Will Farage scupper any hope for Sunak?
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.
Evening, everyone. Hi all, ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby here with our new election newsletter, on the day we launched our 'Talking Politics: The Election' podcast every weekday for the rest of the campaign.
The breaking news as we went on air today was Nigel Farage announcing he's taking over as leader of Reform UK and standing (again) as an MP. What will that mean for disenchanted Conservative voters?
Elsewhere, will Rishi Sunak be able to offer any sign of hope for beleaguered Tories? Can Keir Starmer’s message of change cut through with voters? And how damaging was his handling of the Diane Abbott ‘left-wing cull’ affair?
It seems to me that the Tories are, by and large, veering to the right whilst Labour is trying to hog the centre ground.
You can watch our daily take from the campaign on our Talking Politics podcast live from 4pm on ITVX, with me, ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston and Anushka Asthana, deputy political editor. Or catch up 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 angry that an amazing man never had the chance to fight for his life’
Healthcare is number one on the list of what matters most to voters, with 35% of people saying the NHS is the most important issue this election, according to IPSOS polling.
Ten years ago, I held my mum’s hand as she passed away, writes ITV News Investigations Editor Daniel Hewitt.
She had lived with cancer - stage four, aggressive breast cancer - for almost five years. She died at home, in her bed, surrounded by those that loved her most. My mum - Diane - was 56.
Last week, in Chester, I met Lesley. Her partner, Julian, had recently died aged 59.
Julian fell ill at home with a heart problem and they waited 90 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. By the time they got to hospital, it was too late, he died later that evening.
“I’m angry that an amazing, wonderful man, never had the chance to fight for his life,” Lesley told me. “He should have been in theatre, being operated on, and given a chance.”
You can read more on Lesley’s story here. And you can watch the first in a series of reports on key election issues by Daniel on ITVX here.
Farage takes control of Reform UK - and will run in Clacton
Reform UK honorary president Nigel Farage has announced he will now run for election in Clacton, Essex.
The veteran campaigner said the election needed “gingering up” and added that “the more the two big party leaders try to be different, the more they actually sound the same”.
He told a press conference this afternoon: “I’ve changed my mind. It’s allowed you know, it’s not always a sign of weakness. It could potentially be a sign of strength.
“So I am going to stand in this election.”
Read more on what Mr Farage had to say on our website and watch highlights from his press conference on ITVX.
Sunak v Starmer: ITV to broadcast first head-to-head election debate
ITV will broadcast the first head-to-head General Election debate between Rishi Sunak, leader of the Conservative Party, and Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer.
The debate will take place live in front of a studio audience and will be broadcast on ITV1, ITVX and STV and STV Player tomorrow, Tuesday June 4, at 9pm.
ITV News presenter Julie Etchingham will moderate the hour-long debate. Julie has moderated General Election debates on ITV in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Julie said: “They want to convince you they’re the right person to lead the country - but what’s their big plan?”
See where to watch and how to ask your question here.
The head to head will be followed at 10.10pm by The ITV Election Interviews presented by Anushka Asthana airing on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
The leaders of the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, Reform UK and the Green Partys= have been invited to take part in this live programme featuring extended interviews.
The leader of Plaid Cymru has been invited to take part in an interview with ITV Cymru Wales which will be broadcast in Wales that evening.
Gender ‘confusion’, small boats and defence - the election trail today
The Conservatives have pledged to change the Equality Act to define the protected characteristic of sex as “biological sex” and clear up "confusion" among public bodies.
They want to make it simpler for service providers for women and girls, such as those running sessions for domestic abuse victims, to prevent biological males from taking part.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats presented Mr Sunak with another small boats challenge. Deputy leader Daisy Cooper and colleagues - in Oxfordshire to press their demands for greater protections for the UK’s waterways from sewage - managed to gate (or boat)-crash Mr Sunak’s visit to Henley…
Elsewhere, Labour was focusing on defence. Leader Sir Keir Starmer pitched Labour as the “party of national security”, talking about his nuclear defence “triple lock” - namely committing to building the already designated nuclear submarines, sending them out on patrols and a pledge to keep the nuclear deterrent.
You can catch up with the latest from the election trail on ITVX.
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Why the Conservatives chose Teesside to launch their battle bus
A blue bus, unveiled in… Redcar. The racecourse to be precise, writes Tom Sheldrick Political Correspondent, ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border, as the Conservative campaign looked to find some extra horsepower to make up ground in the opinion polls.
The choice of location was a reminder of how vital the Tees Valley has been, and perhaps continues to be, to the Tories.
Ben Houchen is the party’s only remaining mayor in England, the only real bright spot in a brutal set of local election results last month.
Check out the rival buses on ITVX here.
The key challenges for the next prime minister
Come July 5, the UK will know who will be entering No.10 as the next prime minister.
And whoever that may be, there’s a bulging to-do list: record waiting lists on the NHS, the immigration issue, cost of living, an economy that’s been bumping along close to zero growth, an increasingly dangerous geo-political world.
ITV News has taken a look at some of these issues and what the next PM will be expected to sort as a matter of priority.
What’s coming up…
Tuesday June 4: ITV hosts the first head-to-head leaders’ debate, featuring Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer - from 9pm.
Friday June 7: Deadline for confirming constituency candidates.
Thursday June 13: ITV hosts the ‘Election Debate’, featuring leaders or senior figures from most parties - from 8.30pm.
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 … why this election vote is unfamiliar territory for some
Many electors will find themselves voting in unfamiliar constituencies at the General Election, writes ITV News election analyst Colin Rallings.
For the first time since 2010, a wholesale review of parliamentary boundaries throughout the United Kingdom undertaken by the independent Boundary Commissions has been enacted.
The review is designed to take account of the movement of population across the country and to equalise electorates. You can read more of Colin’s analysis here.
And ITV News Political Correspondent Romilly Weeks takes you through the changes and what they could mean for the July 4 vote.