‘Grabbing At Straws!’ Trevor Phillips Calls Out Minister For Spin On Local Elections Disaster

Posted on 05/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Trevor Phillips called out transport secretary Mark Harper for his bizarrely optimistic take on the Tories’ terrible performance in the local elections.

The Conservatives lost almost 500 councillors, along with 10 police and crime commissioners.

The governing party also has just one metro mayor now after voters in England and Wales went to the ballot box on Thursday.

But, overlooking these devastating losses, Harper seemed to focus on just one piece of analysis in his interview – Sky News’ forecast that the next general election will result in a hung parliament.

He told the broadcaster: “That means Keir Starmer is not on course to win a majority, and that is before an election campaign where Labour’s lack of policy will come under scrutiny.

“So what that shows me is very clear: the polls are not correct, there is everything to fight for, and the Conservative Party under the prime minister’s leadership is absolutely up for that fight.”

That same projection from Sky still shows the Tories losing 130 seats.

Sky News host Phillips said: “This is grabbing at straws a bit – you actually took a whacking.”

“I was very clear – these are disappointing results,” Harper replied. “The point is, what they demonstrate from that scenario is that Labour’s not on course for that majority, Keir Starmer hasn’t sealed the deal with the public.

“So that means there is a fight to be had, the prime minister is up for that fight, I’m up for that fight and I know the Conservatives are up for it.”

“I’m wondering if you’ve really got to grips with the scale of this,” Phillips said. “On Thursday, you won fewer council seats than Labour. And more importantly, you won fewer council seats than the Liberal Democrats.”

Labour now have 1,140 councillors in England, the Liberal Democrats 521 and the Conservatives 513.

The presenter said: “I know these are local elections so you can’t translate completely, but is it morally right that what is now the third most popular party is now squatting in Downing Street?”

“I don’t accept that analysis at all,” the cabinet minister replied.

“The Liberal Democrats beat you,” Phillips reminded him.

“No they didn’t,” Harper insisted. “If you look at the national equivalent vote share, that’s not correct.”

He said local elections are “always difficult” for the party in government, and that the results of the next general election “are not pre-determined”.

‘You’re Going To Get A Drubbing’: Trevor Phillips Tells Sunak Tories Are Heading For Defeat

Posted on 28/04/2024 by Boris Clair

Rishi Sunak has been told by Trevor Phillips that the Tories are “going to get a drubbing” at Thursday’s local elections.

The Sky News presenter delivered the stark warning as he challenged the prime minister to either quit or call a general election for July.

The pair clashed as rebel Conservative MPs ponder whether to try to oust the PM before the country goes to the polls.

Experts predict that the Tories will lose up to 500 council seats on Thursday, while the futures of high-profile mayors Ben Houchen and Andy Street hang in the balance.

Phillips told Sunak: “You are going to get a drubbing at the local elections.

“How many seats do you have to lose before you accept that the people have lost confidence in you? And it’s time either for you to stand down or to call a general election.”

In response, the PM repeatedly refused to rule out a July general election.

“When it comes to a general election, I’ve been very clear about that multiple times,” he said.

In January, Sunak said his “working assumption” was that it would take place in the second half of the year.

Phillips said: “Second half of this year could be July.”

The PM replied: “I’m not going to say anything more than I’ve already said, I’ve been very clear about that.”

The presenter told him: “I just need to know when to book my holidays. July is possible?”

But Sunak said: “Actually, Trevor, it’s more important than your holiday or anyone’s holiday. I’ve got a job to do which is delivering for the country.”

Labour Peer Slams Rishi Sunak’s ‘Sinister’ Speech On Mob Rule: ‘Bit Of A Cheek’

Posted on 03/03/2024 by Boris Clair

Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti described Rishi Sunak’s recent claims about extremism in the UK as “sinister” during an interview on Sunday.

Over the last week, the prime minister has condemned supposed extremists for “trying to tear us apart”, alleged “our democracy itself is a target” amid rising “mob rule” and called for the police to do more to protect the UK.

But, speaking to Sky News at the weekend, Chakrabarti said: “I don’t like his theatre, quite frankly.”

“The thing I find most sinister about it is that he’s almost suggesting that he has read the riot act to the police,” she added.

