General election: Labour accused of trying to purge the party’s left wing as Diane Abbott announces her candidacy – live

Shadow Chief Secretary Darren Jones accused the Conservative government of being a “threat to family finances”.

In an extraordinary press conference, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury said that measures such as conscription and the triple lock could lead to a rise in interest rates.

He said this was equivalent to the £71 billion in spending announced just a week into the election campaign.

Similar to Jeremy Hunt’s spending analysis of Labour’s election promises, Mr Jones claims the party produced a report based on Treasury documents.

The result is a series of unfunded policies that could increase monthly mortgage payments by £350 (25 percent), he claims.

A Conservative MP drank a pint of beer while explaining what his party’s military service pledge entails.

Jake Berry, Tory MP for Rossendale and Darwen, released his video ‘One Pint. One Policy’ on X on Wednesday (29 May), giving further details of the plan his party plans to introduce if it wins the election.

Mr Berry explains: “Everyone has been asking me about this national service, so I’ll explain to you how it works over a pint.”

The Tory MP added: “Being British is not just about what we can take from our country, but also what we can give back to it.”

Then Mr. Berry says “Cheers” and drinks his pint in one go.

Martin Forde KC said it was deeply worrying that senior shadow ministers such as Wes Streeting were unaware of the Diane Abbott situation.

He said Radio times: “I am getting WhatsApp messages, mostly from working black and Asian women, who are deeply upset about the way Ms Abbot has been treated.

“I’m really surprised at the timing, right in the run-up to the general election. While Labour hopes to form the next government, I think this was an opportunity for them to show they can be fair and impartial.”

The former First Minister said she would support the SNP candidates, but declined to confirm whether she would stand alongside John Swinney.

When asked if she would campaign with Swinney, she said, “John will have his own platform and I will campaign in a way that I think helps the candidates.”