Election diary: Starmer gives speech in Wales amid Diane Abbott row

Rishi Sunak will continue his charm offensive in the south of England on Thursday afternoon as he visits Buckinghamshire for an election question-and-answer session with workers in a traditional Tory heartland.

Opponent Sir Keir Starmer is headed to Wales, where he is set to launch Labour’s “doorstep offer” to voters alongside Jo Stevens, the shadow Wales secretary, and Vaughan Gething, the Welsh First Minister.

The visit comes as Sir Keir finds himself under fire over his handling of the Diane Abbott row. It is also the day after confirmation that the Welsh First Minister will face a confidence vote in the Senedd following the collapse of the Welsh Labour agreement with Plaid Cymru.

Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, will also visit South Yorkshire to set out Labour’s plans to tackle antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and street crime.

Richard Tice, the Reform UK leader, and Nigel Farage, the party’s honorary life president, will announce the first major migration policy of the election campaign at a lunchtime press conference in London.

And Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, is visiting the West Country on his signature battle bus.

Recent days have seen Sir Ed take part in a number of stunts, including falling into Lake Windermere while paddleboarding and cycling down a steep hill.