Tag Archives: Politics

Nigel Farage Mocked Over Reform UK’s ‘Deeply Unserious’ Plan To Cut Taxes And Raise Spending

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Reform UK’s plans to cut taxes while also massively increasing public spending has been branded “deeply unserious” as the party unveiled its general election “contract” with voters.

The document – which party leader Nigel Farage refused to call a manifesto – was launched as the right-wing party threatens to torpedo any lingering chance the Tories had of staying in power.

It included plans to boost public spending by £141 billion a year – many times more than either Labour or the Conservatives have proposed – while at the same time cutting taxes by £70 billion.

Other pledges include scrapping the UK’s net zero commitments, pulling the country out of the European Convention on Human Rights and freezing “non-essential” immigration.

But at the launch of the 26-page document in Merthyr Tydfil, Farage endured a rough ride from sceptical political journalists who queried.

The BBC’s Alex Forsyth said: “You’ve talked about the costings, you’ve talked about the spendings, but some of the stuff in here – a freeze on immigration, NHS waiting lists down to zero, more police officers.

“You accuse other parties of broken promises, but isn’t this a list of unrealistic promises – wish-list rather than a serious plan? Aren’t you doing what you accuse others of, which is chucking out a load of things which sound popular in the hope you get votes, that you never plan to deliver on?”

Farage replied: “It is a promise that this is what we’re going to campaign for over the course of the next five years.”

He said that Reform UK would not win the election, but would be “a voice of opposition to Labour” in the Commons.

“We’ve laid out very clearly where we stand philosophically, ideologically, on a number of things and this is what we’re going to fight for,” Farage added. “I see no inconsistency with that whatsoever.”

Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates told Farage: “In your contract, your proposing to spend an extra £141 billion every year. That’s about 30 times the amount that Labour say they’re going to spend, 10 times the amount of the Tories and about three times what Liz Truss spent.

“You did say you weren’t going to win the next election, but the scale of this – it’s deeply unserious, isn’t it?”

Farage replied: “That’s right, it’s radical, it’s fresh thinking, it’s outside the box, it’s not what you’re going to get with the current Labour and Conservative parties, who are virtually indistinguishable from each other.

“Is this radical, fresh thinking on economics? Yes. Is it radical, fresh thinking on constitutional change? Yes. Is it very radical change on the way our education system is currently bringing up our young children? Yes.

“Britain is broken, Britain needs reform. That’s what we’re here for, that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re unashamedly radical – we want change.”

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‘Admission Of Defeat’: Laura Kuenssberg Calls Out ‘Desperate’ Tory Campaign Tactics

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Laura Kuenssberg laid into transport secretary Mark Harper on Sunday and said the Conservatives’ campaign tactics are “desperate”.

The Tories have been trailing in the polls for weeks now – YouGov even put them in third place behind both Labour and Reform on Thursday.

The Conservatives have responded by telling voters supporting any party other than them is the same as giving Labour a “blank cheque” for a huge majority.

So, on her show, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the presenter said: “The message shifting somewhat in the last few days, not so much necessarily to say, ‘let’s win this,’ but to say ‘you should worry about a big Labour majority to stop the other side romping home’.”

She showed viewers one of the Tories’ more recent social media adverts, which predicts a Labour victory with 490 seats.

Kuenssberg showing Harper the Tories' own attack ad, which gives 57 seats.
Kuenssberg showing Harper the Tories’ own attack ad, which gives 57 seats.

“You seem to be resorting to just spooking people into some kind of massive majority.

“Isn’t that an admission of defeat, when as you said, not a single vote has been cast, apart from a few postal votes?” the BBC presenter asked.

The minister replied: “It’s not, it’s simply doing what you did before with me, just to point to the polls.

“All we’re doing is if you look at the polls, and if people voted the way the polls are suggesting, that’s what you’d get.

“And we’re saying to people is that what you want? And actually I don’t think it is what people want.”

He claimed the Tories are still fighting for every vote, and there’s still plenty of undecided voters.

According to research from consultancy firm More in Common, about 15% of voters are still undecided.

Kuenssberg hit back: “Isn’t that exactly the point?

