Starmer wins TV debate and Farage’s Reform triumph: Key moments from election campaign trail – week four

It was enough tough week for prime minister Rishi Sunak after yet another gaffe and more troubling polling, with just weeks to go until polling day on 4 July

It’s been another topsy-turvy week on the campaign trail as the political parties released their election manifestos to try and compete for your vote at the general election on 4 July.

The Independent has pinpointed these key moments:

Starmer beats Sunak in second TV debate, poll reveals

Rishi Sunak suffered a fresh setback on Wednesday night after a snap poll found that Sir Keir Starmer won the TV debate by a substantial margin. Both leaders were given a real grilling by Beth Rigby on Sky’s Battle for Number 10, and took a number of tough questions from the audience in Grimsby. A YouGov survey after the debate had Sir Keir the easy winner on 64 per cent, with the prime minister trailing on 36 per cent.

Disaster for Sunak as Farage’s Reform overtake Tories in poll

In another tough pill to swallow for the embattled prime minister the Tory Party was overtaken by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for the first time in a national poll. A YouGov survey Mr Farage‘s party at 19 per cent and the Conservatives on 18 per cent in voting intention. Mr Sunak brushed off the disappointing polling and claimed there was time in the campaign for a comeback. Mr Farage said he believed it showed that Reform could not be the “voice of opposition.”

Ed Davey vows to rejoin Single Market and eventually... to overturn Brexit

The Liberal Democrat leader said he will push for Britain to rejoin the Single Market and eventually rejoin the EU, at the party’s manifesto launch on Monday. Sir Ed said that the UK “needs to be back at the heart of Europe” and stressed the Lib Dems “are a pro-European party”. The manifesto, which has healthcare at its core, also promised a tranche of care policies that would be backed by a £3.7 billion investment.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey tried his hand at an assault course in Kent while on the campaign trail on Thursday (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Four Tories back Fox’s Reclaim election pledges

Four Tory candidates signed up to the pledges of Laurence Fox’s Reclaim Party in exchange for £5,000 worth of campaign donations. Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Karl McCartney and Marco Longhi, promised to uphold the right-wing party’s “four commitments to culture”. These are reforming the Equality Act, banning gender reassignment for children, repealing the Human Rights Act and working to pull Britain from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Starmer launches pro-business manifesto with £8.6bn of new taxes

The Labour leader launched his party’s manifesto on Thursday after 14 years of Tory “chaos” but cautioned that there would be “no quick fix” if he is handed the keys to No 10. Sir Keir said he was now offering a “serious plan for the future of our country” and that it was a manifesto focused on economic growth and making Labour the “party of wealth creation”. As part of this plan, he revealed that he intends to raise £8.6billion in new taxes.

Gove’s replacement caught out renting Airbnb

A Tory candidate to replace Michael Gove posted a social media post about becoming a “resident” of the area, only for it to emerge he was renting an Airbnb property. Candidate for Surrey Heath Ed McGuinness posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday that he was “now a resident of St Paul’s ward”. Social media users posted pictures of the Airbnb listing. Mr McGuinness said the property was a former Airbnb he was renting and that it had not yet been removed from the site.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer arrives on his election battle bus at a campaign event in Halesowen (PA) (PA Wire)

Sunak puts tax cuts and immigration at heart of manifesto

The Tory leader vowed to halve immigration and unveiled a £17.2bn package of tax cuts as he tried to woo voters back to his party with only a few weeks until polling day. Launching the manifesto at the Silverstone motor racing circuit he acknowledged that people were “frustrated” with him and admitted the Tories “have not got everything right”. He said that “migration has been too high in recent years” and promised to halve it.

Rishi’s Sky TV gaffe

The prime minister was widely derided after saying he “went without” lots of things as a child, including Sky TV. In an interview with ITV News, Mr Sunak, who attended the fee-paying Winchester College boarding school, said his parents “wanted to put everything into our education.” Campaigners said the comment showed how “out of touch” with Mr Sunak is with everyday families.