UK general election LIVE: Rishi Sunak hopes to score pensioners vote with new ‘Triple Lock Plus’ tax cut while Labour is backed by more than 100 business chiefs – everything you need to know from the campaign trail

Nigel Farage has taken aim at Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer as he unloaded both barrells during a speech in Dover.

Reform UK’s honorary president said the election campaign had got off to ‘the dullest start I can ever remember in my entire life’ as he appeared at a launch event for Reform’s candidate for Dover.

He stood in front of a Union Flag backdrop with the words ‘Britain needs reform’ and in front of a podium that said ‘Rishi can’t stop the boats’ to announce the candidacy of Howard Cox in Dover.

He said Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were ‘men with the appearance and energy of middle managers vying to become a national leader.’

Sir Keir has ‘no energy, no optimism’, while Mr Sunak looks ‘more like a frightened rabbit than someone who is bold’, Mr Farage said.

Mr Farage is campaigning for Reform but will not stand as a candidate in the General Election.

Mr Farage said he was ‘very disappointed’ to decide not to stand in the election and said he felt he could not fight a seat and campaign around the country in six weeks.

Reaction continues to pour in to the Rishi Sunak’s proposal to reintroduce some form of national service which has been roundly mocked by young people on social media.

Amid scrutiny about the details of the plan and how it would work, the Prime Minister has assured voters it would open doors for teenagers that they wouldn’t otherwise get through.

But his policy announcement sparked a heated debate over the weekend – with Labour branding it ‘desperate’ and even some Conservatives worried that it was akin to a ‘grown-up Boy Scouts’.

Here are some of our favourite social media posts in response to the policy:

Some news from the Liberal Democrats this morning with the party calling for a new statutory guarantee that all burglaries will be attended by police and properly investigated.

Urging the public to back the ‘Burglary Response Guarantee’ on its website, the Lib Dems say:

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home.

But last year there were 45,233 reported burglaries where a police officer didn’t then visit the scene of the crime. Too many victims are let down while criminals are getting away with it

No family should be denied justice after suffering the distress and trauma of being burgled. At the very least, people should know that if they are burgled, the police will attend the scene and investigate properly.

Labour was won the support of 120 business executives who have endorsed the party’s pledge to restore stability to the British economy if it wins power on July 4.

Business leaders signed a letter published in The Times which criticised the Conservative government’s stewardship of the nation’s finances.

The letter comes as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves delivers a speech in the Midlands this morning to press home Labour’s case it will be a ‘pro-business, pro-worker’ should it win the July 4 poll.

Here is the text of the letter:

We, as leaders and investors in British business, believe it is time for a change. For too long, our economy has been beset by instability, stagnation and a lack of long-term focus.

The UK has the potential to be one of the strongest economies in the world. A lack of political stability and the absence of consistent economic strategy have held it back. The country has been denied the skills and infrastructure it needs to flourish.

We are looking for a government that will partner fiscal discipline with a long-term growth strategy, working in partnership with the private sector to drive innovation and investment to build digital and physical capital and fix our skills system. This is the only way to put us on track for sustained productivity growth.

Labour has shown it has changed and wants to work with business to achieve the UK’s full economic potential. We should now give it the chance to change the country and lead Britain into the future. We are in urgent need of a new outlook to break free from the stagnation of the past decade and we hope by taking this public stand we might persuade others of that need too.

Nigel Farage was grilled on Good Morning Britain over the Reform UK founder’s controversial comments on Muslims by presenter Richard Madeley who asked him, ‘What on earth were you talking about?’

Farage provoked a backlash on Sunday when he warned of the ‘growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values’ and ‘loathe much of what we stand for’.  

He later clarified he was talking about Muslims.

Labour is pressing ahead with more Dad’s Army jokes at the expense of the Conservatives this morning.

During his speech yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer dismissed Rishi Sunak’s plan to reintroduce a form of national service as a ‘teenage Dad’s Army’.

It appears the gag is being repeated today after shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth handed out a dossier denouncing the proposal.

A businesswoman whose childcare firm received investment from Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty (pictured) is among more than 120 leaders to have endorsed Labour in an open letter today.

Rachel Carrell, the CEO of Koru Kids, is among the signatories to the note that say it is ‘time for a change’ with TV chef Tom Kerridge also putting his name forward.

Mr Sunak’s wife once held shares in Koru Kids but donated them to charity following concerns about whether she stood to benefit from government policies.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride was asked about Ms Carrell’s inclusion and denied suggestions it was ‘not at all embarrassing’ for the Conservatives.

Whether the PM’s wife has invested in any particular business does not detract from the things that really matter, which is that this is the government that has turned the economy around.

Nigel Farage has said he would propose tackling the Channel migrant crisis by sending small boats back to France if the French ‘don’t play ball’.

Mr Farage, who is campaigning for Reform UK but is not standing in the General Election, told Good Morning Britain that the UK should leave the European Court of Human Rights, which halted flights to Rwanda.

Speaking from Dover, he said the UK should ‘make clear that nobody that comes via this route will ever be granted settled status in our country’

Labour’s Jonathan Reynolds has caused somewhat of a stir on social media after he described himself as a ‘Christian socialist’ during an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

But many on social media appeared confused with Mr Reynolds’ self-proclamation and questioned whether it would go down well with voters.

