Election latest: Minister says election 'not about the past' as poll suggests Tory wipeout on 4 July (2024)

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has wished the England football team well, ahead of the start of their tournament.

The team are set to play Serbia this evening.

In a statement, Sir Keir said: "There is no feeling like the build up to the first England game of an international tournament: the pubs filling up, the flags waving, the nerves and excitement building.

"As fans up and down the country get ready for kick off, I want to wish Gareth and the team all the best on behalf of the Labour Party.

"We will be with you for every twist, turn and VAR decision. England is behind you. Make it a summer to remember."

Read below to see how football fan Starmer could change football if he becomes prime minister:

Our live poll tracker collates the results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - and allows you to see how the political parties are performing in the run-up to the general election.

So far, only one poll has shown Reform ahead of the Conservatives - the Tories are currently an average of 7 points ahead of Nigel Farage's party.

Read more about the tracker here.

Sky News has spoken to Sally Gainsbury, a senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, a health thinktank.

It comes after the Trust released a report criticising the lack of detailed plans for NHS spending from any of the main parties - Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat.

Speaking to political correspondent Tamara Cohen, Ms Gainsbury said: "These plans aren't realistic.

"All of the main parties in England, if they were to deliver what they're promising, without making substantial cuts elsewhere in the NHS, are going to have to commit substantial additional funds above what they have so far earmarked."

The issue Ms Gainsbury is highlighting is the pressure on NHS budgets due to issues like inflation.

She said: "We have these amounts of very, very low funding increases compared to the history of the NHS, across all three parties.

"That certainly would not be enough to really keep the NHS going as it is today, let alone funds the improvements that everybody wants to see."

Ms Gainsbury added: "Sadly, on the basis of the funding offers at the parties seem to be committing at the moment. We cannot see that patient experience will improve."

You can read about the various party's policies here:

The polling currently suggests the Conservatives will not be maintaining their majority after the next election.

If that does turn out to be the case, it is likely that Rishi Sunak will stand aside and there will be a contest to replace him.

Public affairs firm Charlesbye - run by former Downing Street communications chief and Boris Johnson aide Lee Cain - has asked 2,447 people who they would like to see takeover.

The most popular choice among the public was current foreign secretary and former prime minister Lord David Cameron - backed by 25.5% of those polled.

This was followed by Nigel Farage - on 20.3% - despite him not being a member of the party.

In third was Penny Mordaunt with 18.6%, followed by Kemi Badenoch on 7.7%, James Cleverly on 6.6%, Priti Patel on 6%, Tom Tugendhat on 5.2%, Suella Braverman on 4.7%, Claire Coutinho 3.2% and, in last, Robert Jenrick with 2.3%.

Among those who intend to vote Conservative in the upcoming election, support for Lord Cameron grows to 30.1%, Ms Mordaunt jumps to second with 24.6%, and Mr Farage drops to third with 16.3%.

Of those who voted Conservative in the last election, Ms Mordaunt is the favourite with 26.6%, followed by Lord Cameron in second with 23.8% and Mr Farage in third with 22.7%.

Mr Cain said: "A gaffe-riddled campaign has crushed what remained of Sunak's credibility - with the public now more likely to vote Conservatives if he was no longer leader.

"Focus in Tory circles is already turning to who can rebuild the party from the ashes. The popularity of Penny Morduant, David Cameron and Nigel Farage shows there is no clear consensus for the path it will take."

From first past the post to voter ID, here's everything you need to know about the general election in less than five minutes.

By Narbeh Minassian, news reporter

Politics can shape the future of football at the best of times, but after the past five years it's arguably as important as ever to gauge how Westminster will approach the national sport.

With some clubs facing extinction, attempts at a breakaway league, the rise of the women's game and state ownership, there are many ways the sport could move up the next government's agenda.

The most pressing matter will be the landmark Football Governance Bill, which was introduced by the Tory government but broadly enjoys cross-party support.

As football finance expert Kieran Maguire told Sky News, there is an argument football is "so embedded in the fabric of the country that it needs protecting" - which is what this bill aims to do.

"A football club is a monopoly supplier, if you support Wolverhampton and they go out of business, it's simply not the case that you can just go and support West Bromwich Albion," he said.

"Because of that intensity, it needs protection - from owners, from changing the identity of club."

As the England men's team kicks off its Euro 2024 campaign on Sunday, many eyes will shift between football and politics over the next three weeks.

So how would one affect the other; how could Labour's plans affect fans and what questions remain?

Find out below:

With it being Father's Day today, Labour has committed to improving paternity rights.

Angela Rayner, the party's deputy leader, says she wants to see a "cultural shift".

One of the pledges is to make parental leave a day one right.

Currently, employees need to have been working for 26 continuous weeks.

The Liberal Democrats recently unveiled a "dad month" policy – a month of use-it-or-lose-it leave for fathers which would be paid at 90% of earnings.

A Conservative spokesman said: "We have taken bold action to empower parents in making the choices that are best for them – whether that be by giving parents more flexibility and choice surrounding their paternity leave or rolling out the largest ever expansion of childcare."

The Labour Party has reiterated its plans to tackle cancer waiting lists should it enter government.

The opposition party is claiming that a new Conservative government would see 700,000 cancer patients waiting too long.

Labour's plan includes previously announced pledges like 40,000 extra appointments, scheduling scans on weekends and evenings, doubling the number of CT and MRI scanners, introducing AI-assisted scanners, and expanding NHS staff numbers.

Wes Streeting, the party's shadow health secretary and someone previously treated for cancer, said: "Since the Conservatives took office in 2010, hundreds of thousands of patients have waited too long for tests, scans, and treatment.

"If the Conservatives are given another five years, nothing will change, the crisis in cancer care will continue, and hundreds of thousands more cancer patients will wait too long."

Both parties are coming under criticism for their lack of clear plans to fund the NHS after the election.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Streeting said his party would increase NHS spending if "conditions allowed".

A Conservative spokesperson said: "The Conservatives have taken bold action to cut waiting lists and secure the future of the NHS, with the total budget increasing by over a third in real terms since 2010 and our £2.4bn long-term workforce plan – the first of its kind – delivering record numbers of doctors and nurses."

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