Starmer says election is a 'choice between Labour and Tories' as Reform unveils pledges

1. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched the party's election pledges in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales
2. The party calls the pledges a "contract" with voters - arguing the word "manifesto" has been devalued
3. The pledges include no income tax for people earning less than £20,000, and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights
4. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer dismissed "noise" from Farage and said the election is a "straight choice" between Labour and the Tories
5. Labour is today campaigning on the economy - saying its plans would create 650,000 jobs
6. At a meeting in London, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves tells business leaders their "fingers are all over" the Labour manifesto
7. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who's campaigning around Yorkshire and the East Midlands, insists the Conservatives can still win the election

That's it from us

Aoife Walsh

Live editor

We'll soon be drawing today's election coverage to a close, after a day of headlines largely dominated by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiling the party's election pledges.

If you missed it, I recommend reading this in-depth analysis from BBC correspondents, who have been digging into some of Reform's key policies, or check out our news story here.

And if that's not enough political news for you, have a listen to Newscast's latest episode, as Adam Fleming, Alex Forsyth and the BBC's business editor, Simon Jack, take a look at Reform's pledges. They also dive into Labour’s latest plans for the economy, which the party says will create 650,000 more jobs.

Thank you for joining us. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow morning for more – we hope to see you then.

What election issues matter most to you? Tell us

BBC

As part of our election coverage, the BBC wants to better understand what matters most to you, the voters.

We’re running a project called Your Voice, Your Vote - and it’s all about listening to you over the next few weeks and exploring the issues that you want us to focus on.

To get in touch, click here.

What's the latest?

It's been another hectic day on the election campaign trail, with plenty of reaction coming in after Nigel Farage launched Reform UK's election pledges – billed as a "contract" with voters, rather than a manifesto.

Here's a look at some of the latest developments:

• Farage unveiled his party's pledges in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, saying this "should be the immigration election", vowing that his party would "freeze" non-essential immigration
• The party's pledges also included removing income tax for people earning less than £20,000, and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
• Elsewhere, Labour leader Keir Starmer dismissed "noise" from Farage and said the election is a "straight choice" between Labour and the Tories
• Starmer accused the Conservatives of proposing unfunded tax cuts after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested key Tory manifesto pledges on welfare cuts had already been announced

• Labour also ruled out changing council tax bands and said it wants to "re-industrialise the country" by creating 650,000 jobs in areas such as manufacturing and green energy
• Rishi Sunak said it's been a "very difficult time for the country" and he understands voters' frustrations, but insisted the Tories can win and said he does not think Starmer has “the courage of his convictions”

• Lib Dem leader Ed Davey told reporters his party wants to expand fuel duty relief to more areas
• And SNP leader John Swinney proposed a "social tariff" that would see people on low incomes, the elderly and disabled pay less on their energy, broadband and mobile bills

Which parties have released a manifesto?

Earlier, we brought you live updates and analysis after Reform UK launched its version of an election manifesto, which it calls a "contract" with voters.

Reform says it's not calling it a manifesto because people associate them with "lies". If you missed the launch, or would like to read more about what was announced, BBC correspondents have analysed some of the key pledges here.

As a reminder, a manifesto is a document issued by a political party that includes the policies it stands for and wishes to implement if elected. Here are the parties that have released their manifestos so far:

• Labour manifesto 2024: 12 key policies analysed
• Conservative manifesto: 12 key policies analysed
• Liberal Democrat manifesto: 11 key policies analysed
• Plaid Cymru manifesto: 11 key policies analysed
• Green Party manifesto: 11 key policies analysed

The SNP says its manifesto will be published this Wednesday.

BBC Verify

Rupert Carey

Did the National Grid say net zero would cost £3tn?

Speaking at the Reform UK launch today, party chairman Richard Tice said about the cost of reaching net zero: “The National Grid says it’s £3 trillion.”

Net zero is the point at which a country is not adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – the UK has pledged to do this by 2050.

But National Grid, the organisation which runs the electricity supply network, didn’t estimate this would cost £3tn.

In 2020, it published research looking at how much would have to be invested in the energy system over the next 30 years.

The analysis found that around £3tn would have to be invested in the energy system in Great Britain whether the UK reached net zero or not, as new power stations and infrastructure would have to be built either way.

In fact, the scenario where Britain hit net zero soonest required less investment than the one where it was missed, according to the analysis.

And National Grid said it did not attempt to assess the total cost of net zero.

SNP propose 'social tariff' for energy, mobile and broadband bills

BBC

Let's take a look now at an SNP proposal the party's leader, John Swinney, was speaking about earlier today.

