fo ma rd forward by labour, very much put forward by labour, very much pushing him to the front of events today because it seems clear they will want to push him to the front of an election campaign. i think they feel fairly confident about putting him up against rishi sunak and saying to the public, you choose. but equally, the conservatives saying that they don't think labour have a plan, that they have plans to deliver, that they are on track with things like the rwanda plan. so, this is shaping up to give you the sense of what is coming down the track. ~ ,., you the sense of what is coming down the track. �* ,., ., you the sense of what is coming down the track. ~ ,., ., ., ., the track. also on that and the election. _ the track. also on that and the election. it _ the track. also on that and the election, it was _ the track. also on that and the election, it was interesting, i the track. also on that and the l election, it was interesting, the daily mail talking about how some voters had abandoned labour in the recent local elections over issues including gaza.— recent local elections over issues including gaza. yes, and we know that has been _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real source - including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real source of - that has been a real source of difficulty for labour. you are right. we saw it in the local

elections, there were certainly council seats that were lost, a council seats that were lost, a council seats that were lost, a council seat by labour, council seats won by candidates standing as independent, specifically to draw voters away from labour. voters who were dissatisfied with labour and its position on the gaza war. so, labour is conscious of that and says it knows it has work to do to try to win those voters back. that is a concern for labour. i think what is interesting there, though, is the question of whether that has the ability to damage labour electorally enough to matter in enough seats and thatis enough to matter in enough seats and that is the crucial calculation that labour have to and will be making in this when they are calibrating their response to that issue and how they trying to address those voters. the feeling is i think that there are some seats where that is more concentrated but it may also be seats where labour has a bigger

question, if you like. it is worth saying that labour also faces challenges coming from others like the workers party that has been set “p the workers party that has been set up again to try to appeal to voters who have a sense that labour, by weight shifted too, has shifted away from some of its more traditional supporters, some of its more traditional policies. that might be something which could again draw voters away. but this isn'tjust a challenge exists for labour, it is a challenge exists for labour, it is a challenge that exists in a really serious way for the conservatives, to come up with the reform party seeking to draw voters away from the conservatives, too. so, again, you get a sort of the major parties grappling with this but those effects may sort of impact on all and in some ways balance each other out, if you like. and in some ways balance each other out. if you like-— out, if you like. damien, thank you very much — out, if you like. damien, thank you very much as _ out, if you like. damien, thank you very much as always _

out, if you like. damien, thank you very much as always for— out, if you like. damien, thank you very much as always for your - very much as always for your analysis. really appreciate your time. damian grammaticas, our political correspondence, at westminster. a reminder, we have a special live page up and running, if you havejustjoined us and special live page up and running, if you have justjoined us and want to know what sir keir starmer has outlined in his six pledges in that pre—election speech then you can find that at the bbc website... or if you have it on the bbc news app. while sir keir was speaking, we had some breaking news into the bbc and ijust want to some breaking news into the bbc and i just want to update you want that because a six—year—old boy has died after falling from a building because a six—year—old boy has died afterfalling from a building in east london. the emergency services say they were called to new city road at 6am to reports that someone had fallen from height. they say a child died at the scene. the boy's family have been told and are being supported by specialist officers

from the metropolitan police. at the moment, the police are saying the death is being treated as unexplained. the met said they are working to establish the full circumstances. no arrests have been made but a met spokesperson said that their thoughts are with the child's family at this time. so the news while sir keir was speaking that a six—year—old boy has died after falling from a building that a six—year—old boy has died afterfalling from a building in east london. police at the moment treating that death as unexplained. we will keep an eye on that and if we get any further updates from the police, we will bring them to you here on bbc news. now, as part of the bbc�*s mental health and well—being focus, children have been telling the bbc how the housing crisis has been affecting their mental health. newsround has heard from children who have had to live in mouldy cockroach infested properties where they shared bedrooms with their parents or having to pack up and leave their homes at short notice, moving several times a year, far away

