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| General election: politicians from seven parties face off in ITV debate | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| All the day’s developments including the Greens, Brexit party, SNP, Plaid Cymru and Lib Dems joining two main parties for TV debate in Salford | |
| Now a question on Brexit. Sunak says tat whether you voted leave or remain, it’s time “for us as a country to move forward”. | |
| Sturgeon says Scotland voted to remain by a proportion of 60%. “It’s not a sign of a strong union if Scotland can be dragged out against our will”. | |
| Price says that many people in the Welsh coalfield communities voted for Brexit because they were exasperated by their situation. He says Brexit will do the opposite of economic change for Wales. | |
| Swinson says that Brexit is nowhere near done. We know from all of the government’s analysis that remaining in the EU will mean we have more money,” she says. | |
| Burgeon says that Labour knows its role is to bring people together and that is why Corbyn will remain neutral and be “an honest broker”. “On one hand we have the Lib Dems who want to ignore everybody who voted leave and on the other side we have the Thatcherites ... who want to ignore everyone who voted to leave,” he says. | |
| Berry says that the best way to get back to fixing the country is through a People’s Vote and she does think that Brexit is a bad idea. | |
| Farage says that democracy works through “losers’ consent” and the other parties are refusing to do that. If they lost a second referendum, remainer parties still wouldn’t accept it, he said. | |
| Nigel Farage says: “Is there anybody else on the platform concerned that there are 74 convicted terrorists out on our streets?” | |
| Sturgeon interjects: “We are all concerned, Nigel.” | |
| “Surely they should be locked up for life?” Farage continues. “Silence is golden.” | |
| Siân Berry says that police cuts are real and that officers do not have time together out of their vans to work with communities. We need real rehabilitation, she says. We can’t just leave people to fester in jail. | |
| Adam Price says there are serious questions that need to be answered. He makes reference to the Aitchison report, which contained recommendations which were ignored. Price says that he wants a prime minister who will not seek to divide at a time like this, pointing to Johnson’s attempt to blame “a lefty government” this morning. | |
| Sunak says McDonnell once signed a letter calling for MI5 to be disbanded and for the police to be disarmed. Burgon says that the Conservatives always reach for pre-packaged lines to smear the Labour party. “The priority needs to be to reduce the [number of] victims of crime, not writing rhetoric-filled articles,” he says. | |
| Sturgeon highlights Johnson’s claim this morning that parliament had blocked his Queen’s speech, when parliament actually passed it. | |
| Sturgeon says that Johnson has done a disservice to victims by the “crass way he has sought to politicise it”. She says that it wasn’t right that Khan was allowed out, but that lessons should be learned in the right way. | |
| Sunak says that Johnson has long been a believer that serious offenders shouldn’t be eligible for automatic release. | |
| Sunak answers a question from an audience member as to why Usman Khan was free to stage his attack. He repeats the line that has been repeated by the government all day that it was because of rules introduced by the last Labour government. | |
| Burgon says that it is not true that the only option was to release the London Bridge attacker. “People don’t want history lessons after this atrocity,” he says. They want answers about how we are going to keep them safe, he says. Burgon then goes on to talking about deep cuts to services. “We can’t do security on the cheap”. | |
| Farage says that nobody has apologised. He says that these people “have the virus of jihadism” and should never be released unless we are sure they are cured. | |
| The debate is under way. Each politician can make an opening statement. | |
| Siân Berry from the Greens says “we are in dark and dangerous times” and that promises are often broke by politicians. She says that things can change if people vote for it. Brexit would change things for the worse, she says. “Shine a light in the darkness with your vote. If not now, when?” | |
| Jo Swinson from the Lib Dems says that Boris Johnson can’t be bothered to talk to voters tonight so he’s sent his cheerleader, Nigel Farage. “We deserve better than the Farage, Trump, Johnson nightmare,” she says. “I love out country, our United Kingdom. Open, fair, generous,” she says. | |
| Rishi Sunak for the Conservatives says that he and everybody else is fed up with Brexit. “The only way to move on is to elect a Conservative government, so let’s end the delay and get Brexit done,” he says. | |
| The Brexit party’s Nigel Farage says that confidence in politics has never been so low. He says that every mainstream party told people to vote remain and they didn’t. He says that once we have left the EU, that is just the start of the revolution that needs to happen. “The Brexit party are the new radicals ... Let’s get back to being a proper functioning democracy.” | |
