Party leaders hit the road to make their pitches to voters

Party leaders have spent the first day of general election campaigning setting out their initial pitches to voters.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak endured a self-inflicted day of geographical masochism as he travelled to England, Scotland and Wales.

Addressing a distribution centre in Derbyshire, he said he had a “clear plan” for financial stability.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer kicked of his campaign at Gillingham Football Club in Kent where he said a vote for Labour was a vote to “turn the page”.

One dividing line between the two main parties is their stance on the government’s Rwanda plan.

Sir Keir said he would scrap the scheme to send those arriving illegally in the UK in small boats to the East African country.

Labour say they would set up what they call a ‘Border Security Command’ which they claim would smash the criminal gangs and cut the number getting in small boats over the Channel.

The Conservatives argue they are doing something similar already and Mr Sunak has said the Rwanda plan would deter people from making the dangerous journey.

However, in one of his first interviews after calling the election, the prime minister said no asylum seekers would be deported to Rwanda before the election on 4 July.

It had been thought ministers would try to get the first flight off before polling day, to showcase their policy on countering illegal migration.

In other words, the whole argument is about the prospect of a Rwanda plan if the Conservatives win, and the plan being scrapped before it has even begun if Labour win.