Tory Frontbencher Accuses Trump And Farage Of ‘Putin Apologism’

Posted on 27/04/2025 by Boris Clair

A Conservative frontbencher has accused both Nigel Farage and Donald Trump of “Putin apologism” over their response to the Ukraine war.

Although Vladimir Putin started the conflict by invading Ukraine in 2022, the US president has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for the ongoing battle, attacked Volodymyr Zelenskyy in public and suggested the beleaguered country will have to cede occupied land in the name of peace.

But the tide seemed to turn on Saturday when Trump, who is keen to fulfil his election promise and end the war as soon as possible, said he thought Putin might not want to end the conflict after all.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ally Farage, who has previously spoken of his admiration towards Putin, has recently started to distance himself from the Russian president.

The Reform UK even said Trump’s peace plan was rewarding Putin “too much”.

Speaking to LBC’s Lewis Goodall on Sunday, shadow levelling up and housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused both Farage and Trump of “Putin apologism”.

Goodall pointed out how Farage once said that Nato enlargement was a mistake and that was poking the Russian bear.

He asked the Tory MP: “Do you think that is Putin apologism?”

“I absolutely do, he’s let him completely off the hook,” Hollinrake replied.

Asked if he thought the same of Trump, the Tory frontbencher said: “Some of the things Donald Trump is doing, I agree with – some of the things, I disagree with.”

Goodall noted: “Trump’s been pretty friendly with Putin as well, he’s been way more friendly with Putin than Nigel Farage.”

The Tory replied: “Precisely, [there are] many things I disagree with – President Trump’s position on Russia is plainly flawed, wrong.

“If you think it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded a peaceful democratic nation, then I really think you need to look at some of the details behind that kind of statement.”

Goodall said: “So do you think Trump is a Putin apologist as well?”

“Well of course, he has done that. Of course he’s done that. He has said that it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded and Ukraine started the war,” Hollinrake said.

“That’s what he said.”

He added: “I’m worried about it.”

Why Local Election Night Could Be Even Worse For Labour Than The Tories

Posted on 25/04/2025 by Boris Clair

On the face of it, the forecast did not appear to be too bad for Labour.

Lord Hayward, the Tory peer and polling expert, said his party are on course to lose 500 seats in next Thursday’s local elections.

Labour, meanwhile, could end up with roughly the same number of councillors they have now, and could even pick up a few extra.

But the headline figures do not even come close to telling the full story, and hide a worrying trend that is causing headaches in 10 Downing Street.

For a start, the Conservatives are defending around 900 council seats compared to Labour’s 250.

In the normal run of things, a bad night for the Conservatives – which May 1 will undoubtedly be – should mean a good one for Labour, with the party picking up a hefty chunk of Tory seats.

The main beneficiaries of the Tory collapse this time, however, are set to be Reform UK, who could see their number of councillors soar by around 450.

Ominously for the prime minister, many of those will be in the Midlands and the North, part of the fabled “Red Wall” of seats which were Labour for decades before switching to Boris Johnson’s Tories in 2019.

Although they reverted to Labour last July, party strategists know they are vulnerable to Reform next time around – and the local elections look set to confirm that.

What’s more, Labour could also see their 15,000 majority evaporate in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election taking place on the same day, with Reform poised to claim the seat.

But it is not just Reform who are taking support from Labour.

Polling shows that a significant chunk of those who voted for Starmer last July, and are unhappy with the government, are looking to the Lib Dems and Greens rather than throw their lot in with Nigel Farage’s right-wing party.

Lord Hayward told HuffPost UK: “Labour initially thought that their biggest threat came from Reform, and so took their eye off the ball when it comes to the Lib Dems and the Greens. They’ve finally woken up to it and are seriously concerned.

“Next Thursday could be a terrible night for Labour. They are going to get hit very hard by Reform, and are also going to do badly against the Lib Dems and Greens in Oxford and Cambridge, and possibly in the West of England mayoralty as well.”

Labour insiders describe the mayoral election for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as “on a knife-edge” and are hoping it will provide a shaft of light on an otherwise gloomy night.

However, No.10 sources say former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns, now in Reform, will “win easily” to become the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

Polling by YouGov suggests Reform are the favourites to win the mayoralty in Hull and East Yorkshire, and also confirmed Hayward’s belief that the Greens will prevail in the West of England.

One Labour source said: “Next Thursday’s going to be tough. We’ve done a lot of difficult things since last July, and it’s not unusual for a new government to get hammered in their first council elections.

“We’ll take a battering but so will the Tories.”