“There are still millions of people in this country, probably many of them watching this morning, who haven’t decided what they’re going to do yet, and they’re hearing from you, is not ‘hey here’s our positive vision’.

“What they’re hearing is, ‘oh well you can’t give the other side everything they want so stick with us.’

“Isn’t that something that sounds a bit desperate?”

“Not really,” Harper said, and claimed broadcasters often talk about polls.

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Support For Tories Is ‘At Its Lowest Ever In British Polling History,’ Elections Guru Says

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Public support for the Conservatives have fallen to a historic low in polling history, John Curtice said today.

The famous pollster told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Standing at just 20%, Conservative support is now at its lowest ever in British polling history.

“Mr Sunak, whose own personal ratings have clearly fallen, must be beginning to doubt his decision to call the election early.”

He added that a eight-point lead over Reform last week has fallen to just a four-point.

But Curtice also noticed that Labour are “being challenged by the Greens and the Lib Dems”, and support has fallen by two points – to 41%, on average.

His remarks came after another wave of polls predicted a pretty bleak result for the Conservatives when the public go to the ballot box.

A Savanta survey of 2,045 adults for The Sunday Telegraph found the party were at the lowest point since the final days of Theresa May’s time in office in early 2019, having dropped down four points to just 21%.

The same poll, conducted between 12-14 June and released on Saturday, showed Reform UK had climbed up three points to 13%.

Political research director at Savanta, Chris Hopkins, said it showed “nothing short of electoral extinction for the Conservative Party”.

“The hopes of Conservative candidates are being shot to pieces by poll after poll showing the Conservative Party in increasingly dire straits – and we’re only halfway through the campaign,” he said.

“There’s a real sense that things could still get worse for the Conservatives, and with postal votes about to drop through millions of letterboxes, time is already close to running out for Rishi Sunak.”

It comes after a separate Survation poll for Best for Britain, published in The Sunday Times, suggested the Conservatives would secure only 72 seats in the next parliament.

It predicted Labour would win 456, meaning the party would win a stomping 262 majority, the Liberal Democrats 56 seats, Reform seven and the Greens one.

Survation – which had polled 22,000 adults between 31 May and 13 June – showed the vote share would have halved from 44% in 2 019 to 24%.

Meanwhile, YouGov poll released last Thursday caused a huge stir within Westminster as it put Reform ahead of the Conservatives for the first time.

Nigel Farage’s populist party was on 19% of the vote while the Tories were on 18%, prompting his party to position themselves as the “opposition to Labour”.

Rishi Sunak downplayed this poll on Friday.

Speaking to journalists from the G7 summit in Italy, he said: “We are only halfway through this election, so I’m still fighting very hard for every vote.”

He also pledged to stay in parliament as an MP even if the Conservatives lose the election.

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Italy’s PM Seems To Ask Sunak The Only Diplomatic Question Possible Amid Brutal Election Campaign

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Giorgia Meloni appeared to ask Rishi Sunak the only diplomatic question she possibly could when the two leaders met today at the start of the G7 summit.

As they greeted each other with an embrace in front of the cameras, the Italian PM leaned towards her beleaguered British counterpart and appeared to say: “Are you OK?”

A seemingly innocent question, but accompanied with quite the worried expression.

It’s not clear how Sunak answered – Meloni just smiled in response and leant away from him as he continued to grip her hands tightly, while the conversation seemed to move onto casual niceities.

Watch their strange encounter here:

This exchange came hours after the prime minister faced a brutal grilling from both Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby and a live audience.

He was even booed by the crowd when he blamed industrial action for long NHS waiting lists – despite pledging to bring them down himself at the start of 2023.

Viewers also decided that Keir Starmer outperformed the PM last night, with almost two-thirds of the public thinking Sunak had not come across as well, according to YouGov.

But, the debate was just the latest catastrophe of the last three weeks of Sunak’s disastrous campaign.

From calling a snap election while standing in the pouring rain and facing awkward encounters with furious members of the public to leaving D-Day commemorations early only to be ridiculed for saying he had to go without Sky TV growing up, Sunak has lurched from PR crisis to PR crisis.

