Election latest: Two arrests made after Nigel Farage milkshake attack - as Tory rival condemns incident (2024)

As I reported this morning, Diane Abbott is now confirmed on the candidates list.

The Labour leadership will be hoping this draws a line under what insiders admit has been a tricky few days- with the campaign messages overshadowed by questions about Ms Abbott's future.

Ms Abbott, who is now running as a Labour candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, tweeted she was looking forward to campaigning for a Labour victory.

Faiza Shaheen, the left-wing candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green, looked poised to announce she's standing as an independent.

After being dropped by the Labour Party, she said she would make an announcement tomorrow.

She was just 1,262 votes behind Conservative Iain Duncan-Smith at the last election in 2019 and with Labour heavily predicted to win that seat, this could shape up to be an interesting battle.

Labour have now selected Brent councillor Shama Tatler as their candidate.

If Ms Shaheen runs too, it could let the Conservatives through the middle, in a seat they've held since 1997.

As we reported this afternoon, Nigel Farage had a drink thrown over him after launching his campaign in Clacton.

After addressing a vast crowd in the seaside town, the Reform UK leader was leaving a pub when he was splattered with what appeared to be a banana milkshake.

You can watch the moment below:

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter, in Salford

So, we are up in Media City in Salford for tonight's debate, where all the journalists and politicians are being placed in a spin room to watch on as the leaders battle it out.

But what is a spin room?

It is a concept that dates back to the 1980s, first set up by Ronald Reagan's team as he fought for the White House in the US by debating his rival Walter Mondale.

That was in a American hotel's banquet room, but we are in a far more glamourous location - a room next door to the Coronation Street Experience, which is sure to have seen lots of drama of its own.

The point of the spin room is to have representatives for the candidates on each side of the debate ready to talk up their man - in this case - and hammer home their points with a captive audience of reporters hungry for news.

It can get a little feisty when the politicians sent in face off against each other too.

I remember a particularly angry encounter between Conservative Dominic Raab and Labour's Barry Gardiner when I last attended one of these in 2019 over Brexit.

In fact, Mr Gardiner then went on to take on Matt Hanco*ck too as the press gawped at the exchanges.

Let's hope for some more fireworks tonight...

Welcome to the "spin room" at the ITV studios in Salford where Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will do battle in the first TV debate of the 2024 general election campaign.

We're inside Granada TV’s "Coronation Street Experience" - and for all those who love the soap opera of politics, the one-hour showdown between the Conservative and Labour leaders is sure to provide gripping drama.

There's no VAR in this contest, but the referee with the task of keeping order is Julie Etchingham, a Sky News presenter from 2002 until late 2007 and who hosted leaders' debates in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections for ITV.

Here in the spin room, top politicians, including senior cabinet and shadow cabinet ministers, will later join party spin doctors in striving to persuade the media that their candidate was the winner.

Among the top-level politicians expected are, for the Tories, cabinet veteran Michael Gove and rising star Victoria Atkins and, for Labour, the witty and wily Jonathan Ashworth.

Earlier, the prime minister travelled to the north-west by train, arriving at Manchester Piccadilly station at lunchtime, casually dressed and accompanied by a vast entourage of No 10 backroom staff and party officials.

For the past three days he has been put through a gruelling programme of preparation by his team, with the deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden playing the Labour leader in rehearsals.

Sir Keir, who spent the morning campaigning in nearby Bolton, has also been put through a fierce programme of rehearsals, with a relatively unknown member of his staff, Tom Webb, reputed to be a good mimic of Tory prime ministers, playing Mr Sunak.

The Labour leader, of course, as a former Director of Public Prosecutions, is more used to addressing judges and juries than a TV audience, but will no doubt attempt to deploy the forensic interrogation style he uses at PMQs in the Commons.

Mr Sunak, meanwhile, as the underdog in the opinion polls will be urged by his team to take the gloves off and throw insults at Sir Keir like "Sir Softy" on crime and immigration, "Sir Flip Flop" on his opponent's U-turns and "Sir Fear Starmer" over his reluctance to take part in more than two TV debates during this election campaign.

Popcorn at the ready. Here we go!

Diane Abbott has welcomed her formal endorsem*nt by the national party as the Labour candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

A row has been ongoing for over a week over the treatment of the veteran left-winger, after briefings the leadership wanted to bar her.

Sir Keir Starmer had denied this was the case, and eventually said that she would be free to stand the constituency after the party whip was restored last week.

Today, the party's National Executive Committee met to endorse their candidates, and Ms Abbott's candidacy was formally approved.

In a post on X following the news of her endorsem*nt, she wrote: "My local party and I welcome my endorsem*nt today as Labour candidate for HN&SN [Hackney North and Stoke Newington].

"Looking forward to campaigning for Labour victory. The Tories have decimated our communities & our country.

"Time for a change!"

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

The best thing about elections is we get to come to you, find out what you want to see from your politicians in your local area - and watch you challenge them about the issues that matter to you.

Tonight will be a blockbuster example as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer go head-to-head in the first TV debate of the campaign, hosted by ITV.

We can't reveal where the location is yet - although our very own chief political correspondent Jon Craig spotted Mr Sunak getting off a train in Manchester earlier.

But needless to say, Westminster is on the move.

I spotted political heavyweights gathering at a central London train station this morning, grabbing their sandwiches, getting some "fresh air" before the journey, even revealing their whereabouts through their Wi-Fi hotspots.

The fact is these events have the ability to inspire the most memorable moments of the campaign - "I agree with Nick" anyone? - and, more importantly, give the leaders a chance to change the course of their electoral journeys.

And despite last night's YouGov poll for Sky News predicting a wipeout for the Toriesafter 4 July, there is still a long way to go before either of these men secure the keys to Number 10.

We will be there throughout the afternoon and evening, so stay tuned for all the updates - and behind the scenes gossip - from this mega moment in the 2024 general election.

For now though, I'm going to tuck into my egg and cress sarnie, and see who else I can spot…

We've just heard from Nigel Farage for the first time since a banana milkshake was thrown over him in Clacton.

The Reform UK leader stood in front of the party's battle bus, holding a McDonald's banana milkshake aloft in front of the cameras.

He told the crowd of journalists: "My milkshake brings all the people to the rally."

That is a reference to the 2003 R&B hit by Kelis with the popular lyrics: "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard."

The home secretary and his Labour shadow have condemned the incident that saw a drink thrown over Reform UK leader and candidate Nigel Farage.

James Cleverly said the "assault" was "unacceptable", adding: "There is no excuse to resort to behaviour like this. We may disagree, but we debate, and then we vote. That's democracy."

Labour's Yvette Cooper added: "Disgraceful assault on Nigel Farage today.

"Completely unacceptable and wrong. No one should face intimidation or assault in an election campaign.

"Thank you to the police for responding."

Two people have been arrested after Nigel Farage had a milkshake thrown over him as he left the Moon and Starfish pub in Clacton today.

Essex Police said in a statement that they were called to the area at around 2.10pm after "it was reported a man had a drink thrown over him as he left a premises in the area".

The force said: "A 25-year-old woman, from Clacton, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assault.

"While officers were responding and making this arrest, a second individual, a man, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

"Both individuals remain in custody for questioning."