UK general election latest: Rishi Sunak embarks on whistle-stop UK tour on first day of campaign while Keir Starmer heads to Kent as Nigel Farage confirms he WON’T stand on July 4

Rishi Sunak began the first full day of the general election campaign with a visit to a distribution centre in Derbyshire to answer questions from staff.

Speaking to around 50 staff at the warehouse, the Prime Minister repeated his message that the Conservatives would offer economic stability and “a clear plan”, while Labour would take the UK “back to square one”.

Here are some photographs from Mr Sunak’s visit:

Former Prime Minister Theresa May and ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi are among more than 100 MPs who will not stand at the general election.

Kumail Jaffer, The Daily Mail’s political correspondent, reports the pair are part of a 65-strong Tory contingent that will leave Parliament after voters go to the polls on July 4 which also includes former deputy PM Dominic Raab, COP26 president Sir Alok Sharma, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

Read Kumail’s report here:

Labour have questioned whether Rishi Sunak would remain Prime Minister even in the event of a Conservative victory in the general election.

Put to him while speaking to BBC Breakfast that Rishi Sunak’s comments about Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday were a “very personal attack”, Mr McFadden said:

We think the Tories will throw everything at this election. They’ve had 14 years, all they’re offering is five more years of the same as what we’ve had in the last 14, more chaos.

I mean, if the Conservatives were to win, do we even know if Rishi Sunak would remain as prime minister, be subject to one of the bouts of leadership challenges that always takes them over? So we’re not surprised that they will throw personal attacks at Keir Starmer.

Here is Mr Farage’s statement confirming his decision:

Nigel Farage has said he won’t stand for Reform UK in the upcoming general election.

Stevenage and Harlow will be firmly in the sights for Keir Starmer, while Weston-Super-Mare will be key to any success the Tories hope to have.

To look at the crucial electoral contests coming up on July 4 – our graphic has all you need.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said Mr Sunak’s general election announcement came as a surprise but is welcome.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme:

Obviously we expected there to be an election sometime during this year but I think all the signals were it was likely to be in the autumn.

But the fact that it’s going to be now, in the next six weeks, is welcome and it gives us the opportunity to take our message to the people of Scotland that Westminster government is giving us austerity, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis and independence would give us the power to take our own decisions like re-joining the EU, ending austerity and supporting those in need and Scotland will only become independent if people vote SNP.

It’s no secret the Prime Minister faces an uphill battle over the next six weeks.

But scale of the task facing the premier was underlined this morning with YouGov research showing Labour 25 points ahead – enough for a landslide bigger than that secured by Tony Blair in 1997.

Polling guru Sir John Curtice said Mr Sunak’s decision to call a ballot meant he is ‘either very brave or extremely foolhardy’.

See the latest YouGov research below:

Our political editor James Tapsfield writes how Rishi Sunak launched a highly personal attack on Keir Starmer as he urged voters to back his ‘bold’ vision for the country.

Voting for the Greens is “not a wasted vote”, its co-leader Carla Denyer has said with the party aiming to field candidates in every seat across England and Wales for the first time.

Ms Denyer was asked on BBC Breakfast how she would counter the refrain from some politicians and voters that supporting the party in the upcoming general election would be akin to throwing the ballot away.

I would simply say it’s not a wasted vote if you vote for the party whose policies you agree with, that is how democracy works.

And to be honest, voters are – especially in places like Bristol, my home city – telling us that they are disgusted frankly with the direction that Conservatives have been taking this country in over the last 14 years, but are feeling utterly uninspired by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party who they feel are reneging on their principles, U-turning on their policies every few weeks before they even get into power.

Mr Sunak has done the morning round of interviews as he hits the campaign trail with visits to the Midlands, Wales and Scotland today on a whistle-stop UK tour.

One line we can bring you from earlier today is from the Lib Dems as Daisy Cooper (pictured above), the party’s deputy leader, insisted there won’t be pacts with other parties in the general election.

The Lib Dems, who formed a coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010 when David Cameron was prime minister, fas faced questions about whether it would form an administration with Labour if Keir Starmer fails to secure a majority.

There have never been any pacts and there won’t be any pacts because we don’t need any pacts.

On whether the Lib Dems would hold government-forming talks with Labour if it comes short of a majority, she added:

I’m not going to think about anything that happens after 10pm on polling day.

We are completely focused on winning as many votes as possible and beating Conservative MPs right now.

Here are just some events coming up today on day one of the election campaign

• 9:10am – Labour leader Keir Starmer visits Gillingham, Kent
• 9:15 – Rishi Sunak is hosting a Q&A in Derby where he has done the broadcast round this morning
• 9:35 – Foreign Secretary David Cameron is at a UK Defence conference
• 11:00 – Reform UK leader Richard Tice holds press conference
• 12:30pm – Rishi Sunak visits South Wales
• 1.30pm – Lib Dem leader Ed Davey visits Cheltenham

We will try to bring you lines and reactions from all of them.

We’re all set for a busy day here with election campaigns in full swing after Rishi Sunak confirmed the general election will be held on July 4.

To understand how we got to this point and for more an insight into THAT speech by a sodden Mr Sunak in the pouring rain outside Downing Street, read our current top story on MailOnline by Jason Groves, The Daily Mail’s Political Editor.

Flights carrying migrants to Rwanda will take off “after the election”, Rishi Sunak has conceded.

The Prime Minister told LBC radio: “If I’m elected, we will get the flights off.”

Pressed further on timing, he said: “No, after the election. The preparation work has already gone on.”

On the airwaves for Labour this morning is the party’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden (pictured above) who has given an interview to Good Morning Britain.

He is urging voters not to get complacent, the same message that will be repeatedly delivered to MPs over the next six weeks, by assuming Labour will score a comprehensive victory on July 4.

Look, I would encourage people to ignore the polls because we start this election with not a single vote being cast, not a seat being won, or lost, and we assume nothing about the outcome.

And the basic choice will be, we can carry on with five more years of what we’ve already had for the past 14, or we can vote for change.

Asked if they were caught off guard by the announcement on Wednesday, Mr McFadden said they weren’t expecting Sunak to call an election this summer as there had been indications a date in the autumn was being looked at.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been pictured leaving his London home this morning before he is expected to kick off the party’s general election in Kent.

Heading to a traditionally Conservative-voting area of the country may be seen as Labour trying to park its tank onto Tory lawns with Mr Starmer aware he will have to lure voters who shunned the party at the last election.

The Prime Minister is touring the broadcast studios this morning and has urged voters to re-elect him if they want to see deportation flights to Rwanda take off.

Speaking to GB News from Derby in the East Midlands, Rishi Sunak said:

If you elect me, if I’m Prime Minister on July 5, those flights will go off to Rwanda and we will begin to put in place the deterrent that we need to stop the boats.

Because there is no way to stop this problem unless you can have a deterrent, unless it’s clear that if someone comes to our country illegally they won’t be able to stay and they will be removed.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview on BBC Breakfast, Mr Sunak denied suggestions he called an election because inflation is expected to rise again this year.

No, that’s not the real reason.

And when it comes to the economy, of course I know there’s more work to do. I know that people are only just starting to feel the benefits of the changes that we’ve brought.

MailOnline will be reporting live updates on day one of the general election campaign with parties hunting for votes.

It comes after the Prime Minister sprung a surprise on the steps of Downing Street last night by triggering a contest in the pouring rain after a day of frenzied speculation that a date had been set.

We will bring you the latest political news, reaction and analysis throughout the day.