Category Archives: POLITICS

Wes Streeting Says He Is ‘Sick And Tired’ Of Being Asked If He Wants To Be Labour Leader

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Labour’s Wes Streeting has said he is “sick and tired” of being asked whether he wants to succeed Keir Starmer as the party’s next leader.

The shadow health secretary, a rising star within Labour, has long been tipped as a potential future leader.

But dismissing the speculation, Streeting said he would be “too old” to take on the job by the time Starmer had finished being prime minister if Labour wins the next election.

Speaking to reporters at a lunch in Westminster, Streeting said: “I really thought that when we got to a point where we were 30 points ahead in the polls these questions would just stop.

“I’m sick and tired of them. I’ll be far too old by the time Keir is finishing being prime minister. They’ll be looking to new fresh faces and a new generation.

“I already have a leadership role with the Labour Party — I have a big job to do, a serious job to do.

“And if I look back on my career in politics, as the secretary of state of health and social care, who gripped the worst crisis in the history of the NHS, and put it on a footing that makes it fit for the future so people look back on that in the way people that back on Bevan, I will have more than achieved my ambitions in politics and be very happy with the career I’ve had.”

Streeting was speaking as Labour continues to enjoy a near 30-point lead in the polls following the chaos sparked by the mini budget and Liz Truss’s downfall as prime minister.

However, the election of Rishi Sunak as party leader has given the Conservatives a small bounce in the polls, with support for the Tories up for points to 23%, while Labour has dropped five points to 51%.

There are some fears within Labour that Sunak’s serious approach to fixing the economy could persuade voters to stick with the party.

But the shadow health secretary said Sunak was “one of many Conservative chancellors that have saddled our country with more than a decade of failed economic policies”.

He painted a stark contrast between the Tories and Labour, saying that while his party had “changed substantially at every level”, the Tories had made some “very questionable choices in leadership elections”.

“In the Labour Party, the cranks have been kicked out or have left. In the Conservative Party, the cranks are sat around the Cabinet table,” he said.

And in a swipe at Sunak’s controversial decision to reappoint Suella Braverman as home secretary just days after she was sacked by Truss for a serious security breach, Streeting said: “He [Starmer] seeks unity, but unlike Rishi Sunak he prizes unity with and for the interests of the country, above appeasing factions within his own party.”

Streeting welcomed the fact that Sunak is the UK’s first Asian prime minister, calling it a “cause for celebration”, but said Labour was “ready to take him on”.

Sunak cannot tackle the cost of living crisis “because he has fuelled the cost of living crisis,” Streeting went on.

“I don’t care that Rishi Sunak was privately educated, or that he’s hugely wealthy.

“I do care that he’s dangerously out of touch, making decisions about people whose lives he has never lived and whose lives he will never understand — decisions that are making them poorer, not richer.

“Ideological dogma may have crashed the economy with the mini budget, but more than a decade of failed Conservative economic policies have left working people paying the price.”

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Sacked Tory Chairman Accuses Braverman Of ‘Multiple’ Breaches Of Ministerial Code

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Former Tory chairman Jake Berry has alleged Suella Braverman made “multiple breaches of the ministerial code” when she was sacked as home secretary, before being dramatically re-installed by Rishi Sunak less than a week later.

Braverman admitted to a “technical infringement” of the rules as she was forced out prior to the downfall of Liz Truss, making her then the shortest-serving home secretary in history.

But Berry, who was sacked by the new prime minister on Tuesday, told Talk TV that there had been “multiple breaches” of the code, which sets out how members of the government must behave – or face punishment.

He said: “From my own knowledge, there were multiple breaches of the ministerial code.”

On Wednesday, Sunak told MPs that Braverman’s behaviour was just “an error of judgment”. Berry’s comments will raise questions over Sunak’s claims that his premiership would lead to “stability and unity”.

Braverman left her role in Truss’s cabinet after she was caught sending veteran backbench Tory John Hayes, a fellow right-winger, an official document from a personal email account.

