Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled new tax cuts if the Conservatives win the general election as he accuses Labour of “playground politics” following Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday.
Speaking from London, he hinted at further National Insurance cuts before the general election kicks off after Summer.
He claimed Labour’s electoral pledges would cost tax payers £59 billion over the next four years and accused Labour of “lying” and labelled “fake news” their economic plans.
He has also pledged “taxes will go down under a Conservative government” and accused Sir Keir Starmer of planning to hikes as “sure as night follows day”.
Meanwhile, David Lammy has launched Labour’s foreign policy campaign pledge as he vowed voters to reinstall trust between the UK and the EU amid security threats.
He added the country is currently facing key challenges around war and security, over-dependency with unfriendly states, and low growth around West.
Comment: Jeremy Hunt just made the case for why you should vote Labour
Jeremy Hunt simply cannot decide whether he is a nice guy or a ruthless political operator.
Prime Minister announces UK aid arrives in Gaza
Rishi Sunak said a shipment of 8,400 temporary plastic shelters has been delivered to the Gaza Strip.
Both the PM and Lord Cameron have urged Israel to allow at least 500 aid trucks a day into Gaza through land crossings.
And to open as many routes as possible for aid to access the territory.
MPs back law to help terminally ill Brits with pension payments
The House of Commons has cleared a proposal to ensure terminally ill people have access to payments for longer.
The Bill’s sponsor Conservative MP Laurence Robertson earlier said: “It will provide financial assurance to those who have received the devastating diagnosis of a terminal illness and have also seen the sponsors of their pension scheme become insolvent.”
The Bill covers two schemes, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), which provide funding to pensioners whose defined benefit schemes have become insolvent.
Work and pensions minister Mims Davies added: “The changes this Bill makes will mean that members are able to rightly claim their compensation on the grounds of terminal illness if a medical professional confirms that they have less than 12 months to live, rather than the current six months.”
Tory Senedd leader slams Plaid Cymru for trying to save face
Andrew RT Davies. leader of the Welsh Conservatives, has reacted to the shocking news Plaid Cymru is ending agreement with the Labour government in Wales.
He said: “The end of Labour and Plaid Cymru’s coalition is simply an attempt to save face.
“Together, Labour and Plaid have worked together to divert resources away from the people’s priorities and towards vanity projects like putting more Senedd members in Cardiff Bay, and have been hand in glove on policies like the destructive sustainable farming scheme and 20mph.
“This move from Plaid means nothing and the Welsh public won’t be fooled.”
Welsh First Minister disappointed by Plaid Cymru
The Welsh Labour leader has been left disappointed by the after the party abruptly pulled out of the agreement.
Vaughan Gething said: “While it was always a time limited agreement, we are disappointed Plaid Cymru has decided to walk away from their opportunity to deliver for the people of Wales.”
In full: Vaughan Gething could soon face a no-confidence vote
The three-year deal had been due to end in December 2024 – but Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has announced on Friday that the agreement had been terminated with “immediate effect”.
The collapse comes after the Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies claimed it was “odds on” that a no-confidence motion to force the first minister’s resignation would soon be brought forward by opposition members.
Breaking: Plaid Cymru ends agreement with Welsh Labour
The party has pulled out of a cooperation agreement with Welsh Labour.
In a statement, the party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “Plaid Cymru has ended its Co-Operation agreement with the Welsh Government with immediate effect.“I am proud of the way in which the Agreement demonstrated a new way of doing politics which focused on areas of policy which impact people’s everyday lives.
“These include rolling out free school meals, expanding the free childcare offer for thousands more families, taking radical action to address the housing crisis, steps to safeguard the Welsh language, the creation of a national energy company Ynni Cymru and more.
“Working collaboratively was a constructive response to the chaos and uncertainty of Brexit and the Covid pandemic and the harm caused by the UK Conservative Government. We will continue to try to secure the delivery of policies agreed as part of the Co-operation Agreement.”
Attacking the new first minister, Vaughn Gething, he added he is “worried by the circumstances around the decision to sack” Hannah Blythyn as minister for social partnership yesterday, whom Mr Gething accused of leaking to the media (which she denies).
‘Labour has no plans for tax changes,’ says Shadow Financial Secretary
James Murray says the party has specific tax measures to inject cash into public services if the party gets elected.
To fund the pledges made by Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday, he claims Labour will get the economy growing.
But he adds: “We’ve got no plans for any tax changes beyond what we’ve set out.”
“We think the tax burden on working people is already too high, and we want to see the tax burden come down.
“And we’re very clear we would only do that on the basis of responsible management of the economy, of a stable economy, of economic growth.
“We wouldn’t make any unfunded or uncosted spending commitments, like the Conservatives are doing with the £46bn pledge to end National Insurance.”
Social media, the new election campaign playground
Beyond the conference stages, a fiery campaign war is being played online.
Labour and the Conservatives’ are hitting at each other on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Vaccines minister talks of ‘overwhelming’ death threats days after Slovakian PM assassination attempt
The vaccines minister has spoken of the “overwhelming” death threats she receives, just days after the leader of Slovakia was shot in an assassination attempt.
Maria Caulfield said threats on her life rose every time the House of Commons discussed jabs.
Mr Fico remains “between life and death”, his ally the Hungarian leader Viktor Orban said on Friday.
The shooting, the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader for more than 20 years, has sent shockwaves through Westminster.
