It was announced more than a day ago now, but the Conservative Party's national service scheme is continuing to provoke strong reactions, from both politicians and voters.

Rishi Sunak made his case for the scheme again today, confirming the around 30,000 young people who would serve in the military would be offered a "stipend" to help with living expenses.

The prime minister also argued it will "foster a culture of service".

But opposition parties and some within Sunak's own party have been less complimentary. Here's a sample of some of the criticism of the plan:

Image source, House of Commons

In the last hour, two more outgoing Labour MPs have announced their decision not to stand at the election – Virendra Sharma (MP for Ealing Southall) and Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West).

In his resignation letter, Sharma says after 50 years serving the party, in one form or another, it is time for a new chapter.

Brennan says he had intended to stand, but following discussions with his family and prostate cancer surgery, he decided to step back.

They join two other Labour MPs who have stood down today.

John Spellar, who represents for Smethwick & Oldbury, announced his decision in a brief social media post earlier this afternoon, as did Barbara Keeley, which we reported earlier.

All four have thrown their support behind the Labour Party as the campaign gets underway.

Here's more from Rishi Sunak's campaign event in Buckinghamshire.

The prime minister turns his speech to "values being threatened abroad and at home", and the need for a clear plan.

He describes the Tory plan to send refugees to Rwanda as a "bold plan", whereas Labour "will make our country less secure".

"Labour want you to believe an election is a foregone conclusion. British people don't like being taken for granted," he says.

Sunak now turns to Labour leader Keir Starmer's first major campaign speech earlier today in West Sussex. "Was there one single new idea in that speech?" Sunak asks. "No", the crowd of supporters answers for him.

"He will say and do anything to get into power," Sunak says.

"If he can't stand up for anything himself, how can he stand up for you?"

Image source, EPA

Fresh off the football field, Rishi Sunak fronts a campaign event in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

It's a friendly crowd - supporters behind him are holding placards reading 'Vote Conservative'.

Sunak begins by addressing a "tough few years", through which, he says, "I've had your back".

He says "the economy has turned a corner", and points to inflation and energy bills falling, and the economy growing, as evidence of that.

"We conservatives have delivered that economic stability," he says.

"The question now is who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future? The choice is whether we build on progress we've made or go back to square one with no plan and no certainty."

Chris Mason
Political editor

There is, thus far at least, a polish to Labour’s campaign - an attention to detail borne of a desperation to win and a desperation to avoid unforced errors. Every step of choreography meticulously planned.

Labour takes comfort from polling which suggests there is a significant desire for change.

But the very same polling can prompt niggles of doubt for them too - that this desire doesn’t translate for all into enthusiasm for Keir Starmer.

He blames that, at least in part, on a wider anti-politics mood.

Starmer told me today he sees himself as a socialist. For those scared of that label, he said he saw it as putting "the country in the service of working people".

Labour has already ruled out putting up income tax and national insurance.

When I asked the Labour leader if that meant the main rate of VAT could rise, he said "we have gone through all of our plans, and none of them require us to raise taxes".

For Rishi Sunak this bank holiday weekend, the focus has been the big splash.

He's the incumbent but also the challenger, given those opinion polls – his National Service idea seeking to seize attention.

These are but the early skirmishes of this campaign, the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats and others wanting to command the conversation too.

More now on the political row around outgoing Tory MP Lucy Allan (see our 17:01 and 16:52 posts).

She says she has quit the Conservatives in order "to support Alan Adams [the town's Reform UK candidate] to be Telford's next MP".

"I have known Alan for many years and he is genuinely the best person for the job. I want the best for Telford and I can't just let the Labour candidate have a walkover," she says.

Allan adds that Adams, a Royal Navy veteran, knows what it means to serve.

"He is the candidate who is most in touch with Telford people and best able to represent them. He will serve all residents, not just those who vote for him."

Shortly before announcing she had quit the Tories, Allan had been suspended by the party for endorsing Adams.

A complete list of candidates standing in Telford will be available on the BBC website after nominations close next month.

As we mentioned, the PM discarded his jacket and tie - but didn't opt for a full kit - as he joined Chesham United football club in training drills for its younger age group teams.

So how was his ball control? As you can see, he starts off strong, although he is a little over-reliant on his right foot - and some political rival must have put glue on the cone midway through.

Take a look below:

It may be a bank holiday but it doesn't feel like it has taken any of the momentum out of this campaign, as it enters its first full week. Here are some of the key moments from today:

• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took part in football training drills alongside young players at Chsesham United in Buckinghamshire, while Labour's Keir Starmer delivered his first major speech of the campaign in West Sussex
• Sunak has been talking up the Tories' national service scheme (announced yesterday), describing it as a "bold" move that'll "foster a culture of service"
• He also revealed a stipend will be paid to 18-year-olds who sign up for military service
• Labour sharpened its attack on the scheme, describing it as a "teenage Dad's Army"
• Starmer delivered a speech aimed squarely at undecided voters, in which he laid out Labour's policies in four areas: the economy, defence, immigration, and trust
• Chancellor Jeremy Hunt provided his assessment of the speech, on X, with the post: "No policy. No substance. No plan."
• A major theme of Starmer's speech was himself - we heard him reflect on his early years, first job and his youth football team

• The Liberal Democrats launched their Scottish election campaign in North Queensferry, with a focus on dental treatment
• Labour MP Barbara Keeley announced her intention to stand down ahead of the general election

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hit out at Keir Starmer, posting on X after today's speech by the Labour leader: "No policy. No substance. No plan."

In Starmer's speech, the Labour leader talked about his family background in a bid to connect with voters, and set out policies on the NHS, education and immigration.

Hunt added in his post that he did not think Starmer would take the "bold action" needed to grow the economy or keep inflation down.

