Sir keir starmer promised an end to what he called 1a years of decline and chaos under the tories. Nigel farage said he wont be standing for reform uk but will campaign for them. It has been a busy day. Lets get more from our Political Correspondent damian grammaticas. Enter the man who has staked everything on this gamble, calling an election now. Quite a few of his mps are not convinced by the timing and he has a huge poll deficit to overcome. I want to build a britain, a country where you all can have confidence, restored confidence and pride in our communities, in our society and our nation. Earlier he had an admission hed promised deportation flights to rwanda. Now he says they will happen if he is elected. We have already started detaining people, we have hired the escorts, we have an airfield on standby and we have booked the flights. All of that work is already ongoing and the choice of this election is clear, because if im reelected as Prime Minister on the 5th ofjuly, these flights will go. The labour leader was 200 miles to the south, in kent. Keeping with tradition, he stopped for the first baby of his campaign. Less traditional this location to launch, far from usual labour heartlands. So this election is about a choice, two different countries, two different futures. Decline and chaos continuing under the tories, or rebuilding our country under labour. For the next few weeks, sir keir starmer will be pressed for more detail about that change and the plan he has already outlined. We will make the economy stable, how we will ensure we bring down the waiting times with 40,000 appointments every week, extra appointments under a labour government. How we will have the Border Security command take control of our borders, which have been lost under this government. How we set up gb energy so well have prices down for good. Richard tice, leader of reform uk, launched without his partys best known member, nigel farage, reforms honorary president. He has chosen not to enter the fray, saying he wants to help in the us election this autumn and here where he can. I am absolutely delighted, during this Election Campaign, that my good friend nigel farage will be helping out significantly in campaigning to drive home the message of reform uk and how we can save britain. Also hoping to siphon votes away from the conservatives are the Liberal Democrats. They launched yesterday. Today, their Deputy Leader said they are concentrating their efforts on several dozen target seats. I think we all know the country is absolutely crying out for change. We all know that, we feel it in our bones. But there are places around the country, around 80 seats, where it is the Liberal Democrats who can deliver that change, where Liberal Democrats are the key challengers to the conservatives, and it is in those areas we are really going after conservative mps because we are best placed to beat them in this General Election. When he announced this election, rishi sunak might have been hoping to catch other parties on the back foot, like the snp, whose new leader was installed just this month. The manifesto is well advanced, we are hitting the road today to start the Election Campaign, so we are ready to go and i will be out and about around the country and i intend to take my message to every part of the country. I am the First Minister of all of scotland and i intend to be present in every part of scotland. In westminster, mps were scrambling to see what of all the legislation in progress could be rushed through. Rishi sunak� s own signature measure to ban smoking looks likely to be ditched. It was meant to be part of his legacy. Damian grammaticas, bbc news, westminster. Live now to westminster where we can speak to shadow home secretary yvette cooper. Welcome to the programme. When youre ready for this election to be called or were you caught by surprise . Called or were you caught by surrise . ~ � ,. ,. , surprise . Weve been ready for some time, surprise . Weve been ready for some time. Weve surprise . Weve been ready for some time. Weve been surprise . Weve been ready for some time, weve been keen surprise . Weve been ready for some time, weve been keen to surprise . Weve been ready for some time, weve been keen to get surprise . Weve been ready for some time, weve been keen to get this time, weve been keen to get this election because we just need to put an end to chaos. We had 14 years of conservative government and its become more and more chaotic. Our Public Services still broken, our economy is really struggling and thats why we are so keen to turn the page and get the change the country needs. Yes, we are ready to go. Country needs. Yes, we are ready to. O. , country needs. Yes, we are ready to io,. ,. , country needs. Yes, we are ready to go. Change is a really powerful messae go. Change is a really powerful message but go. Change is a really powerful message but do go. Change is a really powerful message but do you go. Change is a really powerful message but do you accept go. Change is a really powerful message but do you accept it | go. Change is a really powerful| message but do you accept it is going to be if you win moderate change . Going to be if you win moderate chane . ~ going to be if you win moderate chanie . ~ � , going to be if you win moderate chanie . � ,. , change . Well, theres areas where weve already change . Well, theres areas where weve already set change . Well, theres areas where weve already set out change . Well, theres areas where weve already set out plans, change . Well, theres areas where weve already set out plans, the i change . Well, theres