Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner put on a united front as they kick off Labour's election campaign for 'change' with statement of intent in Tory Kent seat

23/05/2024

Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner kicked off Labour's general election campaign today with a statement of intent rally in a seat where the Tories have a 15,000 vote majority.

The party's top two parked their political tanks on the Conservative lawn of Rehman Chishti - a former Tory leadership candidate - in Gillingham and Raynham in Kent, saying that a vote for Labour was 'a vote to stop the chaos'.

It will be seen as laying down a marker for Labour expectations in the election. Gillingham and Rainham was created in 2005 and has always voted Tory, though it's predecessor seat of Gillingham was held by Labour. The boundaries of the constituency are changing in this election.

Speaking at Gillingham FC's football ground Mr Starmer joked that the last time his party was in power, the club had been in the same division as Manchester City.

But turning to more serious matters he went on: 'This election is for you, because you now have the power, the chance to end the chaos, to turn the page and rebuild Britain.'

He also took a dig at Rishi Sunak after the PM confirmed no Rwanda deportation flights would take off before the election.

The party's top two parked their political tanks on the Conservative lawn of Rehman Chishti in Gillingham and Raynham in Kent, saying that a vote for Labour was 'a vote to stop the chaos'.

Speaking at Gillingham FC's football ground Mr Starmer joked that the last time his party was in power, the club had been in the same division as Manchester City.

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The Labour leader told reporters in Gillingham: 'Rishi Sunak clearly does not believe in his Rwanda plan. I think that's been clear from this morning, because he's not going to get any flights off.

'I think that tells its own story. I don't think he's ever believed that plan is going to work, and so he has called an election early enough to have it not tested before the election.

'We have to deal with the terrible loss of control of the border under this Government, we have to tackle the small boats that are coming across - nobody but nobody should be making that journey.

'But the serious response to that, rather than the gimmick from the Government is to smash the gangs with a new border command that will work across countries to take those gangs down and stop this vile trade.'

Sir Keir could later be heard to say 'Up the Gill' and joked that at least his speech was not taking place in the rain - a reference to Rishi Sunak's downpour-blighted election announcement in Downing Street.

It came after Mr Sunak hit the election campaign trail today urging Brits to back his 'bold' vision - as a poll showed Labour 25 points ahead.

The PM joked he is 'drier' than yesterday and had 'brought an umbrella' as he gave interviews from Derbyshire after shocking the country - and his own MPs - by pulling the trigger on a July 4 contest.

He launched a highly personal attack on Keir Starmer, swiping that he had 'no convictions' and voters cannot trust him. With ministers braced for potentially grim immigration stats this morning, Mr Sunak also suggested the Labour leader would make the UK a 'magnet' for Channel boats.

However, Mr Sunak also conceded that Rwanda deportation flights are now unlikely to take off before the election.

And the scale of the task facing the premier was underlined this morning with YouGov research showing Labour 25 points ahead - enough for a landslide bigger than that secured by Tony Blair in 1997. Polling guru Sir John Curtice said Mr Sunak's decision to call a ballot meant he is 'either very brave or extremely foolhardy'.

In a massive boost for the Tories, Nigel Farage has announced that he will not stand as a Reform candidate.

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