In Pictures: Babies and brewery mark first day on campaign trail

Party leaders have begun the push to secure support with photo opps ahead of the General Election.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer greets a very young supporter in Kent

A day after the General Election was announced, party leaders of all stripes were out on the campaign trail for what is expected to be a tense and busy six weeks until polling day on July 4.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had arranged to visit all four UK countries while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was in Kent with his deputy Angela Rayner, and Sir Ed Davey was pushing the Liberal Democrats’ plans in Gloucestershire.

Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe was a familiar face at the Reform UK launch while in Scotland new SNP leader John Swinney was making the case for continued support.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets members of staff at the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, in Barry, south Wales (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Ed Davey also had young supporters at his side as the Liberal Democrat leader visited Cheltenham (Andrew Matthews/PA)

General Election campaign 2024 — Welsh Secretary David TC Davies takes a photo of Rishi Sunak at the Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, in Barry, where the teetotal Prime Minister made a gaffe by asking if the football this summer would boost sales, despite Wales not qualifying for the Euro 2024 tournament (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

From left, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, Ann Widdecombe and leader of Reform UK Richard Tice launch the party’s General Election campaign where Mr Tice hit out at high levels of net migration, establishment ‘experts’ and the ‘weak, feeble politicians who have broken Britain’ (Lucy North/PA)

Scottish National Party leader John Swinney gives a speech at the launch of the the SNP’s campaign in Edinburgh. Mr Swinney is an MSP so will not be standing for a Westminster seat (Michael Boyd/PA)

DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson speaks to the media during a press conference at a Sure Start centre in east Belfast (Liam McBurney/PA)