Experts say Tory tax plans will mostly benefit wealthier people, as minister faces derision for saying government ‘not to blame’ for poverty - as it happened

All of the day's political action, as it happened

General Election 2019: What you need to know

The Conservatives have come under fire on two fronts, after experts said their tax plans would mostly benefit wealthier people and a senior minister gave a interview claiming the government was "not to blame" for poverty.

Labour said the comments from Priti Patel, the home secretary, were another example of the "cruelty" of the Tory government.

As Jeremy Corbyn unveiled Labour's manifesto, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said a Tory pledge to raise the national insurance threshold would predominantly help middle and high-earners.

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Key Points

• Jeremy Corbyn launches Labour election manifesto
• Experts say Tory tax pledge will mostly benefit wealthier people
• Priti Patel criticised over 'government not to blame for poverty' comments
• Labour makes 'transformational' housebuilding pledge 
• Guy Verhofstadt says Gove interview 'one of the most painful' he has ever seen

[21 November 2019 10:37 · Benjamin Kentish]

The Liberal Democrats were the first of the main parties to launch their manifesto, beating Labour to it by one day.

Here's a summary of what was in it, and all you need to know about what Jo Swinson's party is promising voters.

[21 November 2019 10:50 · Benjamin Kentish]

We're ten minutes away from the launch of Labour's general election manifesto.

Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, posted this video from Euston on his way up to Birmingham for the event.

[21 November 2019 11:02 · Benjamin Kentish]

Labour's manifesto launch is about to get underway. My colleague Ashley Cowburn will be bringing you minute-by-minute updates here. Meanwhile I'll be keeping you updated on all today's other news. 

[21 November 2019 11:13 · Benjamin Kentish]

Tories accused of kicking social care plan into long grass

[21 November 2019 11:31 · Benjamin Kentish]

  ↵Labour ditches commitment to extend free movement and make UK carbon neutral by 2030

Follow all the updates here. 

[21 November 2019 11:49 · Benjamin Kentish]

Jeremy Corbyn is now taking questions from the media. My colleague Ashley Cowburn has everything you need to know about the manifesto that the Labour leader has unveiled this morning. Follow minute-by-minute updates here.

[21 November 2019 11:56 · Benjamin Kentish]

Tories' national insurance plans would barely benefit low-earners, think tank says

The Conservatives' promise to cut national insurance for employees would mostly benefit middle- and high-earners, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.

The respected think-tank said the policy would cost at least £2.4bn a year but that only 3 per cent of the benefits would go to the poorest fifth of households.

Xiaowei Xu, a research cconomist at the IFS and an author of the research said:

“Successive governments have fixated on income tax at the expense of NICs, for example by raising the personal allowance while doing nothing to NICs thresholds. The attention to NICs is therefore both welcome and overdue. That said, if the intention is to help the lowest-paid, raising the NICs threshold is an extremely blunt instrument. 

Only 3 per cent of the total gains from raising NICs thresholds accrues to the poorest fifth of all households – and only 8 per cent to the poorest fifth of working households. The government could target low-earning families much more effectively by raising in-work benefits, which would deliver far higher benefits to the lowest-paid for a fraction of the cost to government – but at the expense of expanding means-testing.”

[21 November 2019 12:22 · Benjamin Kentish]

There is some confusion over Labour's policy on existing student debt. Asked about the issue during the Q&A, Jeremy Corbyn said Labour was "looking at ways in which we can stabilise it and bring about some relief to those who have incurred an enormous debt while they have been at university". However, this was not included in the party's manifesto.

[21 November 2019 12:24 · Benjamin Kentish]

Jeremy Corbyn: 'The rich and powerful don't own the Labour Party'.

[21 November 2019 12:41 · Benjamin Kentish]

Tory national insurance plans 'would mostly benefit wealthier families'

The Conservatives' pledge to raise the threshold at which employees pay national insurance would barely benefit the poorest fifth of households, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Here's Lizzy Buchan's story.