Both leaders kicked off their parties’ battle buses as campaigning entered its second weekend. Sir Keir Starmer avoided questions about Diane Abbott, while Rishi Sunak refuted allegations of buying votes by promising cash for towns. The leaders unveiled their campaign buses on Saturday, which will tour the country until polling day on July 4. Sir Keir introduced his red campaign coach in west London with the slogan “Change” and a focus on getting people back to work. He declined to discuss the Diane Abbott issue, stating that he had addressed it the day before.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak criticized his Labour opponent for flip-flopping on the decision regarding Diane Abbott’s candidacy. He defended his pledge to provide £20 million to 30 towns as part of the “levelling-up” scheme, emphasizing that the money would be allocated based on local needs. The towns selected included both Tory and non-Tory constituencies.
In his speech at the Tories’ blue battle bus event, the prime minister accused Sir Keir of inconsistency in his statements. Rishi Sunak emphasized that the selection of towns was based on objective criteria and reiterated his commitment to supporting towns across the country. He dismissed accusations of targeting Tory constituencies for votes and highlighted the methodology used in town selection.
Sir Keir announced proposed reforms for employment support and welfare benefits aimed at increasing the employment rate. The Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) praised the policy as a step towards a high-quality public employment service. Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner launched the Labour battle bus and embarked on a journey to key battleground seats.
On the other hand, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey took a break from campaigning to spend time with his family. Nigel Farage campaigned in Ashfield with Reform UK candidate Lee Anderson, who was formerly a Tory deputy chairman. George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain launched its general election campaign in Ms. Rayner’s Ashton-under-Lyne seat.
The campaign trail continues with both leaders engaging in various activities and addressing key issues ahead of the upcoming election. Please rephrase this statement.
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