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Politics latest: Keir Starmer asked if he's a 'Tory in disguise' - as Labour leader accuses Rishi Sunak of 'bottling' calling election

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner launch Labour's local elections campaign in the West Midlands. Listen to the latest Electoral Dysfunction podcast as you scroll.

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Why don't we know when the general election is?

There will most likely be a general election at some point in 2024, but we don't know exactly when.

We do know it won't happen on 2 May - when local elections will take place across England. 

The prime minister's "working assumption" is that it will be held in the second half of this year - but beyond that we know very little about the precise timing.

So why is this the case?

Political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh explains:

Scotland's new hate crime law could be used to 'settle scores', say critics

By Connor Gillies, Scotland correspondent

There are fears innocent people could end up on police databases with controversial new hate crime laws in Scotland being weaponised to "settle scores".

Legislation is being introduced on 1 April criminalising threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred based on certain characteristics including age, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.

The rules will apply in people's private homes and online.

Women's groups, which have been vocal in the transgender debate in Scotland, fear social media posts could be used to target opponents.

Susan Smith, director at the For Women Scotland campaign group, said: "It's a mess.

"Much of this is very vague as stirring up offences seems to be based on someone's perception that someone is being hateful towards them, and they can make a complaint and the police are saying they will investigate everything."

"There will be a lot of malicious reports," added Ms Smith.

Read the full details here:

'Occupation' of trade department lasted six minutes

We reported a little earlier this morning that a group called "London for a Free Palestine" said it had "occupied the Department of Business and Trade" in a bid to pressure the government into stopping arms sales to Israel.

Sky News contacted the Met Police for more details.

The force said protesters made entry into the building at 8.45am, and left "shortly before police arrived" at 8.51am.

That means the protest in the building lasted six minutes.

The force added: "Police subsequently received an allegation of assault from a member of staff at the building that took place as protesters gained entry. This is being investigated."

No arrests have been made so far, and "enquiries are ongoing".

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said in a statement that it is "completely unacceptable to harass civil servants as they go about their jobs".

"The attempt to enter the department by force cannot be justified in any way," they continued, and expressed their thanks to the Met Police for their "response and swift action".

On the substance of the protest, the spokesperson added: "We take our defence export responsibilities extremely seriously and operate one of the most robust export licensing controls in the world."

It is understood the government is monitoring the situation in the region closely, and that arms export licences can be suspended if there is a risk the items might be used in a breach of international humanitarian law.

Gove attacked by Labour, Tory MPs and Johnson allies over leasehold U-turns

Are Michael Gove's promises to reform the "feudal" leasehold system in tatters? Is certainly looks like it.

In a bruising House of Lords debate on Wednesday over his flagship legislation, he was accused of "shoddy politics" after a series of U-turns, and failing to honour pledges in the Tories's 2019 manifesto.

Nearly 50 Tory MPs are also on the warpath, accusing the housing secretary of failing to outlaw "fleecehold", where developers sell new homes as freehold but force buyers to pay service charges of up to £400 a year.

Another racket that MPs and peers want banned is so-called "forfeiture", under which people can be threatened with the loss of their home over non-payment of just small sums of money.

It's also emerged that the Treasury is attempting to force Mr Gove to abandon plans to reduce leasehold rents to a "peppercorn" rate to encourage landlords to sell the freehold to leaseholders.

Mr Gove's bill does ban the sale of new leasehold houses, except in exceptional circumstances, but not the sale of new leasehold flats, which make up 70% of properties affected, it's claimed.

In the Lords, Labour peers claimed so much had been removed from the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill by the minister that a Labour government would have to legislate on the issue.

But there was worse, much worse, from the Conservative benches, with wounding attacks on the beleaguered Mr Gove from leading allies of former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Read Jon's full analysis here:

Will Labour or the Conservatives win the next election? Latest polling from the Sky News live tracker

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about different political parties.

As Labour launches its local elections campaign, it is still sitting comfortably on a roughly 20-point lead, averaging at 43.5% in the polls, with the Tories on 23.5%.

In third is Reform UK on 11.9%, followed by the Lib Dems on 10.0%.

The Green Party stands at 5.9%, and the SNP on 2.9%.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker here.

That concludes Labour local elections launch

After over an hour of speeches and questions from the media, Labour's local elections campaign launch has concluded.

Scroll down for all the key moments and highlights.

Will Labour's new deal for working people be implemented in full?

The Daily Mirror asks about Labour's plan for working people - and specifically if zero hours contracts will be banned.

"Yes", Sir Keir Starmer replies.

He says a lesson he learned from his toolmaker father is that it "really matters" that workers "feel respected".

Sir Keir says every good employer knows treating employees with dignity and respect increases productivity and growth.

Most "good" employers are doing everything in Labour's deal anyway, the Labour leader says, before finishing the event.

Starmer 'satisfied' Rayner has 'not broken any rules'

The Labour leader is asked again about controversy over Angela Rayner's living arrangements and accusations - which she firmly denies - that she avoided capital gains tax on the sale of an ex-council house (more here).

Christian Calgie from The Daily Express quotes Ms Rayner saying last year that a Tory minister's position would be untenable if he was found to have lied or misled the public about his tax affairs.

He asks the Labour leader if Ms Rayner should resign if she is found to have broken any rules.

Sir Keir Starmer replies: "Angela has answered I don't know how many questions about this.

"She's not broken any rules - she's, in fact, taken legal and tax advice that has satisfied her and us and me."

He accuses the Tory party of "spending more of its time and energy pursuing this issue rather than answering the question of accountability of what they've done over 14 years... tells you everything you need to know about them".

Jack Elsom from The Sun follows up, asking if he has seen the legal and tax advice his deputy has received, and if she should publish it.

In case you missed it, Ms Rayner said this morning she will not be publishing the advice she has received - read more here.

Sir Keir replies that Ms Rayner is "very happy to provide" any information to any authorities that want it, but added she "shouldn't" publish her personal advice.

He turns the question back on The Sun journalist, questioning if he will be calling on Tory ministers and MPs to publish all legal and tax advice going back 15 years.

Starmer's u-turns were 'difficult decision'

The Daily Mail asks the Labour leader what is the difference between him saying the Tories have broken promises, and Labour U-turning on plans to invest up to £28bn a year on green energy.

Sir Keir says his party has taken "difficult decisions" before the election - adjusting their plans.

He says he would rather "level with the public" about what a potential Labour government could do, rather than doing what Boris Johnson did and promise to deliver lots of policies but not deliver them.

Starmer asked if he's a 'Tory in disguise' after recent praise of Conservative leaders from Labour

Next, the Labour leader is asked why Labour figures are praising Conservative leaders.

Examples cited include Rachel Reeves and David Lammy praising Margaret Thatcher, and he himself praising Boris Johnson's levelling up policy.

He is asked about comments from his critics that he is a "Tory in disguise".

Sir Keir Starmer replies that when he discussed Margaret Thatcher, he was "singling out leaders, prime ministers, who I believe have a sense of mission, a sense of driving purpose".

He makes clear that he did not agree with her mission or purpose, saying she did "very destructive things across the country" for which "people are still paying the price".

But he says leaders with purpose are better than "those who drift", adding: "What is the driving philosophy of Rishi Sunak, apart from survival?

"People ask me, what does Labour stand for - what does Rishi Sunak stand for?"

He accuses the PM of "treading water" and waiting, despite knowing the country wants a general election.