“He’s called them in, he’s told them that he wants the protests not to be managed, but to be policed.

“I think, in a liberal democracy – and he’s now claiming to be a liberal patriot, that was the language he used – we don’t have prime ministers interfering with operational policing.

“And this has been happening every so often under his government – there will be a summit where the police chiefs have been called to No.10,” she said. “And then there’s a press release about what they’ve been told by the prime minister or the home secretary, and I really don’t like it.

“I don’t think people in Britain want their politicians to be deciding how particular a police operation should be conducted.”

Host Trevor Phillips asked: “Sinister is quite a strong word for this, isn’t it?”

“It really is and I’m using it,” the peer said, adding: “It’s also a bit of a cheek for the prime minister to be talking about these things when so many of his ministers and senior Conservatives have been pouring fuel on the flames of polarisation, on culture war division in our country.”

She continued: “The language of Lee Anderson and Suella Braverman has been a real problem for me.”

Anderson, a backbench MP, lost the Tory whip after refusing to apologise for attacking London mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming the “islamists” had got “control” of the Labour politician.

Braverman, previously the home secretary and now a Tory backbencher, separately claimed “islamists” run Britain. She has not lost the party whip.

Chakrabarti continued: “It’s a bit of a cheek for the prime minister to then come and try and look statesmanlike with his reading the riot act to the police about how they should do their very difficult job.”

Labour’s By-Election Candidate Will Still Stand espite ‘Completely Wrong’ Remarks About Israel

Posted on 11/02/2024 by Boris Clair

Pat McFadden has confirmed a Labour councillor will still be running as the party’s candidate in the upcoming Rochdale by-election, after apologising for “completely wrong” remarks about Israel.

The shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster appeared on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips and discussed The Mail on Sunday’s story about Azhar Ali.

According to recordings obtained by the newspaper, the councillor allegedly said Israel deliberately allowed 1,400 people to be killed on its own soil on October 7.

Ali reportedly said Israel did so in order to give the “green light” to invade the Palestinian territory of Gaza, when at a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party.

When pressed about the incident, McFadden told Phillips: “His comments were completely wrong, he should never have said something like that, it is of course, completely wrong to say that.”

He added: “He’s issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it, he should never have said something like that.”

Ali issued a statement to The Mail on Sunday, saying: “I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false.”

He called for the Hamas hostages to be released, recognised rising anti-Semitism in the UK and across the world, and promised to apologise to Jewish leaders “for my inexcusable comments”.

Phillips said: ’An apology is not the same thing as a denial. It seems everyone is agreeing he said it, presumably he thought it.

“Is Labour happy with a candidate who thinks that?”

“No, that’s why he has issued a complete retraction and apology,” McFadden said, “It’s right that he has completely apologised now.”

Asked if he would still be the Labour candidate, McFadden said: “In the upcoming by-election? Yes he will.”

Ali will be defending a Labour seat which has a majority of more than 9,000 after the death of former MP Tony Lloyd.

Defence Secretary Roasted Over ‘Humiliating’ Crash Of 2 Royal Navy Warships

Posted on 21/01/2024 by Boris Clair

Defence secretary Grant Shapps was put in the hot seat on Sunday when he was questioned over the two Royal Navy warships which recently crashed into each other.

The two warships were there as part of the UK’s ongoing presence in the Gulf when they collided off the coast of Bahrain on Friday.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed no one was injured in the crash.

Clips of the moment the two vessels hit one another have been making the rounds on social media.

Speaking to Shapps on Sunday morning, Sky News’ Trevor Phillips said: “In the Middle East, we have three mine hunters – and two of them collided in the last few days.

“One backed into the other, thinking it was going forward, but somebody wired the engine up in the wrong way, and instead of going forward it went into reverse.

“So now, instead of having three mine hunters, we’ve only got… one.

“It’s pretty humiliating, isn’t it?”

Shapps deflected by saying just as with “all walks of life, accidents happen”.

“This was incompetence,” Phillips said.

“You may know more about it than I do,” the defence secretary said. “I’ve spoken to the First Sea Lord [Admiral Sir Ben Key] who is in charge of the Navy, and he has assured me there is an investigation under way.

“And as with all these things, we don’t say it is incompetence when we see an aircraft come down – a very rare occasion – just as this would be a rare occasion.”

