Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Ed Davey: Watch General Election 2024 7 best campaign moments and gaffes

With polling stations opening at 7.00am this morning (July 4) and closing at 10.00pm this evening, we’ve been reflecting on some of the bizarre moments from the six-week long election campaign.

While Rishi Sunak’s D-Day blunder and Gamblegate score the highest on More in Common’s ‘Gaffe-O-Meter’, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, on course for the biggest majority of any party since 1832, and Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey have also provoked laughter and engaged in wild activities.

Read on and watch our video compilation to relive 7 of the campaign’s most memorable campaign moments.

Rishi Sunak’s rain-soaked election announcement

On May 22, the Conservative campaign got off to a soggy start when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the general election standing at a lectern outside 10 Downing Street in the pouring rain. To make things worse, Mr Sunak’s speech was almost drowned out by a protester playing Labour’s 1997 campaign anthem D:Ream's ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ in the background.

Without an umbrella, the PM became more and more drenched as his speech went on, with photographs of him walking back into Number 10 afterwards showing his soaked blazer jacket.

Rishi Sunak’s Wales Euro 24 gaffe

Rishi Sunak made an awkward football gaffe while speaking with brewery staff in Wales on May 23. Mr Sunak asked staff if they were looking forward to the summer football, not stopping to consider that Wales did not qualify for the Euro 2024 tournament.

He said: “So are you looking forward to all the football? Get people in”. After a long pause, one worker said: “Not so much my bag” with another adding, “That’s because you guys aren’t in it.”

Flock of sheep flee Rishi Sunak

During a visit to a North Devon farm on June 18, Rishi Sunak was deserted by a herd of sheep who ran away as they attempted to feed them.

The farmer joked: “They don’t want to play ball do they”.

Keir Starmer says his dad was a toolmaker AGAIN

On June 12, Keir Starmer drew laughs from an audience after he repeated the statement that his dad was a toolmaker during a Sky News debate. Mr Starmer has frequently spoken about his childhood during the campaign.

Mr Starmer said: “But when I grew up, my dad was a toolmaker, he worked in a factory [laughter]. It’s true - my mum was a nurse - and we couldn’t make ends meet. Which is not a laughing matter.”

Dawn Butler raps in campaign video

On June 13, Labour candidate for Brent East Dawn Butler released a rap campaign video to mark three weeks until the election. Ms Butler sang over a remixed version of “21 Seconds” by So Solid Crew.

In the clip, she sang, “We’ve got 21 days to go” and referenced Rishi Sunak’s D-Day gaffe.

Ed Davey rides water slide

Ed Davey slid down a waterslide in a rubber ring on May 30. Mr Davey wore swimming shorts to tackle the Ultimate Slip n Slide attraction in Frome.

The campaign visit and stunt was used to bring attention to the Lib Dems pledge to improve children’s mental health services.

Ed Davey bungee jumps

On July 1, Ed Davey took part in yet another adventurous activity - this time a bungee jump!

Mr Davey shouted, “Do something you’ve never done before - vote Liberal Democrat" as he flew off a platform into the Eastbourne sky.