General Election LIVE: YouGov poll shows Reform just one point behind Tories as Labour lead
A bombshell new poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform party just 1% behind the Tories[1] after the D-Day fiasco.
Just 18% of voters said they intended to vote for Rishi Sunak’s party in the YouGov and Sky News poll, compared to 17% who said they would back right-wing rivals Reform.
Labour are at 38% among all voters, putting them a whole 20 points ahead of the Tories. The Lib Dems have meanwhile risen to 15%.
It comes after Rishi Sunak[2] launched the Conservatives’ much-hyped manifesto today with promises to help the property market and tax cuts.
The Prime Minister’s offer looks set to include promises to slash the employee rate again, to 6%, and scrap capital gains tax for landlords who sell properties to their tenants. He will seek to pitch the Tories as the party of “sound money” and draw dividing lines with Labour over reducing the burden for “earners, parents and pensioners”.
Mr Sunak, who acknowledged during a BBC interview that it has become harder for people to own their first home under the Conservatives, will also pledge to abolish stamp duty up to the value of £425,000 for first-time buyers and launch a “new and improved” Help to Buy scheme.
But economic experts warned there are questions that need to be answered on the equity loan plans, including details of the interest rate that would kick in after a five-year interest-free period. Labour predicted the Tory manifesto will be the “most expensive panic attack in history”.
Follow the latest updates from the Conservative manifesto launch below
19:00John Stevens
Listen to our punchy General Election podcast The Division Bell
Listen to our new The Division Bell podcast, hosted by Mirror political editor John Stevens and Express political editor Sam Lister.
Each episode will see John and Sam go head-to-head on a political topic – so listeners can expect a lively discussion!
New episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the General Election campaign, with a special edition on the morning after polling day.
In the debut programme the pair clash over whether Rishi Sunak has any chance of recovering his campaign after his D-Day snub – and if the PM should stop flaunting his vast wealth.
Listen to our punchy General Election podcast The Division Bell[3]
The Mirror’s John Stevens takes on Sam Lister from the Express on The Division Bell
18:26Lizzy Buchan
8 Tory Manifesto pledges that don’t add up – Rishi Sunak’s spin vs the reality
Rishi Sunak made a last-ditch bid to win over disgruntled voters with a tax-slashing Tory manifesto.[4]
With only three weeks to go until polling day, the Prime Minister sought to revive his flatlining campaign with a £17.2 billion package of tax cuts[5], including knocking 2p off employees National Insurance. He also vowed to cut immigration – after it rocketed under the Tories – as he faces pressure on the right from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
The crisis-hit Prime Minister admitted that people were “frustrated” with him and the Tories “have not got everything right”. But he tried to claim that the Conservatives were the only party with the ideas to improve the country – after 14 years of Tory misrule.
Labour[6] said the plans would push up borrowing, risking increase interest rates and a £4,800 hike to mortgages by the end of the next Parliament. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) economic think tank also said it was sceptical about the Tories’ ability to raise the money needed for the plans.
We’ve gone through the 76-page manifesto line by line and pulled out the some of the key pledges – and what the reality is underneath the spin.
8 Tory Manifesto pledges that don’t add up – Rishi Sunak’s spin vs the reality[7]
Rishi Sunak made pledges on tax cuts and migration (
Getty Images)
17:57KEY EVENT
Watch our new politics show Poll Position with Kevin Maguire live
Kevin Maguire’s hard-hitting Poll Position is the General Election’s key moments without the dreary spin and propaganda.
Every Monday to Thursday at 6pm during the campaign he chews over the day’s biggest moments live online with expert guests.
Andy Warhol spoke of 15 minutes of fame and this is an unmissable quarter hour of news and views to arm you in the political battle.
Life is too short to waste on dull debates elsewhere when here we get straight to the point and laugh at the daftness in elections.
Forget the rest, Kevin Maguire’s Poll Position is the best. Each day, Kevin will update us on the latest election news and be joined by a guest to talk it all through.
Watch live from 6pm: Poll Position with Kevin Maguire[8]
17:20Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
New YouGov poll shows Tories fall even deeper as Labour hold lead
The Conservatives are now just one point ahead of Nigel Farage’s Reform party after dropping even further in a new opinion poll.
In the YouGov[9] and Sky News poll released in the last few minutes, just 18% of voters said they intended to vote for Rishi Sunak’s party – compared to 17% who said they would vote for Reform.
Labour are at 38% in the latest poll, putting them 20 points ahead of the Tories, while the Lib Dems have risen to 15%.
17:01Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Rishi Sunak dubbed Liz Truss ‘tribute act’ as Labour warns of £4,800 mortgage hikes
Tory spending plans will pile a massive £4,800 on mortgage bills over five years, Rachel Reeves has warned.
