Closing summary
John Swinney has been taking questions from reporters at the SNP’s campaign launch event in Glasgow. We are wrapping up the blog now. Here is a summary of today’s developments:
Labour has refused to set specific targets on how it wants to reduce net migration to the UK should it win the general election on 4 July. The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the party wants to see “significant changes” and is clear that net migration “must come down”. But she stopped short of setting a target. Cooper also declined to rule out offshore processing or sending asylum seekers to have their claims processed abroad. Keir Starmer’s migration plan will include passing laws to ban law-breaking employers from hiring foreign workers and to train more Britons. Last year’s net migration figure of 685,000 has “got to come down”, he told The Sun on Sunday, as he tried to encroach on traditional Conservative electoral territory.
The health secretary, Victoria Atkins, said the Tories’ pledge to build 100 new GP surgeries would bring “healthcare closer to communities” – and defended the party’s record on NHS waiting times in government. The Conservatives have also said they wanted to expand the Pharmacy First scheme, under which patients could seek help from a pharmacist instead of a GP for certain common conditions including earache, sinusitis, a sore throat, infected insect bites and shingles.
Labour saw its lead over the Tories widen to 20 points in an Opinium poll.
It showed Sir Keir’s party on 45% – up four points since last weekend – while the Conservatives were down two percentage points on 25%.Speaking at the SNP’s Westminster campaign launch, party leader and Scottish first minister John Swinney said that this general election will be “the biggest challenge for years”. Swinney pushed for independence, celebrated his party’s record in government and accused the Labour party of giving “an awfully good impression” of the Tories.
Faiza Shaheen, the candidate blocked by Labour from standing in Chingford and Woodford Green, told LBC that she is considering standing in Chingford as an independent. She had already announced she would challenge the decision in the courts, claiming she has faced “a systematic campaign of racism, Islamophobia and bullying”.
A Conservative candidate seeking re-election has been criticised for using social media campaign adverts that appear to make it look as if he is standing for other parties. Robert Largan, the Conservative candidate for High Peak in Derbyshire, posted a picture of his face on X superimposed on to a red background along with the slogan “Labour for Largan”. Largan also posted a similar advert in the colours of Reform UK, with the slogan “Reform for Robert”. Derbyshire police said they were reviewing claims of “election fraud” they received relating to “concerns around marketing material”.
Thank you for reading and all your comments today. Martin Belam will be running the blog tomorrow. You can read all of our politics coverage here in the meantime.
Updated
SNP leader John Swinney says general election will be 'the biggest challenge for years'
Libby Brooks is the Guardian’s Scotland correspondent
John Swinney tells over 200 SNP activists and politicians in Glasgow that this general election will be “the biggest challenge for years”. He adds that “voters are right to take nothing for granted”.
He tells activists that people want the SNP to demonstrate the “relevance” of independence to the cost of living crisis – he also promises to protect Scotland’s NHS, accusing Labour of supporting creeping privatisation.
"This election is the biggest challenge the SNP has had for years".
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 2, 2024
SNP leader John Swinney says he'll 'give everything he has to secure the best future for Scotland' as he delivers a speech in Glasgow.https://t.co/xItZsH7tea
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/ekWZb8rcpb
Interesting moment at the start of media questions where BBC’s James Cook is booed by audience members – Swinney immediately reprimands them and says that media question will be heard without heckling.
The @theSNP leader @JohnSwinney warns his members here against heckling journalists after @BBCJamesCook faces some loud groans….
— Alan Zycinski (@AlanJZycinski) June 2, 2024
Had asked about party’s stance on wanting to be in a European Union, but not a UK Union.@LBCNews pic.twitter.com/z2xUmHNhSS
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