Sir Keir Starmer has defended himself against allegations of "hypocrisy" after taking a private jet to Scotland for his Great British Energy announcement in Glasgow.
The Labour leader said he needs to "get across the country to speak to as many people as possible".
He explained: "We did use a private jet because we needed to get very quickly to Scotland from Wales yesterday, and we have to use the most efficient form of transport in the middle of a very, very busy General Election campaign.
"We offset the carbon, we always do whenever we use transport in the air."
Starmer added: "We’ve got five weeks to take our argument to the country, I need to get across the country to speak to as many people as possible, and from time to time we have to do it as efficiently as possible."
A Tory source accused the Labour leader of "hypocrisy", telling the Daily Express: "Not for the first time Sir Keir has been shown up as a massive hypocrite.
"Getting on a private jet to launch a clip art logo alongside Angela Rayner who is openly undermining him is peak Starmer."
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The Conservative Party could be reduced to just 66 seats at the next election, the latest poll suggests.
With tactical voting taken into account, Labour is predicted to win by a landslide with a 302-seat majority, returning 476 seats.
One of Britain's most highly regarded Westminster think tanks has called for the Tories' David Cameron and Labour’s David Lammy to debate the issues facing Britain over the next five years.
The Legatum Institute demands a live televised debate as voters have a right to hear from the two vital members of the next potential government.
The think tank argue that the British people "deserve to hear how these visions will ensure our security, sovereignty and prosperity".
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has taken a swipe at the Labour Party as she reels off a list of MPs of the last parliament who want to form the next government.
Now, the Conservatives have joined Momentum in hitting out at Labour as the backlash over Diane Abbott's return to the fold continues to grow.
In reaction to the news that Sir Keir Starmer had greenlit the candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington's return to his party, a Tory spokesperson said: "Angela Rayner is pushing Keir Starmer around.
"Under pressure, he's showing he's a weak leader who's losing control of the Labour Party.
"That makes it even clearer that you don't know what you're going to get if Keir Starmer becomes prime minister - apart from higher taxes on you and your family."
Left-wing campaign group Momentum has taken a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer for his climbdown on Diane Abbott
PA
Left-wing campaign group Momentum has taken a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer for his climbdown on Diane Abbott.
A spokesperson for the group said: "You come at the queen, you better not miss.
“Diane Abbott has been bullied and abused her whole career. Starmer tried to force her out. She held firm - and won.”
Diane Abbott can stand as a Labour MP at the General Election, Sir Keir Starmer has said today
PA
Diane Abbott can stand as a Labour MP at the General Election, Sir Keir Starmer has said today.
The Labour leader's latest position comes appears to be a major climbdown amid an escalating row over the suspension and readmission of Abbott to the Labour Party.
It comes just one day after Angela Rayner said the former MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington should be able to stand as a Labour candidate.
Former Tory MP Julian Knight has announced that he will stand as an Independent in the July 4 General Election
PA
Former Tory MP Julian Knight has announced that he will stand as an Independent in the July 4 General Election.
Knight, who was the Conservative MP for Solihull from 2015 to 2022, lost the party whip in December 2022 after it was revealed he was being investigated by police over sexual assault allegations. He has always denied the allegations.
Announcing his intention to stand at the next election, he posted to social media: “After discussions with family, conservative members and constituents I have decided to run as an Independent in the forthcoming election.
“Solihull deserves more than a whips appointed candidate who doesn’t get the issues.
“It’s important that having been forced out of the party after an entirely false allegation, which is now being investigated by police for perversion of the course of justice, it’s important to make a stand. People should not lose their position because of a false allegation.”
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted to taking a private jet to get to the launch of Great British Energy in Scotland
PA
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted to taking a private jet to get to the launch of Great British Energy in Scotland.
He said: "We did use a private jet because we needed to get very quickly to Scotland from Wales yesterday, and we have to use the most efficient form of transport in the middle of a very, very busy General Election campaign.
"We offset the carbon, we always do whenever we use transport in the air."
Starmer added: "We’ve got five weeks to take our argument to the country, I need to get across the country to speak to as many people as possible, and from time to time we have to do it as efficiently as possible."
Sir Keir Starmer said his party’s “six first steps” for Scotland are “fully funded, fully costed, fully set out”.
Asked whether Scots could be confident he would not ditch the measures, the Labour leader said: “These are serious propositions about changing Scotland and changing Britain for the future.
“I’m absolutely sure that they will make a massive difference here across Scotland. “
Angela Rayner tells Scottish voters: 'We need you'
PA
In a speech to a campaign event at the Beacon Arts Centre in Inverclyde, Angela Rayner said: “Whatever Scotland decides will decide whether the rest of the UK gets change too.