Meloni, on the other hand, has had an excellent week.

Her far-right party, the Brothers of Italy, experience a stomping victory in the European parliament elections, making her the only Western European leader to be strengthened by the controversial vote.

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‘We Want To Be A Party Of Power’: Keir Starmer Slaps Down Heckler At Labour Manifesto Launch

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Keir Starmer declared Labour is now “a party of power” as he unveiled his election manifesto.

The Labour leader had to slap down a heckler who accused him of following “Tory policies”.

“We gave up being a party of protest five years ago,” Starmer said. “We want to be a party of power. That’s not in the script but that is part of the change.”

As expected, the 133-page manifesto contained no new policies as the Labour tries to protect its huge poll lead over the Conservatives with just three weeks to go until polling day on July 4.

Instead, it contained pre-announced pledges including plans to put VAT on private school fees, extend the windfall tax on oil and gas companies, and reform planning rules to build 1.5 million more homes.

Other policies include lowering the voting age to 16, recruiting 6,500 more teachers, delivering 40,000 more NHS appointments to bring down waiting lists and setting up a Border Security Command to tackle the small boats crisis.

Rejecting accusations that he is too boring, Starmer said: “It’s not about rabbits out the hat, it’s not about pantomime. We’ve had that.

“I’m running as a candidate to be prime minister, not a candidate to run the circus.”

The Labour boss said the election was a chance for voters to “stop the chaos” of the last 14 years of Tory rule.

“I have changed the Labour Party, and I am ready to change Britain,” he said.

“Labour’s first steps for change are a downpayment on our long-term plan for the country – an immediate repair job on the damage that has been caused under 14 years of Conservative chaos and decline.

“We know we can’t wave a magic wand and pretend that everything will be fixed overnight.

“But with Labour, our first steps for change will deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, launch a new Border Security Command, create Great British Energy, crack down on ant-isocial behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers. They are the first steps towards our long-term plan.

“But to get change, you have to vote for it. The choice at this election is another five years of chaos under the Conservatives, with people paying £4,800 more on their mortgages, or change with Labour. It’s time to stop the chaos, turn the page and start rebuilding Britain.”

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Putin Makes Rare Admission That Life Is ‘Not Easy’ For Russians Right Now

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Vladimir Putin has just acknowledged life in Russia is “not easy” right now – although he dodged any explanation as to why.

Speaking on the national holiday of Russia Day, the president tried to convey a message of unity amid these times of difficulty.

According to state news agency TASS, Putin said: “At the time that is not easy for our country, we are again united by patriotism and responsibility for the fate of the Motherland.

“They serve as a reliable bedrock for the participants in the special military operation.”

This is the phrase the Kremlin has repeatedly used to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Putin has only used the word “war” in public on a handful of occasions since he ordered his troops into Ukraine more than two years ago.

As he continued to speak in these indirect phrases, Putin said: “It is possible to solve the major tasks our country is facing only together, only in a concerted way.”

This call for unity comes as small groups of protesters are starting to push back against the war.

Women are calling on Putin to return their loved ones from the frontline after they were forced to serve in the 2022 partial mobilisation.

Putin also claimed that, on Russia Day, the public should show “reverence” to the country’s “centuries-long history”.

He added: “I therefore consider necessary, historically proper to celebrate the Russia Day as the symbol of continuity of the millennia-old way of our Fatherland.”

Russia Day, first celebrated more than three decades ago after the fall of the Soviet Union, was meant to signal a new chapter for the country – and to stop the public looking back at its past.

But Putin often refers to Russia’s history to justify his land grabs.

And, earlier this week, the president bizarrely revealed that he had deliberately chosen not to take the controversial flag of the Russian Empire of a building down.

He said: “Everything happens for a reason. This is it. No need to look for any underlying connotations, for any sort of imperial ambitions in this regard. There are none.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s former president and Putin’s close ally Dmitry Medvedev posted a provocative video on social media to mark the national occasion.

It showed the Russian flag unfurling over the whole of the country – and Ukraine, suggesting they were completely one.

