Sir Keir Starmer will push Labour's energy plans in Scotland today with a promise to cut household bills by setting up a public company to invest in domestic power.
Rishi Sunak heads to the north west after the Conservatives announced new policies aimed at cracking down on fly-tippers and anti-social tenants.
Meanwhile, as the first full week of campaigning nears it end, a new poll suggests more than half of voters have yet to make up their minds five weeks out from election day.
Follow MailOnline's live coverage of the campaign trail and join in the conversation in our comments section
Starmer on stage at Labour event
Keir Starmer is now speaking in Scotland where he is unveiling Labour's energy plans.
He told voters he didn't want them to 'send a message but to send a government'.
We will bring you the best of his speech.
Anas Sarwar - GB Energy is 'transformational opportunity we cannot afford to miss'
We can now bring you some remarks from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar who has described the party's GB Energy pledge as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Scotland
At the launch event for Labour’s six steps for change in Inverclyde – the party’s doorstep offer to Scots – he said:
Starmer to speak in Scotland
We are waiting to bring you lines from Keir Starmer's visit to Scotland where he will talk up Labour's plan to decarbonise Britain's power supplies by 2030 through a new publicly-owned company GB Energy.
Scottish Labour has posted a stream of the event if you'd like to watch live, otherwise we'll bring you the best of Starmer later on.
Memes of the week: See the tongue-in-cheek tweets of the election campaign
As a little Friday treat, we have compiled some of our favourite memes posted by political parties throughout the first full week of the election campaign.
Here you go:
Conservatives
Labour
Liberal Democrats
SNP
Greens
Reform
Watch: Daily politics briefing on day nine of the election campaign
If you're just waking up here's footage explaining today's political briefing as campaigning gets back under way.
Created by the PA News agency, see the video below:
Morning broadcast round: What was said?
Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, and Peter Kyle, the shadow science, secretary toured the broadcast studios this morning on behalf of the Conservatives and Labour
Here's a brief summary of what was said:
Mel Stride
- He warned that if Sir Keir Starmer cannot make a decision on Diane Abbott how will he sort out Vladimir Putin - echoing Jeremy Hunt's interview yesterday
- Said it was disappointing former Tory MP Mark Logan had defected to Labour and noted he didn't cite one policy reason for doing so
- Claimed Labour will drag 'millions of pensioners into paying income tax' as he talked up the Tories 'triple lock plus' policy to raise the tax-free pension allowance
Peter Kyle
- He said Diane Abbott is a 'trailblazer' but that the election is 'about the future' as he insisted any decision on whether she will represent party will be made by Labour's NEC
- Also insisted Labour should not have to apologise for raising the standards of its members
- Added Labour would 'never leave communities behind' after being asked whether there is a risk to oil and gas jobs in a similar way to Britain's coal-mining areas in the 1980s
Rishi Sunak - GB Energy is just a 'logo'
Rishi Sunak has dismissed Labour’s aim to decarbonise Britain by 2030 as a 'logo' despite an endorsement from the Government’s former chief scientific adviser.
Asked for his reaction to Patrick Vallance writing in support of Labour’s flagship policy in The Times, the Prime Minister said:
Sunak and Starmer quizzed on Trump conviction
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have been questioned this morning on the historic court case involving Donald Trump which resulted in him becoming the first former president convicted of criminal offences.
Mr Sunak refused to comment on Trump’s guilty verdict in a Downing Street press briefing this morning.
Asked whether he was willing to work with a convicted felon in the White House if he wins July’s election, the Prime Minister said:
While Mr Starmer was asked how he might deal with a possible Trump administration during an interview with BBC Scotland.
He says Labour would work with whoever is the US president, but notes it is a 'wholly unprecedented situation'.
Read more on the Trump conviction here from our reporters in New York:
Cabinet minister - We're disappointed by Tory MP's defection
Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has said the Conservatives are 'disappointed' its former MP Mark Logan has joined Labour.
