Key points
- Starmer says small boat crossings 'one of the greatest challenges we face'
- Explained: What's in Labour's plan to try and tackle problem
- Darren McCaffrey: Will Labour's plan cut it with voters?
- Starmer says no flights to Rwanda will take off under Labour
- Sunak accuses Starmer of 'rank hypocrisy'
- Electoral Dysfunction:Jess Phillips says Elphicke defection like 'being punched in gut'
- UKexits recession | Economy 'returning to full health'
- Faultlines: Can British farming survive?
- Live reporting by Tim Baker
Faultlines: Can British farming survive?
Across the UK, anger is brewingamongst some farmers.
Protests have already been held in London, Dover and Cardiff, with more planned- mirroring similar tensions seen across Europe in the last six months.
They say they’re annoyed about cheap foreign importsand changes to subsidies forcing them to give up land in favourof environmental schemes.
But what does this mean for the food on our table - and does British producerisk becoming a luxury product for the wealthy only?
On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by West of England and Wales correspondent Dan Whitehead to find out why farmers are so concerned, and speaks to Liz Webster, the founder of Save British Farming, about why she believes eating British isn'tjust goodfor our farmers - it'sgood for the nation's health, too.
In response to our report, Farming Minister Mark Spencer, said: "We firmly back our farmers. British farming is at the heart of British trade, and we put agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting UK food standards and removing market access barriers.
"We've maintained the £2.4bn annual farming budget and recently set out the biggest ever package of grants which supports farmers to produce food profitably and sustainably."
The Welsh government said: "A successful future for Welsh farming should combine the best of our traditional farming alongside cutting-edge innovation and diversification.
"It will produce the very best of Welsh food to the highest standards, while safeguarding our precious environment and addressing the urgent call of the climate and nature emergencies."
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'A punch in the gut': The defection of Natalie Elphicke
Following the defection of the Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour, Beth, Ruth and Jess discuss the surprise move and whether it could have been handled differently by Sir Keir Starmer.
They also talk about Beth's interview with the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and his warnings about Reform UK.
Plus, how significant was the defeat of former Conservative mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street? Beth and Jess were both there to tell the story.
And they answer a question on Labour and the Muslim vote, and what the party can do to restore confidence and trust.
Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.
👉Listen above then tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts👈
Pledge tracker: Is Sunak keeping his promises?
In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.
Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:
• Halve inflation
• Grow the economy
• Reduce debt
• Cut NHS waiting lists and times
• Stop the boats
See below how he is doing on these goals:
Will Labour or the Conservatives win the next election? Latest polling from the Sky News live tracker
The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.
With the local elections complete, Labour is still sitting comfortably ahead, with the Tories trailing behind.
See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the trackerhere.
Starmer: I am ruthless in trying to ensure we have a Labour government
Speaking to Sky political editorBeth Rigby, Sir Keir Starmer has defended his decision to allow Tory MP Natalie Elphicke into Labour.
Ms Elphicke was on the right of the Conservative spectrum, and previously defended her sex-offender ex-husband, comments which she apologised for this week following her defection.
Addressing Tory voters, Sir Keir says he wants Labour to be a "place where they who have ambitions about their families, their communities, their country, can join and be part of what we are trying to build for their country".
Asked by Beth if he was ruthless, Sir Keir said: "Yes, I'm ruthless in trying to ensure we have a Labour government that can change this country for the better.
"Not ruthless for my own ambition, not ruthlessness particularly for the Labour Party - I'm ruthless for the country.
"The only way we'll bring about a change in this country is if we're ruthless about winning that general election and putting in place a government of public service, that’ll be a major change.
"Politics, I believe, should be about public service, that's what I've been about all my life."
Starmer rules out SNP coalition - but doesn't shoot down working with Lib Dems
More now from political editor Beth Rigby's interview with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
She reminded him that he previously ruled out doing a deal with the SNP - but has not done so for the Liberal Democrats.
Sir Keir again ruled out a coalition with the SNP - adding that he is aiming for a "majority Labour government".
He says Labour needs "to keep working hard, keep disciplined and getting our message across, which is something fundamental to me".
Pushed on his lack of ruling out a possible agreement with the Lib Dems, Sir Keir says: "I'm going for a majority.
"That's the answer I gave you a year ago. It's the same answer I'm giving you now."
Starmer rules out any flights to Rwanda
Sir Keir Starmer was earlier today pushed on whether Rwanda deportation flights will take off if he was prime minister - although it was not clear if he would cancel flights which had already been organised.
Sky News understood that previously booked deportation flights to Rwanda would still go ahead if Sir Keir entered Number 10.
But the Labour leader has now gone further.
Speaking to political editor Beth Rigby, Sir Keir has ruled out any flights taking off.
"There will be no flights scheduled or taking off after general election if Labour wins that general election," he says.
He says: "Every flight that takes off carries with it a cheque to the Rwanda government.
"So I want to scrap the scheme - so that means the flights won't be going."
Sir Keir says he would rather spend the money on his own measures to counter small boats.
"No flights, no Rwanda scheme. It's a gimmick," he says.
Swinney: Gender recognition reforms 'cannot be implemented'
By Alix Culbertson, political reporter
Scotland's new first minister has told Sky News that the controversial gender recognition reforms "cannot be implemented."
John Swinney,who became first minister this week, has faced questions over his stance on gender recognition after MSPs voted in 2022 to pass a bill to make it simpler for people to change their gender without having to obtain a medical diagnosis.
The UK government blocked the bill from being made into law and the Supreme Court rejected a request by the Scottish government for a judicial review.
Asked if he would be fighting to push the bill through, Mr Swinney told Sky News: "The reality of the situation we face is that the Supreme Court has said that we can't legislate in that area. We can't take forward that legislation."
UK no longer in recession, official figures show, as 'confident' Sunak insists economy has 'real momentum'
The UK economy is no longer in recession, according to official figures.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a better-than-expected 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Economists had predicted the figure would be 0.4%.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it showed the economy had "turned a corner".
He told Sky News's Ed Conway: "I am pleased that while there's more work to do, today's figures show that the economy now has real momentum, and I'm confident that with time, people will start to feel the benefits of that.
"We've had multiple months now where wages are rising, energy bills have fallen, mortgage rates are down and taxes are being cut... I'm pleased with the progress that we're making."
Mr Sunak added: "I am confident the economy is getting healthier every week."
You can read more here:
Starmer's Rwanda plan 'rank hypocrisy' - Sunak
Rishi Sunak has criticised Sir Keir Starmer's position on Rwanda as "rank hypocrisy".
Speaking to broadcasters, the prime minister says the Labour leader has announced things the government is "already doing".
He gives the example of "punching through the backlog, having more law enforcement officers do more, that's all happening already".
"We've announced all of that more than a year ago," the prime minister adds.
"The question for Keir Starmer if he cares so much about that, why did he vote against the new laws that we passed to give our law enforcement officers new powers?
"They've now used those to arrest almost 8,000 people connected with illegal migration, sentenced them to hundreds of years in prison.
"And if it was up to him, all those people would be out on our streets, so I think it's rank hypocrisy property of his position."
