Overview
- Keir Starmer said he will still be in No 10 by 2027 and argued May’s votes are not a referendum on his government.
- He shifted his message to household costs, highlighting a rail fare freeze, a £150 cut to energy bills and expanded free childcare on a visit to Reading.
- Anas Sarwar acknowledged UK Labour’s unpopularity in Scotland and urged Starmer and ministers to stay in their departments rather than campaign north of the border.
- Scottish Labour launched an intensified effort with a £1m+ war chest, a pledge to reach one million Scots each week digitally and a challenge to John Swinney for regional first‑minister debates.
- John Swinney set a goal of an SNP majority to press for IndyRef2 and warned Scots would be livid if Westminster refused, as polls show the SNP ahead, Reform UK growing and the Scottish Tories pitching tax cuts in a cost‑of‑living election.