UK Election 2024: The headlines

As the UK general election campaign heats up, Friday’s headlines are dominated by the latest developments from key party leaders. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has criticized Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s handling of betting allegations, calling for the suspension of Conservative candidates accused of betting on the election date. Sunak has promised that anyone found guilty will be expelled from the party, with a criminal investigation underway.

In other news, Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey took a break from campaigning to enjoy the North Sea in Norfolk, while focusing on the party’s NHS dentistry policy with a pledge of £750m in extra funding for England. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, made controversial statements during an interview claiming that Europe and Nato provoked the war in Ukraine.

Financial figures have also been released showing how much money political parties raised in the second week of the campaign. Labour leads with over £4.3m, followed by Reform with almost £750,000, the Lib Dems with £335,000, and the Conservatives lagging behind at less than £300k.

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