Reform activist uses racist slur against Sunak and calls migrants ‘to be shot’– live

Sir Keir Starmer has been asked on BBC Breakfast about voters unsure about “the full picture” of what a future Labour government would be like.

The party leader said: “We’re campaigning with a smile on our face, a spring in our step. It’s our chance to take our positive offer to the country and we’re really pleased to be able to do so.”

Asked on what could have done better during the campaign, he replied: “I think there are always things in any operation. We are focused on the next six days and the thing I am most concerned about is the sort of underlying assumption of what you just said. Because every single vote still has to be earned.

“We’ve got another six days to go and it is very, very important to make the argument that if you want change, you have to vote for it. This is a big change election.

“If anyone votes Tory next week or doesn’t vote because they think the result is already determined, that means five more years of what we’ve had.”

Gillian Keegan has hit out at Reform after reports emerged a party activist used racist slurs to describe Rishi Sunak.

The education secretary said: “The Reform party will show up differently in different parts of the country.

“What actually shows up a lot about the Reform party is some of their disgraceful comments, either their racist comments or their comments about women, his comments himself about Putin have cut through.”

Ms Keegan added: “They’re not a political party, are they? They’re a corporation. But of course in some places there’s no doubt that he’s got a lot of airtime, a lot of people will have comments about him. Some people do support him and some people obviously think the views of him and some of the party are not right.”

The Gambling Commission has interviewed the prime minister’s chief of staff as a witness in connection with the betting scandal.

The BBC reported Liam Booth-Smith was quizzed by the watchdog last week to clarify who had inside information about the date of the general election before it was announced.

Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: “We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the general election.

“Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan police to draw this case to a just conclusion.”

Rishi Sunak has accused Nigel Farage of “appeasing” Vladimir Putin with his remarks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The prime minister set out a parallel between the Reform leader and those who criticised Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

It comes as Mr Farage sparked backlash last week by saying the West had “provoked” Russia with the “ever-eastward expansion of Nato and the European Union”. He later suggested peace talks should take place.

The Prime Minister told The Telegraph: “What he said was wrong, it was completely wrong. It plays into Putin’s hand. This is the guy who used nerve agents on British streets, he’s doing deals with North Korea.

“That is who we’re talking about here. This kind of appeasement is very damaging not just for our security, but the security of our allies that depend on us and it emboldens Putin further.”

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s understanding of the economy has been questioned as she faced grilling about the Conservative Party’s record in office.

Ms Keegan blamed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine after it was put to her that a jump in inflation under the Tories was due to Liz Truss.

She told Sky News: “No, well, that’s not true. If you look all over the world, Liz Truss was nothing to do with other countries where the inflation rate went up in exactly the same way.

But Sky News anchor Matt Barbet said: “If you understood economics, you’d know that it’s actually got a lot to do with the Bank of England, which is independent of the Government, in the way they manage interest rates. That’s the real reason why inflation has come down if you’re economically literate.”

Ms Keegan said the Bank of England “look at all the economic factors and all the prices”, adding: “The fact that the energy price spiked is why it went up, the fact the energy price was then brought down due to lots of other measures being put in place and lots of other supply opening up was why it then fed into them making the decision to put it down, but it’s not just energy but other things as well.”

Labour’s shadow Treasury minister has said the party has “no plans” to raise any taxes should it win the election.

Speaking to GB News, Darren Jones criticised the Government for being wasteful with public finances during the Covid pandemic.

He said: “Procurement rules need to be followed even during a pandemic. It would not have happened under Labour.”

Mr Jones said Labour would raise funds by closing tax loopholes.

“We have no plans to raise any other taxes because we don’t need to,” he added.

He is under pressure from the left of the party to follow through on the Labour manifesto promise, but members of his inner circle have concerns this could isolate him from major allies such as the US at the start of his premiership, The Times reports.

A source close to Sir Keir told the newspaper that British recognition of Palestine was a “process” and would have the most impact if done in “coordination with allies”. They denied the US would influence the timing of an announcement.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney has blamed Westminster for the challenges Scotland is facing.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the SNP leader has said that people are “suffering” because of Brexit and 14 years of “austerity” under the Conservatives, which he described as the result of a Westminster-made decision.

He added: “Scotland would be in a stronger position if decision were to be made in Scotland for Scotland.”

Gillian Keegan has appeared on Sky News Breakfast as part of the morning round for the Conservatives.

Asked about how she thought the Tory campaign had gone so far, the Education Secretary said: “Oh, well, it’s still going and we’re still fighting for every vote.

“But clearly if you look at the hundred or so polls that have been done since the election was called, I think it’s by far the most polls that we’ve ever had done, then you’ve got a whole range of different views. And none of us looking like the best outcome for our party.”

She added: “But what actually is happening is there’s a lot of undecided voters who have previously voted Conservative, who are frustrated for one reason or another and there can be very many different reasons.

“But they haven’t gone to another party, and that is the story of the doorsteps. What we’re trying to do is get round to as many of those voters as possible.”