| Nicola Sturgeon for the SNP says that she wants an independent Scotland but also wants to play her part by locking Johnson out of Downing Street. She says that Brexit will cause chaos for years to come. | |
| Adam Price for Plaid Cymru says that in Wales it’s difficult not to feel despair “because we are going backwards from health to the economy”. “For us it’s not more Westminster, it’s more Wales,” he says. “We will put out people first,” he says. “We want them to feel hope again in those beating Welsh hearts.” | |
| Richard Burgon from Labour starts by extending sympathies to the victims of Friday’s London Bridge attack. He says that deep cuts to vital public services happened at the same time that the government made huge tax give aways to big businesses. “Labour are for the many, not for the few”. | |
| Politicians are gearing up for this evening’s election debate in Salford. I’ll be bringing you updates throughout. | Politicians are gearing up for this evening’s election debate in Salford. I’ll be bringing you updates throughout. |
| Here’s a reminder of those taking part. | Here’s a reminder of those taking part. |
| Richard Burgon for Labour | |
| Rishi Sunak for the Conservatives | |
| Jo Swinson for the Lib Dems | |
| Nicola Sturgeon for the SNP | |
| Nigel Farage for the Brexit party | |
| Adam Price for Plaid Cymru | |
| Siân Berry for the Greens | |
| The Guardian’s former home affairs editor, Alan Travis, has written about the government’s “lock terrorists up and throw away the key” response to Friday’s attack. | The Guardian’s former home affairs editor, Alan Travis, has written about the government’s “lock terrorists up and throw away the key” response to Friday’s attack. |
| The Liberal Democrats have warned that Brexit is contributing to a serious brain drain in UK universities, revealing figures that show almost 11,000 EU academics have left since the 2016 referendum, reports Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker. | The Liberal Democrats have warned that Brexit is contributing to a serious brain drain in UK universities, revealing figures that show almost 11,000 EU academics have left since the 2016 referendum, reports Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker. |
| The figures, based on freedom of information responses from universities, show 10,918 left in the three years starting with the 2016-17 financial year. In 2018-19, 4,014 quit, 31% more than in 2015-16, and 40% more than in 2014-15. | The figures, based on freedom of information responses from universities, show 10,918 left in the three years starting with the 2016-17 financial year. In 2018-19, 4,014 quit, 31% more than in 2015-16, and 40% more than in 2014-15. |
| The figures are almost certain to be underestimates of the real total, because the study is based on 81 universities that responded to the requests. Universities UK, the main representative body for the higher education sector, has 136 members. | The figures are almost certain to be underestimates of the real total, because the study is based on 81 universities that responded to the requests. Universities UK, the main representative body for the higher education sector, has 136 members. |
| You can read the full story here: | You can read the full story here: |
| An observation by the Yorkshire Post’s political editor, Rob Parsons. Jeremy Corbyn has been out campaigning in north Yorkshire wearing a specially made jacket with his motto “for the many not the few” printed on it. | An observation by the Yorkshire Post’s political editor, Rob Parsons. Jeremy Corbyn has been out campaigning in north Yorkshire wearing a specially made jacket with his motto “for the many not the few” printed on it. |
| According to the PA news agency, the Labour leader said it was a present from Fabian Hamilton, who is standing in the Leeds North East constituency, and he was given it on Saturday night ahead of an NHS-themed rally. “He has a friend of his who is a tailor. He gave me this jacket and it’s quite splendid,” said Corbyn. “It almost fits. I don’t know if we need the jacket to grow or me to shrink.” | According to the PA news agency, the Labour leader said it was a present from Fabian Hamilton, who is standing in the Leeds North East constituency, and he was given it on Saturday night ahead of an NHS-themed rally. “He has a friend of his who is a tailor. He gave me this jacket and it’s quite splendid,” said Corbyn. “It almost fits. I don’t know if we need the jacket to grow or me to shrink.” |
| Boris Johnson defended his record during a major setpiece interview with Andrew Marr on the BBC while laying out his election pitch and attacking Labour. But how accurate were his assertions? | Boris Johnson defended his record during a major setpiece interview with Andrew Marr on the BBC while laying out his election pitch and attacking Labour. But how accurate were his assertions? |