She accidentally copied in someone she believed was Hayes’s wife, but was in fact an aide to Conservative MP Andrew Percy, who raised the alarm.

Braverman argued it was merely a draft written ministerial statement on immigration which had been due for publication imminently.

Allies said she sent it after going on a 4am immigration raid before coming clean about her “mistake”.

But officials said the file was sent much later and that the cabinet papers had first been forwarded from her ministerial account to a private Gmail account before going elsewhere.

Berry told TalkTV: “It was sent from a private email address to another member of parliament. She then sought to copy in that individual’s wife and accidentally sent it to a staffer in parliament.

“To me that seems a really serious breach, especially when it was documents relating to cybersecurity, as I believe.

“That seems a really serious breach. The cabinet secretary had his say at the time. I doubt he’s changed his mind in the last six days, but that’s a matter for the new prime minister.”

Braverman said she “rapidly reported” her “mistake” through official channels, and informed cabinet secretary Simon Case, as soon as she realised it.

But Berry said: “As I understand it, the evidence was put to her and she accepted the evidence, rather than the other way round.”

Labour has demanded that Case, who is reportedly “livid” over her swift return and “very concerned” about the breach, launch an investigation “into the extent of this and other possible security breaches”.

Keir Starmer has accused Sunak of doing a “grubby deal” to reappoint Braverman as home secretary.

During the brief leadership contest Braverman swung behind Sunak in what was seen as a blow to Boris Johnson’s hopes of staging a comeback to No.10

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5 Biggest Moments From The Day As The UK Gets Its Third PM In Less Than Two Months

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History was made on several accounts on Tuesday, with both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak breaking records – albeit for very different things.

As the prime minister with the shortest time in office officially left Downing Street while the first British Asian PM took her place, this was a momentous day in politics.

On top of that, there was a dramatic reshuffle, as Sunak seeks to separate himself from the premierships of the last two prime ministers.

Here’s everything you need to know about the day.

1. Liz Truss says farewell

The prime minister with the shortest tenure in UK history said goodbye to Downing Street at 10.15am.

She urged her successor to be “bold” and stick to her tax-cutting agenda, despite the economic chaos it caused and the widespread criticism it evoked.

She offered no apology in her speech and urged Sunak to focus on “growth” by cutting taxes and reducing public spending, maintaining: “I am more convinced than ever we need to be bold and confront the challenges that we face.”

Truss said: “We simply cannot afford to be a low growth country where the government takes up an increasing share of our national wealth and where there are huge divides between different parts of our country.

“We need to take advantage of our Brexit freedoms to do things differently.”

She also tried to champion her policies which the government did not U-turn on, such as assistance with energy bills, and reversing the National Insurance increase.

Liz Truss making her farewell speech on Tuesday morning
Liz Truss making her farewell speech on Tuesday morning

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

2. Sunak meets the King

Shortly after Truss met with the King to resign, her successor filed into Buckingham Palace so he could officially be confirmed as the next prime minister.

This was a historic moment, marking the beginning of the first UK premiership led by a Hindu and British Asian. It’s also only the second time a prime minister from an ethnic minority has taken the country’s reins, too.

At 42, Sunak is also the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years.

King Charles III meeting Sunak in Buckingham Palace
King Charles III meeting Sunak in Buckingham Palace

AARON CHOWN via Getty Images

3. Sunak’s welcome speech

Sunak started his premiership with a bang, by immediately addressing the “mistakes” of his predecessor in a speech before midday.

He said: “Some mistakes were made – not born of ill will, or bad intentions. But mistakes nonetheless.

“And I have been elected as leader of my party and your prime minister in part to fix them.

“And that work begins immediately.”

Sunak also used the opportunity to address former prime minister Boris Johnson’s claim that he was “uniquely” positioned to lead the Tories – despite withdrawing from the race.

The new prime minister said while he was “grateful” to Johnson for his “incredible achievements”, “the mandate my party earned in 2019 is not the sole property of any one individual”.