The Shadow Chancellor accused Rishi Sunak and co of “gaslighting” voters with unfunded manifesto pledges, which she branded “dishonest” and “irresponsible”.
A document produced by Labour number-crunchers said: “Rishi Sunak presented himself as the antidote to the chaos of Liz Truss, but he has instead become a tribute act, making the same mistakes, with the same likely results.
Rishi Sunak dubbed Liz Truss ‘tribute act’ as Labour warns of £4,800 mortgage hikes[10]
16:42Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
BBC host quits top election debate job after horror injury
The BBC’s Sophie Raworth has been forced to pull out of hosting the head-to-head debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer later this month after suffering a painful injury during the London marathon.
The 56-year-old veteran TV presenter, who often appears on the BBC News, was set to moderate The Prime Ministerial Debate on Wednesday June 26 on BBC One. But while running the 26-mile course in April, Sophie’s ankle “blew up” and she was forced to quit the race.
After weeks of pain and being unable to walk properly on her bad foot, Sophie’s injury was found to be a fracture.
“The injury I picked up at the London marathon has now been diagnosed as a fracture in my ankle. I was only told this last week during the D-Day commemorations. I’m now on crutches, in a boot and non-weight-bearing for some time,” she said today.
BBC host quits top election debate job after horror injury[11]
Sophie Raworth will be replaced by Mishal Husain
16:19Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
When is postal vote registration deadline?
With the general election[12] now just over three weeks away, there’s only a few days left to register for a postal vote if you haven’t done so already.
If you’re on holiday or away from home on July 4 – or your work schedule will make it tricky for you to visit your nearest polling station between 7am and 10pm on the day – the easiest way to cast your vote is to send it in early via a postal vote.
It comes as the Electoral Reform Society warns millions of people are at risk of losing their ability to vote because they’re not properly registered.
Just 1.1 million applications to register to vote have been made since the election was called, according to the society, while last year up to eight million people were found to not be registered or were registered incorrectly, the Electoral Commission said.
When is postal vote registration deadline? How to apply for 2024 general election[13]
15:50Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Labour unveil ‘Lizshi Sunak’ image after Tory manifesto pledges new tax cuts
Labour have released an eye-catching new image of a Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak hybrid after the Tories promised £17 billion of tax cuts in their manifesto today.
Some social media users have already dubbed it “Lizshi Sunak” or “LizzyRishi”.
Keir Starmer has warned that the Conservatives’ new pledges are not properly funded and are a “recipe for five more years of chaos”.
The money isn’t there for Rishi Sunak’s plan. Just like it wasn’t there for Liz Truss’.
And you’ll pay the price. Don’t risk it on Thursday 4 July. pic.twitter.com/jPwCCLV9RX[14]
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) June 11, 2024[15]
15:28Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas
Sunak under fire for changing Union Flag after 6-word claim
The Tories[16] had their manifesto launch[17] mocked after they made a key change to the Union Flag – despite Rishi Sunak’s brutal rant about flags only a few weeks ago.
Following the disastrous fall-out from the Prime Minister dodging D-Day commemorations late last week, the Conservatives were desperately hoping to turn around their car-crash General Election campaign on Tuesday as they unveiled their manifesto[18] at the Silverstone racing track.
But the Prime Minister has now been called out for putting a blue Union Flag on the cover of the manifesto, after harshly criticising Nike for their alterations to the England flag[19]. During the recent row over the multi-coloured St George’s cross on England’s Euro 2024 kit launch, he said: “When it comes to our national flags, we shouldn’t mess with them because they’re a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they’re perfect as they are.”
Sunak under fire for Union Flag change in Tory manifesto after 6-word claim[20]
Rishi Sunak has been criticised for the blue Union Flag on the cover of the Tory manifesto (
Getty Images)
14:57David Raven
Nurses hit out at Tory migration plan
The Royal College of Nursing’s Chief Executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “Nursing staff want firm commitments to turn around the crisis in health and care but this manifesto stops short of providing them.
“A legal cap on migration, whilst nursing vacancies remain in their tens of thousands and domestic applications into the profession plummet, is a road to nowhere and could further threaten the safe staffing of health and care services. Potentially subjecting migrant health and care staff to health checks is an extension of hostile immigration policy and wrong in the extreme.
“This manifesto, far from boosting recruitment into the workforce, proposes cutting NHS managers and looks set to include nurses responsible for service delivery. All the while doubling down on anti-trade union legislation which silences NHS staff from standing up for their patients.”
14:26David Raven
Tory promise funded by £12 BILLION of welfare cuts – claim
The Resolution Foundation had their say on today’s manifesto:
Tax changes pledged in the Conservative Party manifesto today would mean a typical employee seeing their personal tax bill fall by £170 in 2028-29. But these pledges rely on making £12 billion of welfare cuts that recent history suggests will not be achievable over the next Parliament.