| Boris Johnson has sought to blame Labour for the release of Usman Khan, the convicted terrorist who murdered two people on London Bridge on Friday, as the aftermath of the attack became an increasingly politicised election issue. In an interview on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, the prime minister said it was “ridiculous” that someone such as Khan should have been freed midway through an earlier sentence, and pledged to change the law, saying: “The reason this killer was out on the streets was because of automatic early release which was brought in by a leftie government.” | Boris Johnson has sought to blame Labour for the release of Usman Khan, the convicted terrorist who murdered two people on London Bridge on Friday, as the aftermath of the attack became an increasingly politicised election issue. In an interview on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, the prime minister said it was “ridiculous” that someone such as Khan should have been freed midway through an earlier sentence, and pledged to change the law, saying: “The reason this killer was out on the streets was because of automatic early release which was brought in by a leftie government.” |
| A woman killed in the London Bridge attack was named as Saskia Jones, 23, a former Cambridge student. In a statement, Prof Stephen J Toope, the vice-chancellor of the university, said: “I am devastated to learn that among the victims of the London Bridge attack were staff and alumni of the University of Cambridge, taking part in an event to mark five years of the Learning Together programme.” | A woman killed in the London Bridge attack was named as Saskia Jones, 23, a former Cambridge student. In a statement, Prof Stephen J Toope, the vice-chancellor of the university, said: “I am devastated to learn that among the victims of the London Bridge attack were staff and alumni of the University of Cambridge, taking part in an event to mark five years of the Learning Together programme.” |
| Britain’s repeated military interventions have “exacerbated rather than resolved” the problem of terrorism, according to Jeremy Corbyn, who described Boris Johnson as the world’s leading sycophant towards President Trump. The Labour leader used a speech in York to warn that the so-called “war on terror has manifestly failed”, adding that the world is “living with the consequences” of the botched invasion of Iraq, which he opposed. Corbyn also warned that the UK risks being dragged into a further conflict with Iran and that Labour will “stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen and work to end the war there, not actively support it as the Conservative government has done”. | Britain’s repeated military interventions have “exacerbated rather than resolved” the problem of terrorism, according to Jeremy Corbyn, who described Boris Johnson as the world’s leading sycophant towards President Trump. The Labour leader used a speech in York to warn that the so-called “war on terror has manifestly failed”, adding that the world is “living with the consequences” of the botched invasion of Iraq, which he opposed. Corbyn also warned that the UK risks being dragged into a further conflict with Iran and that Labour will “stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen and work to end the war there, not actively support it as the Conservative government has done”. |
| There is no sign that Boris Johnson will agree to an interview with Andrew Neil before the end of the election campaign, with both the BBC and the Conservatives simply saying that negotiations are ongoing. With little over a week until polling day, the prime minister has still not set a date for his one-on-one interview on primetime television, despite every other party leader agreeing to take part. | There is no sign that Boris Johnson will agree to an interview with Andrew Neil before the end of the election campaign, with both the BBC and the Conservatives simply saying that negotiations are ongoing. With little over a week until polling day, the prime minister has still not set a date for his one-on-one interview on primetime television, despite every other party leader agreeing to take part. |
| The UK is on the brink of having the most untrustworthy prime minister of all time, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey has said. Davey criticised Johnson’s response to the London Bridge terror attack and called on him to apologise for “misleading people” over the law regarding early release. He also warned Johnson that he “shouldn’t be trying to make political capital out of a tragedy”. | The UK is on the brink of having the most untrustworthy prime minister of all time, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey has said. Davey criticised Johnson’s response to the London Bridge terror attack and called on him to apologise for “misleading people” over the law regarding early release. He also warned Johnson that he “shouldn’t be trying to make political capital out of a tragedy”. |
| Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has insisted that the Tories were not politicising the London Bridge attack but taking “necessary” measures to protect the public. “We’ve said that we would expect for the serious terrorist offences a minimum of a 14-year sentence … We don’t think that it is the case that they should necessarily be released, we think for some offences they should be imprisoned for life and we also think that terrorist offenders should serve their full sentence, both as a matter of public protection and also confidence in the system.” | Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has insisted that the Tories were not politicising the London Bridge attack but taking “necessary” measures to protect the public. “We’ve said that we would expect for the serious terrorist offences a minimum of a 14-year sentence … We don’t think that it is the case that they should necessarily be released, we think for some offences they should be imprisoned for life and we also think that terrorist offenders should serve their full sentence, both as a matter of public protection and also confidence in the system.” |
| None of the main parties in the general election has a coherent plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport, the biggest source of carbon in the UK, according to campaigners. The Conservative manifesto highlights the need to repair potholes, but the nearly £30bn to be spent on roads is expected to add to greenhouse gases at a time when they need to be reduced drastically, a report by three NGOs says. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have pledges to invest in rail and other public transport, with Labour doing so through nationalising the railways, but they also fall short. | None of the main parties in the general election has a coherent plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport, the biggest source of carbon in the UK, according to campaigners. The Conservative manifesto highlights the need to repair potholes, but the nearly £30bn to be spent on roads is expected to add to greenhouse gases at a time when they need to be reduced drastically, a report by three NGOs says. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have pledges to invest in rail and other public transport, with Labour doing so through nationalising the railways, but they also fall short. |
| The Liberal Democrats have suspended a member of staff and have launched an inquiry in relation to claims that evidence was faked to mislead investigators at Open Democracy, the website reports. | The Liberal Democrats have suspended a member of staff and have launched an inquiry in relation to claims that evidence was faked to mislead investigators at Open Democracy, the website reports. |
| There is no sign that Boris Johnson will agree to an interview with Andrew Neil before the end of the election campaign, with both the BBC and the Conservatives simply saying that negotiations are ongoing. | There is no sign that Boris Johnson will agree to an interview with Andrew Neil before the end of the election campaign, with both the BBC and the Conservatives simply saying that negotiations are ongoing. |
| With little over a week until polling day, the prime minister has still not set a date for his one-on-one interview on primetime television, despite every other party leader agreeing to take part. | With little over a week until polling day, the prime minister has still not set a date for his one-on-one interview on primetime television, despite every other party leader agreeing to take part. |
| On Friday the BBC insisted it would not allow Johnson to appear on its flagship politics programmes until he had agreed a time to sit down with Neil, only to relent following the London Bridge terror attack on the basis that the country should hear from its prime minister during a time of crisis. | On Friday the BBC insisted it would not allow Johnson to appear on its flagship politics programmes until he had agreed a time to sit down with Neil, only to relent following the London Bridge terror attack on the basis that the country should hear from its prime minister during a time of crisis. |
| Johnson duly appeared on Sunday’s edition of The Andrew Marr Show, where he insisted he was “perfectly happy to be interviewed by any interviewer called Andrew from the BBC” but there is still no confirmed date for the programme, with only a handful of potential slots available before polls open next Thursday. | Johnson duly appeared on Sunday’s edition of The Andrew Marr Show, where he insisted he was “perfectly happy to be interviewed by any interviewer called Andrew from the BBC” but there is still no confirmed date for the programme, with only a handful of potential slots available before polls open next Thursday. |
| Nazir Afzal, former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, has also weighed in against the prime minister over his comments about the context in which the London Bridge attacker was released | Nazir Afzal, former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, has also weighed in against the prime minister over his comments about the context in which the London Bridge attacker was released |