“I don’t say this lightly. We need you.
“We want an end to this chaos, but we’ll only get it if Scotland chooses to vote for it.”
Noting that “Scotland is the zero hour contracts capital of the UK”, she said Labour’s New Deal for Working People is “the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation” and “a new and true partnership between government, trade unions and business to unleash the real potential of this country”.
Anas Sarwar has said Labour's plan to set up Great British Energy would be a "transformational opportunity for Scotland that once again we cannot afford to miss"
PA
Anas Sarwar has said Labour's plan to set up Great British Energy would be a "transformational opportunity for Scotland that once again we cannot afford to miss".
Speaking at the launch event for Labour's six steps for change in Inverclyde, the Scottish Labour leader said: "Labour is committed to setting up GB energy, a publicly owned energy generation company headquartered right here in Scotland to cut bills for good and so we finally realise Scotland’s energy potential.
"That’s billions of investment for Scotland, more jobs for Scotland, lower bills for Scotland and greater energy security for Scotland.
"That’s 53,000 new clean energy jobs here in Scotland and another 16,000 jobs with our warm homes plans to insulate hundreds of thousands of Scottish homes.
"A transformational opportunity for Scotland that once again we cannot afford to miss. And one which will be funded by the windfall tax on the huge profits of energy giants, a windfall tax which shamefully the SNP continues to oppose.
"So we cannot afford to miss this opportunity to build a greener Scotland. So only a vote for Scottish Labour at this election will switch on GB Energy, create more jobs and cut energy bills for people right across Scotland."
A small group of demonstrators from the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) have taken up position outside the venue where Sir Keir Starmer is expected to speak at a campaign event near Glasgow.
Paula McEwan, president of the EIS, said: “We’re here today just to highlight to Labour Party members, MSPs, local Labour councillors and the Labour Party generally just what’s happening in further education.”
EIS members in further education colleges have been staging a long-running strike over pay.
McEwan also cited rising levels of violence and aggression in schools, increasing demands on additional needs services and a lack of funding for early years education, but said Friday was mainly about the lecturers who were on strike.
Speaking to PA, she added: “We’re looking for pledges around education. We are looking for resourcing, we are looking for funding so we can deliver the best education we can for young people.”
Labour should not have to apologise for raising the standards of its members, the party’s shadow science secretary Peter Kyle said
GB NEWS
Labour should not have to apologise for raising the standards of its members, the party’s shadow science secretary Peter Kyle said.
He told GB News: “These are standards issues, and I’m not going to stand here and apologise for the fact that Keir Starmer has changed (the) Labour Party, part of that change has been raising the standards all of us are held to.
“We have had 14 years of the Tories where breaking the ministerial code has no consequence, where you have a prime minister that breaks the laws that he himself made.”
Rishi Sunak refused to comment on Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in a press briefing this morning.
Asked whether he was willing to work with a convicted felon in the White House if he wins July’s election, the Prime Minister said: “You wouldn’t expect me to comment on another country’s domestic politics or judicial processes.
“I’m focused squarely on the election here at home talking to people across the country about the choice at our election.
“That’s my focus.”
Reform UK's Honorary President Nigel Farage admits he has “absolutely huge regrets” over his decision not to stand as an MP
GB/PARLIAMENT
Reform UK's Honorary President Nigel Farage admits he has “absolutely huge regrets” over his decision not to stand as an MP.
The former Ukip leader announced last week that he will not be standing, saying it is “not the right time” for him to be doing so.
Farage later revealed that he had planned to launch a campaign but Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap General Election caught him cold.
He told GB News that were he to have stood, Reform likely would have “performed astonishingly” given the reaction from his ardent supporters.
A former Conservative MP and candidate at the next election had "excrement" posted through her letterbox in what has been described as a "disgraceful" incident
parliament.uk
A former Conservative MP and candidate at the next election had "excrement" posted through her letterbox in what has been described as a "disgraceful" incident.
Posting on X, candidate for South Ribble Katherine Fletcher said she called the police after the incident, adding that the "attempt to bully me will not work".
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride described the incident as "disgraceful" urging people to "call out" the behaviour.
The Labour activist stood as the Labour candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green in 2019
Faiza Shaheen
The Labour activist, who stood as the Labour candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green in 2019, said she believes a "huge injustice" has been done "not just to me, but to our community".
Faiza Shaheen said she will meet with her "campaign and legal teams" to "discuss next steps".
She added: "This is not the end of my story and I will be releasing all the detail of what has happened to me publicly very soon".