This, along with £21 billion of cuts to unprotected departmental spending, will be required to meet the stated aim of getting debt falling by five years’ time – raising big questions over whether this tax and spend package passes the plausibility test, the Resolution Foundation said today.
14:14David Raven
Another failed Tory promise
Tories confirm they’ve missed their deadline for new prison spaces
On government website they say they “will deliver an additional 20,000 prison places by the mid-2020s”
Manifesto: “We will build four new prisons, completing our programme of 20,000 new prison places by 2030”
— Sophie Huskisson (@soph_husk) June 11, 2024[21]
13:43David Raven
Friends of the Earth fire shots at Sunak
How the Conservative manifesto misfires on the environment, according to charity Friends of the Earth:
- It promises a spending splurge on roads, annual oil and gas licensing and new gas-fired powered stations.
- It wants to accelerate the roll out of renewable energy – while continuing a de-facto block on onshore wind in England, as well as being negative towards solar farm developments.
- It promises £1 billion for new bus routes – but against a backdrop of bus services falling by half under the party’s tenure.
- It says it will fund energy efficiency for one million homes – yet there are almost 10 million low-income homes badly in need of insulation.
- It rails against the cost of installing heat pumps – but unlike the Liberal Democrats fails to follow the advice of its own National Infrastructure Commission which says low-income households should get 100% grants to cover the cost.
- It recommits to halting nature’s decline by 2030 – but provides no new money or measures that will deliver on the failing progress to date.
13:41David Raven
Labour: ‘Meet Rish Truss’
The money isn’t there for Rishi Sunak’s plan. Just like it wasn’t there for Liz Truss’.
And you’ll pay the price. Don’t risk it on Thursday 4 July. pic.twitter.com/jPwCCLV9RX[22]
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) June 11, 2024[23]
13:27David Raven
More reaction from Action for Children
“The Conservatives’ plan to save £12bn by making welfare reforms looks set to hugely impact disabled people and those with mental health conditions who face barriers to work, causing yet more needless hardship for families with children.
“Higher earners would gain from changes to child benefit and National Insurance, while families in poverty would remain trapped.
“Today was another missed opportunity to end the cruel two-child benefit cap, which is well known to push families into poverty, and which if scrapped, would lift 300,000 children out of hardship.”
13:27David Raven
Tories ‘stalled on child poverty’
Paul Carberry, chief executive of Action for Children, said: “Today’s manifesto launch shows the Conservatives remain stalled on child poverty. It offers little to ease the desperate plight of millions of children growing up in the shadow of austerity, the pandemic and economic uncertainty.”
13:26David Raven
14 years of ‘Tory psychodrama’
Rishi Sunak’s manifesto is full of unfunded spending commitments.
Today confirmed that the chaos of Liz Truss has been followed by more of the same from Sunak.
We’ve had 14 years of this psychodrama.
It’s time to turn the page and rebuild Britain with @UKLabour[24]
— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) June 11, 2024[25]
13:12KEY EVENT
‘Recipe for 5 more years of Tory chaos’
Pat McFadden, Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, responding to the Conservatives’ manifesto launch, said: “This Conservative Manifesto is a recipe for five more years of Tory chaos. After 14 years in power, the Prime Minister’s desperate manifesto published today is stuffed full of unfunded spending commitments.“
The Prime Minister that was brought in to be the antidote to the chaos of Liz Truss has instead become the next instalment of the same thing. Tory desperation leads to costs for the British people. The public is still paying the price of the Conservatives crashing the economy.
“Now they promise a repeat if they win again leading to higher mortgages and a weaker economy.“
“After today the choice at this election could not be clearer: five more years of chaos with the Conservatives or stability and growth with Labour.”
12:54David Raven
‘You don’t mess with national flags’
There it is then, featuring nicely customised Union Jack.
“You don’t mess with national flags.” Rishi Sunak, March 2024 pic.twitter.com/7cz4GFiRtq[26]
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) June 11, 2024[27]
12:51David Raven
Sunak has left the building
We’ll shortly have some expert analysis of Sunak’s Tory manifesto. For a look at exactly what he’s promised today read our story here.[28]
12:46David Raven
Rwanda question
A reporter from the Express asked Sunak to put a number on the amount of people he would send on flights to Rwanda. Sunak declines to answer and says: “The flights are on standby… all the plans are in place.”
12:42David Raven
Sunak ‘blown it’
Sky News cite a recent poll that Labour is more trusted on tax than the Tories, adding: “Haven’t you blown it now, whatever you say?”
Sunak: “I’m actually proud of my record as chancellor. We’re also a party that is not afraid to take decisions that are in the country’s long term interest. The only poll that matters is the one that is taken on July 4.”
12:37David Raven
‘White van man’ claim
The Daily Mail ask: “Do you think white van man can swing this election for you?”