from their school and friends. here is their report. grace lives with her mum on the south coast of england. they became homeless when their landlord decided to sell their home, meaning they had to move out. they couldn't afford rent in their local area so had to apply for homelessness with the local council. after becoming homeless, grace and her mum were moved into a hotel and then a series of temporary accommodations. then we got these little bugs, like, crawling in our bathroom near our toothbrushes. i did not have a clue what i was. and then i wasjust relaxing in bed, a cockroach was on the duvet. that is on my bed. it's not a joke any more. i've had enough. shouldn't be having to live like this. that really did make me feel upset. just the word "cockroaches" now gives me, like, shivers down my spine. you know how you bite your nails? i kind of did that but i scratched them instead, so it got really bad

and it started to cut my hands. i've got minion nails on. oh, yeah! i can see the minion. so, yeah, i can see that it's clearly, like, healing a lot now. you think you're going to wake up in your old house, but then you end up waking up here. yeah, so... it's different. do you know how long that you're going to be living here for? i don't know. i think me and my mum don't mind because we want a forever home, and how long it takes, it takes. . there's been about a 70% rise in . children in temporary accommodation over the last ten years. what that ultimately means is it has a huge, huge impact- on children's mental health. it feels like children are hidden. we don't want to hear children's voices. - we're in a time that really|

we shouldn't be in the uk. you know, we always say we just want our children to be safe, - healthy and educated. every child deserves a home. i'm in manchester to meet alice. she lives with her mum and older sister. a year ago, life changed for alice when she became homeless. we came home from school and my mum told me that we've got to start packing, we've got to leave tomorrow. i was like, "all right, it should be fine. "just moving, i've done it before." then we moved and it was totally different than i would think. we moved into a b&b. it wasn't nice. there was mould on the walls. the walls were damp. i would have to share a bed with my mum. i would start having panic attacks because it's, like, i'm too used to being in that room and i don't have anywhere else to go. so, then we got moved here. so, you've moved five times in less than a year? yeah. that must have affected your school life. obviously, we don't live that close from where our school is. i've got to wake up early so i can get there on time

and i don't miss anything. you can't do after—school clubs at school because it would just take too much time to keep going there and back. the way i'm living is different to everyone else. you go from one really good part of your life and then it just goes really bad. for now, alice is happy to be in a safe place with more room for her and her family. but there are over 100,000 children across the uk who are affected by homelessness and many have had to live in poor conditions.

shadow home secretary, yvette cooper, who has been at that event in essex. yvette cooper, thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. how do you answer that criticism from the conservatives that this speech is just another relaunch?

that this speech is 'ust another relaunch? ~ , , , ., relaunch? well, this is setting out keir starmer's _ relaunch? well, this is setting out keir starmer's first _ relaunch? well, this is setting out keir starmer's first steps, - relaunch? well, this is setting out keir starmer's first steps, six - keir starmer's first steps, six first steps, that would be the first priorities of a labour government because i think really the country just desperately wants change, really it feels like everything is broken now. now, sir keir has been setting out plans for economic stability, wejust setting out plans for economic stability, we just haven't had that and that is why sony businesses, so many families have been hit. a plan to cut nhs waiting lists because across the country, so many people are waiting months if not years now for treatment that they urgently need. a plan to get more neighbourhood police back on the beat and into our town centres, cracking down on anti—social behaviour. for energy, a plan to get our energy bills down. plans to get more teachers into our schools and also a new border security command. so, six really important first steps that i think i transformation re for so many people's lives across the country. so many people's lives across the count . , , ., so many people's lives across the count . , .

