Election latest: Media 'haven't been allowed near Sunak' after D-Day blunder; Starmer faces questions on taxes (2024)

Earlier today, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride was asked on Sunday Morning With Trevor Philips whether the prime minister will remain in place up until the election on 4 July.

"Absolutely," Mr Stride said, adding there "should be no question of anything other than that".

But Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig says the very fact the question is now being asked in the middle of a general election campaign is "extraordinary".

"This sort of thing hardly ever happens. It's extraordinary that this has been raised," he says.

"But what it shows is just how serious the D-Day fiasco was for the prime minister and that even if he limps to the general election, he really is on borrowed time."

He adds that cabinet ministers, candidates and activists are "furious" as this row rolls on for a third day.

There had been speculation in some quarters that Rishi Sunak could quit in the run-up to polling day as he faces ongoing criticism for leaving D-Day commemorations early this week.

Former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, a fierce critic of Mr Sunak, suggested last night there were "rumours around" that Mr Sunak was "about to fall on his sword".

Mr Sunak has apologised for leaving the commemorations early, describing it as a "mistake".

Meanwhile, our political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh says Mr Sunak has been keeping a low profile on the campaign trail once again today (see profile at 2.06pm).

Jon Craig says no doubt his opponents will say "you can run, prime minister, but you can't hide".

Politicians should stop tying themselves in knots in promising not to raise taxes, the head of an influential thinktank has told Sky News - warning it could lead to something worse.

Speaking to Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips show, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, argued neither of the main parties wanted to talk about the scale of the financial challenge faced by the next government.

He made his comments as Labour sought to reassure voters with a manifesto guarantee not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT for five years.

The election pledge follows the hotly-disputed Tory claim that Labour would hike taxes by £2,000.

The Conservativesargue they are now bringing taxes down after hikes in recent years, with further cuts promisedas part of their election pitch.

But Mr Johnson said: "I do wish they'd stop ruling things out because they may well find that they regret that when they assume office.

"What worries me, I suppose, is that we will then end up - because they've ruled out the sort of simple taxes - we'll end up with complicated and actually quite economically damaging taxes.

"Whether it's on companies or on investment or what have you, which people can't see."

He added: "I just wish they would stop saying what they're not going to do because they tie themselves in knots.

"The more they say we're not going to increase council tax or reform council tax, we're not going to increase income tax or national insurance contributions and so on, the more they tie themselves into doing either - just not being able to raise the money they might need or raising it in ways actually more damaging than it would be if they were to do the more straightforward things."

Read more here:

We are yet to hear anything from the prime minister today as the D-Day row rolls on.

The Conservative camp has released a series of images showing him on the campaign trail in North Yorkshire.

Otherwise, Rishi Sunak has been keeping a low profile this weekend.

Political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh, who is on the campaign trail, says it shows he is "clearly feeling the pressure".

"The media haven't been allowed anywhere near him really," she says.

"We have just been sent some photos from his Flickr account to show proof he has been door knocking, but that is all the information we have got from him."

Yesterday, a possible huddle - when he takes questions from reporters off-camera - was cancelled, leading to accusations he was "dodging" reporters' questions.

Labour's shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: "If Rishi Sunak is going to come out with yet another desperate wishlist of manifesto proposals this weekend, the least he can do is face up to proper public scrutiny over how he plans to pay for them, what the impact on people's finances will be, and when he intends to deliver on the first set of pledges he made to the British people 18 months ago.

"But instead, he has spent the day ducking the cameras and dodging all those legitimate questions; just another farcical episode in this calamitous Conservative campaign."

It comes as the backlash continues after he left a D-Day commemoration early this week.

Mr Sunak has apologised, describing it as a "mistake".

Sunak ally and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride told Trevor Phillips earlier the prime minister was "deeply patriotic" and he has apologised "unequivocally" (see post at 8.38am).

The prime minister is stuck in a "spiral", Guardian columnist Owen Jones has told Sky News, with everyone now "looking out for the next gaffe".

He was commenting on a challenging few days for Rishi Sunak after he faced a barrage of criticism for leaving D-Day commemorations early, later taking part in a TV interview.

Earlier, Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips it was the "biggest gaffe I can remember in politics" (see post at 9.13am).

Jones now says the press can "scent blood" and are "looking for anything that can be construed as things blowing up in Rishi Sunak's face".

He was speaking alongside Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor for the Financial Times, who said missing the "brilliant optics" opportunity to stand alongside world leaders at the D-Day event was a "failure of politics".

But she says what is "most concerning" to people within the Tory campaign, to fellow Cabinet ministers, backbenchers and voters is "what it says about Rishi Sunak's values - that it wasn't important to stay to the end".

"For Rishi Sunak not to understand that it is a privilege to be there but think of it as something to be ticked off, and onto the next task, I think is quite concerning and one reason everyone has been so shocked by it," she says.

Mr Sunak has apologised for leaving the commemorations early, describing it as a "mistake".

Sunak ally and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride told Trevor Phillips earlier the prime minister was "deeply patriotic" and he has apologised "unequivocally" (see post at 8.38am).

Sky News has been tracking locations visited by party leaders in the first two weeks of the general election campaign to decipher what their choices tell us about the parties' election strategies.

Of the 650 seats, 54 have now been visited during the campaign by Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer or Ed Davey.

