A day in the race: June 28th

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Today the candidates were in a combative and campaigning mood and refreshingly the campaign felt like a five headed assault on the government rather than an internal party contest. Campaigns were launched on free school meals and VAT – and one candidate attacked a Tory minister for “casual ignorance”.

ED BALLS, was at Lathom Junior School in Newham, East London with the force of nature that is GMB President Mary Turner. They were campaigning for free school meals in a borough that has been part of an innovative trial into universal free school meals – something we at LabourList feel passionate about.

While they were there, Ed and Mary recorded this video:

DAVID MILIBAND today launched a campaign against the planned VAT rise. David will be writing to every Tory and Lib Dem MP urging them to vote down the budget. David said:

“The Budget’s price will be paid in higher unemployment and lower living standards for the poorest and those on middle income. It is an outrage that the sins of the richest should be paid for by the poorest in our society.”

The Miliband campaign are urging supporters to co-sign the letter. This evening David will be speaking in Stratford, before delivering the letters himself to Westminster tomorrow.

ED MILIBAND was on the Daily Politics sofa today, speaking about the budget and the future of the Labour party. Miliband said:

“What we saw last week was the most right wing budget I can remember in my political lifetime; we saw an attack on the nature of how government relates to people.”

“I am very proud of the things we did in government but when you lose an election you can either say you were right and the electorate was wrong or you can learn some lessons.”

“The really key point to this is to address the underlying issues people see in their lives. How will this affect my wages? Will my son or daughter be able to get a house?”

Tomorrow Ed will be speaking to activists at Broadway House, in a speech that has been trailed as a “stark warning” to the Lib Dems, as well as setting out the key themes of his campaign. He will say, “Tonight, if the Liberal Democrats vote for the Budget, they will forfeit forever their claim to be a progressive alternative.”

DIANE ABBOTT wrote for the Guardian today, reacting to IDS’s 21st century version of “get on your bike”. Abbott said:

“Labour mobility is a desirable thing. One way to make workers potentially more mobile is to improve their education and skills. But it is futile to say that people could find work if only they were prepared to move. It ignores both the nature of modern family structures, and the extent that the coalition’s own policies will cost jobs.”

Earlier in the day, Abbott lashed out at Theresa May, describing plans for a cap on immigration as, “a completely bogus unworkable policy.”

ANDY BURNHAM was only really on the radar today reacting to some ill-advised comments from Tory culture secretary Jeremy Hunt on Hillsborough. Burnham, himself a Scouser, said to BBC news this afternoon:

“It is very depressing to hear a cabinet minister make this remark. It shows a casual ignorance about one of the biggest manmade disasters this country has ever seen.”

Earlier today Burnham had tweeted:

“How sad 2 hear Cab Min echo old slurs on Hboro. Need more than apology – he must give full support 2 discl panel. Full truth & nothing less.”