Eyes to the right: Farage set sights beyond election day
Welcome to the daily ITV News digest direct from the campaign trail. Each afternoon we'll bring you analysis and insight from across the nation as the General Election 2024 gathers pace.
Hello, Harry Horton, ITV News Political Correspondent here. I've been following Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party for the past three weeks as he attempts to destroy the Conservative party and reshape the right of British politics.
Last night, was a milestone in his journey. For the first time, Reform UK led the Conservative Party in a national poll. There are a lot of caveats - it's just one poll, Reform's support is spread thinly around the country, there are still three weeks until polling day - but it is a big moment.
Farage has made clear his sights are set beyond election day. His argument is that the election is over, Labour have already won.
Farage's project depends on his getting elected to parliament, ideally with a few Reform UK colleagues. But his party lacks money and structure. I asked him today, “are you ready to capitalise on this moment?”
"Not really,” was his typically blunt response. “I'd have loved six months of this. We've got three more weeks."
In three weeks’ time, Nigel Farage will either be the most influential figure on the right of UK politics - or he'll be a failed parliamentary candidate for an eighth time.
For more analysis on the day’s events, check out Talking Politics, our daily podcast from the campaign live from 4pm on ITVX, hosted today by UK Editor Paul Brand, with me, Robert Peston and Anushka Asthana. Or watch on demand on ITVX or where you listen to your podcasts.
Thanks for reading and enjoy some of the best content brought to you by the rest of the ITV News team below.
I’m still fighting, says Sunak as Reform UK looms large
Rishi Sunak has stepped away from daily campaigning to attend the G7 summit in Italy. But, world events couldn’t keep him from the noise at home as an opinion poll put the Reform UK party ahead of the Tories for the first time.
The YouGov poll, for the Times, shows Reform on 19%, just ahead of the Conservatives on 18%. Labour remains well out in front on 37%.
Reflecting on the news in Puglia, the prime minister said: “We are only halfway through this election, so I’m still fighting very hard for every vote."
At home, the message from his party was very much still “not to hand Labour a blank cheque” by voting Reform.
On Friday, Reform leader Nigel Farage shared a video to social media site X, in which he could be seen rapping Eminem's famous lyrics "guess who's back, back again".
He later said he was now the true leader of the opposition and demanded: “I would also very much like to do a debate head-to-head with Keir Starmer and the reason’s very simple – we think this should be the immigration election.”
For Labour, the apparent increase in support for Reform could present another challenge in certain seats.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “Labour is taking Reform on. We’re going to beat them in the battle of ideas and we’re going to demonstrate what real change looks like in our country, if we earn the trust of people in this General Election.”
You can keep across the key moments from the campaign on ITVX or watch our Talking Politics: The Election podcast daily from 4pm.
Why do opinion polls matter - and can we trust them?
Take a second to imagine a world where opinion polls didn't exist, says ITV News election analyst Professor Jane Green.
Without them we'd have no real idea about what everyone else in the country thinks before and during an election - nor how popular any one party is.
Polls get a lot of attention in politics, they can help politicians shape policy, identify the issues that are cutting through with voters.
But, can we trust opinion polls, she asks? How do they work, how can we make sense of them?
You can see what Jane has to say on ITVX or read more on our website.
Key takeaways after parties go head-to-head in ITV election debate
Seven party leaders and representatives took to the stage for ITV's second General Election debate on Thursday night, covering topics including tax, immigration, and the cost of living.
"I don't believe a single word you say," Reform UK leader Nigel Farage responded after asking Penny Mordaunt, representing the Conservative Party why anyone should trust her party.
“Angela, which of your party’s u-turns are you most proud of?” Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, asked Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Labour.
The issue of immigration raised the temperature in the room, with many participants talking over one another.
You can watch the highlights of the 90-minute exchanges on ITVX and see what our political correspondents made of it all here.
ITV Wales will broadcast two special programmes as part of its election campaign coverage. The first programme, Election 24: The Wales Debate will be on Sunday, June 16 on ITV Cymru Wales, from 8pm.
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Register to vote deadline is looming - how and where to sign up
With just three weeks to go before the July 4 polling day, campaigning is set to ramp up.
But if you’re not registered to vote, you can’t have a say on who gets in in your constituency.
You have until June 18 to submit an application, or June 19 if you want to vote by post. This can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
For more information, see the story on our website.
What are the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems promising infected blood victims?
On May 20, a damning report into the infected blood scandal called for national recognition of the disaster and compensation without delay.
Two days later, Rishi Sunak called the General Election - but there was just enough time for the Victims and Prisoners Bill, which set up a compensation body and pay interim payments, to pass into law before Parliament was dissolved.
More than 30,000 people were infected with deadly viruses between the 1970s and early 1990s as they received blood transfusions or blood products while receiving NHS care.
ITV News Health and Science Producer Philip Sime has been examining what three of the larger parties have pledged to do for the victims.
What’s coming up…
Sunday June 16: Election 24: The Wales Debate, will be hosted by ITV Cymru Wales' Political Editor Adrian Masters. Between between 8pm and 10pm on ITV Cymru Wales.
Sunday June 16: Eighth anniversary of the murder of MP Jo Cox. The Batley and Spen Labour MP was stabbed and shot by a far-right extremist in Birstall, West Yorkshire.
Monday June 18: Midnight deadline for registering to vote.
Tuesday June 19: Deadline for new postal vote applicants or amending existing absent voting arrangements.
And finally… the view from Downing Street (no, not that one)
The fight to get the keys to No.10 Downing Street is being fought in towns and cities up and down the country.
Sutton-in-Ashfield had its fair share of political drama before this election campaign even began, reports ITV News Calendar’s Political Correspondent Charanpreet Khaira.
In March, then Ashfield MP Lee Anderson defected from the Conservative Party and joined Reform UK.
So what do the people of this Nottinghamshire town make of the election campaign. And what about Rebecca Moore, who lives at No.10 Downing Street…?
Watch Charanpreet’s report and see who is standing for election there on ITVX.