General election – latest: Starmer dodges Abbott questions

Rishi Sunak has attacked Labour’s proposals for getting people back to work, saying he is the only one “that’s actually got a plan”.

Speaking during a campaign stop in Redcar, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: “They might say a lot of things but the question is, ‘what are they actually going to do when it comes to people’s standard of living?”’

He went on to claim that Labour has “£2,000 worth of tax rises coming for every working family” and that “they’re not going to help anyone build any wealth or have security in retirement”.

“When it comes to getting people back to work, I set out a few weeks ago the most comprehensive set of reforms to our welfare system in an incredibly long time to get people off welfare and into work.

“And you know what, the Labour Party criticised me for those plans, didn’t support any of those plans.”

Keir Starmer has revealed Labour has a new song as he said “we’re not in 1997” when asked about a snub from the pop group behind New Labour’s victory anthem Things Will Only Get Better.

D:Ream’s founding members said they would deny any request from Labour to use the track.

At Labour’s campaign bus launch in Uxbridge, Sir Keir told LBC: “Well, look, we’re not in 1997. We’re in 2024.

“The choice before the country is absolutely stark. We’ve had now 14 years of chaos and division. And if the Tories get back in there’s just going to be more of the same.

“We can turn the page, we can start anew rebuild our country with Labour. And we will have a song for that moment if we’re privileged enough to come in to serve.”

Rishi Sunak has unveiled the Conservative campaign bus in Teesside during his tour of the North East on Saturday.

In a speech in front of the blue coach, the Prime Minister sought to draw dividing lines with Labour.

He said the Tories are “the ones taking bold action, getting the planes off to Rwanda”, despite the Prime Minister confirming earlier in the campaign that no deportation flights are due to take off before the General Election on July 4.

Mr Sunak also attacked Sir Keir Starmer over the Diane Abbott row, after the Labour leader gave the veteran left-winger the green light to stand for the party as a candidate, following calls from his deputy to allow her to run.

The Tory leader said: “Just see what’s happened over this Diane Abbott situation. And it confirms what we know about him: it’s that he doesn’t stick by anything he says, just constantly changes his mind.

“And it’s clear that Angela Rayner is in charge of the Labour Party and not him.”

Below, we have some of the latest photos dropping on the wires from Uxbridge, where Sir Keir Starmer, alongside deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, is launching the party’s battle bus tour.

Labour’s battle bus has departed west London with Angela Rayner aboard.

It will make its first stops in the East of England later on Saturday: the first visit on the party’s 5,000-mile tour, fronted by the deputy leader.