Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour are the ‘party of drivers’ as he pledged to repair an extra million potholes a year.
The Labour leader told The Sun “we are going to fix it” insisting that the policy is costed.
In a dig at Rishi Sunak’s manifesto, Sir Keir also suggested voters would rather see more potholes being fixed than Tory tax cuts.
Reminiscing about his family’s first car, a Ford Cortina, he said: “My dad loved driving. I loved this car. When I was about four or five years old, I was outside cleaning the car the whole time.
“So he loved driving. I love driving. I still do drive because I love it. Not as much as I would like and I’m as irritated by the potholes as everyone else, by the way.”
Sir Keir said that £320million for the policy would come from deferring the controversial Arundel A27 bypass in Wiltshire.
Elsewhere, the Green Party are set to launch their manifesto today in Hove, with a pledge to tax “multimillionaires and billionaires” to fund improvements to health, housing, transport and the green economy.
Reform UK is just one point behind the Tories in a new survey, by YouGov which puts Labour on 38 per cent, the Tories on 18, Reform 17, Lib Dems 15 and Greens on eight.
Follow along with our live blog throughout the day with 21 days to go until the polls open…
BREAKING: Man charged with using threatening behaviour towards Nigel Farage
A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Police said Josh Greally, 28, has been charged with using threatening behaviour towards Nigel Farage after objects were thrown at the Reform UK leader while he was campaigning in Barnsley.
Campaigning resumes across the UK for all major parties
- Rishi Sunak is campaigning for the Conservatives in North East Lincolnshire
- Sir Keir Starmer and shadow transport minister Louise Haigh are setting out Labour’s plans to bring down costs for drivers
- Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is campaigning in Warwickshire this morning and in Surrey in the afternoon
- The Green Party is launching their manifesto in Hove this morning
Sunak and Starmer to go head-to-head in Grimsby tonight
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer
PA
The Prime Minister and the Labour leader will go head to head to win a during Sky News’ leaders special.
It comes after Mr Sunak unveiled a £17.2 billion package of tax cuts at the Silverstone motor racing circuit on Tuesday. Labour said the Tory plans would push up borrowing, risking increased interest rates and rising mortgage costs.
The Tories promised to cut a further 2p off employees’ national insurance by April 2027 and abolish the main rate of the tax for the self-employed entirely by the end of the parliament.
Grant Shapps says they are fighting to prevent Labour ‘supermajority’
The Defence Secretary told Times Radio that in order to proper accountability “you don’t want to have somebody receive a supermajority” along the line of Tony Blair’s in 1997.
He said: “In this case, of course, the concern would be that if Keir Starmer were to go into No 10, it will either be Rishi Sunak, or Keir Starmer there’s no other outcomes to this election, and that power was in some way unchecked, it would be very bad news for people in this country.
“A blank cheque approach allowing someone to do anything they wanted, particularly when their particular set of plans are so vague, and they say ‘change’, but you have no idea what they actually want to change to, other than the fact that they’ve outlined plans which would cost £2,094 to every working family in this country.”
Green Party pledges to raise taxes for ‘most wealthy’
Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay
PA
Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said the party intends to change the “conspiracy of silence” on taxes by creating a fairer system and asking those “with the broadest shoulders” to pay more.
Ahead of the party’s manifesto launch in Hove today, he said: “There is a conspiracy of silence between the main Westminster parties at this election.
“Labour and the Conservatives would rather hide their plans for cuts to public services than confront the need for a fairer tax system that asks those with the broadest shoulders to pay more – including the very wealthiest in society, who have grown even wealthier over the last 14 years.
“If people are to have access to an NHS dentist or a GP appointment, if we are to create warm, secure homes for all and fund the green transition to tackle the climate crisis and create the jobs of tomorrow, we must be honest today.”
Reform UK just one point behind Tories in bombshell new poll
A new poll released after Rishi Sunak’s manifesto launch shows Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is just a point behind the Tories.
The survey, by YouGov, puts Labour on 38 per cent, with the Tories on 18 per cent, Reform on 17, Liberal Democrats on 15 and the Greens on eight.
Meanwhile, a Redfield and Wilton survey asked who would be the better leader of the opposition to a Labour Government. Farage came out on top by a whisker, on 28 per cent, just slightly ahead of Rishi Sunak on 27 per cent in a blow to the Prime Minister.
Source Agencies
