Election latest: Farage urged to 'get a grip' of Reform UK amid racism row (2024)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told former soldiers of his plans for a veterans' bill, if the Tories are re-elected, during a campaign visit in his North Yorkshire constituency.

Mr Sunak drunk tea and munched on a cake at the Ellerton Lakeside Cafe, near Northallerton, as he chatted with about a dozen veterans who had gathered for Armed Forces Day, joking that: "You need a lot of sugar to get through my day."

Listening to the men, he said: "That's why we now have, like they do in the US, we have a dedicated office for veteran's affairs, a minister in the cabinet, funding.

"So, we're at the start of that journey."

He said: "If we're re-elected, we're actually going to have a veteran's bill, we're going to pass our first ever veteran's bill in parliament.

"That will bring together all the things that we need to do - put some things in law that will improve the service that we've providing.

"That hasn't happened before - a flagship veteran's bill that (veterans' minister) Johnny Mercer's been working on which will just continue to improve the support."

Mr Sunak listened as he was told about initiatives to tackle veterans' homelessness, mental health problems and issues facing service families at the nearby Catterick Garrison.

He said: "We want to make sure all of you get the support you are entitled to."

By Ben Bloch, political reporter

Two Reform UK parliamentary candidates have shared material deemed "vile" and in breach of the internationally-recognised definition of antisemitism.

Candidates of the right-wing party have previously shared on social media material defending Adolf Hitler, denying the Holocaust, conspiracy theories about the Rothschild family and Jewish financier George Soros, denial of antisemitism, and comparisons of the state of Israel with Nazi Germany.

The uncovering of these social media posts, in a dossier compiled by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and verified by Sky News, raises yet further questions about the vetting process undertaken byReform UKahead of nominating these candidates to stand for parliament.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has threatened to take legal and police action against a vetting firm, Vetting.com, saying it was paid £144,000 to carry out candidate checks but "not a single piece of work was delivered", and alleged political bias.

Today is the final Saturday of the general election campaign, with people across the UK preparing to cast their vote on 4 July.

There's still plenty that could happen between now and Thursday - so now isn't the time to turn away.

It's 12.30pm - here's everything you need to know so far:

• Party leaders are on the election campaign trail onArmed Forces Day;
• Rishi Sunak will later hail the "duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice" of servicemen and women and claim his is the only party to meet the Help for Heroes Veterans' Pledge;
• Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to introduce a new armed forces commissioner and lead a "government of service" if Labour is elected;

• However, there is another story holding attention today - a racism row involving a Reform UK canvasser and Rishi Sunak;
• Footage from an undercover Channel 4 reporter showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker using a discriminatory term about the prime minister, as well as saying the army should "just shoot" migrants crossing the Channel;
• The canvasserhas called himself a "total fool" and said he has learned his lesson;

• But John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, has urged Nigel Farage to "get a grip" of Reform UK after a racism row involving the prime minister.
• Sir Keir Starmer has also commented today, urging Mr Farage to "set the tone" in his party;
• And Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, has criticised those "in Nigel Farage's company" who have "rather extraordinary and unpleasant views".

Stick with us through the afternoon for the latest news and analysis from the campaign trail.

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

With under a week to go, the Tories and Labour have taken a drop, while support for Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats is on the rise.

Read more about the trackerhere.

Sir Keir Starmer today refused to say whether David Lammy would be his foreign secretary under a Labour government.

Speaking to reporters, the Labour leader said he will "work hard until 10 o'clock on Thursday" to get votes, adding: "I'm not going to announce anybody who may be in a cabinet after Thursday if we win."

Asked if he was concerned about the prospect of a super-majority, Sir Keir said that "the numbers are really tight, it'll go down to a few hundred in many constituencies".

He added: "We have to win every vote, earn the trust across the country."

More from Sir Keir Starmer, who has hit out at "desperate" and "ridiculous" Conservative attempts to portray Labour as a risk to national security.

Speaking on a campaign visit, he told reporters he had been granted access to sensitive intelligence by the government so it was wrong for ministers to now claim he would be a danger.

He said: "I think this is desperate stuff from the Tories. We are the party that were the founder member of NATO.

"If you go to Brussels and see the treaty there for NATO, it's a Labour secretary of state that signed that and our support for NATO has been unshakeable since then.

"On the nuclear deterrent, we're clear about the triple lock that we've put in place, not only the current deterrent but the future upgrades of that deterrent and the jobs that go with it.

"We have also - and this is why it is really desperate from the Tories - united with this government, the Tory government, on really important issues of national security. As a result of that, they have given me high-level sensitive briefings, so much do they trust us on national security.

"I'm very glad that they have and I do thank the defence secretary for facilitating that, particularly during Ukraine when they gave us very regular, very sensitive briefings.

"To now turn around and make this ridiculous claim just shows how desperate they have become going into this election. It does them no good."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged Nigel Farage to "set the tone" in his party after a racism row involving Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Speaking to Sky News at Aldershot Football Club in Hampshire, Sir Keir was asked what he believes attracts people to joining a party like Reform UK.

He said: "Leadership accepts the culture and the tone of an organisation, in this case a political party.

"It's no good Nigel Farage after the event saying that he doesn't agree with certain comments.

"You set the culture, you set the tone. That's what leadership is about.

"And that's why I set about changing the Labour Party four and a half years ago. And that took an act of leadership, steely determination, so that we could ensure the Labour Party going into this election is a changed Labour Party."

Sir Keir went on to insist that Mr Farage is "not a spectator" - but is the leader of Reform UK: "Leaders have to set the tone."

He added: "Leaders have to set the tone, set the standards and take the action so that people know in advance what is acceptable and what's not acceptable.

"I think that's a very important part of leadership."

Pledges and promises are coming thick and fast from every party as the general election approaches.

Struggling to keep up with who is saying what?

Here is a summary of where the main parties stand on major issues.

For a more in-depth look at what each party has pledged, scour ourmanifesto checker...

By David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent

Fermanagh and South Tyrone is the UK's most westerly constituency and its most marginal.

Sinn Fein won the seat by just four votes in 2010 and by a mere 57 in 2019.

Witness to one of the worst terrorist atrocities - Enniskillen's Poppy Day bombing in 1987 - it has been scarred by the past.

But at Erne Wrestling Club in Irvinestown, they refuse to submit to those divisions.

Coach Alex Edgar said: "Activities like this bring everybody together and religion doesn't mean anything.

"It's all about having fun and at the end of the day, it gets them out of the house and keeps them fit and active."

One topic many people will be watching closely throughout the general election campaign is how parties are approaching LGBTQ+ issues.

Below, Sky News has wrapped up everything you need to know...