What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Friday
The Tories and Labour will be preparing for another face-off set to air on the BBC on Friday evening.
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Your support makes all the difference.Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Friday:
– Seventh heaven?
The Tories and Labour will be preparing for another face-off set to air on the BBC on Friday evening – as will five other political parties – for what promises to be a lively debate.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner will take the place of the leaders of the two main parties, who went head-to-head in an ill-tempered clash on Tuesday.
They will be joined by Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, deputy Liberal Democrat leader Daisy Cooper, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Carla Denyer of the Green Party and Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru.
– The final countdownThe deadline for candidates to file nominations for the General Election is on Friday, with the statement of nominees to be published at 5pm, setting in stone the list of hopefuls running in the July 4 vote.
Parties have been scrambling to sort candidates into seats since Rishi Sunak called the General Election last month, with selection rows plaguing both the Tories and Labour.
Members of the local Conservative association in Basildon and Billericay voiced discontent over the process that led to party chairman Richard Holden getting picked for the relatively safe seat.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer denied accusations he was purging the left of the party to improve its electoral prospects.
Former leader Jeremy Corbyn has been barred from standing from Labour in the seat of Islington North he is defending, while Faiza Shaheen, who was deselected after liking a series of posts on X, that allegedly downplayed antisemitism allegations, is now standing as an Independent in Chingford and Woodford Green.
– Meanwhile, somewhere in central LondonLabour’s highly secretive Clause V meeting, at which the party will hammer out the final version of its election manifesto, is expected to kick off some time before noon.
The details of the gathering and the finer points of the policy document are being kept tightly under wraps after 2017’s manifesto was leaked.<
But multiple reports suggest a pledge to recognise Palestinian statehood as part of any peace process in the Middle East will be included.
The manifesto will be based on Sir Keir’s five “missions” for government on the economy, the NHS, energy, education and planning reform, which were announced last year.
– Taxing timesAmid a bitter clash between Labour and the Tories over tax policy, the Conservatives have pledged to raise the high income child benefit tax charge threshold to £120,000 – and charge it to households rather than individuals.
The Prime Minister will be promoting the announcement as he campaigns in the south west on Friday.
It comes amid a wider row following Mr Sunak’s disputed claim that Sir Keir would hike taxes by more than £2,000.
The row stems from a document produced by the Conservatives which made a series of assumptions to estimate the cost that might be attached to potential Labour policies.
It said that Labour’s plans had a £38.5 billion deficit over four years, the equivalent of £2,094 for every working household, which the Tories claim would be filled with tax hikes.
The UK statistics watchdog has criticised Mr Sunak’s references to the figure, saying it is not clear enough that it refers to an estimate summed together over four years.
Labour then seized on the PM’s decision to give a TV interview defending the claim while missing a major international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, describing it as a “dereliction of duty.”
– Labour’s mortgage offerLabour will be touting its proposal to allow first-time buyers to use the state as a guarantor for their mortgages.
Sir Keir and Angela Rayner will promoting the scheme during a visit on Friday.
– Davey’s ‘dad month’ proposal
The Liberal Democrats will be plugging their proposals for reforms to parental leave, including a “dad month” of paid leave for new fathers and a doubling of statutory maternity pay.
Munira Wilson will be out campaigning in a key marginal seat in the south of England.