Policies like slashing aid spending and scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners are the main reason why many left-of-centre voters will switch to the Lib Dems and Greens.

But the Labour source said: “We don’t take our voters for granted, but we have also introduced a radical workers’ rights package and increased the minimum wage. Those are serious progressive policies which are moving the country forward.”

Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at Ipsos, said it was not unusual for governing parties to be “attacked from left and right”.

“At last year’s general election, the Conservatives lost support to Reform UK over immigration and to Labour and Liberal Democrats over the cost of living, public services and other issues,” he pointed out. “Now in government themselves, Labour face a similar challenge.”

He said Ipsos’ data shows that around one-fifth of those who voted Labour last year now have an unfavourable view towards the party – meaning their support is now up for grabs.

“This group places immigration as the third most important issue, behind health and the cost of living, with at least some of them likely vulnerable to Reform UK,” he said.

However, Pedley also revealed that around one-third of 2024 Labour voters are now favourable towards the Lib Dems and Greens.

He said: “This suggests that if Labour do not deliver on core issues that matter to their voting coalition – as well as addressing public concern over immigration – they could be vulnerable on both their left flank and the right come the next general election, and the elections on May 1 will be a signpost to this.”

Green co-leader Carla Denyer said the government’s apparent desire to win back voters from Reform UK has presented a massive opportunity for her party.

″It’s really clear that voters want to see positive change in this country – and they’re not getting it from Labour,” she told HuffPost UK.

“On the contrary, we’ve seen a litany of failures and bad choices, whether it’s cutting benefits for disabled people or giving the go-ahead to climate-wrecking airport expansion.

“There are plenty of voters out there who feel that Labour has abandoned them in their attempts to chase Reform voters – and who can see that unlike the Labour party, the Greens are actually offering a genuine alternative to the last decade and a half of austerity and decline.”

The Lib Dem are also licking their lips at the prospect of taking votes off both the Tories and Labour next Thursday.

Party insiders agree with Lord Hayward’s analysis that the Tories could lose control of all 15 councils they currently run and which are up for election.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey’s vocal criticism of Donald Trump, as well as his campaign for people to buy British produce to counteract US tariffs, appears to be going down well with those unhappy with Starmer’s more cautious approach.

“Disappointment with Labour is growing on the doorsteps,” said one senior party source.

Downing Street’s response to next Thursday’s results will be to keep calm and carry on, with preparations already well underway for what will be announced at Labour’s annual conference in the autumn.

However, experienced party insiders can see more storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

“This time next year it will be very difficult indeed for Labour in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections,” said one. “That is when we could see people lose their minds.”

Another source said the PM had no option but to focus on keeping the promises he made to the country before the election.

“The government has just got to get on and deliver – the stakes are really that high.”

Shock Poll Shows Reform UK On Course To Win Next General Election

Posted on 20/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Reform UK are on course to win the next general election, according to a shock mega-poll.

Nigel Farage’s party would emerge with the most MPs in what would be a major political earthquake.

The More in Common think-tank asked more than 16,000 people who they would vote for if the election – expected in 2029 – was taking place tomorrow.

It showed that Reform, Labour and the Conservatives all have around 24% support among the electorate.

Using the so-called “MRP” method to give a seat-by-sea breakdown of that result, it showed Reform would have 180 MPs, a staggering 175 more than they got elected last July.

Labour would lose 246 seats leave them on just 165, the same number as the Tories.

Keir Starmer’s party would suffer “historic losses” in traditional heartlands in Wales, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, with 10 cabinet ministers losing their seats.

Among the big names who are at risk are deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, health secretary Wes Streeting, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden and home secretary Yvette Cooper.

The Lib Dems would lose five seats to leave them on 67, while the SNP would once again re-emerge as the biggest party in Scotland, surging by 26 to leave them with 35 MPs.

A total of 10 independent MPs would be elected, according to the poll, with Plaid Cymru up one on five seats, with the Greens unchanged on four.

The result throws up the possibility of Farage becoming prime minister at the head of Reform-Tory coalition.

However, Labour could also try to piece together a rainbow coalition with the Lib Dems, SNP and Greens.

Luke Tryl, More in Common’s UK director, said: “We are a long way from a General Election and trying to predict the result is a fool’s errand, but what we can say for certain is that as of today British politics has fragmented to an unprecedented level. The coalition for change that elected Keir Starmer’s government has splintered right and left.

“Nigel Farage’s Reform UK emerges as the biggest winners of this parliament so far, with our model suggesting that they could well become the largest party in parliament, something almost unthinkable a year ago.