Sky News Presenter Slams Rishi Sunak For Using ‘Extreme’ Language Over Immigration

Posted on 17/12/2023 by Boris Clair

Trevor Phillips has accused Rishi Sunak of using “extreme” language on immigration after the prime minister claimed the UK risks being “overwhelmed” by foreigners.

The prime minister said that could “destroy” British democracy unless the government takes tough action to crack down on the issue.

He made his comments at a conservative political festival in Rome, where he also heaped praise on the Italy’s right-wing prime minister, Georgia Meloni.

On his Sky News programme this morning, Phillips asked deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden: “Does Rishi Sunak, son of east African Asians, really believe that immigrants are going to – as he put it yesterday – overwhelm us and destroy our democracy?”

Dowden said: “We do have to reassure people that we have got control of our borders, and we cannot have this unsustainable situation where we’re enriching people smugglers, the worst people on the Earth, through allowing this trade in human beings across the Channel.”

But Phillips hit back: “You know I’m not a nit-picker for language, but really ’immigrants are going to overwhelm us and destroy out democracy’?

″This is quite extreme language, isn’t it? If you hear that from your own prime minister and you are of an immigrant background, it’s not nice.”

Trevor Phillips attacked the PM on his Sky News programme this morning.

The clash came after Sunak won backing from MPs for his emergency legislation which is designed to finally allow the government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The prime minister is under huge pressure from the right of his party to bring down the numbers coming to the UK from abroad.

Figures revealed last month that net migration – the difference between those leaving and entering the country – hit 750,000 last year.

That is despite the last Tory election manifesto promising to bring immigration down below 226,000.

Sky News Presenter Mocks Tory Minister Over Government’s Stalled Rwanda Plan

Posted on 03/12/2023 by Boris Clair

A Tory minister was told that the only person the government has managed to send to Rwanda is home secretary James Cleverly as a Sky News presenter mocked the stalled policy.

Rishi Sunak’s aim of deporting asylum seekers to the east African country was dealt a hammer blow last month when the Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful.

The prime minister has pledged to introduce “emergency legislation” too address the judges’ concerns about the policy.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times reports today the government is planning to give the Rwandan government another £15 million to secure a new immigration treaty between the two countries.

On Trevor Phillips on Sunday this morning, health secretary Victoria Atkins was put on the spot over the policy’s ongoing problems.

Phillips told her: “The only person who seems to be on their way to Rwanda at the moment actually is the home secretary, James Cleverly. There’s no asylum seekers going there any time soon.

″When he was here, he told me they were going to introduce emergency legislation urgently to make it possible to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and that was weeks ago.

″It can’t be that much of an emergency because we haven’t seen the legislation.”

Atkins replied: “We are very much working across government on this. It will take a little bit of time to draw up this legislation because we want to make sure it’s in the right form.”

Asked if the legislation would be ready by Christmas, she would only say: “I know that the home secretary is working incredibly hard and quickly on this.”

Sunak is under huge pressure from his backbenchers to get flights to Rwanda off the ground to give him a chance of meeting his pledge to “stop the boats” carrying asylum seekers across the Channel.

But the cabinet is split over whether the new legislation should give the government the right to ignore rulings under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act.

‘Jewish Lives Matter’: Oliver Dowden Condemns Response To Hamas Attacks

Posted on 05/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Oliver Dowden has condemned the response by “civic society” to last month’s attacks on Israel by Hamas.

In outspoken comments, the deputy prime minister suggested that the deaths of Jewish people on October 7 differently to George Floyd’s murder in 2020, which led to the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement.

Around 1400 Israelis died in the Hamas attack, with hundreds more taken to Gaza as hostages.

In response to Israel’s retaliatory air strikes on Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians, pro-Palestine marches have taken place across the UK demanding a ceasefire in the conflict.

Home secretary Suella Braverman caused controversy by describing demonstrations in London as “hate marches”, while a row has also erupted over plans to have another march on Armistice Day next weekend.

Asked about the pro-Palestine marches on Sky News this morning, Dowden said: “I have to say to you, I’m a bit disappointed that if you look at the moral indignation, and the clarity that we saw after the murder of George Floyd in the United States with the Black Lives Matter movement, we haven’t seen across civic society the same kind of moral clarity showing that Jewish lives matter.

