Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir’s Starmer’s election campaign has suffered a blow after Labour’s largest union donor Unite refused to endorse the party’s manifesto. The decision by the union was such a shock it even caught some shadow cabinet members by surprise. Party figures had described a crunch meeting on Friday, in which shadow ministers, union representatives, MPs and Labour members gathered to set the final manifesto, as “positive”.But it is thought that the party’s stance on practices like fire-and-rehire meant it could not support the plans. Keir Starmer holding a card bearing Labour’s pledges More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA seven-leader debate on Friday saw fireworks fly on our TV screens yet again, as the UK’s general election campaign continues to hot up.Hosted by Mishal Husain on BBC One, leading figures from the UK’s major political parties were all in attendance.Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt represented the Conservative Party. She was joined by deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner.Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, also took part.Stephen Flynn represented the Scottish National Party, Rhun ap Iorwerth appeared for Plaid Cymru and the Green Party was represented by co-leader Carla Denyer.It came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer went head-to-head on Tuesday.We want to know what you made of the BBC debate. Did it help change your mind about any of the major parties? Who came out on top for you? And who should be holding their head in their hands?Share your thoughts by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. More

The Liberal Democrat’s deputy leader described Rishi Sunak as “shameful” for leaving D-Day memorial events early as she recalled her late grandfather’s memories of the fateful day.Speaking on the BBC general election live debate on Friday (7 June), Daisy Cooper said: “It was not only politically shameful but I think many of us feel personally insulted. “I started yesterday morning watching a recording made by the Royal Mint of my late grandfather where he recounts catching his best friend who fell from the top of a Sherman tank and who was shot in the head as he waded through the water. “He recounted in his words, men blown to pieces, hands, legs and heads. If he had been there yesterday and seen the prime minister walk away from him, I would find that completely and utterly unforgivable.” More

Penny Mordaunt and Angela Rayner became embroiled in a heated clash over defence as the Labour deputy leader claimed: “I won’t take lectures from you”.The candidates were taking part in a BBC live election debate on Friday (7 June), when the subject of the UK’s defence came up.Conservative candidate Ms Mordaunt accused Rayer of voting to end the UK’s nuclear deterrent. She said: “If you are doubting that they would use that force, imagine what Putin is thinking. Without credibility, we become a target. If we become a target we are less safe.”Ms Rayner hit back and told Ms Mordaunt: “You can tell as many lies as you want.”“My brother served in Iraq and I won’t be lectured by you.” More

Rishi Sunak laughed as he was heckled by a GP at a general election campaign event in Wiltshire on Friday evening (7 June).Dr Jane Lees-Millais, a Conservative member, warned there were 37,000 GPs across the UK angry with the government about what she described as “constructive dismissal” because of funding changes.As Mr Sunak said the UK was “on the right track”, due to economic growth and rising wages, the GP shouted: “But the NHS is disintegrating. I am one of 2,500 GPs in this country who are currently unemployed due to your policies.“What are you going to do about that? More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Conservatives’ election campaign was hit by chaos as two candidates announced they were pulling out less than an hour before nominations closed. It is unclear whether the Tories have been able to select a candidate for every constituency in the UK. At least five people on the candidates list have told The Independent that they refused to contest unwinnable seats.Rishi Sunak (PA) More

Rishi Sunak made sand “ice-cream” cones with children at a childcare centre in Swindon on Friday, 7 June, as he continued on the general election campaign trail.The prime minister met staff and youngsters at Imagination Childcare, and Conservative candidate for Swindon North Justin Tomlinson, as he sought to promote the Tory election offer aimed at helping higher earners keep more of their child benefit.It came after Mr Sunak was forced to make an apology for leaving D-Day commemorations in France early to take part in a TV interview. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer is set to be prime minister for a decade, Tory supporters want Nigel Farage to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader and many of them fear their party faces extinction.These are among the shock findings of an exclusive poll for The Independent by Redfield and Wilton.It shows that 45 per cent of all voters believe Labour will win not just this election but the next one too. With a parliamentary term lasting up to five years that could see Sir Keir retaining the Downing Street keys until around 2034.Only 19 per cent of the public do not expect Labour to record two successive victories.The poll makes depressing reading for Mr Sunak – but indicates that the rise of Mr Farage, bidding to win his first Commons seat, also has serious implications for Labour.He is the clear choice of both the public, and crucially Conservative supporters, to be next Tory leader if as expected the party loses on July 4 and Mr Sunak resigns.Asked to choose a successor from a list comprising the six current Tory leadership favourites and the Reform Party leader, Mr Farage wins among both groups.Only Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt runs him close.Among the electorate as a whole, 19 per cent want Mr Farage as next Conservative leader, followed by Ms Mordaunt on 15 per cent. None of James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick polled more than six per cent.Mr Farage is even further ahead with those who voted Conservative in 2019. A total of 22 per cent of this group want him to be next Tory leader, with Ms Mordaunt on 16 per cent and the rest way behind.Nigel Farage has caused a stir by entering the general election campaign (James Manning/PA) More