Indy TV

Rishi Sunak was photobombed by Liberal Democrats campaigners on a boat as he spoke to rowers in Oxfordshire on Monday, 3 June.The prime minister was visiting a riverside rowing club as Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper and a group of activists rode past on the water holding orange diamond-shaped voting placards.Campaigners could be seen waving at the PM and media following him.Of the stunt, a Lib Dem source told media: “This is just another small boat Rishi Sunak can’t deal with.” More

Kemi Badenoch clashed with a BBC Radio 4 host over questioning on Liz Truss’s appearance on a “far-right” podcast.The former prime minister was interviewed on the Lotus Eaters platform founded by Carl Benjamin, who previously joked about raping MP Jess Phillips.Hope Not Hate said it is “completely irresponsible” for any MP or candidate to share a platform with “far-right activists.”Asked whether it was appropriate for a Tory candidate to appear on the platform, the women and equalities minister told Mishal Husain: “We’ve had lots of scenarios of BBC presenters saying things that are inappropriate.“I don’t know about the show… I don’t like making comments on things like that that I don’t know… It is trivial, it is unserious.” More

Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle says the party made him a “sacrificial lamb” after he was suspended following a complaint was made about his behaviour.The MP for Brighton Kemptown will not be able to stand as a candidate at the general election on 4 July.He has described the complaint as “vexatious and politically motivated.”“They could have allowed me to stand and investigated afterwards, like they will do with many complaints. There’s no accusation I’m a current danger to anyone or the campaign,” Mr Russell-Moyle told Politics Live on Friday, 31 May.“[Labour] would not have dealt with these complaints in this way if it was [Sir Keir Starmer].” More

A Conservative MP has hit out at “bullies” who posted “excrement” through the letterbox of her constituency office.Katherine Fletcher, who is standing for re-election in South Ribble, said she would not be deterred from campaigning following the incident.In a video message, posted on X on Thursday (30 May), Ms Fletcher said: “Today the police are at my office because somebody has put excrement through the letterbox.”One of my volunteers had to find that this morning.”Now, I understand that women get more than their fair share in political environments, but this attempt to bully me will not work because it is not the decent or right thing to do.” More

A bereaved son whose mother died during the coronavirus pandemic confronted Rishi Sunak over the Partygate scandal, asking the prime minister how he could be trusted as he continued the campaign trail on Thursday, 30 May.Nick Fox confronted Mr Sunak during his visit to visit to Niftylift, a cherry picker manufacturer near Milton Keynes.The 35-year-old environment, health and safety officer told the PM he lost his mother a month after Boris Johnson’s June 2020 birthday celebration in No 10, which Mr Sunak attended and was fined for.“How can anyone trust you or the party after things like this?” Mr Fox asked. More

Fiona Bruce stopped a clash between Nigel Farage and Piers Morgan on Thursday’s (30 May) episode ofQuestion Time.The Reform UK founder had been questioned on why he wasn’t standing to be an MP in the general election, with an audience member asking if it’s because he had been unsuccessful in the past.Before Mr Farage could answer, the TalkTV host interrupted with: “You bottled it mate,” leading the pair to shout across each other on the panel.Mr Farage told Mr Morgan he was “not even a TV presenter” before the host stepped in. More

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey slid down a waterslide riding a rubber ring as the party campaigned about children’s mental health on Thursday, 30 May.The politician wore swimming shorts and a T-shirt to ride down the Ultimate Slip n Slide attraction near Frome, Somerset.Defending the stunt, Sir Ed said: “Politicians need to take the concerns and interests of voters seriously but I’m not sure they need to take themselves seriously all the time and I’m quite happy to have some fun.”Sir Ed’s Frome and East Somerset visit was to support the campaign of his party’s candidate Anna Sabine and highlight their pledge to improve mental health support for young people. More

Sir Keir Starmer has denied Labour is blocking left-wing candidates from standing in the general election.It came after Faiza Shaheen spoken out following the party’s decision not to endorse her for the Chingford and Woodford Green seat in London.According to reports, she was suspended by the party after allegedly liking a series of posts on X that downplayed antisemitism accusations.Meanwhile, Diane Abbott’s future remains uncertain after she said she wants to fight to retain her seat “as long as it is possible” after the party whip was restored following an investigation into her comments about racism. More