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‘Why Should Anyone Believe You?’: Rishi Sunak Monstered By Journalists At Tory Manifesto Launch

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Rishi Sunak endured a torrid grilling from journalists as he launched the Tories’ underwhelming election manifesto.

The 76-page document only contained one major new policy – a plan to abolish National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.

The party has also vowed to cut another 2p off the overall rate of National Insurance, despite previous reductions doing nothing to improve their poll ratings.

But the prime minister risked a backlash from Tory right-wingers for refusing to commit to removing Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a clear sign that he expects to lose on July 4, Sunak begged voters not to hand Keir Starmer a “blank cheque” in government as he once again repeated his hotly-contested claim that Labour will put up taxes by £2,000 per household.

Although he got a warm reception from the Tory ministers and supporters gathered at Silverstone Grand Prix race track, the PM was monstered during a question and answer session with reporters.

ITV political editor Robert Peston said: “Tories in government since 2010 have been pushing up the tax burden to levels we haven’t seen since the late 1940s. Why should anyone believe you when you say you’re going to cut tax?”

BBC political editor Chris Mason told him: “For much of the last 18 months, you’ve tried everything to try and revive Conservative fortunes and not much appears to have worked.

“Could we rename this document as your last chance saloon? What is in this to shift things that perhaps haven’t shifted up until now?”

Sunak told him the country had “turned the corner” thanks to his leadership.

He said: “There is a clear choice at this election. We are the only party putting bold action on the table that will transform our country.

“Labour have nothing to say about the problems our country faces and how best to address them. Nothing. Keir Starmer is asking for a blank cheque and he will not tell people which taxes he is going to put up that are ultimately going to cost them £2,000.”

Ben Riley-Smith, political editor of the Daily Telegraph, asked the PM: “What do you say to those who say the manifesto isn’t ambitious enough and this won’t be a game-changer?”

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby said: “A recent poll shows only one in six voters thinks you won’t raise their taxes, compared with one in four for Labour.

“Labour’s more trusted on tax than you at the moment – that’s your record as chancellor and now prime minister. I’m sure that’s a disappointment to you.

“Haven’t you blown it now, whatever you say?”

But Sunak insisted he was “very proud” of his record as chancellor, pointing out that he had brought in the furlough scheme during the Covid pandemic.

He said: “We will always be there to protect this country through difficult times.”

Labour campaign chief Pat McFadden said: “This Conservative manifesto is a recipe for five more years of Tory chaos.

“After 14 years in power, the prime minister’s desperate manifesto is stuffed full of unfunded spending commitments. The prime minister that was brought in to be the antidote to the chaos of Liz Truss has instead become the next instalment of the same thing.”

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‘Was He Just Not Bothered?’: Trevor Phillips Slams Sunak Over D-Day Snub In Angry Clash With Mel Stride

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Mel Stride clashed with Trevor Phillips this morning after the Sky News presenter asked whether Rishi Sunak left last week’s D-Day commemoration early because he was “just not bothered” about those who died on the beaches at Normandy.

The prime minister’s election campaign has been turned upside down by his decision to return to London rather than attend an event alongside other world leaders on Thursday afternoon.

Instead, foreign secretary David Cameron was left to represent the UK alongside US president Joe Biden, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron.

Phillips told Stride the controversy “just makes the country embarrassed”.

He said: “The reason this has become such a big deal is this – the prime minister is never slow to boast about his facility with numbers.

“In the battle of Normandy, the Americans lost 29,000 soldiers, the Canadians 5,000, the French 12,000. We won’t even talk about what happened to the Germans.

“Did the prime minister not know those numbers, or did he just not care? That’s the question.”

As Stride tried to avoid the question, Phillips asked: “Was he just not bothered?”

The minister replied: “No, absolutely not. Look at Rishi Sunak’s record …”

But Phillips interrupted: “No, look at what he did on Thursday.”

Stride hit back: “You’ve got to give me a chance to answer your question.”

But Phillips told him: “You’re not answering my question.”

The minister replied: “I haven’t had a chance to, actually. When it comes to what happened, he has made an unequivocal apology. I know he will be feeling this very deeply, and let me just talk about his record and how he stands up for this country.”

