Summary

  • Labour leader Keir Starmer says Rishi Sunak had his “back against the wall” and lied during last night's election TV debate

  • In the debate, the Conservative leader repeatedly claimed a Labour government would mean £2,000 of tax rises per working household

  • Starmer claims Sunak was "desperately lashing out and resorting to lies", adding that Labour wouldn't raise taxes for "working people"

  • But Conservatives insist the prime minister was not lying - and a party spokesperson says Labour is "throwing stones from a house made from the thinnest of glass"

  • BBC Verify has analysed the costings and found Sunak's claim risks misleading people

  • Both Labour and the Tories have pledged not to increase the rate of income tax, National Insurance and VAT; full manifestos haven't been published yet

  • Sunak said "independent Treasury officials" had costed Labour's policies - but a top civil servant earlier said they were "not involved" in the calculation of the £2,000 figure

  1. Starmer asked if Welsh Labour leader should resignpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 5 June

    Keir Starmer and Vaughan GethingImage source, PA Media

    With Wales's First Minister Vaughan Gething set to face a no confidence vote shortly, Keir Starmer has been asked whether he believes the senior Labour figure should resign.

    The Welsh Conservatives forced a vote in the Senedd just 77 days into Gething's leadership after weeks of rows over a controversial donation to his leadership campaign.

    Today's vote can't force Gething out of office but it increases political pressure on him.

    Asked if Gething should quit, Starmer said: "I think it's really important to see this for what it is. It's game-playing by the Conservatives, with Plaid playing along as well.

    "What Vaughan Gething wants to do is to deliver for the people of Wales, and I think people in Wales want him to deliver for them.

    "So that's where his priority is and that's where my priority is."

    Asked for a second time if Gething should resign, Starmer repeated his view that other parties are "game-playing".

    You can follow the vote - due in about half an hour - in our live page here.

  2. Tax, tax and more tax - a recap of what's been happeningpublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 5 June

    Tax has dominated campaigning today, with the two major parties clashing over claims made on last night's debate.

    Here's a summary of today's key moments so far:

    • Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of lying and claimed he breached the ministerial code for suggesting Labour planned to increase taxes by more than £2,000 for every family
    • It comes after a Treasury letter sent to Labour two days ago, seen by the BBC, said the Tories' assessment of Labour's tax plans “should not be presented as having been produced by the civil service”
    • Sunak has repeatedly said Labour's plans would mean £2,000 of tax rises per working household over four years, based on figures compiled by the Treasury
    • Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, acknowledged there was "confusion" but said Sunak was telling the truth - as the Conservatives vowed to stand by the claims
    • Former permanent secretary of the Treasury Lord Gus O'Donnell told the BBC the costings of party policies in the run-up to elections are often produced using "dodgy assumptions"
    • Away from tax, the Liberal Democrats said they'd commit to freezing regulated rail fares in their manifesto - something they also committed to in the 2019 election
    • The SNP has criticised both Starmer and Sunak for not mentioning Scotland once during the TV debate

    Stay with us as we bring you more news and analysis from our correspondents on the campaign trail.

  3. Watch: BBC Verify's quick take on Sunak's Labour tax rise claimpublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 5 June

    Media caption,

    BBC Verify's quick take on Sunak's Labour tax rise claim

  4. Labour accuse Sunak of breaching ministerial codepublished at 16:48 British Summer Time 5 June

    Both Labour leader Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves are accusing Rishi Sunak of breaching the ministerial code over his claims about Labour's tax plans.

    Sunak accused Labour of planning to hike taxes by £2,000 per family in Tuesday night's debate.

    “He breached the ministerial code because he lied, and he lied deliberately," Starmer tells LBC.

    The Conservatives have not distanced themselves from the figure.

  5. Sunak tax claim 'undermines faith in British politics' - Thornberrypublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 5 June

    Emily ThornberryImage source, PA Media

    More reaction to the row over Labour's tax plans - this time from shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry.

    She, like Keir Starmer, accuses Rishi Sunak of lying about tax increases under a Labour government, telling the BBC that she believes he "demeans the role of prime minister" with his words which "undermine faith in British politics".

    For context: Sunak said in the debate last night that "independent Treasury officials have costed Labour's policies and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise [over four years] for every working family" - but a letter from the chief Treasury civil servant has cast doubt on the sourcing of the claim.

    As a reminder, the Conservatives are not distancing themselves from the £2,000 figure.

    Sunak has repeated it twice on social media today, and earlier Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, said the figure was "underpinned overwhelmingly by Treasury analysis".

  6. Labour leader refuses to say when team first knew about Treasury letterpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 5 June

    Hannah Miller
    Political correspondent, reporting from Portsmouth

    Here's more on that bit of breaking news we just brought you.