“I think that is a cause of hurt to the Jewish community. And it is something that disappoints me and I see it whether it’s on our [university] campuses or elsewhere.

“We need to send a very clear signal that Jewish people are safe in this country, not just for the sake of Jewish people, but for the sake of British society.”

Presenter Trevor Phillips said: “Are you saying that you think that there is a fundamental problem in this society’s attitude towards Jews, in a now famous phrase that ‘Jews don’t count’ in the way that other minorities do?”

Dowden replied: “I think people need to understand that anti-semitism is racism, full stop. And the same abhorrence we show towards other types of racism we should show towards anti-semitism.

“It’s not an acceptable state of affairs when Jewish people don’t feel safe on the streets of this country because of intimidation and the police should take robust action on that.”

‘You’re Not Doing Very Well, Are You?’: Robert Jenrick Roasted By Trevor Phillips On Tory Record

Posted on 22/10/2023 by Boris Clair

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick was left squirming on Sky News as he was presented with proof of the government’s failures.

Presenter Trevor Phillips told him “you’re not doing very well” on the five pledges Rishi Sunak made to voters at the start of the year.

The prime minister vowed to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut NHS waiting lists and stop the small boats carrying asylum seekers across the Channel.

But Jenrick was shown a graphic demonstrating how the government is failing on four of them.

Inflation is still running at 6.7%, debt and waiting lists have gone up and the government is nowhere near stopping the boats.

Phillips said: “That [small boats] pledge does not say stop 10% of small boats, it says stop small boats. You’re not doing very well really, are you?”

Jenrick replied: “I’m not pretending this is job done, I’m saying our plan is beginning to work.

“We’re around a quarter reduction now in small boats compared to last year, and if you compare that to Italy and much of Europe, small boat arrivals are up by 100%.

“If you look at the number of Albanians coming illegally to the UK, down by 90%. If you look at the number of people who are being returned who shouldn’t have come here, up 75%.”

He added: “On this area we are delivering. There is clearly a long way to go.”

James Cleverly Urges Israel To Show ‘Restraint And Discipline’ In Gaza

Posted on 15/10/2023 by Boris Clair

The UK government urged has Israel to show “restraint and discipline” as it steps up its military action against Hamas in Gaza.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said that while he supports Israel’s right to defend itself, they must do everything they can “to minimise civilian casualties”.

His comments came as he was being interviewed by Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning.

Phillips asked him: “As steadfast as you might be in your friendship, one element of friendship is giving good advice.

“The Israelis say that they plan to eradicate or eliminate Hamas. Are you saying to your Israeli counterpart, this is a realistic objective?”

Cleverly said: “We have a very, very good working relationship with the Israeli government and whenever I have spoken to them, I’ve reinforced the UK’s position about the preservation of life, the avoidance of civilian casualties.

“I know the Israelis completely understand that.”

He added: “Restraint, discipline. These are the hallmarks of the Israeli defence force that I want to see.

“And indeed, those are the hallmarks of a high-functioning military organisation which the Israel Defence Force is, in stark contrast to the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and I’ve maintained that clear distinction.”

More than 1,300 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage following attacks by the Hamas militant group a week ago.

Some 2,300 have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip launched in the aftermath.

Around 1.1 million people in northern Gaza have also been ordered to leave by Israel ahead of an expected ground invasion.

The UK government has faced mounting pressure to be clearer in their stance on the war amid claims Israel is breaking international law.

Phillips said: “So to be absolutely clear, our government’s position is full support for Israel, full support for military action, but we are urging restraint and discipline?”

Cleverly said that was “a pretty good synopsis”.

He added: “Of course we respect Israel’s right to self defence. They’ve experienced the most horrendous terrorist atrocity which is still being perpetrated.

“Images of people being held, images of bodies being desecrated, are still sloshing around on social media, so of course, they have every right and we support this right to protect themselves whilst doing it.

“We’ve said though, do everything you can to minimise civilian casualties. Do everything you can to prevent Hamas getting what they want, which is this to escalate into a wider regional conflict.

“No country, including the United Kingdom, would give carte blanche to any other nation and that is a universal truth not not specifically about Israel.”

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