| Ian Acheson, a counter terrorism expert who advised ministers on the risks from Islamic extremism in prison, has been adding to his claims in the Sunday Times today that recommendations that might have prevented the London Bridge attack were ignored. | Ian Acheson, a counter terrorism expert who advised ministers on the risks from Islamic extremism in prison, has been adding to his claims in the Sunday Times today that recommendations that might have prevented the London Bridge attack were ignored. |
| After being asked to do so by Michael Gove in 2015, Acheson and a team visited dozens of prisons at home and abroad, finding “serious deficiencies” in almost every aspect of the management of terrorist offenders through the system that are relevant to Usman Khan, the London Bridge attacker. | After being asked to do so by Michael Gove in 2015, Acheson and a team visited dozens of prisons at home and abroad, finding “serious deficiencies” in almost every aspect of the management of terrorist offenders through the system that are relevant to Usman Khan, the London Bridge attacker. |
| Sixty nine recommendations were made, of which 68 were accepted, before being “conflated” into the 11 that made it into an official response to his report. | Sixty nine recommendations were made, of which 68 were accepted, before being “conflated” into the 11 that made it into an official response to his report. |
| The public have a fundamental right to be protected, especially from known terrorist offenders, he added, and this must always be the primary consideration of government and the public protection agencies in the criminal justice system. | The public have a fundamental right to be protected, especially from known terrorist offenders, he added, and this must always be the primary consideration of government and the public protection agencies in the criminal justice system. |
| “I have felt for some time that the balance is out of kilter. I have serious concerns about the appetite of those at the top of the prison and probation service to take the action needed to protect the public and manage the risks.” | “I have felt for some time that the balance is out of kilter. I have serious concerns about the appetite of those at the top of the prison and probation service to take the action needed to protect the public and manage the risks.” |
| He has tweeted today: | He has tweeted today: |
| The New York Times has a piece suggesting that Prince Charles is asserting a “newfound authority” in British royal affairs against the backdrop of the controversy around Prince Andrew. | The New York Times has a piece suggesting that Prince Charles is asserting a “newfound authority” in British royal affairs against the backdrop of the controversy around Prince Andrew. |
| However, there are also some interesting observations from a US perspective about the political backdrop to the crisis. Mark Landler writes that it has erupted at a time when Britain’s political leaders, paralyzed by Brexit, are in little position to help. | However, there are also some interesting observations from a US perspective about the political backdrop to the crisis. Mark Landler writes that it has erupted at a time when Britain’s political leaders, paralyzed by Brexit, are in little position to help. |
| “Far from steadying the crown, as Prime Minister Tony Blair did when the queen misjudged the public mood after the death of Princess Diana in 1997, today’s politicians are drawing her into their own frantic machinations.” | “Far from steadying the crown, as Prime Minister Tony Blair did when the queen misjudged the public mood after the death of Princess Diana in 1997, today’s politicians are drawing her into their own frantic machinations.” |
| He adds: “Critics accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of misleading the queen when he asked her to suspend Parliament for a period of weeks, rather than the customary few days, in an effort to curtail parliamentary discussion and action on Brexit. The decision was later declared illegal by Britain’s Supreme Court. | He adds: “Critics accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of misleading the queen when he asked her to suspend Parliament for a period of weeks, rather than the customary few days, in an effort to curtail parliamentary discussion and action on Brexit. The decision was later declared illegal by Britain’s Supreme Court. |
| “When the queen presented Mr. Johnson’s legislative agenda just weeks before Mr. Johnson called an election, critics said she was being exploited to deliver a campaign manifesto dressed up as a queen’s speech.” | “When the queen presented Mr. Johnson’s legislative agenda just weeks before Mr. Johnson called an election, critics said she was being exploited to deliver a campaign manifesto dressed up as a queen’s speech.” |
| A meeting of officials in the government’s emergency committee, Cobra, has taken place this afternoon, Downing Street has said. | A meeting of officials in the government’s emergency committee, Cobra, has taken place this afternoon, Downing Street has said. |
| The prime minister has been updated on the investigation into the London Bridge attack by security officials, a No 10 spokesman added. | The prime minister has been updated on the investigation into the London Bridge attack by security officials, a No 10 spokesman added. |