“Though the party remains a long way from being able to secure a majority, it is clear Reform’s momentum is real and the question is whether their new level of support represents the start of a path to government or a ceiling that Farage’s polarising brand finds hard to overcome.”

Tryl said Labour “find themselves on the wrong side of a disillusioned electorate frustrated at the slow pace of change and some of the government’s early missteps”.

He added: “The Conservatives meanwhile may breathe a sigh of relief they haven’t been entirely wiped out, but despite Labour’s unpopularity their seat total would only return to 1997 levels and they would suffer further losses to Reform UK, while winning back few of their Liberal Democrat losses in the home counties.

“But the truth is the nature of a splintered electorate more than anything means elections for the next few years will be highly unpredictable with candidates winning on small shares of the vote and knife-edge results.

“The test for all three main parties will be which one can prove to the electorate that they can really deliver the change the public so desperately wants to see.”

Tory Splits Erupt Over Kemi Badneoch’s Call For Council Coalitions With Reform UK

Posted on 13/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has been slammed by a senior Tory after she appeared to give the green light for Conservative councillors to do coalition deals with Reform UK.

Andy Street said the Tories “should have nothing to do with” Nigel Farage’s party.

Badenoch raised eyebrows last week when she said she would not have a problem with Conservative and Reform councillors joining forces to run town halls after the local elections on May 1.

She said: “What I’m telling local leaders across the country [is] they have to do what is right for the people in their local area.”

But in a major humiliation for the Tory leader, her offer was quickly rejected by Farage himself.

On BBC1′s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Street, the former mayor of the West Midlands, also dismissed Badenoch’s suggestion.

He said: “It’s not my decision in any way, but my feeling on it is that we should have nothing to do with alliances with them, just as Kemi has said about the national situation.

“We’ve got to put in front of voters the choice – a moderate, centre-right Conservative Party against a populist party that do not have a policy answer to any of the big questions.”

On the same programme, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith backed his leader.

He said: “There’s always been, after elections, for local councillors themselves to decide how they run the local council. If that is needed, then historically people have done deals on a local level with all sorts of groups.

“I think the Lib Dems are quite extremist – whenever they get into power they want four-day weeks and veganism – but no one should take that off the table because those are decisions for local councillors.”

He added: “I think Kemi is reflecting the reality that we have local democracy and if people stand for local councils and they want to do the best for their communities, then they will have to, in light of how people have voted, work out what the right combination is.”

Kemi Badenoch Has Repeated A Conspiracy Theory About Adolescence Denied By Its Creator

Posted on 01/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has repeated a conspiracy theory about Adolescence which has been denied by one of the programme’s creators.

The Tory leader told GB News that the Netflix drama is “based on a real story, but my understanding is that the boy who committed that crime was not white”.

In the show, a white boy is arrested after a young girl is stabbed to death.

Posting on X, the right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong told his 1.2 million followers: “Netflix has a show called Adolescence that’s about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus and it’s based on real life cases such as the Southport murderer.

“So guess what. They race swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the story has it so he was radicalized online by the red pill movement.

“Just the absolute state of anti-white propaganda.”

X owner Elon Musk replied the post saying: “Wow.”

He told the News Agents podcast: “They’ve claimed that Stephen and I based it on a story, and another story, so we race-swapped because we were basing it on here and it ended up there, and everything else. Nothing is further from the truth.

“I have told a lot of real life stories in my time, and I know the harm that can come when you take elements of a real life story and put it on screen and the people aren’t expecting it. There is no part of this that’s based on a true story, not one single part.”

He added: “We’re not making a point about race with this. We are making a point about masculinity. We’re trying to get inside a problem. We’re not saying this is one thing or another. We’re saying this is about boys.”

Stephen Graham told the Radio Times that his inspiration for Adolescence came from a series of different killings he had read about.

He said: “Where it came from, for me is there was an incident in Liverpool, a young girl, and she was stabbed to death by a young boy. I just thought, why?

“Then there was another young girl in south London who was stabbed to death at a bus stop. And there was this thing up north, where that young girl Brianna Ghey was lured into the park by two teenagers, and they stabbed her. I just thought, what’s going on? What is this that’s happening?”

Sky News Presenter Makes Painfully Obvious Point As Tories Slam Labour’s Defence Budget

Posted on 17/02/2025 by Boris Clair

Sky News presenter Wilfred Frost called out a Tory MP for criticising the government’s defence spending today.

Keir Starmer is facing additional pressure on national security as Donald Trump is pushing to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

The UK has already said it would send peacekeeping troops to protect Ukraine if an agreement was reached – but that declaration has only exacerbated existing concerns over the lack of investment in defence.

