Related video: Worker pulls faces as Sunak says ‘life has been difficult’ in election campaign speech
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Rishi Sunak’s election campaign has been dealt another hammer blow as a new poll shows Labour’s lead is at its highest level since Liz Truss’s premiership.
A survey by Opinium has Sir Keir Starmer’s party up four points to 45 per cent, with the Tories down two to 25 per cent, putting Labour on course for a landslide victory.
The poll, conducted between 29-31 May at a time of turmoil in Labour’s campaign, suggests that the prime minister’s eye-catching announcements on mandatory national service and tax cuts for pensioners have failed to land with voters.
Elsewhere, Sir Keir attempted to draw a line under the party’s row over Diane Abbott standing again in her London constituency.
He heaped praise on the veteran MP, the first black woman ever elected to parliament.
“Although I disagree with some of what she says, in terms of the battles she has been through and the terrible insults she has had to rise above, I have actually got more respect for Diane than she probably realises,” he said in an interview published in The Observer.
Businesses ‘crying out for help to tackle skills shortage’, says Labour
Businesses are “crying out for help to tackle skills shortages”, the shadow education secretary has warned.
Labour has re-stated its pledge to reform the existing apprenticeship levy, a charge on firms which have an annual wages bill of more than £3 million.
In an election campaign announcement fronted by Bridget Phillipson, the party pledged that a new growth and skills levy would give businesses “greater flexibility to invest in training courses that meet their skills needs, turbocharging investment in skills for the future”.
The announcement comes days after Labour was seen courting bosses, asking them to declare their support for the reformed levy, according to Sky News.
Starmer: I have more respect for Diane than she probably realises
Sir Keir Starmer has said he has more respect for Diane Abbott than “she probably realises”.
The Labour leader was speaking following a row over whether the veteran MP could stand again in her London constituency.
“Although I disagree with some of what she says, in terms of the battles she has been through and the terrible insults she has had to rise above, I have actually got more respect for Diane than she probably realises,” he said in an interview published in The Observer.
Labour races to biggest lead over the Tories in the polls since Liz Truss downfall
A survey by Opinium has Sir Keir Starmer’s party up four points to 45 per cent, with the Tories down two to 25 per cent, putting Labour on course for a landslide victory.
Conservatives have ‘failed to fix crumbling hospitals’, say Lib Dems
A senior Liberal Democrat candidate has said the Government has “failed to fix our crumbling hospitals”.
The party’s manifesto will feature a pledge to “reverse cuts to the Public Health Grant” for local authorities in an “invest to save” bid, a spokesperson said.
Announcing the General Election pledge, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “The Conservative Party has decimated public health funding, leaving Britain with a ticking time bomb of health challenges.
“The public health crisis in our country has Rishi Sunak’s fingerprints all over it. He has slashed funding for vital local services that support children, failed to fix our crumbling hospitals and overseen a stark rise in health inequality.
“The Liberal Democrats would reverse these scandalous cuts and invest in empowering local communities and individuals to lead healthier lives. It is time to recognise that it is far cheaper to prevent ill health than to treat it.”
Mapped: Where have the parties been campaigning today?
It has been a busy day for campaigning as both the Labour Party and the Conservatives launched their battle buses, set to drive across the country for the next five weeks.
The Reform Party, meanwhile, held a large event at the The Rifle Volunteer in Ashfield, Lee Anderson’s constituency. Both Mr Lee and Nigel Farage spoke at the event.
Below, you can see where Rishi Sunak, his counterpart Sir Keir and Mr Lee have been today.
Tories heading for election wipeout as new mega-poll suggests they could win just 66 seats
The poll puts Labour on 46 per cent – a whopping 27 points ahead of the Conservatives on just 19 per cent.
The scale of the Tory defeat would see the party take just seven more MPs than the Lib Dems, who are predicted to win 59, according to the poll by Electoral Calculus and Find Out Now for GB News and the Daily Mail.
More than 2,000 police officers were on duty across London today to monitor fan events ahead of the Champions League final at Wembley. They have also been at several protests.
Met Police officers were keeping an eye on Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid supporters ahead of the 8pm kick off.