David Cameron took Sunak's place on Thursday afternoon.
David Cameron took Sunak’s place on Thursday afternoon.

LUDOVIC MARIN via Getty Images

Phillips then hit back: “You’ve said that twice already, and the question I’m asking you is look at that picture as 60 million Britons do, and ask yourself the question that they are asking. Did he understand the weight of this event or did he not care enough?”

Stride insisted “this man cares very deeply about our country and I know that because I know him well.”

Meanwhile, the minister also had to insist that Sunak will not resign before election day on July 4.

Phillips asked him: “Would it not be a courageous and moral act for him to announce that he knows he is leading his party to defeat, partly because of his own actions and his own shortcomings, and that he will not step aside to save seats which won’t be saved if he stays for the next four weeks?

“Is he going to lead you into this election?”

Stride replied: “Absolutely, and there should be no question of anything other than that because what matters now is there’s a clear choice for the British people.”

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Nigel Farage On The Rack Over Claim Rishi Sunak ‘Doesn’t Understand Our Culture’

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Nigel Farage was left squirming this morning over his claim that Rishi Sunak “doesn’t understand our history and our culture”.

The Reform UK leader made the comment after the prime minister left the D-Day commemoration early.

But on BBC1 this morning, Laura Kuenssberg said viewers “might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage”.

Farage insisted he was referring to the PM’s “class and privilege”.

But work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said Farage’s remarks were “deeply regrettable”.

In their interview, Kuenssberg told Farage: “I want to ask you about the prime minister’s early exit from the D-Day commemoration this week.

“After that, you said that he wasn’t patriotic and you said that Rishi Sunak didn’t understand our history and our culture’. What did you mean by that?”

Farage replied: “Absolutely right. He should have known in his heart that it was right to be there. I was there, I’ve been raising money for some weeks to send veterans back to Normandy.

“The vast majority of people in Britain felt this commemoration was important, and the last opportunity to honour those remnants that are still alive.

“By the way, I know what your question is leading at. Forty per cent of our contribution in World War One and World War Two came from the Commonwelath. He is utterly disconnected by class, by privilege, from how the ordinary folk in this country feel.

“He revealed that, I think spectacularly, when he left Normandy early.”

Laura: “But Mr Farage, when you say ‘our culture’, I think many of our viewers might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage.”

Farage replied: “I just made the point, 40% of our contribution in two wars came from the Commonwealth. Clearly, Mr Sunak doesn’t understand that.”

Asked what he thought about Farage’s comments, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: “I think they were deeply regrettable comments. I’m not entirely sure he addressed the question you put to him as to what he meant by that.”

He added: “It just seems to be to be an ill-advised thing to have said. I feel very uncomfortable with that.”

Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This is a classic Nigel Farage trick – lean in just enough to signal a bit of a dog whistle and then lean back and sound perfectly reasonable and say some thing good about the contribution Commonwealth soldiers and ethnic minorities made towards the war effort.

“We can all see exactly what Nigel Farage is doing, he’s got form, it’s completely unacceptable. This is a man who has a track record of seeking to divide communities.”

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Tory Minister Forced To Deny That Rishi Sunak Will Quit Before July 4

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A Tory minister has been forced to deny that Rishi Sunak will resign before the general election amid the row over his D-Day snub.

The prime minister is under mounting pressure following his decision to leave Normandy early during the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe during World War 2.

Sunak cancelled media interviews yesterday – a virtually unprecedented move during an election campaign – as the row continued.

That led to speculation that the PM might even quit in order to try to prevent a Conservative wipeout on July 4.

Former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries last night posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Rumours around tonight that Sunak’s about to fall on his sword.”

On Sky News this morning, work and pensions secretary was sent out to defend Sunak, despite admitting he had not spoken to him since the D-day row broke.

Presenter Trevor Phillips asked him: “Would it not be a courageous and moral act for him to announce that he knows he is leading his party to defeat, partly because of his own actions and his own shortcomings, and that he will not step aside to save seats which won’t be saved if he stays for the next four weeks?

“Is he going to lead you into this election?”

Stride replied: “Absolutely, and there should be no question of anything other than that because what matters now is there’s a clear choice for the British people.”

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