General election latest: UK anti-migrant stance 'biggest economic threat' to Scotland, SNP leader claims

The Conservative government has pledged £1bn a year in a bid to increase the number of GP appointments in the UK. And Labour has announced plans to reduce migration.

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Catch up on the latest news from the campaign trail

It's just gone 8pm - here's what you need to know as the first full week of campaigning ends.

We're ending our live coverage here for today - but will be picking it up again in the morning.

Let us get you up to speed on everything you may have missed today…

  • Diane Abbott says she will stand and win as a Labour candidate in the election;
  • Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News that Ms Abbott had not been offered a peerage  in exchange for not standing as an MP;
  • And on policy, Labour announced plans to reduce net migration - with Sir Keir accusing the Conservatives of having "repeatedly broken their promises" to get the number down;
  • Shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell said the party would use the forecasts to get net migration to 315,000 by 2028. 
  • The Conservative Party pledged to build 100 new GP surgeries if they get into power;
  • Rishi Sunak was out campaigning in London;
  • Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said Tory defectors had their 'own' reasons for leaving the party;
  • And health minister Maria Caulfield said it wasn't the number of people on NHS waiting lists that mattered - but the length of time they spent on it.

Here are a couple of other stories that may interest you:

Our essential political podcast, Politics At Jack And Sam's, is going out every week day through the election campaign to bring a short burst of everything you need to know about the day ahead as this election unfolds.

Tap here to follow Politics At Jack At Sam's wherever you get your podcasts.

Is the general election boring?

A word cloud from pollsters More In Common, found that a lot of people think the general election campaign is "boring".

Ali asks our panel if they agree that it is the case (with a disclaimer that both are on a politics show on a Sunday night).

James Starkie, the former Home Office adviser, says he thinks it's partly to do with the parties' leaders.

He says that, even though Jeremy Corbyn wasn't charismatic, he was compelling.

And no-one would describe Boris Johnson as boring, Mr Starkie says.

But there is a fatigue in politics at the moment. Mr Starkie reckons a lot of people will only tune in for the last week or so of the election.

The New Statesman's Freddie Hayward says Rishi Sunak needs to avoid the mistakes he made with Liz Truss during public debates - where he came across as rude by interrupting.

He also spoke too quickly, Mr Hayward says.

Both leaders, he reckons, will be working with their teams ahead of the debates to make sure they're best prepared.

And with that, Ali ends the Politics Hub show.

Join us again tomorrow, when Sophy Ridge will be back at the helm.

Warning to UK politicians over risk of audio deepfakes that could derail the general election

By Tamara Cohen, political correspondent

As AI deepfakes cause havoc during other elections, experts warn the UK's politicians should be prepared.

"Just tell me what you had for breakfast", says Mike Narouei, of ControlAI, recording on his laptop. I speak for around 15 seconds, about my toast, coffee and journey to their offices.

Within seconds, I hear my own voice, saying something entirely different.

In this case, words I have written: "Deepfakes can be extremely realistic and have the ability to disrupt our politics and damage our trust in the democratic process."

We have used free software, it hasn't taken any advanced technical skills, and the whole thing has taken next to no time at all.

This is an audio deepfake - video ones take more effort to produce - and as well as being deployed by scammers of all kinds, there is deep concern, in a year with some two billion people going to the polls, in the US, India and dozens of other countries including the UK, about their impact on elections.

You can read more from Sky News below:

The public knows the NHS needs reform

Our panel is now discussing the NHS.

James Starkie says that shadow health secretary Wes Streeting's pledge to reform the NHS has struck a chord with the public.

He says that it does need to be digitised drastically, among other things, and Mr Streeting has spoken about that.

But the devil is in the details, Mr Starkie says, and also the funding - which Labour has not set out its plans for.

Freddie Hayward, a political correspondent at the New Statesman, says it remains to be seen if Labour has the political capital to reform the NHS if they come into power.

He says the situation is tricky due to the party's inheritance - and there will be a swathe of issues if they come into power.

Number of people on waiting list not the 'important factor', health minister claims

Maria Caulfield, the health minister, is now speaking to Ali about the NHS.

Ali asks about the NHS waiting lists - noting they doubled between 2010 and the pandemic.

Ms Caulfield says that "it's not how many people are on the waiting list that is the important factor".

She adds: "Because as we develop new treatments as we open up new services, as people get conditions that can be treated, waiting lists of course will grow".

What does matter, she says, is "how long" people wait.

People have gone from waiting two years this time last year, to an average of 16 to 18 weeks, Ms Caulfield claims.

Building new surgeries

Ms Caulfield is then asked about her party's pledge today to build 100 new GP surgeries and modernise another 150.

Ali points out that Boris Johnson pledged 40 new hospitals in 2019 - and it is predicted these will not be done by the 2030 deadline.

Ms Caulfield dismisses the concerns of the National Audit Office - and says the target remains 2030.

Does it matter that Labour is following forecasts on net migration falling

Back to our panel, and they are discussing migration.

James Starkie, the former Home Office adviser, says Labour adopting the OBR's forecast for net migration to fall to 315,000 by 2028 is important.

He says targets are "hostage to fortune" - as the Tories have found out.

But committing to the OBR's figures impacts how a government can forecast their tax income - and this was shown when Liz Truss had to accept large levels of immigration to fund her tax cuts.

Freddie Hayward says that cutting immigration will cost money - taking the example of employing UK people in the care sector costs more as wages are higher.

And that has to be funded from council budgets, who will look to central government for help.

'Right' for private schools to pay VAT despite financial challenges - Labour

Shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell is asked by Ali about reports that private schools are blaming Labour's proposed VAT rise on the institutions for closing.

She says it is "right" for private schools to pay VAT - adding that there have been a number of above-inflation rises to school fees in recent years and student numbers have not fallen.

The shadow minister says the money raised from the tax rise will be spent on state schools, where "nine out of ten" children get their education.

She adds that thinktanks have factored behavioural changes into their forecasts of schools fees being taxed - and a net benefit was predicted.

Labour will work within plans to halve net migration by 2028 - but does not have official target

On tonight's Politics Hub with Ali Fortescue, Labour's shadow schools minister Catherine McKinnell was asked about the party's immigration policy.

It comes after Labour made a pledge to reduce net migration (read more here).

Ms McKinnell was asked if her party would stick by the forecasts based on current policy produced by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR), which stated net migration would fall from 685,000 at the end of last year to 315,000 by the 2027/2028 period.

The Labour candidate first said the party respects the OBR, and that she did not know what the projected figure was.

When Ali told her what the target was, she was unclear if Labour would accept the figure as part of its plans should it take power.

Ms McKinnell then said that "if that's what the OBR is predicting, then that's what we will work within".

Asked if this was then Labour's target to reduce migration, Ms McKinnell says Labour does not have a target for reducing migration.

She adds that immigration can be a benefit to the economy, but UK also needs to grow its on workforce.

What do our panel think on Diane Abbott?

Ali turns to your panel to discuss the Diane Abbott row - and the veteran Labour politician standing again for the party (read more here).

Freddie Hayward, a political correspondent at the New Statesman, says what happens this week will decide whether a line has been drawn under the squabble.

He says that, if Ms Abbott comes out in the media it could inflame the situation again.

But if she backs the leadership, then it will maybe see things move on.

James Starkie, a former Home Office adviser, points out that Labour has made a series of decisions which have been questionable.

This includes what happened to Ms Abbott, as well as things like the row back on a £28bn climate pledge.

He says if Labour wants to be in government, it needs to get on top of such events.

Familiar policies - but not from the parties you would expect

Good evening. Welcome to the first Sunday Politics Hub – in case you missed it, we are now going seven days a week - so I will be with you on the weekends from here on in.

And well, today the parties are focusing on two things that always come right at the top of the list of what the public care about.

Healthcare and immigration.

But not necessarily the way round you'd expect, though.

It's Labour pledging to be tough on net migration.

And the Conservatives promising more GP appointments.

Not their traditional turf.

Waiting lists have reached record highs under the Tories.

And for labour - will too tough a message on immigration turn off some voters? The SNP certainly thought so today.

Or is this an election where we're seeing traditional party lines, and potentially the political map, redrawn?

A lot might have happened this week – but look at the polls.

The Labour Party is still miles ahead, holding onto a 20 point lead.

The first TV debate is this week - could a breakout moment in a head-to-head debate shift the polls?