Good morning. It’s Chris Johnston getting you started today with all the latest from the campaign trail – as well as what’s ahead. You can follow the rest of the day’s politics on our live blog.
What’s happening?
Labour says it will scrap the Brexit white paper and replace it with new negotiating priorities with the emphasis on keeping the benefits of the single market and customs union. In a speech on Tuesday Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, will set out the plans alongside a pledge to unilaterally guarantee existing rights for all EU nationals as part of the party’s election manifesto, hastily being put together following the snap election announcement last week.
Voters are being urged to unseat prominent Brexit-supporting MPs such as Iain Duncan Smith, Theresa Villiers and Kate Hoey by the successor organisation to Britain’s pro-EU remain campaign. Open Britain has drawn up an “attack list” of 20 seats, held mostly by Conservative MPs, where constituents voted to stay in the EU but their representatives are Brexit supporters.
Tony Blair argues that Labour’s only chance lies in convincing voters that it will hold the government to account on any deal with the EU.
Meanwhile it’s not been a great start to the week for Ukip as speculation mounts that the party leader, Paul Nuttall, will not stand and other high-profile names including Arron Banks and Suzanne Evans declined to fight for seats.
At a glance:
- Green MP Caroline Lucas argues the case for an anti-Tory electoral alliance.
- Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones reveals growing concern over Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership as poll suggests the party could lose century-long dominance in Wales.
- And if you haven’t had enough Labour yet, read the Guardian view on Labour’s manifesto process: get ready for the blame game.
Poll position
An ITV/YouGov poll puts the Tories on 40% support in Wales, with Labour on 30%. That would see the Conservatives win 10 seats from Labour to put them on 21 versus 15.
Diary
- Theresa May speaks in south Wales at 2.15pm
- Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer speaks at 10am in London
- Lib Dem leader Tim Farron speaks in Portsmouth on national security
Talking point
The government appears to have performed a U-turn on business rates and says a £300m relief fund to help small businesses worst hit by the shakeup is now available for councils to share out, writes Zoe Wood.
Read these
Is it too late to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader before the election, asks Laurence Janta-Lipinski on the New Statesman.
Make no mistake, replacing the Labour leader now would terrify the Tories.”
English voters admire Nicola Sturgeon – but they fear her too, writes Deborah Mattinson of research consultancy BritainThinks for the Guardian.
One voter told us: “I thought she was going to be Salmond’s puppet, but she’s turned out to be really strong and tough. It’s hard not to admire her, but I like her too.”
Revelation of the day
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales (full disclosure: he is a non executive director at Guardian Media Group) is launching a new online publication that aims to fight fake news by pairing professional journalists with an army of volunteer community contributors.
The day in a tweet
Audacious of Tories to accuse other parties of chaos after EU civil war, surprise referendum result, leader resigning, surprise election etc
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) April 24, 2017
And another thing
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