Swinney says his party's manifesto will argue for a "social tariff" for energy, mobile and broadband bills that would see people on low incomes, the elderly and disabled pay less.

It would be funded by a mixture of general taxation and "top slicing" the profits of energy companies, the SNP says, with the party claiming the cost would be about £7.8bn for the current year.

The first minister claims those bills could be cut in half for some people as a result.

You can read more here.

'We want more investment in our town'

Jordan Kenny

BBC Newsbeat, in Newport

BBC

Next, we sit outside a row of shops to speak to Aiden, 18, and Ellis, 20, who want more money to be put into Newport.

"To make it more lively, paint places and fix everything that needs fixing like potholes," Aiden says.

He wants Newport, a place which he says was "thriving" when he was younger, to "get a bit more life".

"Shops closing down and things like that is a shame," he says.

'People here suffer from eco-anxiety'

Jordan Kenny

BBC Newsbeat, in Newport

As we reported in our previous post, BBC Newsbeat has been speaking to young voters in Newport about the issues that matter most to them. Here's what Nia, 18, and Jessie, 17, had to say:

There are two main things that matter to Nia and Jessie: the environment and people's wellbeing.

"People here suffer from eco-anxiety, and it’s a big city. Not like Cardiff but there’s still stuff to be done," they say.

Nia and Jessie say they also want the next government to "care about the wellbeing" of people by making services more accessible than they are now.

"Everything is through the phone and it leads to a lot of discomfort," they tell us.

BBC

'Rent keeps going up' - young voters share their top election issues

Jordan Kenny

BBC Newsbeat, in Newport

BBC

Let's check-in now with our colleagues at BBC Newsbeat, who continued their general election Race Across the UK today in Newport:

We've been set the challenge of getting this microphone from one end of the country to the other before 4 July, speaking to young voters about the things that matter most to them. Today we’re in Newport – our third checkpoint.

The catch? Newsbeat listeners have the chance to decide the points we have to pass through to unlock our next stop.

We first speak to 25-year-old Jamie, who tells us the cost-of-living is an important issue to voters there.

Jamie feels the area "has lost a lot of its charm" from years ago.

"Shops can’t stay afloat because they can’t afford the rent," she says.

It’s an issue impacting Jamie too, as his rent "keeps going up every year".

"I think everyone’s feeling it at the moment," Jamie adds.

Jamie says she wants to see political parties take steps to "make people a bit more stable and stop increasing [prices] so quickly".

BBC

Newport is the third checkpoint of BBC Newsbeat's Race Across the UK

Labour accuses Tories of planning unfunded tax cuts

Henry Zeffman

Chief political correspondent

Earlier today, Labour accused the Conservatives of proposing unfunded tax cuts after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt suggested key manifesto promises on welfare cuts had already been announced.

The Conservative manifesto is funded in large part by proposed cuts to spending on benefits, which the party says are not currently government policy.

But the chancellor wrote in a newsletter to constituents last week that the tax cuts in the Conservative manifesto would be funded by savings from "an enormous back to work programme (which I announced in the Autumn Statement last year)".

Labour seized on his comments as evidence that the welfare cuts “are not new” and “the money has been spent”.

"The money isn’t there and that’s the major problem," Sir Keir Starmer said.

Read more on this story here.

In pictures: Goats, horses and hard hats – another day on the campaign trail

PA Media

Labour leader Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves visit the docks in Southampton

Reuters

Nigel Farage launches Reform UK's 'contract' with voters at an event in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales

PA Media

Rishi Sunak feeds a goat while visiting an early years centre based on a farm in the East Midlands

PA Media

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain visit a farm in South Queensferry to launch their manifesto

Sunak accuses Starmer of lacking 'courage of his convictions'

Hannah Miller

Political correspondent

We can bring you some more now from Rishi Sunak, who has been speaking to reporters on the Tory battle bus.

Asked what he thinks of his opponent, Keir Starmer, he said the Labour leader "clearly doesn’t have the courage of his convictions".

"I think it’s hard to do this job well if you don’t have the courage of your convictions," he added.

Sunak then went on to talk about policy differences between the Conservatives and Labour.

While on the campaign trail, he was also asked if it is time to “take the gloves off” and attack Nigel Farage or Reform UK more directly.

He refused to do so, saying he's "got a very positive offer" for voters.

Reform's plans to tackle 'woke agenda' in education could be divisive

Elaine Dunkley

Education correspondent

Reform UK’s rallying cry is about what it calls the “woke agenda” in education.