areas where | weve already set out plans, the six first steps that keir starmer has identified, are areas that actually fit people could make a huge difference to their lives. For example if youre a patient and youve been waiting may be years, in pain, waiting for treatment, then actually getting those nhs Waiting Lists back down, starting to rebuild those important Public Services, that can be transformational for your life and thats why i think this is so important. Its about having a new course, about changing the direction were going rather than just struggling and getting stuck in the doom loop weve got into under the conservatives because we cannot afford five more years of this. I think theres a whole series of areas where we can make big changes to the country, start to get back on track again. You changes to the country, start to get back on track again. Back on track again. You are absolutely back on track again. You are absolutely right, back on track again. You are absolutely right, for back on track again. You are absolutely right, for every. Back on track again. You are absolutely right, for every extra operation that is so important for that individual, for every extra teacher that is so important for pupils. But you called it transformational, weve seen what the party has pledged, its not transformational, it is change but not transformational. The transformational, it is change but not transformational. Transformational, it is change but not transformational. The really sad thini is not transformational. The really sad thing is economic not transformational. The really sad thing is economic stability, thing is economic stability, actually getting economic stability backis actually getting economic stability back is a radical thing to do now after the turbulence and chaos weve had under the conservatives. The fact weve had such weak growth for 14 years, the fact we have this cost of living crisis, the fact families are really struggling and people are worse off now than they were not just back at the last election, may be back 14 years ago for many people. So, getting that stability and growth, actually thats a radical thing to do. It shouldnt be but its become so because of the chaos weve got and that has to be the foundation of getting the economy growing again. Of course you cant just economy growing again. Of course you cantjust keep doing sticking plasters that dont really change anything. Some of the things we want to see and the Big Change In Direction will take time. We want to set up a new Great British energy, a publicly owned Renewable Energy company that can bring down energy bills, can actually set us on a proper course for the future. There are big things we can do. They will take time some of them but we can also make changes quickly and just feeling like we put that chaos behind us, turn the page and get change for the future. Behind us, turn the page and get change for the future. Voters always want to hear change for the future. Voters always want to hear real change for the future. Voters always want to hear real detail, change for the future. Voters always want to hear real detail, so change for the future. Voters always want to hear real detail, so for want to hear real detail, so for example the nhs, in terms of the Labour Guarantee on Waiting Lists, if youre waiting for Cancer Treatment or a major operation, what is your guarantee of where you will be in 12 months� time if you win . Will set up more details as part of a manifesto but the plans we set out so far as part of the first step, the pledges that keir starmer has set out, means having an additional 40,000 appointments every week, to be able to get those Waiting Lists down, to be able to properly speed up down, to be able to properly speed up the treatment people desperately need. That� s really important, it does mean having weekend appointments, having evening appointments. Of course we have longer term plans we want to reform the nhs and make sure we are properly training the doctors and nurses, dentists, the reforms we need for the future but that first step is really practical and start straightaway with those extra appointments. Like you said you were ready for this election. When will you know when it comes to the cuts on Waiting Lists what you expect and when you are able to tell voters absolutely clearly that message . We will be setting up more details of those plans as part of an Election Campaign. We� ve got six weeks of campaigning where we will be setting out plans every day and giving people different detailed policies in different areas and so on. We set out the first six areas and the fact we had already said they six out shows that actually we were ready, set and just so keen to get this election going again because we cannot afford to just carry on. It has felt like the conservatives have been clinging on by their fingernails, trying to hold on to power but without a sense of purpose or direction and that� s so bad and damaging for all of us. That� s why we need to turn the page and get the change. We need to turn the page and get the chanie. , ~. , we need to turn the page and get the chanie. , ~. ,. , we need to turn the page and get the chanie. , ~. ,. , ,. , ~ we need to turn the page and get the chanie. , ~. ,. , ,. , ~ , change. You know what rishi sunak is sa ini change. You know what rishi sunak is sa im on change. You know what rishi sunak is saying on the change. You know what rishi sunak is saying on the economy, change. You know what rishi sunak is saying on the economy, you change. You know what rishi sunak is saying on the economy, you