He suggested that he would continue to work on the goals the Tories set out when they won the general election almost three years ago.

4. An exodus of ministers

Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg led a wave of resignations from the cabinet. A prominent ally to both Johnson and Truss, he has not spoken favourably of Sunak in the past, declaring him a “socialist” during the Tory leadership election in the summer.

Chair of the Conservative Party Jake Berry, levelling up secretary Simon Clarke, justice secretary Brandon Lewis, education secretary Kit Malthouse and work and pensions secretary Chloe Smith all followed him out the door.

Robert Buckland also stood down as Welsh secretary as did Wendy Morton, the chief whip during Truss’s time in office, environment secretary Ranil Jayawardena and the minister for development Vicky Ford.

Alok Sharma was removed from the cabinet too, but remains as Cop26 president, meaning he will negotiate on the UK’s behalf at Cop27, but won’t attend cabinet or be known as a minister.

Robert Buckland, Wendy Morton and Jacob Rees-Mogg all left cabinet on Tuesday
Robert Buckland, Wendy Morton and Jacob Rees-Mogg all left cabinet on Tuesday

5. A new cabinet emerges

Sunak is under pressure to unite the fractured Conservative Party through his leadership by appointing MPs from all its factions to government positions.

Jeremy Hunt, who replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor after the mini-budget imploded, is remaining at the top of the Treasury.

Sunak’s loyal ally, former deputy PM and former justice secretary Dominic Raab was rewarded, and handed his old two titles again.

Michael Gove returns to cabinet as levelling up secretary, just two months after he said he was quitting frontline politics.

A few more old faces returned to cabinet amid the reshuffle.

Former Welsh secretary Simon Hart has become the new chief whip while James Cleverly is keeping his job as the foreign secretary and Ben Wallace is staying as defence secretary.

Suella Braverman, who resigned as home secretary a week ago over breaching security rules, returns to that same job.

Oliver Dowden has been appointed as the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, while Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed Conservative Party chair.

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Michael Gove Returns As Levelling Up Secretary In Rishi Sunak’s New Cabinet

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Michael Gove has been appointed levelling up secretary by Rishi Sunak, as the new prime minister assembled his cabinet.

It marks a quick return to office for Gove, who claimed he was quitting frontline politics in August.

Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, said: “Congratulations.

“The job has got a whole lot harder. But hey, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.”

Dominic Raab has been made deputy prime minister and justice secretary, while Jeremy Hunt stays on as chancellor.

James Cleverly, a close ally of Boris Johnson, will remain as foreign secretary. Ben Wallace, who also was close to the former PM, stays as defence secretary.

Suella Braverman returns as home secretary, less than a week after resigning from that job after admitting breaching security rules.

Penny Mordaunt came out of the reshuffle as Commons Leader, failing to win a promotion after she challenged Sunak in the Tory leadership race, which he won without a vote being cast.

Simon Hart, a former Welsh secretary, has been appointed chief whip. He will be in charge of enforcing discipline in a party that has been consumed by infighting.

Other allies of Sunak benefited, with Mel Stride appointed work and pensions secretary and Oliver Dowden becoming chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster having resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Johnson.

Therese Coffey, one of Truss’s closest friends in Westminster, was demoted from deputy PM and health secretary to become environment secretary.

But several other allies of the two former prime ministers have left cabinet, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke and Wendy Morton.

Sunak took over as prime minister on Tuesday morning with a promise to “fix” the “mistakes” made by Liz Truss.

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Suella Braverman Reappointed Home Secretary Days After Quitting Over Security Breach

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Suella Braverman has been reappointed home secretary by Rishi Sunak, less than a week after she resigned for breaching security rules.

Last Wednesday, Braverman quit as Liz Truss’ home secretary after admitting sending an official government document using her personal email.

When she stepped down, Braverman said “the business of government relied upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes”.

Over the weekend she delivered a huge boost to Sunak’s leadership campaign by throwing her weight behind his bid.

