Election latest: Farage makes candid admission about Reform's election goal (2024)

A Reform UK candidate has defended calling Adolf Hitler "brilliant".

Jack Aaron, who is standing in Welwyn Hatfield - Grant Shapps' constituency - said in a post on X in 2022 that the Nazi leader was "brilliant in using Fe+Ni (pseudoscientific theory of information processing and personality types) to inspire people into action".

He also described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as "gentle by nature" on Reddit, and said Vladimir Putin's "motivation to acquire and wield force is legitimate" following his invasion of Ukraine.

Questioned on the comments, Mr Aaron, who works as a psychologist, said he stood by his words.

He told The Times: "Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil.

"How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family?

"I strongly believe, as a psychologist, in separating intelligence and talent from morality, so that we can adequately diagnose problems and help people."

Defending his comments on Assad, he said the Syrian dictator "was not an assertive man" but acknowledged he was "heir to a brutal dictatorship set up by his father".

"By no means am I saying Hitler or Putin or al-Assad are good people that we should admire. They range from the absolutely ingenious evil to wannabe warlord to weak man born into a brutal regime of death and destruction," he added.

Sky News has contacted Reform UK for comment.

Reform have launched their manifesto, which they're calling "our contract with you".

The "contract" is promising big spending, dwarfing what Labour and the Conservatives have committed to.

The party says it will pay for the plans by measures including scrapping net zero targets and what remains of HS2.

In this episode, Niall Paterson gets analysis on what's in the "contract" from our chief political correspondent Jon Craig.

Our weeknight politics showPolitics Hub With Sophy Ridgewill be live on Sky News from 7pm.

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

Sophy will be joined by Dr David Bull, the deputy leader of Reform UK, after his party launched its sort-of manifesto today (they're calling it a "contract" with the British people).

Darren Jones, Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, is also on.

And on Sophy's panel are:

• Baroness Bennett, former Green Party leader;
• Salma Shah, former Conservative special adviser.

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 just delivered a campaign speech in Cambridgeshire, promoting his offer of tax cuts in the Tory manifesto.

It comes after he insisted he was still "fighting for every vote" despite a cabinet minister admitting the Conservatives weren't likely to win the general election next month.

"The only poll that matters is the one on 4 July," Mr Sunak has just told supporters - warning the current polls would suggest a situation where Labour are in government "with no one to stand up to them".

"If those polls were replicated at a general election, it would mean handing Labour and Keir Starmer a blank cheque to do whatever he wanted."

Nigel Farage may have launched Reform's manifesto today, but the questions about whether he may one day be back in the Tory party just keep following him around.

Our deputy political editor Sam Coates tried to pin him on it earlier, and…. well, judge his response for yourself:

Sir Keir Starmer's approval rating has reached a new high, a poll suggests, while Rishi Sunak's rating has recovered slightly from its previous low.

The poll, published by More In Common, found the Labour leader had an approval rating of +5, while the prime minister's was on -36.

Support for both Labour and the Conservatives remains unchanged, with the Tories continuing to trail by 16 points, according to the poll, which wasbased on a survey of 2,369 British adults between 14 and 16 June.

Some41% said they would vote Labour and 25% Conservative - unchanged compared to 11-12 June.

Some 14% said they planned to vote for Reform UK, up one point, while 11% said they would back the Liberal Democrats, also up one point.

Support for the Greens remained unchanged at 5%, while support for the SNP had fallen one point to 2%.

It's 5pm - here's your evening rundown.

There are 17 days to go until Britons head to the polls to decide the country's future.

We've had Reform UK unveil their sort-of manifesto today (they're calling it a "contract with the British people").

Labour and the Conservatives have launched theirs already and the SNP's is due on Wednesday.

Here's everything you may have missed today…

• Reform UKhas launched its "contract with the British people", which includes freezing "all non-essential immigration" and a raft of tax cuts (use the tool below to swipe through all the pledges);
• Speaking in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales party leader Nigel Faragesaid this general election campaign wasn't about winning but is the "first big push" towards the next contest;
• Earlier heconfirmed his ambitions to become prime minister at the next general election, which could be in 2029;
• Our deputy political editor Sam Coates notes how "candid" Mr Farage is about this not being an election Reform could hope to win, and that the manifesto is certainly "not a blueprint for government".

• Earlier today,Defence Secretary Grant Shappsadmitted it is unlikely the Tories will win the general election on 4 July - but insisted it remains a possibility;
  
• He also warned a Labour government would be"very bad news", telling Sky News it would mean "higher taxes for everyone".
• Rishi Sunaklater insisted he is still "fighting hard for every vote";
  
• Speaking from Centrica's Rough 47-3B gas rig in the North Sea, the prime minister insisted the Conservatives are "on the right track", but said he understands people's "frustrations" with his party.

• Sir Keir Starmerhas been campaigning in Hampshire, heading off concerns Reform UK could target Labour heartlands in Wales by insisting the general election is "a straight choice between Conservatives and Labour";
• Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, earlier told a group of business leaders a "pro-business" Labour would hold a global investment summit in the first 100 days of entering government;
• Speaking to Sky News earlier, Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth refused to explicitly say whether Labour would increase fuel duty or stamp duty, but ruled outcouncil tax re-banding".

• And John Swinney, Scotland's first minister, has stressed the need for a social tariff, whereby the SNP can "commit to people who are elderly or disable that they are free of the burden of energy costs in our society";
• And the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is near Paignton in Devon, where he insisted Nigel Farage's party aren't making things harder for him when it comes to trying to win over Tory voters.

Don't forget, our weeknight politics showPolitics Hubwill be live on Sky News from 7pm with ourpolitics presenter Sophy Ridge.

She'll be speaking to Reform UK deputy leader Dr David Bull and Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones.

Stick with us for all the latest throughout the rest of the day.

Rishi Sunak has said he is "fighting hard for every vote", despite his defence secretary, Grant Shapps, admitting earlier today he does not think the Tories will win the election.

Speaking from Centrica's Rough 47-3B gas rig in the North Sea, the prime minister said: "There's still two and a half weeks to go in this election. I'm fighting hard for every vote because I believe we can win."

He said with the Labour and Tory manifestos now out, "everyone's cards are on the table" and repeated the "clear choice" he thinks voters have.

"With the Conservatives we will cut your taxes at every stage of your life and in contrast with Labour the tax burden is going up to the highest we have seen in our country's history," he said.

Reform UK unveiled its sort-of manifesto today (they're calling it a "contract" with the British people) and it was chock-full of spending commitments and tax cuts.

The party said the policies - including abolishing business rates for some high street firms and reducing corporation tax - would be paid for by things like abandoning the push to net zero and cutting foreign aid.

But do their numbers really add up? Who better than oureconomics and data editor Ed Conway to check.

A key question in this election is where Tory voters looking for a new political home might go.

Labour, Reform UK and the Lib Dems are all vying for their votes in different parts of the country - but Sir Ed Davey has said Nigel Farage's party aren't making things harder for him.

"We don't share any values with Reform," he said.

"I think people know that."

Sir Ed said Reform are unlikely to win many seats in parliament, whereas his party has a track record of doing so - pointing to "historic" by-election wins over recent years.

Speaking from Broadsands Beach, Paignton, Sir Ed said he was confident the Lib Dems would attract a good number of the people who have become "pretty angry" with the Tories.

"It's quite difficult for some people to do that (vote for someone else), but they really want to do it this time because they can't bear the lack of integrity, the lack of competence," he added.

"Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are just out of touch."