General election: Rachel Reeves sets out Labour’s plan for businesses in first major campaign speech

Labour has unveiled a new mission to “protect UK economy” if elected. Under “strong, stable and secure foundations” the party manifesto promises the following:

• Implement tough fiscal rules to tackle economic stability.

• Introduce a new fiscal lock for economic security to avoid “a repeat of the devastation of Liz Truss”.

• Set up a new Office for Value for Money to manage taxpayers’ money.

• Halve government consultancy spending by bringing spending controls.

• Appoint a Covid Corruption Commissioner.

• End VIP ‘fast lane’ procurement processes.

Speaking on BBC Today programme, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds has described himself as a Christian socialist.

He said: “I would describe myself as a Christian socialist in the best traditions of that [term]because that’s about putting people first and to do that, you’ve got to have a set of policies that will deliver for people.

“I think it’s the best tradition of the things that have been delivered in the UK, whether it’s the national parks or the NHS, have come from people with a similar background to mine.”

David Cameron has taken to social media to stress a transparent investigation into the Rafah massacre.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said Rishi Sunak’s proposed tax break for pensioners is “simply a reversal of a tax increase that the Conservatives proposed”.

Speaking to BBC Radio, he said pensioners had a bigger personal allowance than people of working age until the Tories got rid of it.

He adds: “So this is one of many examples actually of tax policy that has been reversed by the same Government. George Osborne got rid of it in the 2010s when the personal allowance of people under pension age continued to rise.”

Asked if it makes fiscal sense, he replied: “The overall cost is about two and a half billion a year by the end of the Parliament, that’s not a very big number, but of course, these promises are beginning to add up.”

Nigel Farage has said he would propose tackling small boat crossings by sending boats back to France.

Speaking from Dover, he said told Good Morning Britain that the UK should “make clear that nobody that comes via this route will ever be granted settled status in our country”.

Adding that the country should “say to the French navy: ‘We will not accept your navy escorting dinghies to our 12-mile line and then handing them over to our authorities’.”

Asked how this would be enforced, Mr Farage answered: “Well, if the French won’t play ball, then the Royal Marines will have to take people back to France. It’s just as simple as that.”

Labour disciplinary investigation into her ended five months ago, but Sir Keir Starmer still won’t say if she can stand in the election.

Jonathan Reynolds has refused to comment on whether Diane Abbott will come back to the Labour party.

The shadow business secretary told BBC Radio: “The process we have in the Labour Party is frankly not one that any politician in the Labour Party decides. So I can’t give you an answer on that.

“We want that situation resolved, we all want to see that resolved. I genuinely don’t know the circumstances that you’re describing.

“I think in any disciplinary matter you need both sides to engage in it, I genuinely have no additional information other than that but we are all keen to see every situation like this resolved as soon as possible.”

John Swinney has written to the opposition parties demanding they urgently recognise Palestine as an official state, Rebecca McCurdy reports.

His letter to the Prime Minister and Labour leader Sir Keir said: “I urge you both to belatedly do the right thing and pledge to immediately recognise Palestine as a state in its own right.

“If you will not immediately commit to doing so, I can confirm that SNP MPs will bring forward a binding vote in the House of Commons at the first possible opportunity after the General Election.”

He added: “Ending the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza is without a doubt one of the greatest moral issues of our time. In generations to come, people will look back and ask what each of us with a platform did to end the suffering.

“We all have a duty to do whatever we can to bring about a peaceful resolution, and it is clear that full recognition of Palestine as a state in its own right will be a huge step towards a just and durable political solution.