A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.
Leading the week
Rishi Sunak put his D-Day debacle behind him this week with a symbolism-heavy manifesto launch at Silverstone racetrack, where he promised tax cuts, help for first-time buyers, increased defence spending and flights to Rwanda starting in July.
Keir Starmer responded by comparing the Tory manifesto to a Jeremy Corbyn offering, and then unveiled a Labour manifesto which he said was all about wealth creation and economic growth.
[Read more: Media manifestos 2024 – Labour quiet on press regulation and media policy]
It’ll take a few days for both parties’ documents to be fully digested and analysed, but we can expect to hear all the best attack lines on uncosted policies and secret tax hikes at a special Question Time four-way debate on Thursday (20 June). Reform UK, who won’t feature in the debate, are launching their manifesto on Monday (17 June) after a mixed week, though leader Nigel Farage will be in buoyant mood after seeing his party overtake the Tories in the polls as the last two weeks of campaigning begin.
Outside of the election bubble, the economy is still performing sluggishly, so another fall in inflation when CPI figures are released on Wednesday (19 June) would be welcomed after last month’s lower-than-expected decline.
April’s data also dampened expectations of an interest rate cut when the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee announces its latest decision on Thursday (20 June), though the committee’s voting may reveal whether forecasts of an August reduction are likely to be borne out. With more fortunate timing, Jeremy Hunt and Rachel Reeves will both get to put their spin on the latest economic news, and possibly their own electoral prospects, when they speak at The Times CEO Summit in London on Thursday alongside polling guru John Curtice and pollster Frank Luntz.
Looking abroad
As the campaign ahead of snap parliamentary elections in France gets underway on Monday (17 June) following historic gains by the far-right in European Parliament elections last week, President Emmanuel Macron will head to Brussels to join EU leaders for an informal dinner to discuss who will get the EU’s top jobs for the next five years.
While final decisions are not expected to be announced until leaders meet again on 27-28 June, observers are expecting a relatively straightforward negotiation, partly linked to Macron’s diminished clout given results in France. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola are both expected to be re-appointed, while Portugal’s Antonio Costa looks likely to replace Charles Michel as European Council President and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas could succeed Spain’s Josep Borrell as EU High Representative.
The UN Human Rights Council begins its latest session in Geneva on Tuesday (18 June) with accusations over Israel’s actions in Gaza set to generate headlines.
After High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presents his annual report on Tuesday, participants are scheduled to debate the latest findings from the UN-backed panel of independent experts on the actions of Israel and Hamas on Wednesday (19 June). The report, released earlier this week, prompted Israeli outrage after it accused the state of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity since the October 7 attacks, including starvation and directing attacks against civilians. The panel also accused Hamas of war crimes, including torture, hostage-taking and targeting civilians, and said both sides have committed sexual violence during the eight-month conflict.
Also look out for
June 17
- The King and Queen attend the Service for the Order of the Garter
- Jury deliberations continue in Constance Marten and Mark Gordon trial
- EURO 2024: Austria v France
- Cannes Lions festival begins
June 18
- High Court hears challenge to government’s National Adaptation Programme
- 2024/25 Premier League season fixtures announced
- Deadline to register to vote in the general election
- Elon Musk speaks at Cannes Lions
- Boeing CEO at Senate committee hearing
- Boeing Starliner scheduled to undock from the ISS
- EURO 2024: Portugal v Czech Republic
- Taylor Swift gig in Cardiff
- Royal Ascot
- One year ago: Titan submersible went missing
June 19
- Inquest into death of Leah Croucher
- Sentencing for teen guilty of murder at £1.5m Sussex farmhouse party
- Sentencing for woman who uploaded monkey torture videos
- Deadline to apply for a postal vote for the general election
- EURO 2024: Scotland v Switzerland
June 20
- EURO 2024: Denmark v England
- Sadiq Khan at State of London debate
- Palestinian Ambassador to the UK speaks at UNISON National Delegate Conference
- 450th day in Russian custody for WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich
- Tiktok/Bytedance briefs due in challenge to US ban
- Copa America begins: Argentina v Canada
June 21
- Sentencing for teen who murdered 15-year-old at school gates
- UK retail sales figures
- Final preliminary hearing in the Dawn Sturgess inquiry
- Taylor Swift plays first of three London gigs
- EURO 2024: Netherlands v France
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree video game released
June 22
- Restore Nature Now environmental protest in London
- London Climate Action Week begins
- EURO 2024: Turkey v Portugal
- One year ago: Titan submersible debris found
June 23
- EURO 2024: Scotland v Hungary
- RMT union holds AGM
- Formula One: Spanish Grand Prix
Statistics, reports and results
June 17
- China monthly economic data
- IMF report on AI deployment
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on poverty, schools and healthcare
- Rightmove House Price Index
June 18
- Register of political donations
- Resolution Foundation report on housing
- Offshore Energies UK annual economic report
- OECD PISA report on child creativity
- IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook
- Household benefit cap statistics
- Stats on avoidable mortality in England and Wales
- EU inflation
- Results from: Whitbread, Ashtead Group
June 19
- Producer price inflation
- House price index
- Brazil interest rate decision
- Results from: Berkeley Group
June 20
- Greenpeace/Friends of the Earth election manifesto analysis
- Resolution Foundation report on disability benefits
- Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy
- OECD Society at a Glance report
- HMRC tax gap estimates
- Marriages in England and Wales (2021/22)
- Annual figures on special educational needs (SEN) provision
- Ifo economic forecast
- China Loan Prime Rate announcement
- Indonesia interest rate decision
June 21
- Public sector finances
- Flash UK PMI
- GfK consumer confidence barometer
June 22
- Resolution Foundation report on living standards
Anniversaries and awareness days
June 17
- Refugee Week (to June 23)
- Cervical Screening Awareness Week (to June 23)
- Better Transport Week (to June 23)
- Children’s Hospice Week (to June 23)
- Learning Disability Week (to June 23)
- National School Sport Week (to June 23)
- World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 18
- 40 years ago: Battle of Orgreave
- International Day for Countering Hate Speech
June 19
- Boris Johnson turns 60
- International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
- Thank a Teacher Day
- World Sickle Cell Day
- Juneteenth (US)
June 20
- World Refugee Day
- National Clean Air Day
- National Freelancers Day
- Summer Solstice
June 21
- The Prince of Wales turns 42
- Make Music Day
- International Day of Yoga
- National Selfie Day
- Bring Your Dog to Work Day
- Cystic Fibrosis Wear Yellow Day
- Motor Neurone Disease Awareness Day
- World Humanist Day
- Hay Day
June 22
- National Windrush Day
- Russian Day of Remembrance and Sorrow
June 23
- Olympic Day
- International Widows Day
- UN Public Service Day
- International Women in Engineering Day
The news diary is provided in association with Foresight News.
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