What to expect on the General Election campaign trail on Thursday

Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Thursday:

– Back to business

Rishi Sunak is returning to the campaign trail on Thursday, after a two-day hiatus for the Emperor and Empress of Japan’s state visit and preparations for the final head-to-head debate with Sir Keir Starmer.

With one week to go until polling day, the deepening gambling row is still likely to feature heavily when he faces the media during a tour of the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

He is expected to visit a factory in Derbyshire and hold an evening campaign event in Leeds.

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch will use a speech at the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual conference to warn of the Labour “threat” to business and set out the Tories’ plans to drive growth and productivity.

The Business Secretary will claim that for Sir Keir’s party “private business is just a vehicle to pursue their political objectives – a managed economy, heavily regulated, heavily taxed and weighed down by trade union demands”.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who is also speaking at the Westminster event, described it as “desperate nonsense” from a party that has “failed to secure trade deals with the US and India”.

– Start ’em young

Labour is pledging to “turbocharge” careers advice and work experience in schools to combat skills shortages in the workplace.

The party has committed to delivering two weeks’ worth of quality work experience for every young person and recruit more than 1,000 new careers advisers.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Over one million young people are set to benefit from Labour ushering in a revolution in work readiness.”

Sir Keir is joining the Labour battle bus in the North West and West Midlands to promote the plans.

– Emergency health budget

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is calling for the election winner to pass an emergency budget to “fix” health and social care services within four weeks of polling day.

The party is demanding one which would be “much more targeted in scope than a normal budget”.

It comes as poll frontrunner Labour has ruled out a snap fiscal event in the first few weeks of the next Parliament.

Sir Ed said: “There is no time to waste to fix local health services on the brink and tackle long NHS waiting times that are leaving people in pain and desperation.”

His action-packed campaign tour continues in the North West, West Midlands and Oxfordshire on Thursday.

– Reform the North East

Nigel Farage is speaking at a noon “mass meeting” in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham.

Reform UK said it is “time for a new voice” as Labour and the Conservatives have “deserted” the North East.

Mr Farage and Richard Tice are also set to make an evening appearance at a community centre in Boston, Lincolnshire.

– North of the border

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is using the start of the final campaign week to warn of a Labour “super-majority” and urge voters to back his party to “hold them to account”.

“A vote for the SNP on July 4 is the only guaranteed bet to finally get rid of the Tories in Scotland,” he said.

Party leader John Swinney is expected to make a pizza-themed campaign visit with the SNP’s Edinburgh East and Musselburgh candidate, while Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross is set to visit a business in East Lothian.

– Strike

Junior doctors are starting a five-day walkout across England – their 11th since their pay dispute began some 20 months ago.

Medics have said they will call off the strike if Mr Sunak makes a credible commitment to restore their pay.

The British Medical Association said it has already had some discussions with Labour, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting having promised talks on July 5 if the party wins the election.