saw change. You know what rishi sunak is saying on the economy, you saw whatj saying on the economy, you saw what happened with inflation yesterday, he saw the basic message is delivered time and again today about economic stability. He said earlier today at one of the gatherings they had totted up the figures, the Labour Spending Pledges and saying it will cost people an extra £2000 a year. What are your projections and when will you be clear about the costings . When will you be clear about the costinis . , � , when will you be clear about the costinis . � ,. ,. , when will you be clear about the costinis . � ,. ,. ,. Costings . Thats total rubbish and i think rishi sunak costings . Thats total rubbish and i think rishi sunak is costings . Thats total rubbish and i think rishi sunak is flailing, think rishi sunak is flailing, trying to blame everyone else. The plans we set out, basic steps and six key Priority Areas is all fully costed and all fully funded. So, for example on policing we have said that we� ve identified savings that can be made by the independent Police Foundation that they� ve identified that we would put back into front line policing to get Neighbourhood Police back on the beat and actually crackdown on Anti Social Behaviour in town centres and communities. So, we set out each area, fully costed fully funded plans and we will keep doing that as we go forward but ultimately what it adds up to his having a country under government that works for working people again because we haven� t had that for far too long and instead it feels like every day you get more chaos from the Government You just couldn� t make up. Government you ust couldnt make u i. Government you ust couldnt make u i ,. , ~ Government You ust couldnt make u n ,. , ,. , Government You ust couldnt make up. Let me ask you about rwanda. The Guardian Deputy up. Let me ask you about rwanda. The Guardian Deputy political up. Let me ask you about rwanda. The Guardian DeputyPolitical EditorGuardian DeputyPolitical Editor said, can the Home Office Permanent secretary allow flights to rwanda now we are in an election period with labour saying they will ditch the plan and also are you happy that rishi sunak is going to make that a fundamental dividing line of the election . , ,. , election . This is the first day of rishi sunaks election . This is the first day of rishi sunaks General Election . This is the first day of rishi sunaks General Election l rishi sunak� s general Election Campaign and with the new figures out in the words this morning, what it� s been is an admission of total failure and complete conservative chaos on immigration and asylum, those key priority policy areas. Net migration figures have trebled since the last General Election when they promise to bring the numbers down. A lot of that is because of the big increase in Work Migration because they failed to tackle skill shortages. On rwanda, effectively the government, the Prime Minister has admitted the scheme is a con and his deliberately decided to call the election now because he knows it� s going to unravel on him over the summer because in the end they were only ever planning to send a few hundred people. He only ever planning to send a few hundred people. Only ever planning to send a few hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a con. Hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a can the hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a con. The charge hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a con. The charge on hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a con. The charge on labour hundred people. He hasnt accepted its a con. The charge on labour is it� s a con. The charge on labour is that you don� t have a plan and when you look at the polling, he says people want a bold plan and that is what the rwanda strategy actually is. I what the rwanda strategy actually is. ,. , what the rwanda strategy actually is. ~. ,. , what the rwanda strategy actually is. ~. ,. , what the rwanda strategy actually is. I think what people want to something is. I think what people want to something thats is. I think what people want to something thats going is. I think what people want to something thats going to is. I think what people want to | something thats going to work is. I think what people want to something thats going to work and something that� s going to work and this rwanda plan is costing half a billion. The two and a half years they� ve been working on this and they� ve been working on this and they� ve already been Writing Hundreds of millions of pounds in cheques to rwanda for a scheme that was only ever going to cover a few hundred people. More people are arriving in a day than they were planning send to rwanda in a year. Covering less than i of Asylum Seekers with no plan for the 99 . That� s the problem. They had a scheme that wasn� t working, they can put out Press Releases about it but ultimately it would have unravelled over the summer and that� s why all they� ve ever tried to do is get a few symbolic flights off before a General Election. We think they should put that money instead into Border Security. Should put that money instead into bordersecurity. Let� s should put that money instead into Border Security. Let� s have a new Border Security command, but that money into extra border police, investigators with new Counterterror Powers in order to go after the criminal gangs and prevent the vote crossings in the first place. Crossings in the first place. Thats labour offering. Crossings in the first place. Thats labour offering. Lets crossings in