Braverman is one of the leading Brexiteers on the right of the party who ran for the leadership herself when Boris Johnson was ousted.

She now returns to the Home Office as Sunak moved to assemble his top team.

In his speech in Downing Street shortly after being appointed PM, Sunak said he would lead a government of “integrity, professionalism, and accountability at every level”.

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said: “At noon Rishi Sunak promised ‘integrity, professionalism & accountability’.

“At 5pm he made Suella Braverman home secretary, one week after she resigned for ministerial code breach/security lapse.

“He put party before country. Security is too important for this irresponsible Tory chaos.”

Braverman has previously taken a hardline on immigration and said it was her “dream” and “obsession” to see a flight take asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Sunak has also appointed Dominic Raab as deputy prime minister and kept Jeremy Hunt as chancellor. Michael Gove has returned as levelling up secretary.

The new prime minister said he wanted to fix the “mistakes” made by Truss during her short time in office.

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Rishi Sunak Will Take Over As Prime Minister On Tuesday Morning, Says No.10

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Rishi Sunak will take over from Liz Truss as prime minister on Tuesday morning, Downing Street has said.

Truss will chair her final cabinet meeting at 9am and deliver a speech outside No.10 at 10.15am.

She will then travel to Buckingham Palace to meet the King and formally resign.

Sunak will then make his way to the Palace where he will meet the King and be appointed PM.

He is due to then make a statement on the steps of No.10 at 11.35am.

The former chancellor won the keys to Downing Street after Penny Mordaunt failed to secure the support from Tory MPs needed to make it onto the ballot.

Sunak told his party on Monday it must “unite or die” in the face of a “profound economic challenge”.

It marks a dramatic comeback for Sunak, who lost out to Truss in the previous contest.

Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP has demanded the incoming prime minister hold a general election to secure a mandate to govern.

But Sunak told a meeting of Tory MPs behind closed doors in Westminster he would not go to the country early.

The Tory party’s poll ratings have tanked since Truss’ mini-Budget caused market chaos.

At 42, Sunak will be the youngest UK prime minister in over 200 years. He will also be the first Hindu PM.

To make it onto the ballot, Tory leadership candidates had to win the formal support of 100 MPs.

A Mordaunt campaign source said she fell just short, securing the backing of 90 MPs.

Boris Johnson, who stood down as prime minister just last month, toyed with a comeback but dramatically decided not to formally enter the contest on Sunday.

His campaign claimed 102 MPs were willing to nominate the former PM.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The Tories have crowned Rishi Sunak as prime minister without him saying a single word about how he would run the country and without anyone having the chance to vote.”

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the Conservatives had “installed another out-of-touch” prime minister, adding: “The only way to end the chaos is a general election now.”

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BBC ‘Urgently Reviewing’ Newsreader’s ‘Gleeful’ Reaction After Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal From Tory Leadership Race

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The BBC has said it is “urgently reviewing” comments made on air by newsreader Martine Croxall following Boris Johnson’s exit from the Tory leadership race.

The presenter was accused of breaching the broadcaster’s strict impartiality rules after she asked if she was “allowed to be this gleeful” during Sunday evening’s newspaper review on the BBC News channel, which came shortly after the former prime minister announced he would not be standing to reclaim his old job.

“Well this is all very exciting isn’t it?” she told viewers: “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well I am.”

In her first question to her guests, Croxall also remarked: “Can we even show you the front pages just yet, have they arrived? No they haven’t arrived.

“It’s all a little bit, you know, lastminute.com isn’t it? Because all the front pages were probably out of date by the time we received them.”

Croxall also suggested during the programme that her comments could have breached BBC guidelines.

Responding to a guest’s joke aimed at Johnson, she said: “I shouldn’t probably (laugh). I’m probably breaking some terrible due impartiality rule by giggling.”

Her comments – which aired around 90 minutes after Johnson’s announcement – attracted criticism from some viewers and Tory MP Nadine Dorries on social media, claiming they displayed bias.