    Keir Starmer this afternoon twice refused to answer questions relating to when his team first became aware of a letter sent to Labour's Darren Jones by the chief Treasury civil servant.

    It said the Conservatives' assessment that Labour's tax plans would mean £2,000 of tax rises per working household "should not be presented as having been produced by the civil service".

    Starmer's in Portsmouth today - and spoke to reporters at the city's Historic Dockyard - as part of D-Day commemorations.

  7. Sunak had back against the wall and lied - Starmerpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 5 June
    Breaking

    Hannah Miller
    Political correspondent, reporting from Portsmouth

    Keir Starmer

    Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of “lying” when he claimed that a Labour government would lead to people paying £2,000 more in tax.

    Speaking to journalists in Portsmouth, the Labour leader said the prime minister’s comments were a “flash of character” that mean “the choice at the next election is starker now than it was yesterday".

    Asked why he didn’t refute the claim more quickly during the debate, he responded: “What matters is the facts. All of our plans are fully costed, fully funded, don’t involve tax rises for working people.

    "I’ll spell that out, no income tax, no national insurance, no VAT. What you saw is the prime minister with his back against the wall desperately lashing out and resorting to lies.

    "And he knew he was lying. I don’t say that lightly, it’s not the sort of thing that I say. He was lying, he was lying about our plans, he was lying about the boats, he was lying about waiting lists.

    "That’s why the choice at the next election is starker now than it was yesterday. It’s a choice between chaos and confusion, the sort of thing we’ve seen now for 14 years and now lies on top of it. Or turn the page and rebuilding with Labour.”

    • As a reminder, the Conservatives are not distancing themself from the £2,000 figure. Rishi Sunak has repeated it on social media today, and earlier Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, said the figure was "underpinned overwhelmingly by Treasury analysis".
  8. 'Dodgy assumptions' being used to cost policies, warns former top civil servantpublished at 15:51 British Summer Time 5 June

    Another interview to bring you from our radio colleagues now - this one's from Radio 4's World At One programme.

    Lord Gus O'Donnell, a former permanent secretary of the Treasury, says the costings of party policies in the run-up to elections are often produced using "dodgy assumptions".

    He was referring to the news that top Treasury civil servant James Bowler wrote to the Labour Party two days ago, saying the Tories' assessment that Labour's tax plans would mean £2,000 of tax rises per working household "should not be presented as having been produced by the civil service".

    O'Donnell calls it a "grubby" process in which civil servants are required to provide calculations based on assumptions provided to them by ministers. He adds that the civil service would not have been acting independently because it was required to act on what the government told them to do - a practice, he says, that must change in future.

    He accuses the Conservatives of having made a number of false claims in relation to the figures, adding that a future government should not ask civil servants to "waste their time" on such things.

  9. Watch: BBC's Henry Zeffman talks us through today's tax rowpublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 5 June

    Media caption,

    Henry Zeffman on how Tories and Labour are reacting to tax claim fallout

  10. 'I would use the NHS' - shadow minister asked about private healthcarepublished at 15:11 British Summer Time 5 June

    Jonathan Ashworth in the Spin Room during ITV's debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir StarmerImage source, PA Media/ ITV

    Here's a bit more from Jonathan Ashworth's interview with the Today programme - the shadow paymaster general was asked whether he'd use private healthcare if a loved one needed treatment (it's a question that was put to Keir Starmer during last night’s debate).

    He said people are likely to get the very best healthcare on the NHS and stressed that when Starmer said he personally would opt to use the NHS, he wasn't saying members of the public shouldn’t go private.

    When pressed once again on the question, Ashworth said: "I would use the NHS and I would want my family to use the NHS."

    Finally, asked about shadow health secretary Wes Streeting recently saying a Labour government would use the private health sector to help clear the NHS backlog, Ashworth said: "Where there is capacity from the private sector, we should use that capacity to send people for elective surgeries."

    The way to really drive down the waiting list, he added, is to "change the regime over staff working overtime, weekends and evenings" and to offer staff more support.

  11. Has Starmer been honest enough about potential cuts?published at 15:01 British Summer Time 5 June

    We were in the midst of bringing you this morning's big political interviews when that letter from the Treasury's top civil servant dropped - c'est la vie - so here's shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth on Radio 4's Today programme.

    After branding Rishi Sunak's claim that Labour would put up taxes by £2,000 (catch up on that here) "categorically untrue", an accusation by the Institute for Fiscal Studies was put to Ashworth - that both Labour and the Tories aren't being open about the fiscal choices the country faces, and it's not enough to say growth will pay for the parties' plans without the need for cuts, more borrowing, or higher taxes.

