The key moments that defined the general election campaign
The day a soaked Rishi Sunak announced the general election in the pouring rain on May 22 may feel like a lifetime ago.
Indeed, a lot has happened since the Prime Minister called for the country to cast their ballots on July 4.
The campaign has seen Nigel Farage, who returned to frontline politics as the leader of Reform UK, being splashed with a milkshake. Keir Starmer unveiled a tax raid on private schools and Mr Sunak faced criticism for departing D-Day commemorations early.
Here are the key moments from the campaign, in pictures.
Sunak announces early election amid downpour
On a rainy May 22, Rishi Sunak announced the early election outside Downing Street. Along with heavy downpour, the event also faced unexpected competition from Labour supporters playing the New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better over the announcement.
Starmer unveils ‘day one’ tax raid on private schools
Sir Keir Starmer set the tone for Labour’s election campaign on May 24 by pledging an immediate tax on private schools if the party wins the election.
Concerns mounted among parents as plans for VAT on fees have already prompted some to withdraw their children from private education.
Sunak proposes return of National Service
Rishi Sunak pledged to reinstate National Service for 18-year-olds to foster a “renewed sense of pride in our country” in his first policy announcement of the election campaign.
The plan would require school leavers to either join a 12-month military placement or spend one weekend each month volunteering in their community.
Diane Abbott cleared to run as Labour candidate
Sir Keir Starmer said on May 31 that Diane Abbott was “free” to stand as a Labour candidate in the forthcoming election. She was suspended from the party last year for suggesting that Jewish people experienced prejudice but not racism.
She had had the Labour whip restored just days before, but it was later briefed that she might be “barred” from running for Sir Keir’s party in the election.
Farage hit by a milkshake, again
Nigel Farage had a milkshake thrown over him when leaving a pub in Clacton on June 4 while he was launching his personal election campaign. A similar incident occured when he was hit by a flying milkshake in 2019 while campaigning in Newcastle.
The latest incident came the day after Mr Farage announced that he would stand in the Essex seaside constituency for Reform in the general election.
Sunak criticised for leaving D-Day Commemoration
Labour accused Rishi Sunak of a “dereliction of duty” as he left a major international ceremony which marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day to carry out a general election TV interview. Sunak later tweeted that “it was a mistake” not to stay.
A Telegraph poll revealed 82 per cent of readers believed Mr Sunak was in the wrong for leaving the commemorations early.
Election betting scandal
On June 12 it was revealed that the Prime Minister’s parliamentary private secretary placed a £100 bet on a July election just three days before it was announced.
As a result, the ongoing investigation by the Gambling Commission has led to the Conservative Party withdrawing support from two of its candidates. At least three more party members and seven police officers are being investigated, as well as one Labour candidate.
YouGov poll puts Reform ahead of the Tories for the first time
Reform UK overtook the Conservatives in an opinion poll for the first time on June 13, which prompted Nigel Farage to declare: “We are now the opposition”.
A YouGov survey put Mr Farage’s party on 19 per cent, ahead of the Tories on 18 per cent, while Labour remained ahead on 37 per cent.
Telegraph poll puts the Tories at 53 seats
A major opinion poll published on June 19 by The Telegraph predicted the Conservatives could drop to just 53 seats in the election. This would make Rishi Sunak the first sitting Prime Minister to ever lose his seat.
The poll indicated significant dissatisfaction with the party, with around three-quarters of the cabinet voted out.
Starmer vows to ban ‘gender ideology’ from schools
Sir Keir Starmer recently pledged to prohibit the teaching of “gender ideology” in schools, amid criticism directed at him for previous comments on the matter. Just the day prior, the shadow minister hinted that Labour might discard guidelines prohibiting the teaching of more than two genders to children.
On June 22, JK Rowling accused Labour of abandoning women, expressing reluctance to support them in future elections due to their stance on transgender issues.
Sunak and Starmer go head to head in final TV debate
In the June 26 final TV debate, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer clashed over tax, immigration and gender.
While the Prime Minister urged voters not to “surrender” Britain’s borders to Labour and warned against its tax policies, Starmer criticised the Government for failing the public on a range of issues over the past 14 years.