Under Reform's plans, lessons about gender identity will be banned and there will be no gender questioning, social transitioning, or changing pronouns in schools.

Reform UK says it will also review how slavery is taught and it must be paired with the teaching of a non-European occurrence of the same to ensure balance.

The party says from nursery to university, children are being poisoned about what this country is and represents and one of its priorities is stopping the drift towards "wokeness".

Some will see these policies as being divisive by putting classrooms in the crossfire of culture wars and a distraction from the numerous challenges schools face, such as teacher shortages and the increasing numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. There’s no mention of these issues.

Reform says it will cut funding to universities that undermine Free Speech and campuses allowing political bias or "cancel culture" must face heavy financial penalties.

Reform UK's plans 'don't add up' - IFS

Sophie Hutchinson

Health correspondent

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is dubious about whether Reform UK’s figures and ambitions add up.

Commenting on the party’s proposals for tax cuts and spending increases, Carl Emmerson, deputy director at the IFS, said the party's sums "do not add up" and that the "package as a whole is problematic."

"Spending reductions would save less than stated, and the tax cuts would cost more than stated, by a margin of tens of billions of pounds per year. Meanwhile the spending increases would cost more than stated if they are to achieve their objectives," he said.

Despite the large spending increase for the NHS of £17bn per year, Emmerson said it would "not be nearly enough to meet Reform’s incredibly ambitious commitment to eliminate waiting lists within two years".

BBC Verify on Reform UK's 'contract' with voters

Our colleagues at BBC Verify have been analysing Reform UK's tax and spending pledges.

You can watch Ben Chu's quick take on the party's proposals below:

BBC Verify's quick take on the Reform UK 'contract'

Is Reform UK planning to overhaul healthcare funding?

Jo Coburn

Politics Live presenter

Reform UK has today published its election document, with leader Nigel Farage explaining the party associates the word "manifesto" with "lies".

With that idea in mind, you’d have thought that message discipline would be key. During a recent TV debate, Farage said the “model through which we fund health is wrong”, and that the cure would be a social health insurance system as used in France.

Except that wasn’t the policy contained in the "contract". The man who wrote the section on health, deputy leader Dr David Bull, told today’s Politics Live that although the existing funding formula isn’t working, the party isn’t proposing a change "at this stage".

Instead, Reform UK would introduce 20% tax relief on all private healthcare and a voucher for private treatment if you can’t see a GP for three days. There was a commitment to keep healthcare free at the point of use.

So was Nigel Farage off-message, or revealing the party’s long-term ambition?

Sunak: 'The last few years have been tough, but we're making progress'

UK Pool

In the last few moments, we've been hearing a short speech from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Speaking to supporters on the campaign trail, he says he knows "the last few years have been tough" but that the government is "making progress".

He says the election is "about the future" and reiterates his party's election pledges, including its plans to cut taxes.

Sunak tells the crowd that "only poll that matters" is the one on 4 July, and that his party will "fight every day" until the election.

Is Starmer afraid of Reform attracting voters from Labour?

A bit more from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's stops on the campaign trail today, where he was asked by the BBC if he's worried about Nigel Farage's Reform UK potentially taking votes off his party.

You can see what he had to say here in this short clip:

Watch: Starmer asked if he's worried about Farage taking votes off Labour

Sunak: 'I understand voters' frustrations'

Let's briefly pivot back to the latest developments from the campaign trail, as we bring you some more lines from Rishi Sunak, who has been visiting Yorkshire and the East Midlands.

Speaking at a Centrica gas platform in the North Sea, Sunak said it's been a "very difficult time for the country" and he understands voters' frustration.

"I've been clear that we have made progress but there is more to go but the point now is that we are on the right track and this election is about the future," he told reporters.

Watch that moment by pressing the Play button below:

Watch: Sunak asked about Tory voters possibly switching to Reform UK

'My political career is over if I lose seat', SDLP leader says

Sara Girvin

Ireland Correspondent

An update now from Colum Eastwood, the leader of Northern Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), who has been telling BBC Radio Ulster that he thinks his political career would be over if he lost his seat in the general election.

But the Foyle MP said he wasn’t “countenancing” that outcome.

Quizzed over his thoughts on a future Irish border poll, Eastwood said: “I think 2030 is a possibility but I’m loathe to be definitive on it because I don’t think we’ve done the work.

“I don’t want to have a border poll that we lose, I want to have one that we win. Scotland should be ringing in our ears when we think about this.”

The SDLP currently has two MPs.

You can find more information about all the candidates running in the election here.