Mr Reynolds has said he does not know whether Diane Abbott (pictured) will stand as a Labour MP in the election amid reports a disciplinary process involving her ended in December last year.

BBC Newsnight has reported Labour’s investigation into Diane Abbott over comments she made on racism has been completed which resulted in a formal warning over her conduct and a requirement to complete an ‘antisemitism awareness course’.

Mr Reynolds told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme:

We want that situation resolved, we all want to see that resolved. I genuinely don’t know the circumstances that you’re describing.

I think in any disciplinary matter you need both sides to engage in it, I genuinely have no additional information other than that but we are all keen to see every situation like this resolved as soon as possible.

Our political editor James Tapsfield has more on the new ‘Triple Lock Plus’ policy announcement aimed at shoring up Tory support among the older generation.

Under the plan, the Prime Minister is vowing to maintain the mechanism that hikes payouts by whichever is highest out of inflation, average wage growth or 2.5 per cent.

But the Conservatives would also guarantee that the personal allowance will rise at the same pace for those over retirement age – ensuring it will always be higher than the state pension.

Jonathan Reynolds (pictured), the shadow business secretary, is on the morning round of interviews for Labour this morning.

He has been asked about Sir Keir Starmer’s remarks that he is a ‘socialist’.

Mr Reynolds was asked by Emma Barnett on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme whether he identifies with the term.

Yes, I would describe myself as a Christian socialist in the best traditions of that (term) because that’s about putting people first and to do that, you’ve got to have a set of policies that will deliver for people.”

I think it’s the best tradition of the things that have been delivered in the UK, whether it’s the national parks or the NHS, have come from people with a similar background to mine.

Mr Stride has described Rishi Sunak’s proposals for teenagers to carry out national service as a ‘great idea’ which can help them give them resilience to lean on in later life.

He added those who choose not to sign up would not face criminal sanctions

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said:

When it comes to the national service, I think this is a great idea. We’re not unique in putting this forward, it’s something that for example, is happening in Sweden, where those young people that go through their version of what we’re suggesting, 80% of them actually come out the other end of say they would recommend doing it to a friend.

And I think this is a real opportunity for young people to get experience that they wouldn’t otherwise have, to build friendships, to build skills, to build confidence, the kind of building blocks that will set them up give them resilience, to go forward in their lives.

He added that the armed forces element of the policy would ‘provide the country with additional resilience in what is a much more uncertain world’.

Taking to the airwaves this morning, Mr Stride was also asked whether former prime minister Boris Johnson would play part in the Conservatives’ campaign in the run up to the general election.

But he told Sky News he had ‘no idea’ on the level of Mr Johnson’s involvement, if any.

Mr Johnson is understood to have booked a series of foreign trips that will take him out of the UK for the majority of the critical period.

Read our story here which is available to Mail Plus subscribers:

Battle lines have been drawn between Labour and the Conservatives over Rishi Sunak’s new proposal ensuring pensioners will never have to pay income tax on their state pension.

Tories say the tax break would equate to a tax cut of around £100 for eight million pensioners next year – increasing to £300 in five years’ time.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride (pictured) said under a Labour government, millions of pensioners would be dragged into paying income tax.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Stride said:

We will not only up rate by the triple lock across the whole of the next Parliament, but we will also up rate something called the personal allowance, which is the amount you can earn without paying income tax by the triple lock as well.

And that will mean millions of pensioners are getting a tax cut through time. Now Labour have dismissed that, they say they wouldn’t do it, which will drag millions pensioners into tax.

Rishi Sunak will be out campaigning in the Midlands today, while Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) will also be in the region delivering a speech.

Reform UK founder and honorary president Nigel Farage is expected to be in Dover this morning, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey heads to the Lake District.

The Scottish Tories will launch its election campaign north of the border this morning.

We will bring you the latest news, pictures and reaction from events as and when they happen.

Photo ops are a politician’s bread and butter during an election so let’s take a look at our favourite images from day five of the campaign trail:

Sir Keir Starmer was pictured having a cup with Tom Rutland, the Labour candidate for East Worthing and Shoreham after delivering a speech to supporters in Lancing.

Rishi Sunak visited Chesham United Football Club where he enjoyed a kickabout with children.

And Sir Ed Davey was all smiles as he launched the Liberal Democrats Scottish campaign in North Queensferry.

Before we look forward to today’s agenda, let’s take a look at the front page story of today’s Daily Mail after a major report found nearly half of fee-paying pupils would be forced into the state system under Labour’s planned tax raid on private schools.

Read the story from the Mail’s Education Editor Eleanor Harding here:

For those of you who enjoyed your bank holiday Monday and missed all the action on the campaign trail, here are yesterday’s highlights:

We will bring you the main stories from the campaign today throughout the morning and afternoon.

Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of day six on the general election campaign trail.

After showing off his somewhat dubious skills on the football pitch, Rishi Sunak will have hoped to scored a goal with pensioners with his announcement for a new age-related tax cut which is dubbled ‘triple lock plus’.

While, avid Arsenal fan Sir Keir Starmer was aiming to impress rival supporters as he promised economic stability and protecting national security in his first major speech of the campaign.

And more Tory turmoil as one outgoing MP told voters to back the Reform UK candidate in her constituency and one government minister suggested the new national service plan was ‘sprung on’ candidates.

Join us for the all the latest news, analysis and reaction from the campaign today and join in the conversation in our comments section.