    Asked if Starmer was honest enough about the need for cuts, Ashworth said the Conservatives will need more tax revenue to pay for their plans. He also pointed to examples where he said Labour has declared it will make tough choices - such as levy VAT on private schools, "fully close" the non-dom "tax loophole", and put a bigger levy on the big gas and oil companies to improve public services he says the Conservatives have failed to maintain.

    That will help pay for Labour's plans, he said, adding the party will "also grow the economy".

  12. Scottish Lib Dem leader's verdict of yesterday's debate? He didn't watch it...published at 14:35 British Summer Time 5 June

    Andrew Kerr
    Scotland political correspondent

    Alex Cole-Hamilton, campaigning in Leith last week
    Image caption,

    Alex Cole-Hamilton, campaigning in Leith last week

    A bit more reaction to bring you now after last night's debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

    The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader has said he "he didn't watch" the head-to-head.

    Alex Cole-Hamilton told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme earlier that the ITV debate was "not the full picture" as it was only two leaders - he claimed that his UK leader Sir Ed Davey is "making big strides".

    Cole-Hamilton said he was out knocking doors instead, adding that he wasn't interested in a "re-enactment" of the weekly Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

  13. Campaign in Northern Ireland gathers pacepublished at 14:02 British Summer Time 5 June

    Chris Page
    Ireland correspondent, reporting from Belfast

    In Northern Ireland, the general election campaign is gathering pace, with the launch of a series of party leaders’ phone-ins on BBC Radio Ulster.

    Gavin Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party was questioned about the deal the DUP struck with Rishi Sunak to end its veto of the devolved government.

    The DUP blocked the formation of a power-sharing administration at Stormont for two years until February 2024.

    On the Talk Back programme, Robinson said the DUP’s decision to walk out of the coalition over post-Brexit trading arrangements was “regrettable” but “necessary”.

    He added that he believed in devolution, and didn’t “envisage any circumstances at all” that would lead him to bring about the collapse of power-sharing again.

    The DUP goes into this election as the largest party from Northern Ireland at Westminster, with eight out of 18 seats.

    Most other parties argue the DUP’s move to veto devolution was unjustified - but it is also facing pressure from the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), which claims the DUP should not have allowed power-sharing to return.

    Gavin Robinson, who became DUP leader last month, following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson
    Image caption,

    Gavin Robinson became DUP leader last month, following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson

  14. Alba leader Alex Salmond won't stand in general electionpublished at 13:58 British Summer Time 5 June

    Rajdeep Sandhu
    Political correspondent, BBC Scotland's The Nine

    Alex SalmondImage source, PA Media

    Alba Party leader Alex Salmond has confirmed he won’t stand in the 2024 Westminster general election.

    Instead, he will be standing in the 2026 Scottish election to the Scottish Parliamentin the Banff and Buchan coastal seat.

    Asked if the Alba Party would split the independence vote at the general election with the SNP, and therefore help Labour in Scottish seats, Salmond said that wouldn’t be the case and the party would "mobilise" independence voters.

    The party is aiming to stand in 20 seats in Scotland and are supporting independent Angus Brendan MacNeil, former SNP MP, in Na h-Eileanan an lar.

  15. Ed Davey fined for speedingpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 5 June

    Damian Grammaticas
    Political correspondent

    Ed DaveyImage source, PA Media

    The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has been fined for driving at 73 miles (117 km) an hour in a 60 mile an hour zone on the M1 motorway in Bedfordshire.

    The matter was dealt with by a magistrate in Luton after Davey tried to pay the original fine but failed to provide all the necessary details on the paperwork he submitted.

    In a letter to the magistrate, Davey said it was a "genuine oversight" and apologised.

    "The only mitigation for failing to provide my licence details was just being super-busy and failing to read the form fully."

    He added that he was the "primary driver in a family of four, with two people who have serious mobility issues".

    "My son has a lifelong undiagnosed disability which means he cannot walk... my wife has MS, and walks very slowly with a stick, though she can drive as necessary."

    Davey was given a £72 fine and a £28 victim surcharge, as well as three points added to his licence. He was not asked to pay prosecution costs.

    A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: "Ed inadvertently broke the speed limit on the M1, which he is sorry for. He has paid the fine and accepted the points on his licence."

  16. Line-up confirmed for Friday night's BBC debatepublished at 13:48 British Summer Time 5 June

    Penny Mordaunt appeared in live TV debate in 2022, when she ran to be Conservative Party leader, and therefore prime ministerImage source, ITV / PA
    Image caption,

    Penny Mordaunt appeared in live TV debate in 2022, when she ran to be Conservative Party leader, and therefore prime minister

    As we discuss last night's debate on ITV, details have been confirmed for the BBC's seven-way debate on Friday.