Earlier, there was a demonstration led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson at Parliament Square - while Stand Up To Racism led a counter-protest on Whitehall.
Image:Scenes from Tommy Robinson's march on Saturday. Pic: PA
Image:Pic: PA
Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - said he was protesting against alleged "two-tier policing", while Stand Up To Racism said it was campaigning against what it deemed to be "racism and Islamophobia".
Scotland Yard said it had identified individuals in the crowd at Robinson's protest who "have a history of being involved in violent disorder".
In an update on X on Saturday afternoon, the force added: "A number have football banning orders and are associated with hooligan groups from London and across the UK.
"There is also an element of the crowd previously well known for involvement in anti-lockdown protests during the pandemic and associated disorder.
More on Real Madrid
Related Topics:
"A number of people in the crowd are intoxicated."
In a later update, the Met said it had made two arrests "in the vicinity of Parliament Square".
Advertisement
It added: "One arrest was for drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker.
"The other relates to an incident where a woman was subjected to racial abuse. We await confirmation of the exact offence."
Image:Tommy Robinson addresses the crowd at Parliament Square. Pic: PA
Image:Robinson among protesters. Pic: PA
Image:Pic: PA
The Met also said a number of people at a smaller protest in Waterloo had been arrested after attempting to block traffic. Youth Demand protesters were demonstrating against Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza.
Scotland Yard said its officers' presence would continue into the evening, when Europe's biggest club competition reaches its conclusion.
Image:Fans on Olympic Way ahead of the Champions League final. Pic: Lucy North/PA
T/Commander Louise Puddefoot, who is leading this weekend's policing operation, said: "We want fans visiting London for this fantastic event to have a safe and enjoyable experience.
"There will be a visible police and stewarding presence not just around Wembley but at fan zones and other events.
"Anyone who sees anything suspicious or who has concerns about safety or security should speak to an officer or a member of the stewarding team."
Around 20 prisoners have reportedly been involved in a riot at a crisis-hit jail which has seen 10 sudden inmate deaths in three months. Three inmates of HMP Parc in Bridgend have been rushed to hospital following Friday's unrest.
An air ambulance attended the prison on Friday before being stood down. G4S, the firm that runs the prison, says the prisoners' injuries are not "life-threatening". A spokeswoman for the private security giant said: “Staff at HMP Parc swiftly resolved two short-lived incidents involving prisoners on Friday, with no officers injured. Those involved will receive the strongest possible punishments, including criminal prosecution.”
G4S says one of the incidents involved around 20 prisoners and was "safely resolved" after help from the Prison and Probation Service, which we understand sent a 'tornado team' — a prison riot squad — into the jail. According to G4S the second incident was unrelated and involved "an altercation between three prisoners who required hospital treatment". No staff were injured in either incident.
Prisoners' families and sources close to the jail have told WalesOnline that the unrest amounted to a riot. Vans and teams of security officers were seen going into the prison into the early hours of Saturday. The trigger for the disturbances is not clear. We have asked G4S and South Wales Police for more information including the severity of any injuries and whether there have been any arrests.
On Wednesday we revealed that Parc's death toll had reached 10 in just over three months. A 38-year-old prisoner, Warren Manners, died suddenly that day in circumstances that police do not believe to be suspicious. We previously revealed allegations from former staff members and prisoners of drug-dealing, violence, corruption, chronic understaffing and a lack of mental health support. Grieving families marched outside the prison on Monday in a demonstration calling for G4S to be stripped of its £400million contract. Protesters chanted "G4S out" and carried placards with messages such as "stop the drugs".
Earlier this month the prisons minister Edward Argar said four out of nine recent sudden deaths at Parc were believed to be drug-related, four were not, and one was "potentially so". Two of the deaths, he said, were thought to be from natural causes. On Monday we interviewed the heartbroken family of 19-year-old Michael Horton, who was allegedly threatened by drug-dealing inmates before his death at the prison on May 7.
A woman who recently worked at the prison told us: "The prison was ultimately run by the prisoners, with officers being paid to bring in contraband items. The enhanced red band prisoners, who were able to roam, would then ferry these items across the prison." Rampant drug use, she claims, would go "unnoticed or ignored".
