Another recurring theme of the seven-way debate was representatives of the smaller parties clashing with Nigel Farage, as the Reform UK leader made contentious points on areas including immigration, crime and net zero.
While we don’t know the exact series of topics and questions that will be raised, we can take a good guess that some of biggest general election stories of the past few days will crop up.
Like the previous multiparty debate, lots were drawn to decide the standing positions. Each party’s representative will stand behind podiums on the stage in the order of (L-R) Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Green party, Reform UK, SNP, Plaid Cymru.
Labour would pay to fix Britain’s broken public services as he vowed to “turn the page for ever” on held-back potential and end political “pantomime” during the party’s manifesto launch.
The Labour leader said he saw “potential held back” everywhere he went as a result of a lack of housing, the cost of living crisis, low wages and inadequate healthcare for children.
Putting wealth creation at the heart of the party’s plan for government, Starmer said the manifesto was a rejection of a “defeatist” approach to the economy which suggested the “only levers” were tax and spend, rather than growth.
“The way we create wealth is broken,” he told an event in Manchester. “It leaves far too many people feeling insecure. Wealth creation is our number one priority. Growth is our core business. If you take nothing else away from this today, let it be this.”
But he faced scepticism over how he could avoid deep spending cuts to public services such as transport, justice and local councils, without fudging his fiscal targets or putting up taxes.
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank, said Labour was part of a “conspiracy of silence” along with the other main parties on the scale of the fiscal challenge and spending cuts to come.
“Delivering genuine change will almost certainly also require putting actual resources on the table,” he said. “Labour’s manifesto offers no indication that there is a plan for where the money would come from to finance this.”
£2,000 tax rise claim will come up again?) and hostile exchanges. At the BBC seven party debate, Penny Mordaunt and Angela Rayner sparred over taxes, defence and the cost of living in a series of bad-tempered exchanges.
Another recurring theme of the seven-way debate was representatives of the smaller parties clashing with Nigel Farage, as the Reform UK leader made contentious points on areas including immigration, crime and net zero.
While we don’t know the exact series of topics and questions that will be raised, we can take a good guess that some of biggest general election stories of the past few days will crop up.
Like the previous multiparty debate, lots were drawn to decide the standing positions. Each party’s representative will stand behind podiums on the stage in the order of (L-R) Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Green party, Reform UK, SNP, Plaid Cymru.
Labour party, here are a few handy pieces to peruse/listen to ahead of tonight’s TV debate:
The Guardian’s Whitehall correspondent, Rowena Mason, has put together the five key takeaways from the Labour manifesto launch:
My colleague, Larry Elliott, has written an explainer on whether Labour has boxed itself in with promise of no tax rises for ‘working people’.
In an election extra, the Today in Focus podcast takes a look at Labour’s plan. Presented by Heather Stewart:
Keir Starmer has vowed to “turn the page for ever” on held-back potential as he put wealth creation and economic growth at the heart of Labour’s manifesto.
The Labour leader unveiled his plans for government, targeted at winning over former Tory voters, at an event at the Co-op headquarters in Manchester.
He said: “The way we create wealth is broken. It leaves far too many people feeling insecure. Wealth creation is our number one priority. If you take nothing else away from this today, let it be this. We are pro-business and pro-worker. A plan for wealth creation.”
Starmer said he saw “potential held back” everywhere he went by lack of housing, the cost of living crisis, low wages and children with rotting teeth.
“Britain has lost its balance. It is too hard for people to get on. Opportunity is not spread evenly,” he said at his manifesto launch in Manchester. “The toxic idea that economic growth is something handed out by the few to the many. Today we turn the page on that for ever.
“Redistribution can’t be a one-word plan for our poorest towns and regions.”
Starmer stressed that a Labour government would not be able to turn things around immediately, saying: “We don’t have a magic wand.”
Asked why there was no new policy in his manifesto, Starmer said: “It’s not about rabbits out of a hat, not about pantomime. I’m running as the candidate to be prime minister, not to run the circus.”
You can read the full piece by Pippa Crerar and Rowena Mason on Labour’s manifesto launch here:
Rayner and Mordaunt over taxes, defence and the cost of living.
It’s probably fair to expect more of the same tonight, but at least this time the position of the candidates – which has been decided by drawing lots – means that Rayner and Mordaunt won’t be next to each other. Tonight the Lib Dems’ Cooper will be caught in the middle!
I’m Amy Sedghi and will be taking you through this evening’s debate. Do drop me a line on [email protected] if you need to get in touch.
Source: theguardian.com
