The Prime Minister, rishi sunak, said only the conservatives offer security and economic stability, while the Labour Leader, sir keir starmer, promised an end to what he called 14 years of decline and chaos under the tories. Nigel farage said he wont be standing for reform uk but will campaign for them. Lets get more from our Political Correspondent damian grammaticas. Enter the man who has staked everything on this gamble, calling an election now. Quite a few of his mps are not convinced by the timing, and he has a huge poll deficit to overcome. I want to build a britain, a country where you all can have confidence, restored confidence and pride in our communities, in our society and our nation. Earlier he had an admission hed promised deportation flights to rwanda. Now he says they will happen if he is elected. We have already started detaining people, we have hired the escorts, we have an airfield on standby and we have booked the flights. All of that work is already ongoing and the choice of this election is clear, because if im reelected as Prime Minister on the 5th ofjuly, these flights will go. The Labour Leader was 200 miles to the south, in kent. Keeping with tradition, he stopped for the first baby of his campaign. Less traditional this location to launch, far from usual labour heartlands. So this election is about a choice two different countries, two different futures. Decline and chaos continuing under the tories, or rebuilding our country under labour. For the next few weeks, sir keir starmer will be pressed for more detail about that change and the plan he has already outlined. We will make the economy stable, how we will ensure we bring down the waiting times with 40,000 appointments every week, extra appointments under a Labour Government. How we will have the Border Security command take control of our borders, which have been lost under this government. How we set up gb energy so well have prices down for good. Richard tice, leader of reform uk, launched without his partys best known member, nigel farage, reforms honorary president. He has chosen not to enter the fray, saying he wants to help in the us election this autumn and here where he can. I am absolutely delighted, during this election campaign, that my good friend nigel farage will be helping out significantly in campaigning to drive home the message of reform uk and how we can save britain. Also hoping to siphon votes away from the conservatives are the Liberal Democrats. They launched yesterday. Today, their Deputy Leader said they are concentrating their efforts on several dozen target seats. I think we all know the country is absolutely crying out for change. We all know that, we feel it in our bones. But there are places around the country, around 80 seats, where it is the Liberal Democrats who can deliver that change, where Liberal Democrats are the key challengers to the conservatives, and it is in those areas we are really going after conservative mps because we are best placed to beat them in this General Election. When he announced this election, rishi sunak might have been hoping to catch other parties on the back foot, like the snp, whose new leader was installed just this month. Our manifesto is well advanced, we are hitting the road today to start the election campaign, so we are ready to go and i will be out and about around the country and i intend to take my message to every part of the country. I am the first minister of all of scotland, and i intend to be present in every part of scotland. In westminster, mps were scrambling to see what of all the legislation in progress could be rushed through. Rishi sunak� s own signature measure to ban smoking looks likely to be ditched. It was meant to be part of his legacy. Damian grammaticas, bbc news, westminster. Lets go live to another of our westminster studios, we can talk to liberal democrat mp alistair carmichael, thank you so much for being on the programme, what is your central pitch to voters . figs being on the programme, what is your central pitch to voters . Central pitch to voters . As you heard from central pitch to voters . As you heard from our central pitch to voters . As you heard from our Assistant Central Pitch to voters . As you i heard from our assistant leader, this is an agenda for change, and Liberal Democrats across the country, but especially in those seats where we are strongest, can be the vehicle for the change. So we have a government at the moment that frankly, two years ago, crashed the economy, and now theyre wanting to take credit for repairing some of the damage, but Everybody Knows that at the end of the day, they are paying more mortgage, more in taxes for the mistakes that the conservatives have made. They have to be accountable for that. The liberal democrat are people who throughout this time have always been at the forefront of saying that we will get people the need the help they need to get by. We we will get people the need the help they need to get by. Help they need to get by. We will come back help they need to get by. We will come back to help they need to get by. We will come back to those help they need to get by. We will come back to those issues help they need to get by. We will come back to those issues in help they need to get by. We will come back to those issues in a i come back to those issues in a moment or two, but you leader previously said she wanted to be leader, is