The South East seems to be garnering the most attention with 12 visits overall - highlighting the importance of the region for all of the English parties.

Read more from Sky News elections analyst Dr Hannah Bunting and data journalist Joely Santa Cruz here:

It's been a busy start to the day today as politicians do the Sunday morning interview rounds, including on our very own Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

Here is what you may have missed:

• Rishi Sunak is "deeply patriotic", an ally has told Trevor Phillips, as the fallout over him leaving D-Day commemorations early this week continues;
• Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Strideinsisted the prime minister will lead the Conservative Party into the election, despite the D-Day furore;
• Conservative commentatorTim Montgomerietold Trevor Philips it was the "biggest gaffe I can remember in politics";
• Labour say they won't won't raise income tax, national insurance or VAT for five years, and their manifesto will contain "no tax surprises";
• But the director Institute for Fiscal Studies has questioned tax promises from the Conservatives and Labour, saying they don't want to talk about the "scale of the challenges facing them";
• Labour are also promising to deliver thousands of new prison places to tackle overcrowding;
• The Conservatives say they will cut the cost of welfare through reforms to the benefits system;
• Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has told Sky News they are putting healthcare "right at the centre" of their campaign, saying their pledges are "fully funded";

Here are some other stories you might want to read:

You can also listen to our episode on the Daily on the fallout of the prime minister leaving this week's D-Day commemorations early.

And you can listen to our latest episode of Electoral Dysfunction.

Labour grandee Harriet Harman joins Beth Rigby and Ruth Davidson as the first Friday sub for Jess Phillips during the election period.

They break down the Labour tax row that has dogged both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer since the first leaders' debate earlier this week, give their take on the impact Nigel Farage standing in Clacton-on-Sea will have on the campaign, and lift the curtain on how the parties will be writing their manifestos.

Listen here:

👉Click here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts👈

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will take part in a special leaders' event programme next week, Sky News has confirmed.

The Battle For Number 10, a UK Election Leaders Special Event, will be aired on Wednesday 12 June.

The event will be live from Grimsby in front of an audience.

The new Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency is complex andlikely to be a key battleground in the election.

Sky News will put the main candidates vying to lead the country under scrutiny in front of a representative audience drawn from the local area and nationally.

The two men will look to pitch to voters in an in-depth interview before answering questions from the audience.

Rishi Sunak is "deeply patriotic", a Cabinet colleague has told Sky News, as the controversy over the prime minister's D-Day snub rumbles on in the run-up to the election.

Responding to ongoing criticism of the Tory leader,Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said his boss had recognised he had made a mistake over his decision to leave the 80th anniversary events in Normandy early to carry out a TV interview and would be "feeling this very deeply".

In the face of a backlash from rivals, veterans and some within his own party, Mr Sunak was forced to apologisefor skipping an international ceremony attended by world leaders including US President Joe Biden to mark the allied landings.

Among those to wade into the row was Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who told Sky News that the debacle proved Mr Sunak was "not a patriotic leader of the Conservative Party".

Mr Sunak is campaigning in Yorkshire without the usual media pack today after facing accusations of "dodging" reporters' questions yesterday amid the continuing D-Day furore.

Speaking to the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillipsshow on Sky News, Mr Stride said: "I do know Rishi pretty well, in fact I consider him as something of a friend, and I know he is a deeply patriotic person who cares greatly about this country.

"I know he will be feeling this very deeply."

Read more here:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his party's pledge not to raise personal taxes, saying his manifesto will contain no "tax surprises".

His party has said it won't raise income tax, national insurance or VAT for five years (see post at 9.11am).

"We will launch our manifesto very soon and that will have no tax surprises in it because all of our plans are fully funded and fully costed and none of them require tax rises over and above the ones that we've already announced," he said.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have vowed not to raise taxes should they win the general election.

That's despite warnings from an Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) report that tax rises would be necessary to maintain funding to public services from whichever party wins the general election.

"They can cut the scope of what the state provides, or accept further worsening of public services which already look under strain," IFS research economist Bee Boileau said.

"Or they can raise taxes, or borrow more, in order to top up spending and maintain real-terms levels of departmental funding.

"Neither the Conservative Party nor the Labour Party has been clear about which of these options they would take. Neither has shown any ambition to cut the scope of the state."

Director of the IFS, Paul Johnson, told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips earlier that neither party wants to talk about the "scale of the challenge facing them" (see post at 9.59am).

However, Sir Keir insisted "we are not returning to austerity".

"What we do need to do, just to take up the challenge that's been put to us is, we do need to grow the economy," he said.

"We do need to make sure that the economy and living standards across the whole country are growing and that's why step one, in government if we get to serve our country, will be to stabilise and grow our economy."

Former deputy leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson has said Michael Mosley was a "hero" to him, after a body was found in the search for the TV doctor who went missing on a Greek island.

"Through courageous, science-based journalism, Michael Mosley has helped thousands of people get well and healthy," Mr Watson said.

"I'm one of them. He was a hero to me."

Mosley is known for appearing on This Morning and The One Show.

His agent confirmed he was missing on Thursday, sparking a massive search operation.

The body was found close to a cave complex beside Agia Marina on Symi, around 10 metres from the sea, and did not appear to show any signs of injury, the mayor of Symi Lefteris Papakalodoukas told Sky News.

You can follow all the latest updates here: