General election 2024 - live: Sunak not ruling out Boris Johnson campaign comeback amid mass exodus of MPs

Rishi Sunak has said he is “pumped up” and enjoying himself two days into the election campaign, despite a difficult start when he was soaked in Downing Street as he announced the election, made a footballing gaffe and was mocked for visiting the Titanic Quarter.

The Prime Minister has been on a whirlwind tour of the UK since announcing the poll on Wednesday, travelling to Belfast and the West Midlands on Friday.

On the flight from Belfast, Mr Sunak said he was “up for the fight”. He said: “I love doing this. I’ve been doing it since the beginning of the year, I’ve been out and about pretty much two, three days a week since the beginning of the year and I love it.”

But he acknowledged there were also “difficult days” as prime minister, adding he drew inspiration from Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, who returned to Parliament on Wednesday after undergoing a quadruple amputation.

In Belfast Mr Sunak visited an advanced maritime manufacturing facility in the Titanic Quarter, which led to some unfortunate comparisons being drawn with his party’s fortunes.

Sir Keir Starmer said Rishi Sunak’s attacks on Labour asylum policy are “as daft as he looked standing in the rain without an umbrella”, Archie Mitchell reports.

In a bitter response to the prime minister’s claim that Labour will offer amnesty to thousands of asylum seekers, Sir Keir attacked Mr Sunak’s rain-soaked general election speech.

Sir Keir also set out Labour’s plans to crack down on people smuggling gangs to stop small boats crossing the English Channel.

“And he attacked the PM’s Rwanda deportation plan, saying the PM’s admission there will be no flights before the election calls into question “whether he ever believed in the Rwanda scheme”.

Independent candidate Sean Galloway Stewart has announced he will fight on July 4.

He will fight for a seat in the Eltham constituency.

The prime minister was quizzed by broadcasters on a flight from Northern Ireland to the West Midlands.

• May 24: Parliament prorogued which means the end of the Parliamentary session, bringing most business to an end.

• May 30: Parliament dissolved. By law, this has to take place no later than 25 working days before polling day.

• June 7: Deadline for candidates to be nominated.

• June 18: Deadline to register to vote. This can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

• June 19: Deadline to apply for a postal vote.

• June 26: Deadline to apply for a proxy vote - in other words, for someone to vote on your behalf - and to apply for a Voter ID certificate, if you do not already have a valid form of photo identification.

• July 4: Election day. Polls will open from 7am to 10pm.

• July 9: The new Parliament will be summoned to meet.

• July 17: State opening of Parliament.

Sir David Evennett has announced he is resigning and will not defend the constituency of Bexleyheath and Crayford.

In a statement to X, he said: “With the unexpected calling of a General Election on Thursday July 4, I have been considering my position and have decided to step down from active politics.

“It has been an honour and privilege to represent the people of Bexleyheath and Crayford in Parliament.”

The prime minister was visiting a maritime manufacturing site in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, where the famous ship was built.

Accompanied by secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, he was quizzed by the press about the upcoming election.

A journalist asked him: “Prime Minister, we are just yards away from where the Titanic was built and designed. Are you the captain of a sinking ship going into this election?”

Mr Sunak replied: “If you look at what’s happened over the past few weeks alone, you can see that our plan is already working.”

Rishi Sunak’s government has been accused of letting renters down after it emerged that legislation banning no-fault evictions will not be passed before the election, Social Affairs Correspondent Holly Bancroft reports. Rishi Sunak’s government has been accused of letting renters down after it emerged that legislation banning no-fault evictions will not be passed before the election.

The provision allows landlords to evict tenants without having to give a reason beyond what is in a tenancy agreement.

The bill was first introduced in the Commons in May last year but its progress stalled after Conservative MPs campaigned for stronger protections for landlords. Read the full story here