Police recently arrested a Parc employee on suspicion of smuggling in contraband. The 36-year-old man is the fourth person within two months to have been arrested in connection with illicit items or drugs allegedly brought into Parc. The relationship between the prison and the first three people arrested is unknown.
Mr Argar told Parliament that the jail is "safe" and that the contract "continues to perform well" but he did say the UK Government has issued an improvement notice on G4S for urgent action on Parc's security. A G4S spokeswoman said: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and use a range of tactics to tackle the ingress of drugs and reduce demand... The vast majority of our staff are hard-working and honest. As with every other prison in the country, we work closely with the police and the [prison service] counter-corruption team to crack down on the small number who may break the rules."
"Please check, please repeat." A frantic telephone call from a woman with a cut-glass English accent took Maureen Sweeney by surprise.
A short time earlier, the Irish postmistress had filed her hourly weather report: "Force six wind and a rapidly falling barometer."
It was her 21st birthday but she and her soon-to-be husband Ted, keepers of the Blacksod Lighthouse, had their job to do.
Their son Vincent recalls: "My mother said, 'oh my God, were my readings wrong?'" They were not wrong, but they had caused alarm for those planning the imminent D-Day landings.
Some 5,000 ships and 11,000 aircraft had transported 156,000 Allied troops in readiness for the beachfront offensive at Normandy.
Image:It was Maureen's 21st birthday when she sent the weather report on 3 June
Image:The scene at Omaha Beach in Normandy during the Allied invasion on D-Day. Pic: AP
But there was one thing UK, US and Canadian commanders had no control over - the weather on 5 June, the date they had earmarked for invasion.
It is small and unremarkable in appearance, but the lighthouse at Blacksod Point in County Mayo was about to claim its place in history.
Image:Ted and Maureen Sweeney played a critical role in the success of the D-Day landings
Situated on the western edge of Europe, flanked by a pretty fishing village, immaculate beaches and the neighbouring Achill Island, it surveys the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Advertisement
Vincent, who is the current lighthouse attendant, explains: "We have the first gaze into the Atlantic.
Image:Maureen's report persuaded officials to postpone the landings by a day
"Any weather that is coming in will come in over us.
"But this depression, with northwest winds, was coming in directly over Blacksod, down through the UK and into the Channel.
"That would have hit Normandy in about five hours, so it was critical."
Despite Ireland's neutrality during the Second World War, it continued to supply weather forecasts to Britain under an agreement in place since independence.
Maureen never imagined for a moment that the fate of tens of thousands of Allied troops hung on her readings.
Image:Maureen and Ted's son, Vincent, is the lighthouse attendant today
Her report on 3 June indicated a cold front lying halfway across Ireland and moving rapidly south-eastwards, towards Normandy.
Had the plan gone ahead, Allied troops would have faced catastrophe, trying to steer boats through rough water and scramble on to the beach in driving rain.
Maureen's weather warning, checked and double-checked by Ted, persuaded those in charge to postpone by a day.
In the early hours of 5 June, at General Eisenhower's morning briefing, another report from Blacksod confirmed that the cold front had passed.
A loud cheer went up in the room, the long-awaited weather clearance had arrived and he gave the order for Operation Overlord to proceed.
Image:Maureen's efforts were recognised with a medal by the US House of Representatives
Shortly before her death last year aged 100, Maureen recalled those three days in June 1944.
"Eisenhower was making up his mind… but when he saw the report from Blacksod, it confirmed that he was right, and he went ahead then," she said.
It was more than a decade after D-Day, when weather forecasting arrangements changed, before Maureen and Ted learned the critical role they had played.
Vincent explained: "They had a fair idea that there might be something up because the weather went in every hour on the hour and then came the call to please check, please repeat.
"But it was 1956, when the weather station moved from Blacksod, when an official came to assist with the relocation.
Image:Maureen discovered how key she had been to D-Day more than a decade later
"He said, 'by the way Ted and Maureen, do you realise the significance of the weather forecasts you sent on the 3, 4 and 5 June 1944?'
"'I can tell you now that those forecasts were the decisive factor before Operation Overlord could proceed'."
Observations were taken at various locations by Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and United States Army and Air Force meteorologists.