there realism this time around . , leader, is there realism this time around . ,. ,. ,. , around . Certainly, what we hear from the a around . Certainly, what we hear from the party this around . Certainly, what we hear from the party this time around . Certainly, what we hear from the party this time is around . Certainly, what we hear from the party this time is something the party this time is something thatis the party this time is something that is grounded in the experience that is grounded in the experience that we are hearing talking to people on their doorsteps. You are right, we didnt have a great election result last time, but we have taken time to reflect on that, we have listened to people, we have had literally millions of Doorstep Conversations this year already, and we have got activists around the country knocking on doors talking to people in their communities. So, yes, if it is realism, then it is realism driven by Liberal Democrats listening to people in their communities and then acting on it. I kind of think that is how politics really ought to work. Kind of think that is how politics really ought to work. Honesty in olitics is really ought to work. Honesty in politics is really really ought to work. Honesty in politics is really critical, really ought to work. Honesty in politics is really critical, we really ought to work. Honesty in politics is really critical, we all. Politics is really critical, we all know that. Now, you are not going to form the next government, so what is the best Case Scenario for your party . The best Case Scenario for your. A . ,. , the best Case Scenario for your party . For the Liberal Democrats, there are real party . For the Liberal Democrats, there are real Opportunities Party . For the Liberal Democrats, there are real opportunities for i party . For the Liberal Democrats, there are real opportunities for us to make significant gains here, and for, you know, every vote cast for the Liberal Democrats goes towards seeing more liberal democrat mps are elected, and that we can then deliver on the change that you need particularly in Public Services. So getting our nhs back working, getting our nhs back working, getting the economy going again, and making sure that there is going to be care for people of any age when they need it was not because, you know, it is getting the basics right, Getting Police back onto our streets, getting Community Support officers out there in a visible way, making sure that when people are the victims of crime, they can have confidence that the police will come under that something will happen about it. The reality for too many people at the moment is that the basics of Public Services like that are broken and just do not work for them. Are broken and ust do not work for them. �. ,. ,. ,. , them. And would that mean taxes auoin u them. And would that mean taxes going up under them. And would that mean taxes going up under the them. And would that mean taxes going up under the liberal going up under the Liberal Democrats . Going up under the Liberal Democrats . ~ �. ,. , going up under the Liberal Democrats . �. ,. ,. , democrats . Weve said already that we, like democrats . Weve said already that we. Like other democrats . Weve said already that we, like other parties democrats . Weve said already that we, like other parties in democrats . Weve said already that we, like other parties in this we, like other parties in this election, we will have to wait and see what the books are like when we get in there, but people can look at the Liberal Democrats in government last time, and last time it was the liberal democrat influence that saw the threshold at which people would start to pay tax rise from £6,000 to over £10,000. That was putting money back into the pockets of hard Working People right across the country, and some of the poorest people in our community, so whatever the situation that presents itself, these are the governing principles by which Liberal Democrats will. Sure, but you must have an idea, i know, but you must have some idea, i know, but you must have some idea, i know that this election, called yesterday, was somewhat of a surprise In Westminster, but youve had plenty of time to get your ducks in a row. You must know if the position would basically be that the Liberal Democrats would say, to get all of these things done in Public Services, we may need to put taxes up. Services, we may need to put taxes u n. ,. , services, we may need to put taxes u n i. ,. , services, we may need to put taxes u. ,. ,. ,. , services, we may need to put taxes up. No, no, we are not saying that at the moment, up. No, no, we are not saying that at the moment, and up. No, no, we are not saying that at the moment, and i up. No, no, we are not saying that at the moment, and i dont up. No, no, we are not saying that at the moment, and i dont think l at the moment, and i dont think that any party is going to say that. We are still some weeks away from launching the detail of our manifesto, but what i can tell you is that our manifesto, like every other manifesto that i have ever contested an election on, i have now stood at every election since 2001, will come with prices attached. So when Liberal Democrats say they are going to do something, people will know that it is something for which there will be money available, because as you say, that is something that is very important in