News

Rishi Sunak was blanked by unimpressed Year 7 students after he asked if they were “excited about” their upcoming maths exam.The prime minister visited John Whitgift Academy in Grimsby during a campaign visit to Humberside on Wednesday 12 June.“Who’s excited about the exam?” Mr Sunak asked, sitting down for a maths class.After a brief period of silence, a teacher joked: “Wrong question.”During the visit, Mr Sunak said he was a “big fan” of maths himself and also asked students what they wanted to be when they grow up.He appeared impressed when one boy said he wanted to be a “professional snooker player”. More

The Conservative manifesto contains five “serious errors,” according to Labour.Rachel Reeves said her party has analysed its opposition’s costings and found five areas she is concerned about.The shadow chancellor accused the Tories of including “vague ambitions” in their pledges.At a rebuttal press conference on Tuesday, 11 June, Ms Reeves criticised policies such as the National Service proposal, efficiency savings, the proposed cut to poor performing university places, and a welfare savings proposal.Ms Reeves said: “The Labour Party will hold ourselves, that I will hold myself, to higher standards than the Conservative Party holds themselves.” More

Grant Shapps stumbles over the Conservatives’ stamp duty policy from their election manifesto during a live interview on Wednesday, 12 June.The defence secretary told Nick Ferrari that stamp duty would be abolished for first-time buyers on homes valued up to £450,000.However, the policy’s real figure is £425,000.Later on, Mr Shapps said: “Off the top of my head I remember it as 450. I found it here… you’re right, it’s 425 million…” before Mr Ferrari interrupted to correct him that the number is in its hundreds of thousands rather than millions. More

Sir Ed Davey fell into water as he attempted to complete a floating assault course while campaigning in Warwickshire on Wednesday, 12 June.The Liberal Democrat leader was championing the party’s plans for a new clean water authority to replace Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) as he paid a visit to Spot-On-Wake in Henley-in-Arden.The party has promised to “end the sewage scandal” by changing water firms into public benefit companies, banning bonuses for water bosses until discharges and leaks stop, and replacing Ofwat with a new regulator.It comes after Sir Ed fell off a paddleboard into Lake Windermere as he hit the campaign trail in May. More

Rishi Sunak apologised for D-Day commemorations “running over” as he sat down for an ITV News interview after leaving the 80th anniversary event early. The prime minister left Normandy before a major international ceremony marking the anniversary of the Allied landings so he could record a TV interview as part of his push for votes in the general election.However, his campaigning has been dealt a heavy blow by the backlash against the decision.Mr Sunak has since apologised, saying: “I stuck to the itinerary that had been set for me as prime minister weeks ago, before the election.”On reflection, that was a mistake. And I apologise.” More

Rishi Sunak said he “went without” as a child as his parents would not allow him to have Sky TV.The prime minister sat down with ITV News in an interview he gave after leaving D-Day commemorations early last week.Mr Sunak faced backlash for this decision, and later apologised saying it was a “mistake.”As Paul Brand asked Mr Sunak if he had ever “gone without something,” the prime minister replied that “went without lots of things” as his parents “wanted to put everything into our education.”Mr Sunak attended Winchester College boarding school, where 2024/25 fees stand at £51,855 per year. More

Sir Keir Starmer has said “the money’s not there” for the Conservative Party’s flagship manifesto pledge to cut national insurance by a further 2p.Asked whether his party, if elected, would match the promise, the Labour leader told broadcasters on a visit to a school in Middlesbrough: “The money’s not there for the Tories’ desperation. And what they’re producing is a recipe for five more years of chaos.“I think that’s why it’s so important that we see this election as a choice, because we can’t go on like this.” More

Rishi Sunak launched the Conservative Party’s general election manifesto on Tuesday, 11 June.The prime minister put tax cuts and help for first-time buyers at the heart of his pledges, with a flagship policy of cutting national insurance by a further 2p.The latter promise has been criticised by Labour, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting saying Mr Sunak is “taking people for fools” with the cut.Here, The Independent takes a look at the key promises announced in today’s launch. More