Boris Johnson news – live: PM launches Conservative election campaign after day of gaffes and mishaps

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond as the 2019 general election officially gets under way.

PM forced to drop attempt to use civil servants to cost Labour plans

Boris Johnson has been forced to drop his plans to use official Treasury costings of Labour’s key policies after an unprecedented intervention by the cabinet secretary.

It comes as shadow chancellor John McDonnell contacted civil service chiefs on Tuesday morning to denounce attempts to use Whitehall resources hours ahead of the official election period as an “abuse of power”.

A Labour source told The Independent the department claimed it will now not publish the analysis, adding: “It’s a slap in the face for Tory ministers who blatantly attempted to use the civil service for political ends in an unprecedented way.”

All the details here:

PM mocked for comparing Corbyn plans to Stalin’s persecution of ‘Kulaks’

Boris Johnson has compared Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, as the PM launches the Tory campaign to remain in power.

As parliament was dissolved ahead of the election, Johnson claimed the opposition leader shared Stalin’s “hatred” of wealth creators, comparing it to the persecution of the Kulaks – a group of affluent peasants killed in the 1930s.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Johnson said Corbyn had taken a stance that demonises billionaires with a “relish and a vindictiveness” not seen since Stalin.

As many pointed out, the dictator was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Kulaks.

The developments as Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg is facing calls to quit over his comments that Grenfell fire victims lacked common sense.

Welsh Alun Cairns is also facing calls to resign after being accused of lying about his knowledge of an allegation that a Conservative candidate had sabotaged a rape trial.

As well as kicking off the Conservative campaign in the West Midlands later on Wednesday, the PM was expected to visit Buckingham Palace for an audience with the Queen, and announce the start of the election drive in Downing Street.

Rape victim calls on Alun Cairns to quit after aide ‘sabotaged her trial’

The Welsh secretary Alun Cairns is facing calls to resign after being accused of lying about his knowledge of an allegation that a Conservative candidate had sabotaged a rape trial.

The cabinet minister claims he had been unaware of former staff member Ross England’s role in the collapsed trial until after the story broke last week.

BBC Wales said it had obtained a leaked email sent to Cairns which showed he had been made aware of the allegations as early as August last year.

All the details here:

‘Dangerous’ government ads about universal credit banned by watchdog

A series of Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) ads supposedly debunking myths about universal credit have been banned by the Advertising Standards Agency for making misleading claims.

More details here:

Tories post misleadingly edited Keir Starmer video

The Tories have been accused of releasing a misleading campaign video after doctoring footage to falsely suggest that a senior Labour figure had been unable to answer a question about Brexit.

The clip, posted by the Tories on social media, showed an interview with Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, in which he appeared to have faltered for words when asked about his party’s Brexit policy.

In reality, however, Sir Keir provided a full answer to the question he was asked.

Tory MP apologises for suggesting Rees-Mogg 'cleverer' than Grenfell victims

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has apologised for his remarks defending Jacob Rees-Mogg over his Grenfell comments. Rees-Mogg suggested fire victims lacked the “common sense” to flee the building. 

Asked yesterday if Rees-Mogg thought he was “cleverer” than the people who took the fire brigade’s stay put advice, Bridgen said: “But we want very clever people running the country, don’t we?”

He says this morning: “I realise that what I said was wrong and caused a great deal of distress and offence.”

Rees-Mogg revealed his arrogance, says Diane Abbott

Labour’s shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said Jacob Rees-Mogg had shown an “arrogance” with his comments on Grenfell Tower and the ‘stay put’ policy.

“There was one staircase. What were they meant to do? Run out of the building with firefighters running up the same staircase?”

She said some residents had rung emergency services a host of times during the fateful evening in 2017 and were told to stay put.

“It reflects an arrogance about Jacob Rees-Mogg that is not going to help the Tories at this election,” Abbott told the BBC.

Abbott denied that members of the shadow cabinet were ready to campaign for Remain no matter what deal Labour brings back from Brussels if it wins the next election.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer have both signalled their support for Remain during a second referendum.

“I don’t think anyone has said they will vote for Remain, come what may,” said Ms Abbott on the BBC. “What we will do is negotiate a better deal and have a referendum on that better deal and Remain for people to vote.”

Tory chairman denies party ‘doctored’ Keir Starmer video

The Tory party chairman James Cleverly has been ridiculed after denying his party “doctored” a video to portray a senior Labour figure stumbling on Brexit – insisting the “a light-hearted” clip had merely been shortened.

He faced a storm of criticism after the social media clip showed Sir Keir Starmer appearing to falter when, in reality, he had provided a full answer to the question he was asked.

Cleverly refused to apologise or even accept it was misleading. “We edited the video, just like you edit stuff on your programme, just like everybody else, because we needed to shorten the video,” he said.

All the details here:

Sturgeon says it’s her ‘intention’ to hold indyref2 in 2020

Nicola Sturgeon says the demand for a second referendum on Scottish independence will become “irresistible” if the SNP “wins” the election in Scotland.

The SNP leader said resistance to allowing Scottish voters to choose for themselves would “crumble” in the face of such a result. She told the BBC she wants a referendum in 2020.

“If we win this election the demand becomes irresistible,” Scotland’s first minister claimed.

Sturgeon, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, said: “It is my intention to have a referendum next year.

“On this question of will Westminster allow it or not, we are the start of an election campaign - this is an opportunity for the people in Scotland to have their say and make their views known.

“If the SNP win this election, I think that demand becomes irresistible. This idea that for self-interest reasons Westminster politicians can stand in the way of people in Scotland choosing their own future - we already see that start to crumble."

Sturgeon said Labour were already “pretty much conceding” it could not stand in the way of a second independence vote and added: “I suspect it won’t be too much longer until we see the Tories struggle to maintain that argument as well.”