    Conservative minister Penny Mordaunt and Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner will be joined by Daisy Cooper for the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage, the new leader of Reform UK.

    Stephen Flynn will appear for the Scottish National Party, the Green Party will be represented by co-leader Carla Denyer and Plaid Cymru by leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

    Presented by Mishal Husain, the show will be broadcast from 19:30-21:00 on Friday 7 June on BBC One and BBC News in the UK.

    The debate kicks off a series of BBC programmes covering the election.

    On 20 June, the leaders of the country's four biggest political parties will be involved in a two-hour Question Time programme presented by Fiona Bruce.

    Sophie Raworth will then moderate a debate between the prime minister and Labour's leader Keir Starmer on 26 June.

    There will be additional dedicated debates in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

    British Sign Language and subtitles will feature on the two leader debates and the Question Time special, as well as throughout the election night.

  17. Analysis

    Why didn't Starmer use the Treasury letter last night?published at 13:32 British Summer Time 5 June

    Henry Zeffman
    Chief political correspondent

    One question which quite a few people are asking after this morning’s letter from the Treasury to Labour: why didn’t Keir Starmer use it on stage to fend off Rishi Sunak’s attacks?

    I don’t know the answer. It may be that it hadn’t made its way to his desk yet, or that Starmer and his team had not specifically prepared for Sunak to make the tax figures the centrepiece of his debating strategy.

    After all, while the Conservatives first started using the figure a few weeks ago, it has not been at the heart of their campaign thus far.

    Either way, in the immediate aftermath of the debate yesterday, Labour officials and politicians I spoke to were generally pleased with Starmer’s performance but frustrated that it took him so long to clearly push back against Sunak’s claim.

    That’s certain to be something Starmer’s team will want to prepare him to do better before his next debate with Sunak - although that’s not until just over a week before polling day, so they have plenty of time to prepare.

  18. Leaders' debate wins TV viewing figures battlepublished at 13:23 British Summer Time 5 June

    Steven McIntosh
    Entertainment reporter

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, host Julie Etchingham and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer at the ITV debateImage source, PA Media/ITV

    We've spent most of the day looking back at what was said in last night's TV debate - and today's figures show 4.8 million viewers watched the show on ITV on Tuesday, making it the most-watched programme on terrestrial television that evening.

    In comparison, The Great British Sewing Bee got 2.8 million in the same timeslot for BBC One, Love Island was watched by just over a million viewers on ITV2, while 879,000 tuned in for the France v England women’s football match on ITV4.

    BBC Two’s D-Day: The Unheard Tapes reached 600,000 viewers, a repeat of Grand Designs got 400,000 viewers for Channel 4, while Into the Amazon with Robson Green also reached 400,000 on Channel 5.

    All of these figures are averages across the whole duration of programmes – which means the peak audiences will be higher for each. The women’s football game, for example, reached 1.4 million at its height.

    And of course, overnight ratings are not a complete picture when it comes to viewing figures, as audiences increasingly use streaming platforms. With that in mind, many of the programmes above will increase their audience when catch-up platforms are taken into account.

  19. Analysis

    Sunak chose his words carefully, but risked misleading voterspublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 5 June

    Faisal Islam
    Economics editor

    What the prime minister said last night about official backing for his claims about Labour tax rises clearly risked misleading viewers and voters.

    He said: "Independent Treasury officials have costed Labour’s policies and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for every working family."

    The PM chose his words very carefully. No 10 argues that saying the independent costings "amount to" a £2,000 tax rise means that the PM never claimed that £2,000 number was a civil service one.

    Robert Chote of the UK Statistics Authority wrote to the political parties, external warning them "to consider how a reasonable person would interpret the statement being made and ensure that it is not likely to be misleading".

    If voters believed that the £2,000 claim was in some way sanctioned by the independent civil service, then what the PM said was misleading.

  20. Treasury minister denies Sunak lied over Labour tax planspublished at 13:15 British Summer Time 5 June

    Laura TrottImage source, Pool

    A Treasury minister is rejecting Labour claims that Rishi Sunak lied about the party's tax plans.

    Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, denies voters have been misled and insists independent analysis had identified a black hole in Labour's spending plans.

    She tells reporters: "What is absolutely clear is that due to independent analysis Labour have a £38bn black hole in their policies.

    "That will lead to £2,000 in extra taxes for every family up and down the United Kingdom.

    "This is underpinned overwhelmingly by Treasury analysis so if people think Labour are going to win this election they need to start saving."