UK general election LIVE: Manifesto launches this week as Lib Dems target 'big banks and billionaires' to pump £9 billion into the NHS while Labour and the Conservatives outline new pledges on childcare and police officers

3 months ago 12

By Jamie Bullen

Published: 09:13 BST, 10 June 2024 | Updated: 10:00 BST, 10 June 2024

The main Westminster parties will unveil their election manifestoes this week kicking off with the Liberal Democrats with a promise to pump £9billion into the NHS by targeting 'big banks and millionaires'.

After a difficult weekend dogged by criticism over Rishi Sunak's D-Day blunder, the Conservatives have outlined plans to recruit an extra 8,000 police officers over the next three years.

While Labour has pledged to create 100,000 additional childcare places and more than 3,000 new nurseries in England.

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Douglas Ross statement - Carrying on as Scottish Tories leader is 'not feasible'

Mr Ross has issued a statement following his announcement he will stand down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

I have served as MP, MSP and leader for over three years now and believed I could continue to do so if re-elected to Westminster, but on reflection, that is not feasible.

I am committed to fighting and winning the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency. Should I be given the honour to represent the people and communities of this new seat, they should know being their MP would receive my complete focus and attention.

I will therefore stand down as leader following the election on 4 July, once a successor is elected. Should I win the seat, I will also stand down as an MSP to make way for another Scottish Conservative representative in Holyrood.

My party has a chance to beat the SNP in key seats up and down Scotland, including in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. We must now come together and fully focus on doing exactly that.

Ross declared he would as MP in general election

Mr Ross's announcement comes days after he declared he would stand to be an MP to 'beat the SNP' after a sick colleague was blocked from seeking re-election.

The move coame despite Mr Ross previously having said he would step down from the Commons to focus on his role at Holyrood.

Read James Tapsfield's report here:

Breaking:Douglas Ross to stand down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives

Douglas Ross will stand down as leader of the Scottish Conservatives after the general election, he has announced.

Policing minister - Social media makes people feel unsafe

People may not feel safer on the streets because social media amplifies the impact of crime more than ever, Chris Philp has suggested.

Asked whether he believed people feel safer now than when the Conservatives came into government, the Home Office minister told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “

There is a perception, a feeling that you mentioned, and even though crime has demonstrably gone down according to the crime survey, sometimes people don’t feel so safe.

That is partly because of social media, so an incident, a knife crime incident, gets sort of magnified across social media in a way that wasn’t the case even five years ago, certainly 10 years ago.

There are particular places like London under Sadiq Khan where there is a… particular knife crime problem, but overall crime has gone down.

Mr Philp was speaking after the Prime Minister promised to recruit 8,000 more neighbourhood police officers in the Conservatives’ latest election pledge.

Policing minister - I was shocked and disappointed by Sunak on D-Day

Chris Philp, the policing minister, has become the latest Conservative to publicly criticise Rishi Sunak's decision to leave the D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Philp (pictured) said he was 'shocked and disappointed' when he heard the Prime Minister had departed early.

He said Mr Sunak had apologised and added he has a 'good track record' on veterans.

He was then asked about Mr Sunak apparently scaling back from interviews over the weekend but insisted the Prime Minister will be out campaigning today and talking to journalists whenever they want to ask him some questions'.

How will the Lib Dems raise £9 billion for the NHS?

epa11393544 Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey laughs as he campaigns for the UK election at a Bicester Green non-profit store in Bicester, Britain, 06 June 2024. Britain will hold its general elections on 04 July 2024. EPA/NEIL HALL

The Lib Dems are today pledging to pump £9 billion into the NHS.

Sir Ed Davey will talk up the policy at the party's manifesto launch in North London with plans to recruit 8,000 more GPs, boost cancer survival rates and introduce free personal care for the elderly and the disabled.

Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the money will be raised by reversing tax cuts given to big banks while extra money would also be generated by reforming capital gains tax - which is likely to affect the wealthiest.

Speaking to Sky News, Sir Ed Davey said:

This is the healthcare election for the Liberal Democrats.

We've been listening to people around the country, and top of their concerns in so many areas is the health service.

So we have absolutely made the NHS and care at the heart of our manifesto.

What is happening today?

Here's what we have coming up on the campaign trail today:

Rishi Sunak is campaigning in Horsham where he will attend a neighbourhood watch meeting as the Conservatives unveil plans to recruit an extra 8,000 police officers
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson will visit a nursery in the West Midlands as the party unveils its plans for childcare.
Sir Ed Davey launches Lib Dems manifesto with a speech in north London before heading to Thorpe Park this afternoon
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice will launch Reform UK’s economic policy in Westminster.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney will visit an after-school club in Glasgow on a youth football related announcement
At 8pm, Rishi Sunak will be interviewed by Nick Robinson for a BBC Panorama General Election special

We will bring you the latest news as and when we get it.

Good morning

Hello and welcome to another week on the general election campaign trail with just three-and-a-half weeks to go until the country heads to the polls on July 4.

This week, the main political parties will be launching their election manifestoes packed with promises to the public before they tick their ballots.

The Liberal Democrats will launch theirs today, the Conservatives tomorrow and Labour on Thursday.

Stick with us and we bring you the reaction plus all the big political stories of the day.

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