Labour has also promised to hike defence spending from its current rate of 2.3% of GDP to 2.5% although it is yet to offer a clear timeline.

But, when shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns slammed the prime minister for not increasing investment in the sector sooner this morning on Sky News, she received a bleak reminder.

The MP began by claiming Starmer’s “priority today should be to talk about defence spending” – something she said should have in place “since July”.

But presenter Frost quickly hit back: “I mean, you’re trying to criticise the state of defence spending, [seven] months into their government when this is a long-term issue after 14 years in power.”

After almost a decade and a half of Conservative government, defence spending in real terms fell to £53.9bn during their last full year in power, 2023-24.

That’s less than the last full year Labour was last in power, 2009-10, when defence spending was at £57.1bn.

But Kearns hit back: “I’ve always been very clear. I was critical of my own government, but the reality is 2.3% of defence is what we’ve been spending, that is a good amount, and we’ve been investing in the right equipment.”

She added: “But what I’m saying is, since July, a decision was made to side with the Treasury to not give the increase in defence spending we need to continue to replenish stocks, replenishing stocks should be the priority.”

She said that was necessary in case the UK needed to provide peacekeepers to Ukraine.

“I will continue to stand with Ukraine, but I will continue to speak out as I have done from the moment I was elected, to make sure we defend our security,” Kearns said.

The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised Labour’s defence spending today.

Speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference, she said: “Failing to spend more on defence isn’t peace-making, it is weakness, and it only emboldens their threats to democracy and global stability.”

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Here’s Alicia Kearns(Tory MP) complaining that the govt haven’t increased defence spending since July.

Wilfred Frost: You’re trying to criticise the state of defence spending, 6 months into their govt, when this is a long-term issue after 14 years in power? pic.twitter.com/o5FJTXsW4u

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) February 17, 2025

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Wilfred Frost: You’re trying to criticise the state of defence spending, 6 months into their govt, when this is a long-term issue after 14 years in power? pic.twitter.com/o5FJTXsW4u— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) February 17, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":544,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1891407836736851969/pu/img/ZAJrJY1G-hc8517Y.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":864,"title":"Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1891407905406046523","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67b322fee4b0cd020cc29138","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/sky-presenter-slams-tories-over-criticism-of-defence-budget_uk_67b322fee4b0cd020cc29138","entryTagsList":"conservative-party,defence,alicia-kearns","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","clickToPlayPlayer":"5a777b9b-81fe-41a6-8302-59e9953ee8a2","videoPagePlayer":"19654b65-409c-4b38-90db-80cbdea02cf4"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":14},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67b322fee4b0cd020cc29138","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"conservative party","slug":"conservative-party","links":{"relativeLink":"news/conservative-party","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party"},"relegenceId":3696340,"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Conservative Party","slug":"conservative-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party/"},{"name":"defence","slug":"defence","links":{"relativeLink":"news/defence","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/defence","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/defence"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/defence/"},{"name":"Alicia Kearns","slug":"alicia-kearns","links":{"relativeLink":"news/alicia-kearns","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-kearns","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-kearns"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/alicia-kearns/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

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Here’s Alicia Kearns(Tory MP) complaining that the govt haven’t increased defence spending since July.

Wilfred Frost: You’re trying to criticise the state of defence spending, 6 months into their govt, when this is a long-term issue after 14 years in power? pic.twitter.com/o5FJTXsW4u

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) February 17, 2025

Kearns also said we “all have to worry” Trump will let Ukraine down.

Speaking to Times Radio, she said: “I think we all have to worry because the world has let down Ukraine consistently throughout its history. I mean, whether it was Yalta, whether it’s the last of years, whether it’s when Georgia was invaded.

“I was in Ukraine ten days before the renewed illegal invasion almost three years ago. And I sat there as German and French ambassadors told me that our intelligence assessments were absolutely wrong and that Putin wasn’t going to invade.

“We always seem to take Putin at his word and we always underestimate Ukrainians. I don’t understand how we keep repeating the same mistakes.”

Exclusive: How One Labour Minister Is ‘Smashing’ Tory Attempts To Revive The Culture Wars

Posted on 20/01/2025 by Boris Clair

A Labour minister is waging a one-woman battle against Tory MPs’ obsession with culture war issues.

Diana Johnson has slapped down queries on gender neutral toilets, flags, decolonisation of artworks and diversity advisers.

HuffPost UK revealed last week how former Conservative chairman Richard Holden called for the removal of gender neutral toilets his own government installed.

