about the day ahead as this election unfolds.
Tap here to follow Politics At Jack At Sam's wherever you get your podcasts.
Stick with us for all the latest throughout the evening.
What is the pre-election period known as purdah?
Parliament was officially dissolved at midnight, which means we are now in a pre-election period known as purdah.
The term "purdah", which derives from Urdu and Persian and means "curtain", describes the period between the time an election is announced and the date the election is held.
It is a period of heightened sensitivity, when certain restrictions are in place on government activity.
Sky News and other broadcasters also have to ensure their coverage gives due weight to parties and candidates during the campaign period.
You can read more from Sky News below:
'There's only one poll that matters'
Next, Rishi Sunak is asked about a new poll which suggests Labour could have a 303-seat majority after the July general election.
He says the only poll that matters is "the one on 4 July - the general election".
"We're just over a week into this and what is clear is that we're the only ones that have a plan that is working when it comes to the economy," Mr Sunak adds.
"We're the only ones who are putting ideas on the table."
The prime minister reiterates that the Conservatives can deliver a better future - in "direct contrast" with the Labour Party.
PM urges Hamas to accept ceasefire deal
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden.
He said: "It's very welcome news and I hope Hamas take this opportunity to take this deal that is on the table, that would ensure hostages can be released and be back with their families.
"That we can flood Gaza with far more aid than has been getting in.
"And then use that pause in the fighting to build a sustainable and lasting peace."
You can read more about the situation in the Middle East in our blog here:
Reform UK may be winning the first TikTok election
If this is the first TikTok election, you might be surprised at who's winning.
On the youngest, buzziest social media platform, Reform UK - whose vote tends somewhat towards the elderly - has the most followers, 125,500, just ahead of Labour on 108,500.
But others are catching up fast - and how they're using it reveals a lot about a key digital battleground in this election, one of the few arenas where money doesn't buy you influence.
Because this is new territory. "It's worth noting that the three major parties are really new to the game," says Kate Dommett, professor of digital politics at the University of Sheffield.
No major party had much of a TikTok presence before the election was called. Now they're racing to build them on the fly.
Read more from our online campaign correspondent Tom Cheshire:
