Election latest: Boris Johnson 'drafted in to counter Reform' - but is pictured on the beach (2024)

By Tom Cheshire, online campaign correspondent

More people in the UK think immigration has a negative impact on society compared to a positive one, according to a new survey carried out by YouGov exclusively for Sky News.

Across the UK, 43% of people asked thought thatimmigrationhas a negative impact on British society, compared to 35% who said it has a positive impact.

While the results varied according to location, only in London and in Scotland were people more likely to say that immigration has a positive impact.

And there were clear divides between age groups: 54% of 18 to 24-year-olds think immigration has a positive effect. But among those aged 65 and up, 58% think the impact of immigration on society is negative.

There was a more mixed view on the economic benefits of immigration, with the results pretty even: 39% of respondents thought immigration has a positive impact on the economy, with 37% saying the impact was negative.

But the poll identified a clear gender split, with only 34% of women saying that immigration has had a positive economic impact, compared with 43% of men.

Respondents also thought that cutting immigration would have a negative impact on the NHS, hospitality, universities and social care, but a positive effect on housing.

The survey also revealed deep political distrust among the public, with 52% saying they think Labour are not telling the truth about what they think on immigration, and 49% saying the same thing about the Conservatives. Every region and demographic distrusted the main two parties on this point.

And people by a large margin believed that governments - from whatever party - could cut immigration if they really wanted but that it would have negative consequences they don't want to face.

Reform UKis the only party people think are telling the truth on immigration: 60% agreed that the party was saying what it genuinely thought.

Nor do people trust the main two parties to follow through on their promises. People thought that immigration would increase under both a Labour and a Conservativegovernment - despite believing that their policies aim to reduce it.

People overwhelmingly think war, poverty, and gangs are mainly responsible for increases in immigration - compared to just 1% who think climate change is the main cause, or 4% who think Brexit is.

Scottish Labour is against the two-child benefit cap, Anas Sarwar has said, despite there being no plans to scrap the measure if Labour wins the keys to Downing Street.

Asked by a journalist if he was against the cap - which only allows families to claim benefits for two children - Mr Sarwar said: "The short answer is yes.

"We were right to oppose the two-child limit, we were right to vote against the two-child limit."

But he added: "The honest reality is after 14 years of Tory economic carnage, we will not be able to do everything we want to do as fast as we want to do."

Anas Sarwar is now taking questions from the media - first up, Sky News.

The Scottish Labour leader is asked about the "pretty tiny" spending plans in his manifesto, which have been described as "trivial".

But Mr Sarwar says this is because the UK's economy "has been trashed".

He adds: "The public finances have been destroyed, and our public services have been decimated by the Conservatives.

"We have lots of work to do to change our country, and to go on the path of a decade of national renewal."

Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, is on his feet as the party launches its own manifesto ahead of the general election on 4 July.

It was expected to contain a strong focus on young people and some hints about what the party would offer if it won the Holyrood election in 2026.

Here are Scottish Labour's key pledges:

• Mr Sarwar begins with a focus on working people, vowing to give millions "fairer pay" and lifting "hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty";
• He pledges to give 200,000 Scots a pay rise with a New Deal for Working People - and "end the discrimination built into the system by the Tories";
• Turning to young people, Scottish Labour pledge to "change young people's futures for the better" by "unlocking their true potential and bringing back opportunity for the next generation of Scots";
• The party also vows to improve access to apprenticeships, support first time buyers and "deliver a pay rise for over 40,000 young Scots";
• He says a Labour government would have a Scotland Office to improve the relationship with the Holyrood administration and ensure "devolution is strengthened and works the way it was always meant to";
• This "turbocharged" Scotland Office will be "bolstered by millions of pounds of funding", he said, and promote the country's exports while boosting investment;
  
• Scottish Labour also pledges to deliver 69,000 clean energy jobs;
• There is another promise to ban zero-hour contracts and "end the scandal of fire and rehire".

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has reiterated it is his aim to make sure his party "beat as many Conservative MPs as possible" on 4 July.

He told reporters in Eastleigh his party was getting its messages across when it comes to health and care - and the sewage scandal.

"The truth is the Conservatives have failed in government," he said.

"They would fail in opposition.

"There are a divided party and I think the Liberal Democrats could be very important for next parliament."

Some polls have suggested the Lib Dems could even outnumber the Tories in parliament after the election, though this would represent an enormous change in fortunes given they weren't even the third-largest party last time round.

Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, has told Jeremy Hunt it is "frankly staggering" that he believes Liz Truss's economic plans were a "good thing to aim for".

In a letter to the chancellor, reacting to this comment, Mr Jones said: "I find it frankly staggering that you, the chancellor of the exchequer, hold this view."

He reminded the chancellor the former PM's mini-budget led to a "huge rise in interest rates", an "eye-watering" hike to mortgage repayments, and also "put pensions in peril".

"It is becoming increasingly clear that far from turning the page on the Liz Truss episode, you and the government of which you are a member want to repeat this dangerous experiment," he added.

Mr Jones went on to urge the chancellor to "set the record straight" on whether he supports the "Truss economic agenda".

Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants a judge-led inquiry into the Nottingham attacks if Labour wins the election.

Emma Webber, mother of victim Barnaby Webber, called into LBC's phone-in show with the Labour leader to ask if he would hold a public inquiry into the outcome of the trial into the attack last year.

Her son, his friend Grace O'Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates, were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane, who was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

'The right way forward'

Mrs Webber said she felt let down by the system in terms of sentencing, and all the families have previously criticised the "utterly flawed and under-resourced criminal justice system" after the Court of Appeal rejected an application to increase Calocane's sentence to include jail time.

Sir Keir said he met her and other family members to hear about their concerns and said "it was a difficult meeting".

He said: "I think a judge-led inquiry is the right way forward.

"I was concerned about the way the system had let her and the family down in terms of the charges, the communication with the families. It was difficult to hear what they'd been though.

"My resolve is to make sure we have that inquiry and make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. We have to improve here."

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out raising council tax for "working people" - a term he has clarified.

The Labour leader was asked by a caller to LBC if he would raise council tax after announcing national insurance, income tax and VAT would not be hiked.

"On the question of tax, we've been really clear, we're not going to be raising tax on working people," he said.

He added a line he has repeated many times over the general election, saying: "Beyond that, none of our plans require tax rises over and above the ones we've announced."

Pressed on whether that could mean a rise in council tax, he said: "I'm not going to sit here and write the budgets for the next five years.

"None of our plans require a tax rise.

"I understand this is a different approach and Labour leaders in the past would have come on and said 'tax, tax, tax'. I'm saying growth, growth, growth."

Who are 'working people'?

He also clarified who the "working people" he and Labour candidates keep referring to when they say taxes will not be increased for them.

"The person I have in my mind is people who earn their living, rely on our public services, don't really have a cheque to write if they get into trouble," he said.

"Therefore relies on public services like the NHS. It's quite a big group these days."

Sir Keir Starmer has said only parents with children on a special educational needs (SEN) plan will be exempt from paying VAT on private school fees.

The Labour leader told a headteacher of a private school for such pupils that those who do not have a plan will have to pay VAT.

She said many of her pupils are not on an official education, health, and care plans (EHC) but require the support her school provides.

Asked specifically about those pupils, Sir Keir, speaking on LBC, said: "If it's part of the plan, and because of particular needs [the child] can only be in a private school, then that fee is exempt from that scheme."

'It's a tough choice'

When pushed on the tens of thousands of SEN pupils who do not have a plan, Sir Keir said: "I've got nothing against private schools and I do understand lots of parents save hard and work hard to send their children to private schools.

"I want to make sure every single child, wherever they come from, has the same opportunities.

"It's a tough choice, there isn't a lot of money around.

"We do care, and I want every single child, whether they go to private or state school, to have the same opportunities."

Boris Johnson has been drafted in by the Conservatives to help counter the growing threat from Reform UK, reports have claimed this morning.

He has reportedly signed thousands of letters due to be delivered to voters this week, as well as recording campaign videos for a number of his Tory MP allies.

The former prime minister has urged voters to re-elect the likes of Sir Simon Clarke, Paul Bristow, Nick Fletcher, Tom Hunt and Jane Stevenson.

But it appears Mr Johnson may be campaigning from the sunny beaches of Sardinia - where he has been photographed with his family...