Election latest: Reform candidate's post criticised by minister - as PM denies he considered quitting (2024)

Next up on the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge is the Lib Dems' Helen Morgan.

The party has promised more money for the NHS, care and schools, as well as building more homes and increasing income tax thresholds - but what are its unpopular policies?

Ms Morgan says the Lib Dems have focused on the issues "that people raised with us on the doorsteps" - adding that she hopes there isn't "anything particularly unpopular" in its 116-page text.

She's then pressed on this - asked by Sophy Ridge if her party will "level" with the public about the "difficult decisions" that will need to be made after the election.

The Liberal Democrats have released their manifesto - the first party to do so during the 2024 general election campaign.

Sky News has scoured their policy pledges so you don't have to.

Scroll to the right in the interactive tool below to find out what Sir Ed Davey's party has promised to do if they win the election.

We will produce a breakdown of all the other parties' manifestos here when they are announced.

Ahead of Wednesday night's The Battle For Number 10 on Sky News, we have been speaking to a number of voters in one of our Target Towns.

Reporting from Grimsby and Cleethorpes for tonight's show is our national correspondent Tom Parmenter,to gauge how the Tory and Labour leaders are fairing among the public.

You can read Tom's report below:

The Battle For Number 10 Leaders Special Event, Wednesday 12 June 7pm-10pm on Sky News - free wherever you get your news.

Freeview channel 233, Sky 501, Virgin 603, BT 313 and streaming on the Sky News website, app and across social channels. It is also available to watch on Sky Showcase.

Sophy Ridge puts to James Cleverly that in football terms, it feels like the Conservatives are "5-0 down" and need all their "strikers on the pitch".

She then asks if he'd like to see Boris Johnson playing more of a role in the election campaign.

Mr Cleverly replies that he's "always keen to get the whole Conservative family campaigning" against Labour's "bonkers ideas".

Pressed on whether that means he'd like the former prime minister on the campaign trail, the home secretary says: "Boris Johnson is a subset of everybody, yes."

He adds: "I would like to see everybody who is a conservative out campaigning for the Conservative Party, that by definition also includes Boris Johnson."

Now Home Secretary James Cleverly is speaking to Sophy Ridge to tell the Tory tale from the day.

He starts by focusing on their announcement to hire 8,000 new police officers as "public safety matters" - and promising they will be "embedded in neighbourhoods".

Asked how he thinks the campaign is going, Mr Cleverly admits he has faced "concerns and criticisms" on the doorstep, but claims voters "scrunch up their faces" when asked if they would vote for Labour.

"There is everything up for grabs, and we will continue to take our bold plans to the British people," he adds.

Tonight's Politics Hub panel are now having their say on the Lib Dem manifesto.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas says while it has generated some "interesting headlines", it doesn't "follow through on its logic" - such as on proposed changes to water company ownership and plans to tackle climate change.

And she adds that what "really struck her" was the party's more muted approach to discussing Brexit.

"I think you had to look through to page 112," she says - a far cry from the 2019 manifesto that advocated rejoining the EU.

Farage took UK on 'mad adventure'

Ms Lucas says a debate is needed about the impact of Brexit, and the role of new Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in championing the cause.

"I can't bear the fact that Nigel Farage keeps getting away with no one asking him about his last mad adventure before he starts trying to take Britain down the path of a new one," she says.

Labour 'too scared' to address Brexit

But former Tory party communications director Giles Kenningham says it's unlikely that Labour will mention Brexit at all as "they're too scared about it".

He adds that it's "not in the interests" of the two main parties to put it "centre stage".

"The Tories will argue Brexit's done, and Labour got themselves in knots, and arguably it cost them the last election," he says.

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates has been at today's Liberal Democrat manifesto launch and now comes to us live from Thorpe Park, where Sir Ed Davey has been riding rollercoasters - and doing some serious political interviews of course.

Sam says the party is having a campaign that is "clearly cutting through" to the public with "all the japes" - remember the paddle board anyone?

But while Sir Ed may be riding high, he is still "desperate to be taken seriously".

Our deputy political editor said the Lib Dems have done "one big thing" in this campaign - managing to "reposition themselves as an anti-Tory force".

But if the Conservatives get kicked out of power in a few weeks time, where does it leave them?

Sir Ed tells Sam that Labour will "follow" his policy ideas as he claims other government have before. But that is quite optimistic…

We're kicking off tonight's show with the first manifesto launch of this election campaign.

It came via the Liberal Democrats, headlined as a "fully-costed" plan to "save the NHS", primarily by fixing the UK's social care system.

But do the party's sums add up?

Who better to comb through all 114 pages - and the manifesto's associated costings document - than Sky News' very owneconomics and data editor Ed Conway.

He'll be doing the same for all the manifestos as they come out.

Check out what he had to say about the Lib Dems below:

It's the beginning of a huge week in the election campaign.

Manifesto week - a week that will not only define the outcome of the election but could also define the future of the country for years to come.

We're kicking off with the Lib Dem manifesto today, tomorrow we'll get the Conservative one, and Labour's is expected later in the week.

Manifesto week is a bit like having your meals designed by a four-year-old - so expect Haribo, Party Rings, and Jammy Dodgers to be thrown at you over the next few days.

What I'm going to be looking out for is who is brave enough to put broccoli on the menu and include some unpopular policies.

Because let's face it, whatever the makeup of parliament in a month's time, the economic picture is not going to change overnight.

National debt will still be cripplingly high, public services will still need more investment, and the tax burden will still be at historically high levels.

Will there be a manifesto this week that addresses the scale of the challenge and levels with voters about what that really means?

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgeis live now on Sky News.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Joining Sophy tonight isHelen Morganfrom the Liberal Democrats, on the day her party launched its election manifesto.

Also on the show isJames Cleverly, the Conservative home secretary.

On Sophy's panel tonight are:

• Caroline Lucas, ex-Greens leader and Brighton Pavilion MP;
• Giles Kenningham, former Tory party communications director.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgefrom Monday to Thursday on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.