'It's not over until it's over': England gives Rishi Sunak hope of glorious comeback (2024)

Avid football fan Sir Keir Starmer has tweeted his reaction to England's win over Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals of the Euros.

Although England came a matter of minutes from losing before Jude Bellingham's stunning overhead kick in added time took it to extra time, the Labour leader tweeted that the win was "never in doubt".

Labour would definitely want to steer us away from inferring any commentary about the general election from that tweet as they fight for every last vote - unlike Rishi Sunak's more pointed message...

The Financial Times (FT) announced today that it is backing the Labour Party at this general election, and on Politics Hub With Ali Fortescue, we spoke to the paper's Whitehall Editor, Lucy Fisher, about that decision.

She is, of course, employed by the paper as a journalist, and does not sit on the Editorial Board that decided the endorsem*nt.

But she told Ali that it is "really significant" that the board has backed Labour, adding that it's "the first time since 2005" the paper has done so.

"The FT doesn't have a natural political allegiance, and in fact, being a very pro-free trade and private enterprise newspaper, wanting to see a very open, outward-looking Britain - [it] has more often supported the Tories than Labour.

"So it does feel significant. And the op-ed... makes clear the FT views this as a sea change moment in British politics akin to 1979 when [Margaret] Thatcher swept to power, or 1997 when Tony Blair came in."

Finally, we ask Treasury minister Bim Afolami if the Conservative Party can still defy the polls and win the election on Thursday.

He replies: "Of course we can. And, you know, we will see what happens

"But what I do know is on speaking to constituents... there are higher than normal numbers of undecided people.

"This is the fourth general election I've fought - a large number of people are still saying they don't know which way to go.

"And my message to them on the doorsteps and here today is if they want to lower their taxes, secure the borders, make sure that we have a thriving, prosperous economy going forward in the future, a Conservative vote is what they need to do."

Ali Fortescue points out to the minister that the overall tax burden will continue to rise under the Conservative Party - but he does not accept that, saying the tax cuts they want to make are targeted at ordinary working people, and the overall number factors in the wider economy.

"We are cutting taxes for working people and for pensioners as well," he insists.

In the last hour, we've had the breaking news from the French parliamentary elections that Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally party appears to have come out on top in the first round of voting, according to exit polls.

We ask minister Bim Afolami if he is worried about that at all, and he replies: "I must confess that I haven't really been following the French election as closely as I might have done because I've been focusing on my own in this country."

Asked if a Conservative government would work with Ms Le Pen and her party, he replies that "Britain has to work with whoever is chosen as the leader of other countries".

He says "of course" they would work with whoever is elected in France.

Sky's Ali Fortescue puts it to him that Rishi Sunak has previously said Nigel Farage would work with Ms Le Pen, implying it would be a bad thing to do.

Mr Afolami replies: "We're not advocating for Marine Le Pen to win.

"What I'm saying to you is you cannot choose... who leads other countries."

The first UK political guest on tonight's edition of Politics Hub With Ali Fortesueis Treasury minister Bim Afolami, and we start by asking for his reaction to the Reform candidate in Erewash disowning his party to back the Tories.

Mr Afolami says: "Well, I'm glad he's seen the light."

He also says that he's glad that the candidate,Liam Booth-Isherwood, has made the point that only the Conservative candidate can stop Labour winning, which has been the Tory party's argument for weeks.

Asked if he would be glad if Nigel Farage decided to back the Tories, Mr Afolami says the Reform leader has "no intention" of switching sides.

He goes on: "I do find it quite curious, you know, this idea that Farage is somehow a Conservative. He spent 25 years trying to destroy the Conservative Party."

He adds that Reform is "designed to increase the power of a Labour".

Challenged on the fact that senior Conservatives like Suella Braverman and Sir Philip Davies have said they would welcome Mr Farage into the party, the minister says they are "in a small minority".

Here is the full list of candidates standing in Erewash:

• James Martin Archer, Liberal Democrats
  
• Liam Dane Booth-Isherwood (was Reform UK, but has quit party to back Tories)
  
• John William Kirby, Independent
  
• Brent Poland, Green Party
  
• Adam Thompson, Labour Party
  
• Maggie Throup, Conservative Party

Polls have now close in the French snap parliamentary elections - and turnout has surged to the highest in decades.

France's far right National Rally party was seen leading the first round of parliamentary elections with around 34% of votes, according to exit polls.

Pollsters IFOP, Ipsos, OpinionWay and Elabe found the left wing New Popular Front coalition was seen coming in second with around 29%.

President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc was in the third spot with between 20.5-23%.

We have live coverage on Politics Hub With Ali Fortescueon Sky News right now - and follow our dedicated coverage here:

Our daily politics showPolitics Hubis live now on Sky News with ourpolitical correspondentAli Fortescuehosting this evening.

The fast-paced programme dissects the inner workings of Westminster, with interviews, insights, and analysis - bringing you, the audience, into the corridors of power.

Tonight will be a slightly different show, as we take in reaction to the result England's Euros match against Slovakia (when it concludes after extra time), and also the exit poll from the French parliamentary elections.

To discuss the Euros, we will be joined by our correspondents in Germany and here in the UK.

To dissect the French election, we will be joined from Paris throughout the show byFrench political commentator Agnes Poirier.

And as the UK general election campaign enters its final days, we will speak toTreasury minister Bim Afolami.

On Ali's panel are:

• Luisa Porritt, former Lib Dem MEP;
  
• Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor at the Financial Times.

Watch live on Sky News, in the stream at the top of this page, and follow live updates here in the Politics Hub.

WatchPolitics Hubfrom 7pm every night during the election campaign on Sky channel 501, Virgin channel 602, Freeview channel 233, on theSky News websiteandappor onYouTube.

Rishi Sunak has described Nigel Farage as a "Putin appeaser" - but speaking to ourpolitical editorBeth Rigbytoday, the Reform UK leader labelled it "a load of cobblers".

But he said Ukraine should enter peace talks with Russia, saying: "Wars end in two ways - either one side gets annihilated, literally annihilated, as happened, of course, to Germany in 1945, or there are negotiations."

He said he is "anti-war" and "against the warmongering parties of Labour and Conservative over the last 25 years".

He acknowledged that Russia will have to return the territories it has forcibly taken from Ukraine, saying it "has to happen".

But he added: "I really do fear for what is going to happen to Ukraine, if this goes on for another three or four years."

Nigel Farage has previously described social media personality Andrew Tate as an "important voice" for men.

Sky'spolitical editorBeth Rigbyasked him about the comment in an interview earlier, and he repeated that Tate is a "huge voice for men".

The Reform UK leader added: "Doesn't mean I agree with him in any way at all. Doesn't mean that I'm not horrified by seeing some of the charges and the extradition that's probably going to happen."

Andrew Tate, along with his brother Tristan, have been charged with allegations ofrape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang - charges they deny.

But Mr Farage said he remains an important voice for young men, saying: "Why do you think he's got the massive following he's got? What do you think's going on here?

"And there are so many young men feeling that they aren’t allowed to be blokes in any way at all, and that's the gap that Tate is filling.

"And this is the problem, isn't it?"

He added that he does not support Tate "in any way at all", and the support he has "should worry you".