General election latest: Keir Starmer commits to head-to-head election debates with Rishi Sunak (2024)

Jeremy Corbyn has been informed he is no longer a member of the Labour Party, Sky News has been told.

This was largely expected after he confirmed today that he will run as an independent candidate for his Islington North constituency - against Labour.

Mr Corbyn, the former Labour leader, has been suspended by Labour since 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission's findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge and said antisemitism had been "dramatically overstated for political reasons".

By Faye Brown, political reporter

A 90-year-old pensioner who has paid off his mortgage is having "sleepless nights" after being hit with a "feudal" £17,000 bill for ground rent.

Derek Taylor is one of five leaseholders at Elgin House, North Herts, whose annual ground rent has risen from £25 to £2,350 - an increase of 9,000%.

The rise has been backdated to 2018, meaning he now owes £17,169 in one lump sum and is facing legal action if he does not pay.

The case has renewed calls for the next government to abolish England's centuries-old leasehold system, which campaigners say is "feudal" and "exploitative".

A ground rent is a charge leaseholders have to pay so they can have a home on land they do not own and does not require a service in return.

You can read more from Sky News below:

The latest edition of Electoral Dysfunctionis in your podcast feeds now, and one of the main topics was the optics of Rishi Sunak's announcement of the general election date.

In case you missed it, he went out on to Downing Street in the pouring rain, and throughout his speech, the song Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream was blaring out - which was the official anthem of Sir Tony Blair's landslide victory for Labour in 1997 (more here).

Our political editor Beth Rigbyexplained that Mr Sunak did the announcement on the street because he "wanted to be traditional".

But former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidsonbranded the launch "disastrous", saying: "The idea of tradition and all the rest of it, well, that's great and all.

"But you're the prime minister - you make the traditions here.

"How f****** incompetent do you have to be to launch a campaign that badly?

"And how much do you not protect your boss by allowing him to do it or encouraging him to do it?"

She added: "Wait for a break in the clouds, okay? Look, how hard is that?"

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley said he wanted to avoid advertising that he is a centi-millionaire by having "a lackey holding an umbrella".

She added that he "wouldn't have lost a single vote" if someone had been holding an umbrella, or he'd delivered the speech inside.

"He will lose votes because of the way he launched it," she said.

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Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Labour has claimed it is ridiculous to describe the fall in the energy price cap as good news.

It will be £1,568 a year from 1 July - a drop of £122 from the previous quarter.

Claire Coutinho, the energy secretary, told Sky News it is "really welcome news" (7.23am post).

But Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary, said: "Only Rishi Sunak's Conservatives could look at energy bills still being hundreds of pounds a year higher for families and call it good news."

The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a non-profit organisation, has said the average annual dual-fuel bill for a UK household is still about 40% - or £450 - higher than before the energy crisis began.

Mr Miliband added: "If the Tories get back in, Britain will remain vulnerable to dictators like Putin, and family finances will continue to be rocked by sky-high energy bills.

“A Labour government will cut bills by setting up Great British Energy, a new publicly-owned company to invest in homegrown clean energy so we can boost energy independence and cut bills for good."

But Ms Coutinho described Great British Energy as a "complete gimmick" and a "drop in the ocean".

She also accused Labour of having "no plan" on energy security.

In our conversation with Sir Keir Starmer, he is also asked about news that Jeremy Corbyn will run against the Labour in Islington North.

"That's a matter for Jeremy Corbyn," he says.

"I'm very clear. The first thing I said as Labour leader is that I would tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots.

"That was my first solemn promise and I followed through all my heart. And that is why I took the decision that Jeremy Corbyn would not stand as a Labour candidate this election.

"Jeremy standing is independent, that's a matter for him.

"We will have an excellent Labour candidate in Islington North, making the same argument as we will across the country, which is, it's time to end 40 years of chaos and division.

"It's time to turn the page on a fresh start and rebuild our country together."

Sir Keir Starmer is asked about a number of pledges that he has abandoned since running for the Labour leadership, including plans to spend £28bn a year on green investments.

Are people right to worry that promises made now could be broken?

The Labour leader takes tuition fees as an example, saying he agrees the "current system is unfair" on students and universities.

"I did advocate getting rid of tuition fees, you're absolutely right about that," Sir Keir says. "Now, damage has been done to the economy, we've got to make a choice.

"We've got (NHS) waiting lists that are the best part of eight million - the money is not available to do both.

"In the end, if you can't do both, you have to make a decision. I've taken a political choice."

He reiterates this is the "practical reality of the damage the Tories have done to the economy".

Sir Keir says he has "prioritised the NHS", and he wants people to be aware of this before of the election - so they can judge him on it.

He says he thinks he has made the "right priority".

Asked why Labour are ahead in the polls, he says this is because "we are a changed Labour party".

Sir Keir adds: "If we get the privilege of coming into government it will be to serve, and service will be tattooed through everything we do."

The conversation then turns to energy prices, after the regulator confirmed that costs will come down after July.

Does this mean everything is coming back to normal under the Tories?

"Everywhere I go, so many people tell me the cost of living is still bearing down on them," Sir Keir says. "People on a mortgage, coming off a fixed mortgage, know their mortgages are going up by hundreds of pounds.

"Everybody knows prices are still going up, energy prices are still record high almost."

He says this is why "we need longer term solutions".

Sir Keir points to Labour's Great British Energy pledge, which he says would help energy prices "come down for good".

The Labour leader is asked when energy prices would come down under Great British Energy - and how quickly it could be established.

"Certainly by the end of the parliament, and a lot sooner than that," he says. "We can set up Great British Energy pretty quickly."

Sir Keir says discussions are already under way with potential partners.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of "sounding increasingly desperate" after the prime minister accused him of dodging TV debates.

Speaking to Sky News from Glasgow, he said: "He's sounding increasingly desperate, I have to say.

"Of course there are going to be TV debates, they are part and parcel of the election cycle now. I obviously want to spend as much of my time talking to voters directly.

"I could do 100 debates with Rishi Sunak but I know what he's going to say, he's going to say everything is fine, the cost of living crisis is over, the health service hasn't got any problems.

"And that is all he ever says.

"Of course there are going to be debates, but he is sounding a bit desperate now."

He was asked about Sky News' leaders event in Grimsby, and whether he will commit to that.

Sir Keir did not commit either way, saying there will be "negotiations into what exactly we're doing, but of course there are going to be debates".

Asked to clarify if he's saying no to Sky News's debate, he refused to say more.

In the last hour, Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he will stand against the Labour party as an independent candidate for Islington North.

He has since shared a campaign video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: "I am standing as an independent candidate for the people of Islington North.

" As your MP, I will continue to be an independent voice for equality, democracy and peace."

You can watch the clip for yourself below:

Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, has said the "Conservative big beasts are running scared" after another MP confirmed they are standing down.

More than 70 Conservative MPs have said they will not compete for their seats at the general election, the latest being Wokingham member John Redwood.

He has been an MP for the constituency since 1987.

Ms Cooper said: "This is yet another Conservative big beast in the South of England who is now running scared.

"Wokingham is a key battleground where the Liberal Democrats are the clear challengers to the Conservatives.

"Right across the blue wall Conservative MPs are standing down in their droves and it's because they're worried about losing their seats to the Liberal Democrats.

"From the cost of living crisis to the sewage scandal these Conservatives know they've failed their constituents and now they're abandoning their seats."