General election 2024 latest: Starmer and Sunak gear up for ITV debate as Tories vow immigration cap

• Sir Keir Starmer will make an energy policy announcement on a campaign visit to North West.

• Home Secretary James Cleverly campaigning in the South East.
• Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey campaign visits to Cheadle this morning and North Shropshire this afternoon.
• Rachel Reeves and Anas Sarwar will hold a Q&A in Edinburgh with staff working in financial services.

• Nigel Farage to launch General Election campaign in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

• Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in ITV General Election debate.
• The debate will be followed by interviews with leaders of other parties with the Liberal Democrats, SNP, Reform UK and the Greens invited.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “looking forward” to Tuesday night’s TV debate.

Asked how was feeling ahead of the head-to-head with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Labour leader said: “Very good, looking forward to the opportunity to speak directly to voters through the debate to put our case, because at the end of the day it is that clear choice, and I think voters will see that tonight.

“More of the same, we’ve had 14 years of this and after 14 years nothing is better than when the Tories started, we can end that, turn the page and start to rebuild our country with the Labour Party.

“I’m looking forward to be able to make that argument in the debate this evening.”

Asked if he had been preparing for the debate, Sir Keir said: “Well, look, I’ve got a team preparing with me, it’s much the same team as for PMQs, and I suppose the best bit for the staff is that they get the opportunity in the debate to put the difficult questions to them, so they’re relishing that.”

Asked about the resignation from Labour of seven councillors in Slough over the handling of Diane Abbott and Faiza Shaheen’s candidacies, Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters: “Across the country we’ve got brilliant Labour teams out in every constituency, fighting for votes in this general election.

“We’re in good form, we’re making a positive argument about the choice before the country.

“I’m really pleased that the prime minister has called an election because we’ve been waiting for this, we’ve been working for this for a very, very long time.

“It’s our chance to get out, to take our argument to the country and to every single voter about the choice at this election, about more of the same or turning the page and rebuilding with Labour.”

When questioned on bringing down net migration, Sir Keir Starmer told Sky News: “Net migration is far too high. This government has lost control. It is almost twice as high as when we were in the EU. That’s the irony of it.”

He added: “This prime minister, for all his tough talk, is actually the most liberal prime minister when it comes to immigration. Those numbers have gone through the roof.

“They need to come down, we have a plan to bring them down.”

Sir Keir Starmer said he has not spoken to Diane Abbott since the row over her selection as a candidate, but added his team had been in touch with her.

He told broadcasters at the Bridge Cafe in Bolton: “I have spoken to Diane two or three months ago, my team have obviously been speaking to her, but that decision is taken, that’s clear.

“The question now before the country is about the decision, the choice, that will fall to be made on July 4, which is continuing with this chaos and division or turning the page and starting to rebuild the country with Labour.”

“We face unprecedented challenges here at home because of global insecurity, but by sticking with the plan Rishi Sunak is steadying the ship and making progress,” a deep-voiced narrator says over footage of the PM working.

Business groups, food producers and a Labour-supporting union have warned Sir Keir Starmer that the UK needs foreign workers to help ease labour shortages, after he vowed to cut immigration.

The Labour leader said the net migration figure of 685,000 has “got to come down” and hit out at Rishi Sunak’s Conservative for failing to cut the numbers.

He said that businesses had become too reliant on workers from overseas and said Labour would train more Britons to do jobs in areas where there were labour shortages.

The Liberal Democrat leader has said he has “ruled out” working with the Tories if there is a hung parliament.

“The Conservatives has frankly ruined this country,” Sir Ed Davey said. “They have taken so many people for granted, including their own voters.”