We can now bring you more lines from our political editor Chris Mason's interview with Keir Starmer.

When asked if he would call himself a socialist, the Labour leader replied: "Yes, I would describe myself as a socialist. I describe myself as a progressive. I'd describe myself as somebody who always puts the country first and party second."

On whether Labour would raise VAT, he said: "Well I think working people have been overburdened with tax increases in recent years. We have gone through all of our plans, and none of them require us to raise taxes."

And on whether a Keir Starmer government would allow more grammar schools - or allow existing ones to expand - he said: "I don't think we should have more grammar schools, but we're certainly not in the business of going closing down what is already there."

Our political editor Chris Mason has just interviewed Keir Starmer.

After the Labour Party leader's speech this morning - in which Starmer detailed his upbringing - Mason asked if it was too late to be introducing himself to the electorate.

"It is stuff I've said many times over in terms of my background... but I do think when you get to an election, there is a really important question that voters are looking to which is, what sort of person are you?" Starmer replied.

"What are your instincts and who do you have in your mind's eye when you make decisions, and that's why it's important to me. They will say that people are struggling with their bills - I know what that feels like. When people have to rely on the NHS - I know what personally what that feels like."

Our political editor also asked Starmer if he was concerned there was a lack of enthusiasm for his party - watch the clip below:

Outgoing Tory MP Lucy Allan has been suspended from the Conservative Party with "immediate effect".

Moments ago, we reported that she had backed the Reform UK candidate standing to replace her.

Voters in her Telford constituency will "have the chance to vote for a dedicated and hardworking new candidate who will put Telford first," a spokesperson for the Conservatives said.

Image source, UK Parliament

Lucy Allan, the outgoing Conservative MP representing Telford, has publicly backed the Reform UK candidate standing to replace her.

"I am supporting Alan Adams to be Telford’s next MP," she wrote in a post on X, also asking for help and donations to his campaign.

Allan, who has represented the constituency in Shropshire since 2015, had already announced that she would be stepping down ahead of the election on 4 July.

Reform UK is the successor party to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross says his party will take forward a vote in Holyrood this week urging an SNP MSP to resign his post to allow for a by-election the same day as the general election.

Michael Matheson, who represents Falkirk West and resigned as Scotland's health secretary in February, had been found in breach of the MSPs code of conduct after racking up an £11,000 bill on his parliamentary iPad while he was on holiday.

First Minister John Swinney says he will not support a parliamentary committee's recommendation to ban Matheson from Holyrood for 27 sitting days, arguing the process had been "prejudiced" and could bring the parliament into disrepute.

Ross, who is standing down as an MP in this election but remaining an MSP, says voters he has been speaking to "can't believe John Swinney is defending someone who tried to claim £11,000 of taxpayers money for an iPad bill that clearly wasn’t legitimate".

Earlier we heard more from Rishi Sunak about his plans for a national service scheme for 18-year-olds.

We can now bring you pictures of the prime minister at his event at Chesham United football ground in Buckinghamshire.

Image source, PA

Image source, Reuter

Image source, Reuters

During his speech earlier, we again heard Keir Starmer lay out his vision for a publicly owned energy company called Great British Energy.

As Starmer said this morning, the company would be "owned by the taxpayer, making money for the taxpayer" and paid for by a windfall tax on the profits of energy giants.

Labour's plan isn't new - it was first announced by back in 2022. The party says setting up the company will boost the UK's energy independence and lower energy bills.

Similar models are used in France, Germany, Denmark Norway and Sweden.

Proponents of the concept point to how the (often large) profits from electricity generation can be returned to government coffers, for investment in communities.

They also say it gives the government a greater degree of control over the price of power.

But there are also critics who highlight drawbacks. As Professor of Business Economics Michael Pollitt argued in a podcast , externalin 2022 the "record across the world is that state-owned companies have not provided good security of supply".

He said such companies have been plagued by underinvestment, leading to a bad reputation for state-owned energy firms.

With the rising cost of living a key election issue, we're likely hear more about Great British Energy throughout Labour's campaign.

Before we heard from Rishi Sunak (see our last couple of posts), Labour MP Barbara Keeley announced her intention to stand down ahead of the general election.

Posting a statement to social media, external, the shadow minister for music and tourism says she's realised it's time to step aside.

Keeley adds she has recently been receiving treatment in hospital, and recalls the difficulty of receiving breast cancer treatment in the lead up to the previous general election in 2019.

Image source, House of Commons

Sunak's also asked by a reporter about Tory attacks over 61-year-old Labour leader Keir Starmer's age.

The prime minister replies that "it is the substance that matters" in this election, and that he's more interested in getting around the country to spread his message.

Sunak, 44, says he is the one with a clear plan, and Starmer by contrast, has "no ideas, no plan".

We've just heard from Rishi Sunak for the first time today - he's out and about in the Home Counties.

He says his plan to introduce a "modern form of national service" (read more about that here) is an example of the "bold action" he wants to take - and the "type of leadership that I offer".

"It's going to foster a culture of service which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive and in a more uncertain and dangerous world it's going to strengthen our country's security and resilience," he tells reporters.

It'll also mean young people "get the skills and the opportunities that they need, which is going to serve them very well in life," Sunak adds.

Image source, PA Media

A bit more now on Rishi Sunak's proposed national service scheme, which was announced over the weekend.

The prime minister has revealed that there'll be a stipend paid to 18-year-olds who sign up for military service.

Speaking on the Conservative Party's TikTok account, Sunak said those doing military service would receive "a stipend to help with living costs". He didn't reveal how much this would be.

On the community service side of the scheme, which we know would take on the vast majority of young people, he said organisations would receive funding for training and administration.

• Read more about the national service scheme here