6:24 am, July 1, 2024
Labour and Tories ramp up attacks in final week of General Election campaign
Labour has said the Tories’ election message centres on the view that ‘this is as good as it gets’ for Britain, while Rishi Sunak doubled down on his warning not to ‘surrender’ to the opposition party.
In a stump speech on Monday, Sunak will say: ‘We have four days to save Britain from a Labour government. Labour would hike taxes by more than £2,000 for every working family, would shunt our politics to the left and change the rules to ensure that they can stay in power for decades.’
In an interview with the Guardian, Sir Keir said he plans to restore faith in politics with ‘deeds, not words.’ ‘The hope has been kicked out of many people. They’ve been promised lots of things that haven’t happened and that leads to disillusion,’ he said.
Lib Dems pledge to spend £440m a year on support for bereaved families
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to reverse Tory cuts and spend £440m a year on supporting widows and bereaved children during their toughest moments.
The party said it would aim to double funding for Bereavement Support Payments, benefits which are designed to help with the financial impact of losing a partner, by 2028/29.
Sir Ed Davey, who has opened up about his personal experience of losing both parents at a young age, branded current provisions as ‘heartless and short-sighted’.
Search for Jay Slater in Tenerife called off by Spanish police
Spanish police have called off the search for missing teenager Jay Slater in Tenerife, according to reports.
The 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared after setting off to walk back to his accommodation on the holiday island on June 17.
A Guardia Civil spokesperson reportedly said on Sunday: ‘The search operation has now finished, although the case remains open.’ It is understood that Mr Slater’s family and friends will stay in Tenerife to continue to look for him.
Reform UK candidate drops out and backs Tories amid racism row
A Reform UK candidate has criticised a ‘failure of leadership’ amid allegations of racism within the party as he stepped down and backed the Conservatives in another blow to Nigel Farage’s campaign.
Liam Booth-Isherwood, who was standing in the seat of Erewash, announced he was dropping out of the race and would instead be endorsing Tory contender Maggie Throup to ‘stop Labour’.
The candidate said he had become ‘increasingly disillusioned’ with the behaviour of the party, which he suggested pointed to a ‘significant moral issue’ within its ranks.
Households urged to send energy meter readings as price cap drop takes effect
Some 10 million households have been urged to send energy meter readings to their supplier as cheaper prices come into effect.
The average household energy bill has fallen by 7% as of Monday after Ofgem lowered its price cap in response to wholesale prices.
The regulator has dropped the cap from the previous £1,690 for a typical dual fuel household in England, Scotland and Wales to £1,568, a fall of £122 over the course of a year. This is around £500 less than the cap in July last year, when it was £2,074.
Listen to this week’s Car Dealer Podcast
Greenhous’s Ashley Passant joins James Baggott and Jon Reay to discuss last week’s biggest headlines. You can listen to the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts or another streaming service.
Far-right National Rally party predicted to have strong lead in French election
French voters have propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong lead in first-round legislative elections and plunged the country into political uncertainty. That is according to polling projections.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the surprise elections just three weeks ago, urged voters to rally against the far right.
Projections by polling agencies suggest the National Rally stands a good chance of winning a majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time, with an estimated one-third of the first-round vote.
Weather
A sunny start in the east while the west will see showery rain, which will advance eastwards through the day, reports BBC Weather. It’ll brighten up in the north and west. A breezy day with temperatures reaching a high of just 21.
Most areas will be dry with clear spells, although the southeast will be cloudy with showers.