Sunak replies: “I do think there is something that is special about those who are self employed. Those people who are setting out on their own do something that’s incredibly brave. Our economy is built by people like that.”
12:35David Raven
Sunak on the back foot
The next question by ITV’s Robert Peston is: “Why should anyone believe you when you say you’re gonna cut tax?”
Sunak replies: “Simply… because… we already have.” And then adds: “This year everyone in work is getting a £900 tax cut and we’re cutting taxes for businesses… I believe in a country where hard work is rewarded.”
Rishi Sunak launching the manifesto
12:32David Raven
Cuts to local services
Rishi Sunak is now being quizzed on cuts to public services.
A reporter from Times Radio asks: “There is nothing in this manifesto about billions of pounds of cuts to local services that are coming in the years ahead.”
Sunak replies: “I think it’s reasonable to look for efficiencies in the public sector. Public sector productivity since the pandemic has declined quite significantly.”
12:30David Raven
‘Last chance saloon’
Sunak is now being quizzed by journalists in the room. One from the BBC suggested his manifesto could be called a ‘last chance saloon’. Ignoring the question entirely, Sunak repeated the key points of his manifesto, including national service, and claims it’s ‘bold action’ from the Tory party.
Rishi Sunak launching the manifesto
12:27David Raven
Quick analysis of Sunak’s plan
£17bn of tax cuts, £6bn more for defence. These costs are definite.The savings from controlling welfare, reducing tax avoidance/evasion, cutting civil service jobs, may be achievable but are uncertain.Saving £12bn from projected disability benefit bill will be very tough. https://t.co/5IASkAOPM4[29]
— Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) June 11, 2024[30]
12:24David Raven
Who will pay for Sunak’s plans?
But Keir Starmer[31] said today “the money’s not there” for the Tories’ flagship manifesto pledge to cut national insurance by a further 2p.
The Labour leader claimed: “The money’s not there for the Tories’ desperation. And what they’re producing is a recipe for five more years of chaos. I think that’s why it’s so important that we see this election as a choice, because we can’t go on like this.”
12:24David Raven
‘No fault evictions’ promise
In an attempt to help first-time buyers, Mr Sunak said an increase to the threshold at which they pay stamp duty will be made permanent. From 2022 first-time buyers have paid no duty on the value of a property up to £425,000.
And it also pledges to abolish no-fault evictions for renters – a promise the Tories last made in 2019 and failed to deliver on.
Mr Sunak said the Tories would also halve migration as he launched his manifesto in Silverstone, saying: “Last year we announced changes which means 300,000 people who were previously eligible to come here now can’t and we will introduce a migration cap that means parliament, your elected representatives, will vote on how many people should be able to come here every year. Our plan is this: we will halve migration as we have halved inflation, and then reduce it every single year.”
12:23David Raven
Manifesto update
Sunak has pledged to cut taxes and extend help for first-time buyers as he unveiled the Tories’ 2024 General Election[32] manifesto.
It comes as the PM desperately attempts to avert a wipeout at the polls – with just over three weeks to go until the country hads to the polls. Launching the manifesto after a chaotic start to his election campaign, the Tory leader vowed to cut national insurance again by 2027.
The Tories reduced employees’ national insurance from 10% to 8% at the March Budget[33] – following a similar cut in autumn 2023 – at an annual cost of almost £10billion by 2028/29. The manifesto commits to a third 2p reduction as part of a drive to eliminate national insurance altogether – a commitment Labour[34] says will cost £46billion-a-year.
References
- ^ Nigel Farage’s Reform party just 1% behind the Tories (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Rishi Sunak (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Listen to our punchy General Election podcast The Division Bell (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ a tax-slashing Tory manifesto. (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ with a £17.2 billion package of tax cuts (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Labour (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ 8 Tory Manifesto pledges that don’t add up – Rishi Sunak’s spin vs the reality (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Poll Position with Kevin Maguire (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ YouGov (yougov.co.uk)
- ^ Rishi Sunak dubbed Liz Truss ‘tribute act’ as Labour warns of £4,800 mortgage hikes (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ BBC host quits top election debate job after horror injury (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ general election (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ When is postal vote registration deadline? How to apply for 2024 general election (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/jPwCCLV9RX (t.co)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ Tories (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ manifesto launch (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ unveiled their manifesto (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ harshly criticising Nike for their alterations to the England flag (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Sunak under fire for Union Flag change in Tory manifesto after 6-word claim (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/jPwCCLV9RX (t.co)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ @UKLabour (twitter.com)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/7cz4GFiRtq (t.co)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ read our story here. (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ https://t.co/5IASkAOPM4 (t.co)
- ^ June 11, 2024 (twitter.com)
- ^ Keir Starmer (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ General Election (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Budget (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ Labour (www.mirror.co.uk)