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Harriet Harman gave her final speech as an MP after more than 40 years in the House of Commons on Friday, 24 May.The “Mother of the House” was first elected in 1982 and holds the record as the longest-ever continuously serving female Member of Parliament.Ms Harman, 73, says she will not be standing again as an MP at this year’s general election.She used her final speech to pay tribute to her late husband, Jack Dromey, and her children for the support they have provided her.Ms Harman also encouraged women to enter politics, reflecting that though at times being an MP has been hard she “wouldn’t regret a single day.” More

Theresa May told Conservative MPs to “go out there and fight” in the general election as she made a farewell speech in the House of Commons on Friday 24 May.The former prime minister confirmed in March her decision to stand down as the representative for Maidenhead, saying she would focus on championing causes instead.Ms May, 67, was first elected in 1997 and served as home secretary under David Cameron between 2010 and 2016 before succeeding him as prime minister. “I think it is the best job in the world,” she said of being an MP, before urging her colleagues to “go out there and fight” to get the Tories re-elected. More

Rishi Sunak has signalled the door is open for Boris Johnson to hit the campaign trail for the Tories.There has been speculation that the former prime minister, still seen by many Conservatives as a strong campaigner, might help drum up support for the party ahead of the 4 July general election.Asked whether it is time to bring back Mr Johnson on Friday (24 May), the prime minister said he would welcome “any Conservative to come and join the campaign”.Speaking in Belfast as part of his campaign tour of the UK, Mr Sunak said: “When it comes to Boris he was of course the person who got Brexit done, ensured we had the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe and was the first to make sure that we provided support to Ukraine.” More

The general election is six weeks away and one thing is for sure – we will be hearing an awful lot from the British public.As voters head to the ballot box, it’s not uncommon for news presenters to stop people in the streets and ask for their thoughts.Within hours of Rishi Sunak’s election announcement, Brits were quizzed on what to expect from both the prime minister and his Labour rival, Sir Keir Starmer.It’s fair to say opinion is mixed, with some forgetting who Mr Sunak is, and others branding the candidates “a load of prats”.Here, The Independent takes a look at some of the best vox pops we’ve seen so far. More

Football fans will be able to get “properly on the lash”, a Tory Lord said as he passed an order to extend licensing hours during the European Championships.The order to the Licensing Act 2003 (UEFA European Football Championship Licensing Hours) will extend sales of alcohol if either England or Scotland reach the semi-final or the final of the Euros, meaning premises will be allowed to remain open until 1am without having to notify the licensing authority.Conservative peer Lord Sharpe of Epsom, told the Lords on Friday (24 May): “So much of the business at the Home Offices is difficult, so it gives me particular pleasure that my last outing basically enables people to get properly on the lash.Lord Sharpe’s comments were met with laughter. More

The Labour Party has poked fun at Rishi Sunak’s recent gaffes in a new election advert.Mr Sunak on Wednesday fired the starting gun for a 4 July vote – and did so while exposed to the elements on Downing Street.The prime minister addressed the nation in the pouring rain – and it wasn’t long before the opposition party poked fun at his announcement – and a couple of campaign stops that followed one day later.In a video titled “Leaked: Rishi Sunak’s campaign diary,” Labour referenced Mr Sunak’s No 10 speech, as well as a footballing gaffe when he met brewery staff in South Wales.The video also points out that he was asked a question by a disguised Tory councillor at a distribution centre in Derbyshire. More

Sir Keir Starmer has responded after Jeremy Corbyn announced he is standing as an independent candidate in the general election.The former Labour leader said today (24 May) he will stand in his constituency of Islington North, vowing to be “an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace”.Mr Corbyn has been suspended by Labour since 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge and said antisemitism had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”.Sir Keir responded to Mr Corbyn’s announcement when he appeared on BBC Breakfast on Friday. More

Sir Keir Starmer says he will take part in televised election debates with Rishi Sunak.The Conservatives are pushing for six TV debates, one each week of the campaign, but it’s expected Labour will commit to two.Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Sunak claimed Sir Keir does not have the “courage” to face him.That challenge was put to the Labour leader on Good Morning Britain on Friday (24 May), and he offered a clear response.“We will have debates, of course. They are a tradition, a part of the electoral cycle,” Sir Keir said.“I could do one, I could do one hundred, I know what he’s going to say.” More