Johnson told him: “The current number and location of gender neutral toilets in the Home Office’s Marsham office was established under the previous government in October 2017, at a cost of £36,963.20, and has remained unchanged since that time.”

It has now emerged that Johnson has also batted away several questions from Nick Timothy, the Tory MP for West Suffolk, on a similar theme.

In a written question Last October, he asked the home secretary “whether she plans to decolonise the artwork and heritage assets in her department; and what guidance she issues to her department’s arm’s length bodies on decolonisation.”

Replying for the government, Johnson told him: “Our immediate priorities remain the protection of national security, the restoration of neighbourhood policing, tackling the smuggling gangs responsible for small boat crossings and clearing up the chaos left by the previous government.”

In December, Timothy asked if the Home Office “will take steps to remove diversity and inclusion advisers and champion positions”.

Johnson told him those posts “were established under the previous government” and the reasons for having them “remain relevant today”.

Earlier this month, Timothy wanted to know which flags the home secretary planned to fly outside the Home Office “other than the Union flag in the next 12 months and on which days each flag will be flown”.

Johnson replied: “Current Home Office ministers have not been consulted on this issue since coming to office, but prompted by [Timothy’s] question, we have advised that there should be no change from the arrangements in place under the previous government, whatever they may have been.”

A Labour source said: “The Tories keep serving them up, and Diana Johnson keeps smashing them away. But there’s a serious point here. The only people in Westminster who care about any of this culture war stuff are the Tories.

“They’re the ones constantly obsessing about flags, toilets and artworks, while ministers in this government could not care less.

“Speak to any minister right now, and all they’re focused on is how they’re going to deliver their mission targets, what they can do to support growth, and where the money’s coming from.

“The idea they’ve got the time or headspace to think about what flags should be flying outside their department is a joke, and it’s no wonder the Tories left things in such a mess if that’s how they were spending every day.”

Blow For Keir Starmer As Labour Tie With Reform And Tories Take Narrow Lead In Latest Poll

Posted on 15/01/2025 by Boris Clair

Labour are on par with Reform while the Conservatives are just one point ahead in a damning new poll on the UK’s voting intentions.

The Tories are ahead on 25% while Labour and Reform are on 24%, according to research from More in Common and published by Politico.

The Liberal Democrats trail behind all three on 12% – despite having 72 MPs to Reform’s 5 – while the Greens are on 8% and the SNP on 3%.

More in Common also found prime minister Keir Starmer’s personal net approval rating dropped to -39, which is the lowest the pollsters have ever recorded for him.

It’s even approaching his predecessor Rishi Sunak’s low point of -41 in July 2024, which was when the former PM lost the general election.

But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform leader Nigel Farage have also seen a decline in their net approval ratings in recent months – Badenoch is on -18 and Farage -17.

More in Common asked the public who they would prefer as their prime minister – and the results did not exactly correspond with the voting intentions.

Starmer was in the lead with 21%, while Farage followed with 20% and Badenoch came in last with 12% – while a whopping 47% said they wanted none of the three main party leaders to sit in No.10.

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Our latest @Moreincommon_ voting intention in today’s Playbook finds a virtual 3 way tie with 1 point separating the Tories, Reform and Labour.
🌳 Con 25% (-1)
🌹 Lab 24% (-2)
➡️ Ref UK 24% (+2)
🔶 Lib Dem 12% (-)
🌍 Green 8% (+1)
🟡 SNP 3% (-)
N= 2102, 10-13/1 Change w 8/1 pic.twitter.com/axOsQVyhP1

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) January 15, 2025

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Our latest @Moreincommon_ voting intention in today’s Playbook finds a virtual 3 way tie with 1 point separating the Tories, Reform and Labour.
🌳 Con 25% (-1)
🌹 Lab 24% (-2)
➡️ Ref UK 24% (+2)
🔶 Lib Dem 12% (-)
🌍 Green 8% (+1)
🟡 SNP 3% (-)
N= 2102, 10-13/1 Change w 8/1 pic.twitter.com/axOsQVyhP1

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) January 15, 2025

It comes as Starmer is already grappling with a floundering economy and the resignation of his second minister in just over six months.

Tulip Siddiq quit as the anti-corruption minister on Tuesday over her links to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was recently deposed as the prime minister of Bangladesh and is currently under investigation for corruption.

A fact-finding probe found Siddiq had not broken the ministerial code, but she announced she was stepping down because she did not want to be a “distraction” to the government.

Meanwhile, inflation continues to hover above the 2% mark – having dropped to 2.5% in December – while government borrowing costs remain high and the pound has fallen in value.

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