Election latest: Farage says he wants to be PM in 2029, as Reform candidate resigns over previous BNP support - and Labour hints it could overhaul Brexit deal (2024)

John Swinney, Scotland's first minister, is addressing those gathered on the SNP campaign trail in Stornoway today.

He has pledged to "take the steps to make sure we end the damage of Brexit", but focused his speech largely on the role of Scotland.

Mr Swinney said that "at the heart of our manifesto" will be that "Scotland should be in charge of decision making for Scotland".

He also stressed the need for a social tariff, whereby the SNP can "commit to people who are elderly or disable that they are free of the burden of energy costs in our society".

The first minister explained that the cost of energy is "unbearable" for people despite the fact that "this community is producing vast amounts of renewable energy".

He said "people who are elderly and disabled will pay a lower tariff which will reduce costs for those who are vulnerable in society".

This tariff would extend to "broadband and telephone costs".

The SNP is due to unveil its manifesto on Wednesday.

Labour would display itself as "pro-business" by holding a global investment summit in the first 100 days of entering government, the shadow chancellor has said.

Discussing the party's commitment to holding the summit, Rachel Reeves said: "That is an opportunity to show that, with Labour, we are pro-business, we are pro-investment, and we are determined to seize for the UK the investment that we know is out there."

At a meeting of an infrastructure council set up last year by Labour, Ms Reeves said the group of UK-based and international investment firms is something the party wants "to take into government"

The shadow chancellor added: "I very much hope that the next meeting of this group will be in government.

"In the early days of a Labour government, we will want to get started, get cracking on the things that we need to do to unlock the investment."

Discussing the election campaign, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told council members it had been "more enjoyable" than the 2019 general election campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer's "crippling caution" in the general election campaign is "suffocating optimism", the SNP's Westminster leader has said.

The Labour leader has faced repeated criticism during the campaign for an apparent failure to offer radical change from the Conservatives, including in not scrapping the two-child limit on benefits.

But despite claims from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) - repeatedly touted by the SNP - that spending cuts will be required in the future, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar emphatically said there would be no austerity under Sir Keir's leadership.

Writing in the Daily Record, Stephen Flynn said: "The other strange thing about this election is that the crippling caution of Sir Keir Starmer is suffocating any sense of enthusiasm.

"Starmer's status quo, his choice to change the guard but not to change course, won't deliver real change.

"The consequence of Starmer's caution means more spending cuts, more Brexit and more of the same."

The SNP has repeatedly claimed £18bn of cuts will be required in the future, with the party suggesting £1.45bn of those would impact budgets in Scotland as a result of its population share.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Plaid Cymru have released their manifestos - as the general election campaign continues.

Sky News has scoured their policy pledges so you don't have to. We will add a breakdown of all the other parties' manifestos here when they are announced.

Click the link below to find out what the parties have promised to do if they win theelectionon 4 July...

By Tom Cheshire, Megan Harwood-Baynes, Mary Poynter, online campaign team

How bad is the Conservative brand?

Bad enough for dozens of its own candidates to avoid using it, according to research from Sky's Online Campaign Team and Who Targets Me.

We looked at the adverts published on Facebook and Instagram by 521 Labour and Conservative candidates from 1 May until 12 June.

Of these, 376 adverts contained official branding (logos and colours), 104 had some form of partial branding, and 41 had no branding at all.

And the vast majority of those with no branding - 38 - were Conservative.

Read more here:

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has confirmed he has ambitions to be the UK's prime minister by 2029.

He told the BBC: "(The Conservatives) can't agree on anything, they're split down the middle, and we know what we stand for, we know what we believe in, and for democracy to function properly there needs to be a proper voice of opposition.

"And our plan - and this is our first big election as a party - our plan is to establish that bridgehead in parliament and to use that voice to build a big national campaigning movement around the country over the course of the next five years for genuine change."

Asked if he would stand to be prime minister at an election in 2029, Mr Farage replied: "Yes, absolutely.

"I think the disconnect between the Labour and Conservative Westminster-based parties and the country - the thoughts, hopes and aspirations of ordinary people - are so far apart from where our politics is."

Mr Farage claimed the idea that Donald Trump wanted to overturn a democratic election was a "matter of opinion", adding: "What happened on January the 6th should not have happened, of that there's no doubt whatsoever. Did he actually urge people to storm the Capitol building? No, he didn't."

When pressed on the issue, he said: "No, I don't approve of objecting to elections, even though I object to much of what's happening in our system, with postal vote corruption and many other things."

A former Reform UK candidatemade "daft" comments at a "difficult and angry time in his life", the party has said.

Grant StClair-Armstrong resigned from the party for previously calling on people to vote for the British National Party (BNP).

Mr StClair-Armstrong, who will remain on the ballot paper as an independent in North West Essex, posted on a blog called the Joli Triste in 2010: "I could weep now, every time I pick up a British newspaper and read the latest about the state of the UK.

"No doubt, Enoch Powell would be doing the same if he was alive. My solution ... vote BNP!"

A Reform UK party spokesperson said: "Some 15 years ago, by own admission made some daft, inappropriate comments at a difficult and angry time in his life.

"He regrets them, and has resigned."

You can read more on this story below:

Labour has reiterated that there will be "no increase" to income tax, national insurance or VAT if the party wins the general election in July.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, said the three taxes will not go up, despite claims from the Conservatives that they could.

He said: "Every single one our policies is fully costed and doesn't require additional taxation."

When pressed, Mr Ashworth stressed that Labour will not be involved in "council tax re-banding" - but he would not specifically rule out a rise in fuel or stamp duty.

He said: "No increase in income tax, no increase in national insurance, no increase in VAT or corporation tax. We're not doing council tax re-banding.

"We have outlined that all our policies are fully funded, they do not require additional tax increases."

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard with their guide to the election day ahead.

This is day 26 of the campaign. Jack and Sam discuss Reform’s manifesto launch, the Conservatives’ changing tack for the final two weeks of campaigning,and Labour’s plan for the first 100 days.

Email Jack and Sam: jackandsam@sky.uk

👉Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam's wherever you get your podcasts👈

By Professor Will Jennings, Sky News elections analyst

Even a poll-obsessive like me would have to admit that during election campaigns we often spend too much time focusing on the election 'horse race' - who is up and who is down in the polls - on an almost hourly basis.

Even in this election, where Labour has been well ahead of the Conservatives from the outset, the focus has been on how much.

Figures for the Labour lead span a huge range from 16 to 25 points. And now there's talk of "crossover".

Has Nigel Farage led Reform past the Tories into second place for the first time in a general election campaign?

There's a 10-point difference between pollsters in the figures reported for Reform UK starting at nine points and reaching 19.

The unprecedented nature of what the top end of these results suggest means we could be heading for a seismic reordering of the political landscape on 4 July. Alternatively, many pollsters could end up with egg on their faces.

What lessons can we learn from polling at previous British general elections?

Perhaps the most fundamental thing is that polls become more informative about the result as election day nears.

Read the full analysis below: