2024 general election live: Rishi Sunak’s decision to hold 4 July vote condemned as ‘kamikaze’ as Starmer calls for change

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper has not ruled out the possibility of working with Labour.

She said MPs were touring the country today to challenge the 80 Conservative seats they could win.

Asked which parties the Liberal Democrats would make deals with, she said: “We’re not going to make any deals with this Conservative government, because clearly there are people who have been lifelong Conservative supporters who can no longer bear to vote for this party.”

“They just don’t realize it anymore.”

The party’s national campaign coordinator, Pat McFadden, urged people not to take the outcome of the general election for granted.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Look, I’d encourage people to ignore the opinion polls because this election starts without a single vote having been cast, without any seats having been won or lost and so we’re making no assumptions about the outcome.”

“The fundamental choice is going to be whether we continue doing what we’ve been doing for the last 14 years for another five years, or whether we vote for change.”

Rishi Sunak has hinted that his flight to Rwanda will not depart before the general election, insisting it will depart “if I am re-elected”, Archie Mitchell reports.

The Prime Minister has promised to start deporting asylum seekers to the East African country from July, while Labor has pledged to scrap the scheme as soon as it takes power.

But the shocking election date of July 4 has raised questions about whether Mr Sunak can start flights before voters cast their votes.

talk to bbc breakfast, Mr Sunak said: “The choice in this election is clear: if I am re-elected Prime Minister on 5 July, these flights will fly and Plan Rwanda will be delivered.”

David Maddox reports that Conservative MPs in Parliament last night were still stunned by Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s shock decision to call a general election.

Some are calling this a “kamikaze election” as a desperate move by the prime minister.

A former minister said: independent person“It’s a kamikaze election. We don’t know who’s going to win the seat.”

Others complain that the party is not ready. Due to boundary changes, several MPs have yet to win their seats, and around 150 seats are yet to be fielded by Conservative candidates. One MP described it as “complete chaos”.

Among the MPs whose futures are uncertain is campaign co-ordinator Richard Holden, who is among those looking for a new seat.

Rishi Sunak said economic stability was returning to the country and “that’s why we’re calling an election now”. archie mitchell He writes:

Asked about the timing of the surprise July 4 general election, the Prime Minister said not everyone was yet “feeling the benefits” of lower inflation.

But he told GB News: “It’s clear we have turned the corner, so now it’s time to look to the future. The world is clearly in more uncertain times than it has been in decades and the question for this country is who will come out of this election with the boldest ideas and the plan to provide a secure future for themselves and their families.”

“That’s the choice of this election.

“Now that economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question, and we look forward to discussing it with our viewers across the country in the coming weeks.”

Rishi Sunak has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for not having a plan to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. archie mitchell I will report.

In what will be a key line of attack for the prime minister in the general election, he told GB News that the Labor leader intended to scrap the deportation program from Rwanda and “grant amnesty to illegal immigrants”. Ta.

Mr Sunak said: “That is his choice in this election. He thinks we should give amnesty to illegal immigrants because we are the weak link in Europe.”

“It will attract thousands of immigrants from everywhere. That’s the choice of this election. Do you think my plan is right?

“Do I see myself as the one taking bold steps to protect the border and stop the boats? Or is he going to do that?”

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Politics Live Blog.

With only six weeks left until Election Day, the battle between political parties to vie for your votes begins this morning.

Political journalists left London on an early morning train to follow Mr Sunak on his tour.

• Sir Keir Starmer is heading to the south-east of England in an attempt to make inroads in Conservative areas.

• In London, Reform UK leader Richard Tice is holding a press conference to outline his party’s plans.

• Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is expected to visit target seats as he launches a campaign focused on targeting Conservative-held seats following a series of eye-catching successes in by-elections.

Keir Starmer wrote in the Mirror overnight: “Rishi Sunak can no longer hide. That’s the beauty of our democracy.

“At the end of the day, power doesn’t belong to the Prime Minister or any other politician. The power belongs to you.”

Rishi Sunak announced July 4 as the date for the general election, but why did he choose that date?

The practical reasons for his decision lie in electoral law and the parliamentary calendar. Parliament must be dissolved 25 working days before election day, so if he wants to hold an election in the summer, his options are limited.

Calling an election on July 4 would cancel a planned recess next week and give Parliament a “tidy-up week” to complete any remaining business by Thursday. Parliament would then be dissolved in time for the July 4 election, meaning the prime minister could not call an election earlier.