The first day of general election campaigning in the UK saw Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, admit on the campaign trail that there would be no migrant flights to Rwanda before polling day. Mr Sunak spent the day in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, visiting a local warehouse, before embarking on a two-day tour of the country’s nations. The Metro carried the headline “Rishi’s bumpy take-off” in reference to his admission, as well as the news that Hollywood actor Tom Holland would be playing Romeo in a West End theatre production.
The Financial Times featured images of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner campaigning in Gillingham, Kent. Promising to end the Tory “chaos” the UK has endured for the past 14 years. The broadsheet reported on Mr Sunak’s admission that he could not deliver his flagship Rwanda policy before 4 July, as well as his phased smoking ban. It described it as a “series of setbacks” and an “awkward first day” on the campaign trail for the prime minister.
The Daily Express’s front page featured an image of Mr Sunak and carried the headline “Rishi lashes out! ‘Starmer hasn’t courage to face me on television'” as it reported on Mr Sunak’s challenge to Sir Keir to a weekly debate until election day. Tory chairman Richard Holden is quoted as calling Sir Keir “spineless” and accusing him of “chickening out” of debates he had promised to participate in. Finally, the Daily Star opted for a more light-hearted take with its headline “The general ejection”, reporting that holiday bookings were up 57% as people attempted to avoid the election campaign altogether.
The Guardian reported that Mr Sunak had abandoned his flagship policies to begin his election campaign, with the prime minister pictured stepping off a plane in Scotland at Inverness Airport. Alongside this, the newspaper reported claims from former Post Office boss Paula Vennells that she had not been part of a cover-up in the Horizon scandal, despite blocking a review that could have exposed it more than 10 years ago. Beyoncé in a cowboy hat was pictured on the front page as the paper attempted to explain why country music was becoming so popular.
The Daily Mail led with the Conservatives’ pledge to cut green levies on fuel bills as the cited example of a household-friendly net-zero policy. The newspaper also reported on a parent who had snorted ketamine at their teenage daughter’s party, calling it a “tragedy”. Finally, The Times showed Mr Sunak laughing as he was presented with an umbrella by MP Maggie Throup following his Downing Street election announcement and went on to accuse the Labour Party of being dishonest about the cost its environmental pledges would place on households
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