What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Saturday
Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Saturday.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Saturday:
– Fly back and flypast
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be hoping to gain some patriotic brownie points as he attends the Trooping the Colour to celebrate the official birthday of the King.
After being absent from the campaign trail while attending the G7 summit in Italy, and still dealing with the furore that resulted from his leaving D-Day commemorations early, Mr Sunak is expected to be seen at the ceremonial parade.
Later in the day Mr Sunak will be jetting off again as he is billed to attend a Ukraine Peace summit at a lakeside resort in Switzerland.
He will be joined by the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron at the event that will be hosted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Over 90 states and organisations are expected to be in attendance with the notable absence of Russia and China, as the G7 leaders agreed to fund a loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets.
– More appointments promised but more detail required
Labour Leader Sir Keir Stamer will join shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, in the East Midlands to discuss Labour’s plans to clear the NHS backlog, with 40,000 extra appointments a week at evenings and weekends.
Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) economist Max Warner said that Labour’s claim that NHS waiting lists would hit 10 million under the Conservatives was “highly unlikely” and their manifesto “provides no detail about the overall funding the NHS will receive in the next parliament.”
– Sir Ed and the Amazing Technicolor wall
Sir Ed Davey will be on the campaign trail in Surrey as he continues his party efforts to chip away at the “blue wall”, a collection of typically safe Conservative seats in southern England.
Sir Ed has pledged to scrap elected police and crime commissioners (PCC) to unlock money which he says could bolster frontline policing.
The Lib Dems will hope their blue wall gains will keep them in the running for the opposition, as the Tories continue to languish in the polls, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared his party the “challengers to Labour” in “red wall” seats in northern England and the Midlands.