Sir Keir Starmer pitched the General Election as a vote between "two different countries, two different futures" for the UK as he launched Labour’s campaign with a stinging attack on the Tories.
Speaking at Gillingham Football Club on Thursday morning, the Labour leader said: "This election is about a choice: Two different countries, two different futures.
"Decline and chaos continuing under the Tories, or rebuilding our country under Labour.”
Five Conservative MPs have today confirmed they will not be on the ballot on July 4. Sir Michael Ellis became the fifth Conservative to say he would not seek re-election on Thursday after the Prime Minister called the general election. They included Transport Minister Huw Merriman.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak fired a deeply personal salvo at his Downing Street rival as general election battle lines were drawn on the first day of campaigning.
The Prime Minister headed to Derby as he started a whistlestop tour of all four nations of the UK.
Mr Sunak set the tone for the election early by attacking Sir Keir as a man lacking “conviction”, “courage” and with no “plan” on key issues including the economy and immigration.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the PM said: “I don’t know what Keir Starmer believes, I don’t think anyone knows because he changes his mind all the time.
“If you don’t have the courage to tell the country what your plan is, what do you want to do if you get this incredible job of being Prime Minister, then I don’t think that it’s right that you can lead, particularly at such an uncertain time.
“That is what I will do. People can judge me by my record.”
But the PM will face accusations that he has failed on several of his five key pledges including on “stopping the boats”, bringing down NHS waiting lists, cutting the nation’s debt.
He has succeeded in halving inflation and getting the economy growth again.
Meanwhile, Reform UK’s honorary president Nigel Farage has said he is not standing in the General Election, but will “do my bit to help in the campaign”.