country. so, why did you choose those six steps _ country. so, why did you choose those six steps rather _ country. so, why did you choose those six steps rather than - country. so, why did you choose those six steps rather than say, | country. so, why did you choose i those six steps rather than say, for example, housing or work as? they are art example, housing or work as? they are part of — example, housing or work as? they are part of a — example, housing or work as? they are part of a much _ example, housing or work as? tue: are part of a much broader example, housing or work as? tte: are part of a much broader programme or the many things that we have to do is part of our economic strategy, that includes plans around housing and also around a new deal for working people so there are so many things that are obviously part of the plans that we have but what sir keir has set up to date is some really tangible six first steps that everybody can talk about, like the crackdown on anti—social behaviour, for example. like the plan to cut nhs waiting lists. so it isjust being clear because i think at a time when people feel really so ground down by 14 years of the tories, being able to say, yeah, actually we can hope again, we can turn things around, we can be different. these are some of the really practical first steps we would take.— really practical first steps we would take. ., , ., ., , would take. now, you have the pledge card. those would take. now, you have the pledge card- those of — would take. now, you have the pledge card. those of us _ would take. now, you have the pledge card. those of us who _ would take. now, you have the pledge card. those of us who are _ would take. now, you have the pledge card. those of us who are old - would take. now, you have the pledge card. those of us who are old enough l card. those of us who are old enough to remember will know that that is

very reminiscent of the pledge card that tony blair used in 1997. are you just copying what he did back then hoping that it will work this time? ~ , ., . ., , time? well, things have changed very much over many _ time? well, things have changed very much over many years _ time? well, things have changed very much over many years so _ time? well, things have changed very much over many years so we - time? well, things have changed very much over many years so we are - much over many years so we are facing the new challenges of the future. but, look, you are right, the last labour government of the 1997 did have priorities, did deliver on them, we did see big changes including the nhs is a really good example because that did bring waiting lists right down. they have sold since then under the conservatives and the neglect we have seen so i think it is right for us to prioritise now bringing those nhs waiting lists down. but this is a plan for the future, for the new challenges that we face in the 21st century and the 2020s and that is why i think it is so important to have these practical plans we want to take forward. find have these practical plans we want to take forward.— to take forward. and what is the timescale on — to take forward. and what is the timescale on those? _ to take forward. and what is the timescale on those? are - to take forward. and what is the timescale on those? are you - timescale on those? are you promising if you win the general

election, in that first time, that you have all of these six steps carried out?— you have all of these six steps carried out? ~ , ., . ., , carried out? well, these are clearly thins carried out? well, these are clearly thin . s that carried out? well, these are clearly things that we _ carried out? well, these are clearly things that we want _ carried out? well, these are clearly things that we want to _ carried out? well, these are clearly things that we want to be _ carried out? well, these are clearly| things that we want to be delivering as swiftly as possible. they are effectively the first steps, the first priority is that if labour is elected to government, if you walk into the door of a government, these are the first steps, the practical things that we want to take as soon as possible. of course, some of them do involve getting new legislation in place but we can do that if everybody is working together, to work as swiftly as possible. yvette coo er, work as swiftly as possible. yvette cooper, shadow _ work as swiftly as possible. yvette cooper, shadow home _ work as swiftly as possible. yvette cooper, shadow home secretary, | work as swiftly as possible. yvette - cooper, shadow home secretary, thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. yvette cooper there at that event that the labour leader was speaking at, sir keir starmer. he was setting out, as yvette cooper said, those first steps that he would take if the party wins the next election. there were six which he said were fully funded and ready to go and as i mentioned, he held up a pledge card saying, one card, six steps in your hand, a plan to change

the country. a reminder, we have a live page up and running with all of the analysis on that speech. chris mason, our political editor is there and that is on the bbc website or the bbc news app. stay with us now here on bbc news, bbc news now is up next with my colleague annita mcveigh. live from london. this is bbc news.

local media are reporting that that police have charged a man with the attempted murder of slovakian prime minister roberto fico. he is in a critical condition after being shot. labour insists that it has not scaled back in its ambitions. on friday, visitors to buckingham palace will have the chance to see one of the biggest collections from the royal family's archive. hello, i'm annita mcveigh, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. we begin this hour in china where russia's president putin is on a state visit. it's his first foreign trip since his unprecedented re—election for a fifth term, and his second visit

to china in six months.