General election latest: Corbyn accuses Starmer of left-wing 'purge' (2024)

In his defection letter released earlier, former Tory MP Mark Logan cited Labour's stance on the war in Gaza as a reason for switching.

Many of his constituents feel strongly about it, he says.

He thinks a Labour government would have "the right intention" to help end the conflict, saying there are many people in the party "that have an interest" and even a "specialism" when it comes to the Middle East.

The party has been calling for an immediate ceasefire, though the leadership has been criticised for how long it took to change its stance.

'An opportunity to show leadership'

"I do think Labour are going to do things a bit differently," says Mr Logan.

"It's actually an opportunity to show leadership. The UK can show leadership with other like-minded countries.

"There's a real opportunity if we can show leadership and move to having reconstruction that benefits the people of Gaza and also making sure that Israel is secure and safe."

Mark Logan, who has tonight defected from the Tories to Labour, is speaking first to Ali Fortescue.

He says he thinks his move is "the right thing for both my constituency in Bolton North East, but also the country".

Mr Logan refers to the "sense of optimism" before Tony Blair came to power back in 1997 and thinks the country has again reached a "pivotal turning point" head of the 4 July election.

He tells Ali he's been thinking about defecting "for quite a long time", finally coming to the decision after a week of "soul-searching".

'It's time for change'

Mr Logan thought his values "fit better" with Labour.

He acknowledges Ali's point that it's "quite a turnaround", given he's previously praised Rishi Sunak and backed him to be PM.

Mr Sunak can still "leave office with his held high" if he loses the election, says the defector.

"I do think he's a person of integrity. I think he is hard-working, but it's just time for a change."

But he won't now be standing at the election in his constituency or looking for another potential Labour seat.

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Ali Fortescueis live now on Sky News.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Among Ali's guests tonight will be the latest Tory defector,Mark Logan, who has sworn his allegiance to Labour this evening.

On Ali's panel tonight are:

• Greg Cook, former head of strategy for Labour;
• Mercy Muroki, ex-adviser to Tory minister Kemi Badenoch.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hubfrom 7pmevery night during the election campaign on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Ali Fortescuewill be live on Sky News from 7pm.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Among Ali's guests tonight will be the latest Tory defector, Mark Logan, who has sworn his allegiance to Labour this evening.

On Ali's panel tonight are:

• Greg Cook, former head of strategy for Labour;
• Mercy Muroki, ex-adviser to Tory minister Kemi Badenoch.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hubfrom 7pm every night during the election campaign on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

By Gurpreet Narwan, political correspondent

Reform UK events are usually light on policy, but the party has been doing some brainstorming.

Its latest offer: an employers' immigration tax.

Businesses which employ foreigners instead of British citizens will have to pay additional premium on their national insurance contributions, taking the tax rate up from 13.8% to 20%.

The party believes this could raise £20bn for the exchequer.

However, there are exemptions.

It will not apply to health and social care, a major sector for migrant labour, which raises doubts about how much of a dent the policy would make to net migration figures.

Small employers with fewer than five staff will also be exempt.

The party did not say what it would mean for those with settled status or workers on spousal or family visas.

When asked whether he was comfortable with the prospect of businesses going bust, Nigel Farage said: "Some might but businesses generally innovate, businesses generally go bust if people don't buy their products.

"Yes, costs are a factor, but it's all about innovation and change."

Both he and Richard Tice were nonplussed at the prospect that businesses might pass the costs onto consumers, risking higher inflation.

As we're in the election period, there is plenty of party political criticism flying around.

The Conservatives have responded to our political editorBeth Rigby's interview with Angela Rayner - in which the deputy Labour leader said Diane Abbott should be allowed to stand if she wants.

A spokesperson for the Tories said: "Today the Labour Party campaign has descended into complete chaos.

"Keir Starmer changed major tax policy overnight in response to a press release, and today he's being undermined by his own deputy.

"Starmer's central claim that he has 'changed' the Labour Party has been exposed as nothing more than a con that is falling apart before the public's eyes."

Read the interview with Ms Rayner below:

By Jon Craig, chief political correspondent

Sir Keir Starmer is celebrating the third defection by a Tory to Labour in just over a month.

Mark Logan, who was elected Conservative MP for Bolton North East in 2019, has told Sky News he is quitting the Tories and is urging people to vote Labour in the general election on 4 July.

In recent months he has been a fierce critic of the government's policy on Gaza and is now calling on the UK to recognise Palestine as a country.

Northern Ireland-born Mr Logan, 40, won his seat from Labour in the 2019 general election with a slender majority of just 378. It had been Labour since 1997 but was previously held by the Tories.

A former UK diplomat serving in China who is fluent in Mandarin and Japanese, his dramatic switch follows secret talks with Labour chief whip Sir Alan Campbell and members of Sir Keir's inner circle.

Mr Logan had been due to defend the seat in the general election, but after his shock defection, he hopes to become a Labour candidate in another constituency.

In a "personal statement" on Commons stationery written just before parliament dissolved on Thursday, Mr Logan referred to Labour's 1997 election anthem Things Can Only Get Better.

He wrote: "Labour is back, and given how things have been, I believe things can only get better."

Read more below:

By Faye Brown, political reporter

Trump-style Tory attacks claiming Sir Keir Starmer is "too old" to be prime minister may have backfired, a new poll suggests.

According to More in Common, only 17% of voters think the Labour leader is too old to be PM - a number that drops to 5% among swing voters.

What's more, the average age of undecided voters is… 61 - the same age as Sir Keir.

Luke Tryl, the UK director of More in Common said "given the Tories need these voters back, implying 61 is a 'sleepy' age may not be wise".

On Sunday, anonymous quotes emerged in the papers calling Sir Keir "Sir Sleepy", suggesting he does not have the stamina for the campaign.

It echoes the sort of attacks launched in the US by Donald Trump on Joe Biden, who is 81.

'A risky strategy'

Mr Tryl told Bloomberg, which first reported on the polling, that pretending the two have the same age problem is "either wishful thinking… or Tory aides have watched too much West Wing".

"Implying people of that age (61) are past it is a risky strategy", he said, given this is "the key demographic the Tories need to win back if they are going to avoid a 1997-style landslide defeat".

Sir Keir has dismissed the "sleepy" claims as "desperate".

Even senior Tories have appeared uncomfortable with this line of attack.

On Tuesday, we asked Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, 62, if he would condone that sort of characterisation.

"It's not a term that I have used or would use. I think whatever age you are in life, people have a huge amount to contribute in some of the most effective ways", he said, noting he is "in the same bracket" as Sir Keir.

Statistics released today show the number of soldiers in the UK's armed forces has dropped below the target of 73,000.

Plans set out by the government put the UK on course to reduce its armed forces from 82,000 troops to 73,000 by 2025.

Ten years ago, there were 97,000.

Data out from the Ministry of Defence shows that numbers fell to 72,510 in April this year - down 2,320 in the previous year.

John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, says "our forces can't afford five more years of the Tories".

The Conservatives have pledged to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030, and Labour say they will meet the same target when economic conditions allow.

An MoD spokesperson said: "Recruitment and retention are a priority for the armed forces, and they continue to implement a number of measures to improve it for both regular forces and the reserves."