Keeping Trust in politics. What Keeping Trust in politics. What defines you . Keeping trust in politics. What defines you . What Keeping Trust in politics. What defines you . What makes Keeping Trust in politics. What defines you . What makes you different to the labour opposition . Well, we do have a lot of areas on which we agree with the labour party, but you know, when it comes to things like the delivery of services, the labour party will always say that is something that is done very tightly controlled, from the centre, whereas Liberal Democrats want to empower communities, and we understand that different communities want Different Things and that, you know, they should be allowed to have a much deeper say in their Public Services, whether it is health, education, policing or any other public service, is going to be delivered. The other big difference, i think, is that in labour, there is always a very wide streak of authoritarianism, you have heard it already from keir starmer, talking about bringing back tony blairs botched idea of identity cards, with a big data base of how people use them, and that is something for which Liberal Democrats will never give any support in parliament. Can ou cive a give any support in parliament. Can you give a guarantee, as we are talking now to voters, that you want to take part in a coalition if it came to that, after we get the results . Everyone remember is what happens with david cameron. Weill. Happens with david cameron. Well, look, the question happens with david cameron. Well, look, the question of happens with david cameron. Ii look, the question of whether there is a coalition or not is something thatis is a coalition or not is something that is down to the voters, and if that. ,. ,. ,. , that. No, it is not, it is down to ou. That. No, it is not, it is down to you. No. That. No, it is not, it is down to yom no. No. That. No, it is not, it is down to yom no. No. No. That. No, it is not, it is down to you. No, no, no, the that. No, it is not, it is down to you. No, no, no, the voters that. No, it is not, it is down to i you. No, no, no, the Voters Decide how many mps, it is for parties like yourselves to decide whether you go into coalition. I am saying to you at the start of the campaign, do you rule out any sort of potential for coalition or not . I rule out any sort of potential for coalition or not . Coalition or not . I think it is hiuhl , coalition or not . I think it is highly. Highly coalition or not . I think it is highly, highly Unlikely Coalition or not . I think it is highly, highly unlikely that l coalition or not . I think it is i highly, highly unlikely that we coalition or not . I think it is highly, highly unlikely that we will be in that position, and we would want a very high price if we were to go into coalition. But we are telling people at the moment what Liberal Democrats want to deliver in government and in parliament, and thatis government and in parliament, and that is what we are asking them to vote for. And i do hope, if it comes to the time, you will put that question notjust to Liberal Democrats but also to labour and conservative and any other Party Politicians that come on, because you know, it is not solely down to one party, whether there is ever going to be a future in a coalition or in some other sort of confidence and supply agreement. Or in some other sort of confidence and supply agreement. Sure, you are absolutely right. And supply agreement. Sure, you are absolutely right. We and supply agreement. Sure, you are absolutely right. We will and supply agreement. Sure, you are absolutely right. We will always absolutely right. We will always do what is necessary absolutely right. We will always do what is necessary in absolutely right. We will always do what is necessary in the absolutely right. We will always j do what is necessary in the Public Interest if that is what the voters tell us to do. Interest if that is what the voters tell us to tie tell us to do. You are absolutely riaht, tell us to do. You are absolutely right. Many tell us to do. You are absolutely right. Many of tell us to do. You are absolutely right, many of these tell us to do. You are absolutely right, many of these questions i tell us to do. You are absolutely i right, many of these questions can be put to all of the parties, and i have been doing that, and i want to come back in a moment to ask you a question i have asked other parties, about the conduct of the election in this campaign. Before we move away from talk of coalitions, i heard what you say, are you then saying you are not ruling out a potentially a coalition with even this conservative government or a Labour Government . Which is it . We conservative government or a Labour Government . Which is it . Government . Which is it . We have said already government . Which is it . We have said already that government . Which is it . We have said already that liberal government . Which is it . We have. Said already that Liberal Democrats, at this change election, are a means of removing the conservatives from government, and we cannot possibly be clearer than that. It then is up to the voters. 50 be clearer than that. It then is up to the voters. To the voters. So under No Circumstances to the voters. So under No Circumstances a to the voters. So under No Circumstances a coalition. To the voters. So under no i circumstances a coalition with to the