A Conservative MP has publicly admitted he personally expects the Tories to lose the next general election, when asked about Rishi Sunak’s claim that Britain is on course for a hung parliament.
Tory MP Paul Scully told the BBC that it could be possible to see a hung parliament or “reduce the losses” if the Conservatives come up with a vision and “actually sell that vision to the country, rather than just going from crisis to crisis”.
He added: “My personal view is that Labour’s going to win the election, but there is that scenario – if you’ve got the vision.”
It came as reports revealed that the Ministry of Defence was targeted in a cyberattack on a third party payroll system including the details of tens of thousands of British armed forces and veterans.
Senior Tory Tobias Ellwood said the targeting of a payroll system “points to China” and could be part of “strategy to see who might be coerced”. China said it “firmly opposes and fights all forms of cyberattacks”.
Downing Street refused to accuse a specific state or actor for the cyberattack.
Conservative MP says he expects Tories to lose general election
A Conservative MP has said he believes Labour will win the next general election.
Tory MP Paul Scully told the BBC: “There is a scenario that you can get to – if we come up with a vision, if we actually sell that vision to the country, rather than just going from crisis to crisis and trying to manage those crises – that you can get towards a hung parliament or reduce the losses.
“My personal view is that Labour’s going to win the election, but there is that scenario – if you’ve got the vision.”
Humza Yousaf thanks colleagues in final speech as Scotland’s first minister
Humza Yousaf gave his final speech as Scotland’s first minister to MSPs on Tuesday afternoon after officially resigning earlier in the day.
He said: “Let me offer thanks to every single colleague across the political divide for the kindnesses that you have shown me over the years.
“We often, and I’m guilty of this too, lament the toxic nature of our political debate and it’s true, there is entrenched tribalism that feels difficult to free ourselves from.
“However I will remember far more fondly the kindness and generosity of colleagues over the years.”
Minister calls for probe into Welsh leader Vaughan Gething over deleted Whatsapp messages
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has called for an investigation into Labour Welsh first minister Vaughan Gething after allegations he deleted Whatsapp messages to other ministers during the Covid period.
Sadiq Khan says he wants London to be best city in the world for people to grow up in
Sadiq Khan has begun his third term as London mayor on Tuesday with a pledge to make the capital the best city in the world to grow up in.
Speaking at a declaration of office ceremony held in the Tate Modern, Mr Khan told the PA news agency. “It was a hard election because Londoners know the last eight years have been tough, we have been rowing against the tide of a Conservative government.
“I want London to be a byword for opportunity, the best place in the world for people to grow up in, and that means supporting young people.”
Mr Khan said he wants to make free school meals permanent in London’s state primary schools, fund more youth clubs and mental health support, as well as invest in high-quality mentoring.
Labour’s economic plans explained as Rachel Reeves accuses government of ‘gaslighting’
Labour’s Rachel Reeves has accused the government of “gaslighting” the country on the economy and says her party will focus on boosting growth if it acheives power at the next election.
Last year, the shadow chancellor outlined her vision of ‘securonomics’, where the UK is protected against overseas pressures such as Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and Covid. This approach also sees the government embracing the private sector to promote economic growth.
This is a departure from Labour’s approach under Jeremy Corbyn, which ran on an economic policy platform of progressive, radical tax reforms in two general elections. Ms Reeves is instead focusing on relatively small-scale changes to begin with.
My colleague Albert Toth has more on Labour’s economic policy here:
China has ‘fundamentally different values to ours’, says Sunak
China has “fundamentally different values to ours”, Rishi Sunak has said, amid reports Beijing was behind a cyber attack on a database containing details of armed forces personnel.
On a visit to Crystal Palace Football Club’s academy on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Sunak told broadcasters that the government had set out “a very robust policy towards China”.
Mr Sunak said: “They are a country with fundamentally different values to ours, they’re acting in a way that is more authoritarian at home, assertive abroad.”
He added: “Recently, I announced a historic increase in our defence spending to two-and-a-half percent of GDP. And I made the point that we are facing an axis of authoritarian states, including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, which pose a risk to our values, our interests, and indeed our country.”
Rachel Reeves introduced by former Tory MP at City of London speech
Rachel Reeves was introduced ahead of her speech on the economy today by former Tory MP Nick Boles, who said the Labour shadow chancellor understood “the central paradox of economic management”.
He said the paradox was that “it is by demonstrating discipline, responsibility and the sense of the importance of restraint that you earn the right, earn the trust, to be able to make transformative change”.
Mr Boles added: “The business community trusts that [Ms Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer] understand that stability in economic policy will unleash investment, that the ambition that Labour has will be delivered by demonstrating to markets, to investors, but also to individuals, to taxpayers, to consumers, that they are not going to play fast and loose with their money.”
Mr Boles quit the Conservative Party in 2019 over Brexit, and was revealed in February this year to be an informal adviser to Labour’s shadow cabinet on how to prepare for power.
Labour will fight election on economy, says Rachel Reeves
Labour will fight the next election on the economy, the shadow chancellor has said – as she dismissed suggestions the UK was heading for a hung parliament.
In a speech in the City of London, Rachel Reeves said her party would use every day to “expose what the Conservatives have done to our country” and accused the Government of “gaslighting” the public by claiming Britain had “turned a corner”.
She said: “Instead of believing the prime minister’s claims that we’ve turned a corner, the questions people will ask ahead of the next election are simple.
“Do you and your family feel better off than you did after 14 years of Conservative government? Do our schools, our hospitals, our police, our transport work better than they did 14 years ago? Frankly, does anything in our country work better than it did when the Conservatives came into office 14 years ago?”
Rail strikes: Simon Calder explains latest string of walkouts
Train drivers are once again striking in their long-running dispute with the government. Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has the details:
Full report: Shapps to update MPs on hack targeting defence payroll details
Defence secretary Grant Shapps will update MPs on a cyber attack on a database containing details of armed forces personnel amid reports China was behind the hack.
David Hughes has more in this report:
