Parties set to resume election campaigns

Some campaigning in the General Election is to restart on Thursday as the country remains on the highest terror alert.
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour will resume campaigning tomorrow. Pic: Danny LawsonJeremy Corbyn's Labour will resume campaigning tomorrow. Pic: Danny Lawson
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour will resume campaigning tomorrow. Pic: Danny Lawson

Campaigning has been suspended since news first broke of the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday which killed 22 and wounded dozens of others.

Read More
Three arrested over Manchester bomb attack as troops deployed

It had been speculated that major campaigning events would be halted until at least the start of next week following the attack.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have believed to have agreed in private discussions between the two that it was necessary to suspend campaigning.

UKIP was the first to break ranks among the main parties this morning, announcing that their scheduled manifesto launch tomorrow would go ahead as planned.

Their leader Paul Nuttall said: “It is right and proper that political parties suspended their campaigns for a short period as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives or suffered injuries.

“But we cannot be cowed or allow our way of life to be undermined by those who wish to do us harm.

“The best response we can make is to ensure that the democratic process continues.”

Mr Corbyn is believed to have briefed his party’s activists that Labour would undertake local campaigning tomorrow, with national events beginning again in earnest on Friday.

The Labour leader issued a statement which said: “Terror will not prevail. It will not prevent us going about our lives or derail our democratic process.

“Resuming democratic debate and campaigning is an essential mark of the country’s determination to defend our democracy and the unity that terrorists sought to attack.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Theresa May’s Conservatives have said that they will follow suit in what is being described as a ‘phased’ return to campaigning.

The SNP have also agreed to the national approach, with what the party calls ‘low-key’ campaigning tomorrow before restarting their national drive for votes on Friday.

Nicola Sturgeon was due to launch the party’s manifesto on Tuesday, but postponed the event following the attack in Manchester.

No date has been announced for the rescheduled launch, but SNP sources have suggested it will likely be next week.