Mr Logan, the ex-Bolton North East representative, said Labour could 'bring back optimism into British life' as he backed them to win the election on July 4
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Stride said:
Read the story here about Mark Logan's defection:
Starmer refuses to budge on Abbott stance
Despite travelling to Scotland to talk up one of Labour's key election pledges, Sir Keir Starmer continues to field questions surrounding Diane Abbott.
He has this morning refused to say if he would like Diane Abbott to stand for the party at the next election.
He was asked the question after his deputy Angela Rayner said she sees no reason why she shouldn't, while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he agreed with her
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland during a visit north of the border, Mr Starmer said the decision rests with the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).
Asked if he would like her to be a candidate, Sir Keir added:
What's happening today on the campaign trail?
Before we bring you some news lines from the morning broadcast round, let's take a look at the campaign agenda today with parties once again spread across the country.
Rishi Sunak will be in the north west this afternoon after the Tories announced plans for fly-tippers to face driving bans under new plans to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride is on the morning round
Keir Starmer heads north of the border to launch Labour's plans for clean energy with Scotland the planned headquarters for Great British Energy - a publicly owned company to invest in domestic power sources.
He will be joined by Anas Sarwar, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Ian Murray at a campaign event in Greenock.
Peter Kyle will represent Labour on the morning round.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney will call on the next UK Government to commit to an emergency budget immediately following the election at SNP campaign event in Glasgow this morning
Sir Ed Davey is making visits to Hertfordshire this morning before heading to South London this afternoon.
GB Energy: What is it? And how does it work?
Labour are outlining their energy plans this morning with a policy to deliver 100 per cent clean power across the country by 2030.
Sir Keir Starmer is in Scotland where Labour say will be the base for GB Energy, a planned publicly-owned company that will harness Britain’s sun, wind and wave.
Labour has claimed the policy, which will see electricity supplies decarbonised by 2030, will permanently reduce energy bills, create thousands of jobs and deliver energy security.
But the policy is not without its critics.
The SNP has warned Labour's plan to halt any new oil and gas licences would cost 100,000 jobs and deter future investment in Scotland, while the Tories estimate 200,000 positions could be lost.
Sir Patrick Vallance backs Labour's green energy plans
Labour has received a welcome boost after the party's energy proposals were backed by the UK's former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured).
Writing in The Times, Sir Patrick, who was a prominent figure throughout the Covid pandemic, said he welcomed Labour's pledge to fully decarbonise Britain's power supplies by 2030.
He wrote:
Exclusive:Hope for Tories as only four in ten voters have made up their minds
Let's bring you the main political story in today's Daily Mail as a major new poll by Lord Ashcroft suggests that more than half of voters have yet to definitively make up their minds ahead of the election.
Research shared exclusively with the Mail found only four in ten have 'definitely decided' how to vote.
Read Harriet Line's report here:
Pictures: A snapshot of day eight on the campaign trail
Here are some of our favourite pictures from the campaign trail yesterday:
What happened yesterday on the campaign trail?
Let's remind you of some stories from the campaign trail yesterday we that published on MailOnline:
We will continue to bring you stories from our website throughout the day.
Good morning
Hello and happy Friday!
Welcome to our live coverage of the general election build-up as we approach the end of the first full week of campaigning.
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will both be hoping to head into the weekend with some momentum after enduring difficult days for different reasons yesterday.
Mr Sunak was hit with another defection as a former Tory MP urged voters to choose Labour on July 4, while Mr Starmer faces a split in his ranks over the Diane Abbott row as deputy Angela Rayner declared she should stand for the party.
We will bring you all the eye-catching moments from throughout the day plus news, analysis and reaction.
Key Updates
Rishi Sunak - GB Energy is just a 'logo'
Sunak and Starmer quizzed on Trump conviction
Starmer refuses to budge on Abbott stance
What's happening today on the campaign trail?
Sir Patrick Vallance backs Labour's green energy plans
What happened yesterday on the campaign trail?