Election latest: Campaign focuses on veterans on Armed Forces Day - as PM hails 'dedication' of servicepeople (2024)

John Healy, the shadow defence secretary, has urged Nigel Farage to "get a grip" of Reform UK after a racism row involving the prime minister.

It comes as a Reform UK canvasser who used a racial slur against Rishi Sunak has called himself a "total fool" and said he has learned his lesson.

Footage from an undercover Channel 4 reporter showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker using a discriminatory term about the prime minister, as well as saying the army should "just shoot" migrants crossing the Channel.

Police are now assessing the comments to establish if an offence has been committed, while Mr Sunaksaid the insult directed at him "hurts and it makes me angry".

Asked about this, Mr Healy said Mr Farage "needs to get a grip of his own party and he's failing to do that at the moment".

He added: "He needs to do more to call them out.

"He needs to do more to set the proper standards and a decent culture of respect which coincide with the deep values of the British people."

More now from security minister Tom Tugendhat, who is on the media round this morning.

He did not rule out a run at the Tory leadership if Rishi Sunak quits following the general election.

Asked if he wanted to be leader, he told Times Radio: "What I want to do is to make sure we've got a Conservative leader in this country and that's why I'm supporting Rishi Sunak.

"Because the alternative with Keir Starmer, I'm afraid, is higher taxes, more regulation, worse growth and more unemployment.

"What we need to do is to make sure that Conservatives across this country win their seats and that's exactly what I've been focused on."

Pressed again on the issue of what happens after the election, he said: "Well, we'll deal with hypotheticals in a different way.

"I mean, the reality is Rishi Sunak is the candidate, there's only two candidates for prime minister, there's Rishi Sunak and there's Sir Keir Starmer.

"One of them is committed to lowering your taxes, protecting your borders and making a difference in everybody's lives.

"The other, I'm afraid, is Sir Keir Starmer who is committed to raising your taxes, to making life a little bit harder for everybody and to lecturing you on how to live your life."

By Adele Robinson, news correspondent

It's an icy cold December morning outside a Travelodge in Enfield, north London, when we first meet Nedret Batir.

She's wearing a T-shirt, but seems oblivious to the temperature - only consumed with her obvious and immediate distress.

Everything she owns, along with her two daughters' possessions, are packed up into suitcases in the corridor of the hotel.

She has just been evicted from her room and is now officially homeless.

There are dark circles under her eyes, and she looks pale, as she calls the council's housing department.

Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, has criticised those "in Nigel Farage's company" who have "rather extraordinary and unpleasant views".

It comes as a Reform UK canvasser who used a racial slur against Rishi Sunak has called himself a "total fool" and said he has learned his lesson.

Footage from an undercover Channel 4 reporter showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker using a discriminatory term about the prime minister, as well as saying the army should "just shoot" migrants crossing the Channel.

Police are now assessing the comments to establish if an offence has been committed, while Mr Sunaksaid the insult directed at him "hurts and it makes me angry".

Asked about this, Mr Tugendhat said: "While there are many people who are voting for Reform UK in order to protest, this isn't simply a party of protest.

"And what he's drawing attention to is the reality that sadly too many people in Nigel Farage's company are people who have rather extraordinary and unpleasant views."

The minister went on to condemn this "hateful language".

He said: "The prime minister quite rightly spoke not just as prime minister about this hateful language, but as a father of two young girls who frankly should not have to put up with this horrific language being used against their father."

Mr Tugendhat added that, additionally, there is a "pattern" of antisemitism and misogyny.

Was this the day the wheels began to come off for Nigel Farage's Reform UK bandwagon? Quite possibly.

It was a day that began with terrible newspaper headlines and ended with a clash about racism in his party with a hostile TV audience.

It may be, of course, that this ugly racism row has come too late to slam the brakes on the Farage juggernaut threatening to crush the Tories.

That's because, firstly, it's estimated that one in four of us will cast a postal vote in this election and many voters will have returned theirs already.

Secondly, Mr Farage relishes controversy and revels in the role of the insurgent battling against the establishment and political convention.

