Will Sunak's 'jam tomorrow' plan stick with voters?
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.
Hi, Robert Peston, ITV News’ Political Editor here, asking why anyone should believe Rishi Sunak when he promises tax cuts.
His election strategy is old-fashioned. It’s a promise (bribe) of tax cuts for pretty much every demographic: employees, the self-employed, families with children on above-average incomes, pensioners, and first-time house buyers.
The strategy only works if voters believe the actions of the Tories in government for 14 years, where they’ve been raising the burden of taxes to levels we’ve not experienced since the late 1940s, are an anomaly
It is all about the credibility of jam tomorrow, and the credibility of Sunak as the jam-maker.
For more analysis on the events of the day, check out Talking Politics, our daily podcast from the campaign live from 4pm on ITVX, hosted today by presenter Nina Hossain, with me, and my colleagues Anushka Asthana and Shehab Khan. 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.
Back to the future as Sunak channels the past to launch manifesto
Rishi Sunak has unveiled the Conservatives' General Election manifesto, as he seeks to boost his party's chances after a damaging few days following his disappearance at D-Day commemorations.
His offer includes promises to cut national insurance again, scrap capital gains tax for landlords who sell properties to their tenants, "protected pensions" and a promise to halve migration.
Mr Sunak name-checked some of his former colleagues - 'Theresa’ (May), ‘Priti’ (Patel), ‘George’ (Osborne), ‘David’ (Cameron), but did not mention Liz Truss. He even harked back to Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson.
Both Labour - who described the pitch as a ‘Corbyn-like’ smorgasbord of ideas - and the Lib Dems were quick to deride it.
You can read the key takeaways from the launch here and see why ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston thinks voters give no credit to Sunak for cutting taxes.
You can watch our report from the manifesto launch on ITVX.
Coffee, caffeine and tooth decay - Day 20 on the campaign trail
Children under the age of 16 would be banned from buying highly caffeinated energy drinks under a Labour government.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the sale of drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to under-16s is “not justifiable or acceptable”.
He was visiting a school in Middlesbrough where he observed a supervised teeth-brushing - to highlight the party’s vow to create an extra 100,000 urgent dental appointments for children in a bid to clear backlogs in England.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting was quizzed on the proposals and where the money would come from on ITVX.
Meanwhile, Reform UK headed to Barnsley - hoping for a crossover poll where they can edge ahead of the Tory party - but the Nigel Farage battle bus came under fire from thrown coffee cups.
As for the Lib Dems, fresh from their manifesto launch on Monday, they were in Torquay, Devon where Ed Davey took to water (again). As, Correspondent Chloe Keedy reports, we’re not quite sure how this fits in with calls for a rural GP fund.
See the latest from the campaign here on ITVX.
Fight for '24: The seats Labour must win to tread a path to power
If Labour is to win on July 4, it needs to regain red wall seats, but it also needs to make in-roads into the Conservative heartlands. What do the voters in these areas think?
ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand has been hearing from the people who will decide the General Election.
Demolishing the so-called ‘red wall’ was key to the Conservatives constructing their majority in 2019.
They persuaded voters to take a punt on the Tories for the first time. Now Labour must win back those votes.
But, asks, Paul, who will be willing to give either party another chance?
You can watch his report on ITVX.
ITV’s multi-party debate - how you can get involved
ITV has confirmed its General Election multi-party debate will take place on Thursday, June 13 at 8.30pm.
The ITV Election Debate 2024 will be broadcast on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Representatives from the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Reform UK, Green Party and Plaid Cymru will be taking part.
The debate will be moderated by Julie Etchingham, who was also asking the questions at the Sunak v Starmer head-to-head earlier this month.
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Is Ed Davey's 'meme-tastic' campaign increasing the Lib Dems chances?
The Liberal Democrats have long had their sights set on a West Country comeback but are now targeting seats they wouldn't have previously thought possible, writes Lucy McDaid, Political Correspondent for ITV News West Country.
Is Sir Ed's 'meme-tastic' election campaign at least partly responsible for this increased optimism for the upcoming General Election?
"We are on the up across the West Country," a Liberal Democrat source told ITV West Country.
"Seats we didn't think of before are now looking within reach."
In search of ‘Whitby woman’ - a vital target voter
Over the years, we've heard about general election target voters like ‘Mondeo Man’ or ‘Worcester Woman', writes ITV News Tyne Tees Political Correspondent Tom Sheldrick.
In 2019, it was ‘Workington Man’, a Brexit supporter who helped Boris Johnson to victory in places like the North East, too.
In 2024, the one to watch is ‘Whitby Woman'.
She’s around 61, lives in a coastal town, has voted Conservative before but is undecided this time.
Watch what Tom learned on his hunt for ‘Whitby woman’ on ITVX.
What’s coming up…
Wednesday June 12: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer face more TV questions in the Sky News leaders’ event.
Thursday June 13: The Labour Party due to unveil its manifesto.
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… the constituency where no ‘major’ party is standing…
A long-standing parliamentary tradition is being called into question as voters in one constituency will go to the polls - with none of the main parties up for election.
Chorley, in Lancashire, is home to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who for the past five years has held the position of Speaker of the House of Commons.
As the position is considered to be politically neutral, each major party traditionally agrees not to field a candidate in the constituency.
But, this election, that tradition is under threat. ITV News Granada Reports went to investigate…