But the forecast from the Irish Meteorological Service, based on readings from Blacksod on Mayo's Mullet Peninsula, proved crucial.
Image:A certificate praising Maureen's efforts
Had Maureen not accurately read the signs, the D-Day campaign, the turning point of the Second World War, would almost certainly have ended in failure.
The US House of Representatives acknowledged her contribution with a medal and certificate recognising her "laudable actions" for perpetuity.
Her grandson Fergus Sweeney, a tour guide at the lighthouse, says his grandmother saved the most ambitious invasion in history from disaster.
"It would certainly be a different world today. You can imagine what would have happened to the allies had they gone during the bad weather.
Image:Fergus believes it 'would certainly be a different world today' without Blacksod
"The invasion would have been a disaster… but of course, that would have changed the world we live in.
"The world we live in today is dictated by what happened at the end of the Second World War and so everything that we know now would be vastly different," he said.
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Related: Keir Starmer denies Labour ‘left-wing cull’ after Abbott and Shaheen suspensions
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Sir Keir Starmer has said his top priority is “wealth creation” as he looks to capture the middle ground voters.
In an interview with The Times, the Labour leader issued a pitch to the middle class as he told the paper his “number one mission is wealth creation".
“I think you win from the centre ground, the centre ground is where most people are,” he said.
“As a nation, broadly speaking we’re a pretty reasonable, tolerant bunch but we are in the centre ground of politics. People don’t like the extremes of the right or the left.
“They are reasonably tolerant. They want themselves, their families and the country to improve and make progress."
Sir Keir is set to announce later today a number of proposed employment support and welfare benefits reforms aimed at increasing the employment rate from 75 per cent to 80 per cent.
This includes a new combined national jobs and careers service, local plans for work, health and skills support, and a guarantee of opportunities for young people.
Starmer says ‘wealth creation’ is top priority for Labour
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said "wealth creation" is his top priority as the General Election campaign enters its second weekend.
Speaking to The Times, Sir Keir said his “number one mission” was creating more wealth in a bid to appeal to the middle ground voters.
He suggested the majority of England were a “tolerant bunch” occupying the centre of political leaning.
Sir Keir will on Saturday announce a number of proposed employment support and welfare benefits reforms aimed at increasing the employment rate from 75 per cent to 80 per cent.
This includes a new combined national jobs and careers service, local plans for work, health and skills support, and a guarantee of opportunities for young people.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says ‘wealth creation’ is his top priority (Getty Images)
Starmer and Rayner to appear together later this morning
Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner are to appear together this morning for the first time since the party said Diane Abbott was free to stand as an MP.
The dramatic U-turn came after Ms Rayner said Ms Abbott should be allowed to stand – in a break with her party leader.
This morning they will launch Ms Rayner’s battle bus tour of the UK alongside a pledge to “power up” every corner of Britain.
Sir Keir, and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will join Ms Rayner as she sets off on a 5,000-mile journey to battleground seats across the country.
British opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner attend a Labour general election campaign event at Priestfield Stadium last week (REUTERS)
Is the Green Party a serious contender in the forthcoming election?
The Green Party of England and Wales (the Scottish Greens are separate but linked) was unlucky with the timing of its election campaign launch. Though joint leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay are hardly household names even in their own kitchens, and their plans for a more sustainable future were never going to hog the front page of the Daily Mail, the party does increasingly matter. Indeed, it seems set for a record share of the vote at this general election, polling at some 6 per cent, and may win at least one more parliamentary constituency. Its prospects are brighter than ever.
Vallance becomes latest public servant who worked with Tory government to back Labour
The former chief scientific officer’s backing was unveiled as Sir Keir Starmer revealed that the publicly owned company which he argues will bring down energy costs will be based in Scotland.
But Sir Patrick is just the latest former senior Whitehall mandarin to support Labour in a move which has already angered the Tories.
This came after much criticism from Muslim groups and the left of the party of Starmer’s position on Israel.
Adding further fuel to the fire, Sir Keir admitted he would work with convicted felon Donald Trump if he gets into the White House despite facing an “unprecedented” situation.
He added that he “respects the decision of the court” that found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a conspiracy to corrupt.