A statement from the broadcaster said: “BBC News is urgently reviewing last night’s edition of The Papers on the News Channel for a potential breach of impartiality.

“It is imperative that we maintain the highest editorial standards. We have processes in place to uphold our standards, and these processes have been activated.”

The Telegraph and Press Association also reported Martine has been taken off air for an “undefined period”, although the BBC has not officially confirmed this.

The BBC would not verify this claim when contacted by HuffPost UK.

On Twitter, Croxall told one viewer to consider the “context” of her remarks, later clarifying: “The rollercoaster of politics. Fascinating to report on.”

When another Twitter user said they expected her comments were “journalistic excitement and not relief, like most of the viewers”, she replied: “Very much the former!”

On Monday, it was announced that Rishi Sunak had won the Conservative Party leadership contest and will become the next prime minister.

The former chancellor secured the overwhelming support of MPs and will be installed as PM without a vote of the party membership.

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Nadhim Zahawi Mocked For Backing Boris Johnson And Rishi Sunak In The Same Half Hour

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A Tory minister has been mocked for publicly declaring his support for Boris Johnson’s Tory leadership bid and then switching to his arch-rival Rishi Sunak less than half an hour later.

Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the UK should “get ready for Boris 2.0” in an article published by the Daily Telegraph at 9pm.

But just two minutes earlier, Johnson had issued a statement saying he had decided to pull out of the race.

Nadhim Zahawi's article backing Boris Johnson was published at 9pm
Nadhim Zahawi’s article backing Boris Johnson was published at 9pm

Daily Telegraph

In a remarkable about-turn, Zahawi – who urged Johnson to resign as prime minister in July – then posted a tweet at 9.29pm announcing that he had switched his support to Sunak.

Unsurprisingly, Zahawi was slammed on Twitter for his latest embarrassing U-turn.

The Tory leadership contest is now a two-horse race between Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.

However, Sunak is the red hot favourite, having already secured more than 120 nominations, compared to Mordaunt’s 24.

The deadline for reaching the 100 MP threshold is 2pm tomorrow.

But a source close to Sunak said: “We are not taking anything for granted. Rishi will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward.”

A Mordaunt campaign source said: “Penny is still running to be the leader of the Conservative Party.

“Penny is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together and polling shows that she is the most likely candidate to hold onto the seats the Conservative Party gained in 2019.”

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Boris Johnson Pulls Out Of Race To Be Prime Minister

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Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of running for the Tory leadership, despite claiming he had the support required to do so.

The former prime minister said he had “much to offer” but that now was “simply not the right time”.

Johnson said he was “well placed” to deliver a Tory win at the next general election but suggested it would be hard to govern a disunited party.

“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament,” he said.

He also confirmed that he had appealed to the other two candidates – Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt – but they had not been able to work out a deal.

Johnson pulled out just a few hours after his campaign team told supporters they had secured the 100 nominations needed from MPs to get on the ballot paper.

A number of cabinet ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadhim Zahawi, had backed their former boss.

One reason why the former PM may have decided not to run is that he is facing an inquiry into whether he lied to the Commons over the partygate scandal.

If found guilty by the Commons Privileges Committee, he could face recall proceedings that would leave him battling for his seat in the Commons if he receives a suspension of 10 days or more.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.

DANIEL LEAL via Getty Images

It now looks increasingly likely that former chancellor Sunak is heading for No.10 and will be Britain’s next prime minister.

In a statement, Johnson said: “In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.

“I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.

“A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.

“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.

Penny Mordaunt.
Penny Mordaunt.

ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images

“But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.

“And though I have reached out to both Rishi and Penny – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.

“Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds. I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”

A source close to Rishi Sunak said: “We are not taking anything for granted. Rishi will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward.”

A Mordaunt campaign source said: “Penny is still running to be the leader of the Conservative Party.

“Penny is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together and polling shows that she is the most likely candidate to hold onto the seats the Conservative Party gained in 2019.

“Ed Balls, shadow cabinet ministers and Labour advisers have all said Penny is the candidate Keir Starmer fears the most.”