But even by his standards of notoriety the day got off to a bad start, when The Daily Telegraph's front-page headline declared: "Farage is a Putin appeaser, says Sunak".

TV presenter Rylan Clark has said he would "love" to become a politician - and replace the party system with a "Power Rangers of government" model.

The TV personality, 35, joined political editor Beth Rigby and former Scottish Conservative leader Baroness Ruth Davidson for this week's Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast.

Asked if he would ever consider the career change, he said: "If I wasn't in the job that I was in, I would love nothing more."

Rylan, who won Celebrity Big Brother and also appeared on the X Factor, appeared on the podcast in place of Labour candidate Jess Phillips after tweeting his praise for Rigby on the day Rishi Sunak announced the general election.

Sharing a clip of her and Sky presenter Sophy Ridge outside a rainy Downing Street waiting for Mr Sunak to appear at the lectern, he said: "Obsessed with the Rigby."

Speaking to her and Davidson, he said his "obsession" with politics began with Brexit - "as we've seen so many promises which weren't fulfilled" since then.

He added: "I lie there at night sometimes, and I think about [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. He hosted one of the same shows I've hosted in Ukraine."

The TV presenter also shared his idea of abandoning political parties altogether.

Read the full story here:

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

With under a week to go, the Tories and Labour have taken a drop, while support for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats is on the rise.

Read more about the trackerhere.

By Faye Brown, political reporter

A Reform UK canvasser who used a racial slur against Rishi Sunak has called himself a "total fool" and said he has learned his lesson.

Footage from an undercover Channel 4 reporter showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker using a discriminatory term about the prime minister, as well as saying the army should "just shoot" migrants crossing the Channel.

Police are now assessing the comments to establish if an offence has been committed, while Mr Sunak said the insult directed at him "hurts and it makes me angry".

Mr Parker, who was canvassing in Clacton, where Reform leader Nigel Farage is standing, told Sky News the sting operation had "proper taught me a lesson".

Party leaders will be on the election campaign trail on Armed Forces Day discussing defence and support for veterans.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hail the "duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice" of servicemen and women and claim his is the only party to meet the Help for Heroes Veterans' Pledge.

The pledge requires parties to commit to keeping the Office for Veterans' Affairs, commissioning an independent review of the medical discharge process and ensuring veterans get the benefits and compensations they deserve.

Mr Sunak said: "It should be the first responsibility of any government to support those who defend us.

"It's why it's so important that we get defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, and also why we must continue our mission to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran."

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to introduce a new armed forces commissioner and lead a "government of service" if Labour is elected.

The commissioner role will aim to champion those who serve by investigating issues such as substandard housing, faulty kit and poor discharge support, the party said.

Sir Keir said: "Labour is deeply proud of our armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families for the contribution they make to our country.

"Theirs is the ultimate public service - and their professionalism and bravery is rightly respected across the world."

And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has reiterated their manifesto pledge to reverse cuts to numbers in the armed forces and their "ambition" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

Good morning!

Welcome back to the Politics Hub for the last Saturday of the general election campaign.

There is less than a week to go until polls open across the country for voters to select the next government on 4 July.

There's still plenty that could happen between now and next Thursday, however.

Here's what you need to know today:

• Party leaders will be on the election campaign trail on Armed Forces Day discussing defence and support for veterans;
  

• Rishi Sunak will hail the "duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice" of servicemen and women and claim his is the only party to meet the Help for Heroes Veterans' Pledge;

• Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to introduce a new armed forces commissioner and lead a "government of service" if Labour is elected;
  

• AndLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has reiterated their manifesto pledge to reverse cuts to numbers in the armed forces and their "ambition" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP;

• And fallout is expected to continue from comments made by campaigners for Reform UK, as party leader Nigel Farage declined to apologise for their actions;
  

• Despite this, a Reform UK canvasser who used a racial slur against Mr Sunak has called himself a "total fool" and said he has learned his lesson.

We'll be discussing all of that and more with:

• Security minister Tom Tugendhat at 7.15am;
• John Healey, shadow defence secretary, at 8.15am.

Follow along for the very latest in the general election campaign.