Breaking: Starmer says Diane Abbott is free to run for Labour
After days of intense speculation, Sir Keir Stamer has confirmed Diane Abbott is free to stand at the general election.
He said: “Diane was elected in 1987. The first black woman MP. She has been a trailblazer.
“She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life. The whip has obviously been restored to her now, and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”
Asked about whether he understands Ms Abbott’s intention to stand, he replied: “She’s free to go forward as a Labour candidate. The whip is back with her. It’s been restored. And of course you know she was a trailblazer for many, many years and has been a path for others to come into politics.
“So, formally a matter for the NEC, I’ve not expressed a view up until now. She’s free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”
Exclusive Poll: Tories recover 2% from post-election shock
Labour is maintaining 45 per cent of voting intention, according to today’s polls from Techne UK, with a 24-point lead over the Conservatives.
The Tories have clawed back 2 per cent in the polls, after Rishi Sunak’s shock election announcement caused a dip in support last week, writes data correspondent Alicja Hagopian.
The Lib Dems and Reform UK have been neck-and-neck across the UK for the month of May, currently at 11 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
For more polls, approval ratings and top issues on the ballot read here.
Seats visited by party leaders so far in the election campaign
All three of the main party leaders have been on the road every day since the General Election was called – but how many events have they held, and what kind of constituencies have they visited?
Labour’s NEC member accuses Starmer of ‘nasty bully boy tactics’
Another member of Labour’s National Executive Committee has attacked Sir Keir Starmer of carrying out “nasty bully boy tactics” over his treatment of Diane Abbott.
The party’s governing body, with 41 members, is expected to meet on Tuesday to officially list Abbott as a Labour candidate.
Committee member Jess Barnard said Sir Keir’s U-turn was “a huge victory for Diane Abbott” and showed that “the decision was in Starmers hands all along”.
Starmer says Diane Abbott is free to run for Labour
After days of intense speculation, Sir Keir Stamer has confirmed Diane Abbott is free to stand at the general election.
He said: “Diane was elected in 1987. The first black woman MP. She has been a trailblazer.
“She has carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life. The whip has obviously been restored to her now, and she is free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”
Asked about whether he understands Ms Abbott’s intention to stand, he replied: “She’s free to go forward as a Labour candidate. The whip is back with her. It’s been restored. And of course you know she was a trailblazer for many, many years and has been a path for others to come into politics.
“So, formally a matter for the NEC, I’ve not expressed a view up until now. She’s free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”
ITV has announced today that its General Election multi-party debate will take place on Thursday, June 13 at 8.30pm.
The ITV Election Debate 2024 will be broadcast on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Leaders or senior representatives from the following parties will participate; Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Reform UK, Green Party and Plaid Cymru.
The debate will be moderated by Julie Etchingham, who moderated ITV election debates in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
The programme will run for 90 minutes. It will be followed by ITV News at Ten.
Brexit rethink should be ‘front and centre’ of election campaign - poll
Voters back Lord Heseltine’s claim that the current general election risks being “one of the most dishonest” in history because the main parties will not discuss Britain’s relationship with the European Union, David Maddox reports.
The We Think voter intention poll has revealed that almost six in 10 voters (58 percent) think that Brexit and Britain’s relationship with the EU should be one of the main issues in the election.
The survey of 1,242 voters commissioned by the pro-EU European Movement followed an intervention by the former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine in The Independent this week where he warned no issue can be discussed without referring it to Brexit.
The former Conservative MP previously faced allegations of serious sexual assault himself which were investigated then dropped by Essex Police earlier this year.
He has now confirmed he will stand as an independent candidate at the general election.
He said: “Solihull deserves more than a whips appointed candidate who doesn’t get the issues.”
Ian Dale drops out of Tunbridge Wells election race after 48h
The wannabe Tory MP has dropped out of the race to represent Tunbridge Wells after two days after a clip emerged of him saying he never liked the area.
LBC presenter Iain Dale, who quit on Tuesday night to run for the Conservatives in the general election, has announced he was throwing in the towel.
It came after a clip from his For the Many podcast from 2022 where he told his co-host, former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith: “I have lived in Tunbridge Wells since 1997, slightly against my will.
“I’ve never liked the place. Still don’t, and would happily live somewhere else.”
