General election live news: Angela Rayner backs Diane Abbott as Faiza Shaheen accuses Labour of having ‘race problem’

The Labour deputy leader says she is backing Ms Abbott as a candidate for Hackney North at the election.

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She said: “I don’t see any reason why Diane Abbott can’t stand as a Labour MP going forward… I am saying that as the deputy leader of the Labour Party”.

Ms Rayner added that Abbott has been a trailblazer and she is “not happy” about negative briefings to the papers about her. “I don’t think that is how we should conduct ourselves.”

She previously said she wanted to see the veteran MP back to the Labour Party after she was suspended fro 11 months.

Ms Rayner said she was frustrated over the length of the party investigation over her letter on The Observer.

Speaking to voters at the Niftylift factory, he is asked what will he do to achieve net zero if elected.

The PM says: “Of course I believe in climate change, I want to get to net zero,” he said.

“The questions is how do we get there. We need to be more serious. I want to prioritise our countries energy security…we are better off getting it here at home.

“I also want to prioritise your bills. What I don’t want to do is force you prematurely to rip out your boiler, change your car. We don’t need to do them right now.”

Taking questions from the audience, the prime minister was asked over trust following the party gate scandal during the pandemic.

An audience member asks: “My mum died in 2020 at the high of the pandemic. You probably remember the time where the parties were going down on Downing Street. You attended a gathering where you got a fixed penalty notice.

“How can anyone trust you or your party after things like this?”

Mr Sunak apologises, saying: “I am really sorry that you lost your mum. I can’t imagine what it must have been I am sorry for what it was going on in Downing Street.

“As you know, I was working on things to help you and your business and many other families like that… hopefully some of you here benefited from some of the support that we put in place.”

The prime minister has launched his campaign event in Milton Keynes.

Mr Sunak is giving a speech similar to the one he gave yesterday in Devon.

He says the “penny is dropping” across Europe and that his Rwanda scheme would reduce immigration numbers.

The prime minsister took to social media to ask: “Does anyone actually know what Labour would do if they got into power?”

It comes as Jeremy Hunt published a 24-page dossier outlining Labour’s policies in detail which the Tories said include costs of their promises.

The union general secretary has accused Labour of “double standards” in the way the left-winger has been deal with.

Matt Wrack  said: “There are clearly double standards in how they have been treated as left-wingers and as women of colour when compared to more centrist MPs.

“It is only a matter of weeks since hard-right Tory Natalie Elphicke was welcomed with open arms.

“This has all been an embarrassing distraction. The Labour leadership must now act decisively to reinstate the affected candidates and ensure that no-one is barred from standing at the last minute with no due process.”

Shadow defence secretary John Haley has blamed the Tories for dropping Army numbers and said figures have fallen below its target figure for the first time.

Mr Healey said on social media: “The Tories have already cut the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon, now they’ve allowed soldier numbers to slump below their own target strength.”