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How Likely Is A General Election Now?

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The Conservative Party is about to choose its fifth leader in six years.

As the largest party in the Commons, this leader will also become the prime minister – despite not being elected by the general public, but by Tory MPs and the approximately 160,000 Tory members.

Liz Truss will remain in place until her successor is announced, hopefully by Friday, October 28.

But, as the Tories go through yet another change of hands, many are calling for the vote to go back to the public via a general election, while online petitions for the cause are growing.

But just how likely is it that the electorate can go back to the polling stations early?

When would the next election be, without intervention?

Unless an announcement is made, the next general election is not set to happen for a while. That’s because Boris Johnson called the last snap general election in December 2019 and each term is five years’ long.

This is counted from the day the new parliament first met, so parliament would next be automatically dissolved on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

Twenty-five days of polling would follow, meaning the last possible date for people to hit the ballot boxes would be Tuesday, January 24, 2025.

Elections are typically held on a Thursday so the public can find out who won on the Friday and a cabinet can be appointed over the weekend, but this is not a fixed rule.

Why do people want another general election?

Having another leader of the Conservative party – and potentially a third person standing leading the Tories in one term – is not a constitutional issue, and has happened before.

A prime minister was replaced twice without a general election being called in the 20th Century. Winston Churchill became prime minister after two other PMs resigned – there was no general election for him until 1945, due to the Second World War.

A similar situation occurred between 1900 and 1906.

Gordon Brown also did not call an early election when he took over from Labour PM Tony Blair in 2007, waiting until 2010 to call the public to vote. Theresa May entered Downing Street in 2016, but didn’t call an election until the following year and Johnson waited around six months before he dissolved parliament.

This is because each one of them wanted to shore up their mandate from the public, but were keen to establish themselves in office first.

But now, the leading party have been in power for 12 years and, with another leader entering No.10, many of the public feel disenfranchised.

How do you call a general election?

A prime minister usually has to call an early election.

While the power was handed to the House of Commons between 2011 and 2019, the Tories gave it back to the PM with a new law called the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022.

The prime minister would have to make a “request” to the King to dissolve parliament (and as a constitutional monarch, the King could not reject it) and a polling day would be organised for 25 working days later.

All MPs lose their status once parliament is closed and have to campaign for re-election.

Labour cannot force a general election.

As the main party of the opposition, it can call a no-confidence vote against the government. But, some members of the Conservatives – as the majority party – would then have to vote against their own government, so it’s pretty unlikely to actually happen. The Tories currently have a majority of 71 seats, and probably wouldn’t want to lose it.

The King could technically invite somebody else to form a government, someone who would win a vote of confidence in the Commons. However, that hasn’t happened since King George V asked Ramsay MacDonald to create a government in January 1924, after Stanley Baldwin lost a vote in January 1924.

Who wants an early election?

Many on the opposition benches want to call a general election early, especially as an Opinium poll found voters have swung in the Labour Party’s favour, with a 39-point lead – adding up to a whopping 411 seats.

The Conservatives have dropped to a historic low in the opinion polls with Truss’s favourability dropping to -70 among the public according to YouGov.

The same data company also found that 63% of respondents want an early general election.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said shortly after the resignation of Truss that his party have a manifesto ready “whenever an election is called”.

He said: “This is not just a soap opera at the top of the Tory party – it’s doing huge damage to the reputation of our country.

“We need a general election so the public can have their say on this utter chaos.

“There’s a manifesto that is going to be ready whenever an election is called,”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey spoke to BBC Breakfast on Friday and said the Conservatives have shown “they’re unfit to govern”, and that “we need to get rid of them”.

“I think the Conservative MPs now need to do their patriotic duty and work with the opposition parties to get that general election so that British people can have their say,” he continued.

SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also said it was a “democratic imperative” for the next PM to call a general election.

Welsh party, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party have called for an immediate general election too.

According to YouGov, just 19% of voters would back the Conservatives if a general election was held right now.

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