Markus Andrews

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWatch as Sir Keir Starmer spoke in Brussels on Wednesday, 2 October, to kick off his bid to reset Britain’s relationship with the European Union.Downing Street said the prime minister travelled to Belgium to “continue his drive to improve the UK’s relationship with the European Union to bolster the security, safety and prosperity of the British people.”Sir Keir’s trip to Brussels comes amid growing pressure for him to agree to a youth mobility scheme to allow people aged 30 and under to travel more freely between Britain and the EU.European leaders are reportedly keen to not make it easy for Sir Keir and will hold demands; including long-term fishing access to British waters and a new migrant deal requiring Britain to accept an agreed number of asylum seekers from the continent. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorAs the Conservative Party faces an uncertain political future ahead of the next general election, questions loom over its leadership and direction. The leadership contest is now front and centre, with James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, and Tom Tugendhat all competing for control. At the same time, former Tory MPs, ousted in July’s general election, are reflecting on the party’s missteps and discussing how to rebuild support.With challenges coming from both the Liberal Democrats and Labour, as well as internal divisions, the party is under pressure to redefine its strategy, values, and future direction. This year’s Conservative Party conference in Birmingham provides a pivotal moment for reflection and debate. It stands in stark contrast to the 2023 gathering, when Rishi Sunak’s government made a series of last-minute policy announcements, including offshoring prisoners, cutting civil servants, and controversially scrapping HS2.As the conference unfolds, I’ve been addressing your questions on the leadership contest, the fallout from the election defeat, and the public’s growing interest in the party’s stance on private donations.Here are six questions from Independent readers – and my answers from the “Ask Me Anything” event.Q: What are Tories doing in response to the Liberal Democrats’ election success?Charlie MansellA: This is a question that Tories don’t ask themselves enough, much to the relief of Lib Dems. The Tory party seems to be more focused on winning back defectors to Reform than defectors to the Lib Dems (or Labour). The Lib Dems have shown themselves flexible enough to appeal to soft Tories across almost the whole of the south of England. They don’t need initiatives such as the Peel Group or the Orange Book, they just put Ed Davey on a surfboard and flood a constituency with leaflets about whatever the big thing is locally – usually opposition to development.If the Tories spend too much time trying to appeal to Reform voters, they risk entrenching the Lib Dems in the 60 seats they gained from them and losing more seats to the Lib Dems next time.Q: Does anyone think this privately financed party has any political philosophy other than to protect the wealthy and demonise the poor?Geoff AlliboneA: We have had a Conservative prime minister for 62 per cent of the time since the Second World War, winning about half of the two-party vote. If the Tory party were purely a party of the rich, it wouldn’t have been able to do that – unless you are one of those bridge buyers who believe in the false consciousness of the British electorate on an epic scale.Q: Does the Tory conference matter at all?Nick MichaelsA: Yes of course it does. Sean O’Grady has a good article on The Independent website drawing the parallel with Tory conferences in 1963 and 2005, which also coincided with leadership contests, and in which a lacklustre performance by the front runner resulted in an upset. I am not sure that whoever becomes Tory leader this time will ever be prime minister, but the choice will make a difference in politics over the next five years.Q: Will future Tory candidates guarantee they will not accept private donations in any capacity? If not, why not? Do they hold themselves to a higher/lower standard than others?Stephen HarperA: It is dangerous to hold yourself or your party out as of a higher moral standard than your opponents, as Keir Starmer has discovered. Whoever becomes Conservative leader would be wise to avoid it. But both parties ought to rule out the acceptance of personal gifts above a certain value. Starmer seems to have assumed that the suits, the glasses and the Taylor Swift tickets were all right because they were declared, and because they were part of being a public figure. It was a mistake given he had taken such a high moral tone with Boris Johnson, not to mention Rishi Sunak’s helicopter rides. Q: Are the Tories now a far-right party? Christopher1959A: I think the terms “right” and “left” are of limited use in analysing contemporary politics. The terms “far-right” and “far-left” are even less useful. I think it is always worth asking people what they mean by any of these terms, or at least asking them to try to make their point without using them. Wanting less immigration is not an extreme position, for example; indeed it is the centre ground. Wanting to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights is more controversial, but Tony Blair, David Blunkett and Jack Straw found the ECHR frustrating and started to seek international support for changing it. Q: Will voters simply return to the Tories if Labour fails in government?RelatexA: This is the line taken by one former minister I spoke to: he had thought the general election defeat was so bad that it would take more than one parliamentary term to fight back, but that Labour had got off to such a bad start that he now thought there was hope of turning things round in time for the next election, in 2028 or 2029.I think this is too optimistic for the Conservatives. The fundamentals are very much against them. The main one is that a large section of former Tory voters feel betrayed on the issue of immigration. They are unlikely to be won back by any Tory leader who was a minister in the post-Brexit period – not even one who resigned as immigration minister (rather late in the day).Labour hasn’t had the best start, but its problems are serious rather than fundamental. They would have to make a terrible mess of the NHS and the economy to lose.These questions and answers were part of an ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted by John Rentoul at 4pm BST on Monday 30 September. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.John also sends a weekly Commons Confidential newsletter exclusive to Independent Premium subscribers, taking you behind the curtain of Westminster. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, head here to find out more. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditor The four contenders to lead Britain’s Conservative Party took turns in the spotlight on Wednesday, each claiming to be the one who can lead the right-of-center party back from a catastrophic election defeat.Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat were each making impassioned speeches aimed at persuading party members that they have what it takes to turn around public opinion, trounce Prime Minister Keir Starmer ’s Labour Party and return the Conservatives to power at the next election, due by 2029.That’s a tall order. After years of division, scandal and economic tumult, U.K. voters comprehensively rejected the Tories in a July election, leaving the party that had governed since 2010 with just 121 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons. The center-left Labour Party won more than 400.Defeated ex- Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who remains caretaker party leader, made only a fleeting visit to the Conservatives’ annual conference in Birmingham, central England. All the focus was on the four leadership candidates — whittled down by lawmakers from an initial six — who spent the four-day gathering gladhanding and speech-making.Jenrick, a former centrist who has shifted to the right with tough talk on migration, and the energetic libertarian Badenoch are considered the frontrunners. Conservative lawmakers will eliminate two candidates in voting next week. Party members across the country will then vote to pick a winner, who will be announced Nov. 2.The conference slogan is the subdued “review and rebuild.” But the leadership contest gave the event something of the buzz of a U.S. convention, with huge banners bearing the candidates’ faces and branded merchandise including giant foam fingers for Tugendhat, “We want Bobby J” baseball caps for Jenrick and T-shirts urging people to “Be more Kemi.”Tugendhat, widely seen as a longshot, spoke first on Wednesday and accused his higher-profile rivals of a “lack of substance … petty point scoring, and self-service” and said his past as a soldier gave him the leadership qualities to “reconnect with the British people … restore trust … win again.”Cleverly offered an apology, saying “sorry” to people let down by Conservative lawmakers and warning that the party must not “wallow in self-pity” or veer to extremes.“Let’s be more normal,” said Cleverly, who depicted himself as an optimistic candidate in the mold of “my political hero,” Ronald Reagan.The victor will take over a party depleted by years of turmoil under ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson — ousted by colleagues in 2022 amid ethics scandals — and his successor Liz Truss. She resigned after just 49 days in office when her tax-cutting plans rocked the financial markets and battered the value of the pound.In the July election, the Conservatives lost votes to hard-right Reform U.K., led by populist politician Nigel Farage. Though Reform won only five seats, it came second in many more, and its rapid rise has scared some Conservatives into leaning further to the right.Jenrick argues that the U.K. should drastically curb immigration and leave the European Convention on Human Rights in order to take tough measures to stop people seeking asylum in the U.K.Nigeria-raised Badenoch evokes Tory icon Margaret Thatcher with her calls for a smaller state, appeals to patriotism and criticism of multiculturalism.Cleverly and Tugendhat come from a more centrist grouping in the party but have also promised immigration curbs.Keiran Pedley, director of U.K. politics at pollster Ipsos, said the Conservative Party “faces an uphill battle” whoever leads it. In an Ipsos poll released Tuesday, 64% of respondents said they didn’t care who became Conservative leader, while 31% said they cared a great deal or a fair amount. The pollster surveyed 1,100 British adults and the margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.“The public is largely indifferent to the leadership race, and the candidates are relatively unknown,” Pedley said. “Furthermore, the public is skeptical that any of the candidates can beat Keir Starmer in a general election.” More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorTory leadership contender James Cleverly refused three times to disown the economic chaos which took place under Liz Truss’ leadership after his plan to scrap stamp duty on house sales was likened to policies introduced by the former prime minister.The pledge, which he said would cost £10 billion, was compared in a radio interview to the disastrous tax cuts introduced by Ms Truss’ government.Mishal Hussain, host of BBC Radio 4 Today claimed the move was “the kind of thing” the former prime minister – who resigned just 49 days after taking office – had done.Mr Cleverly replied: “Are you seriously suggesting a prospective leader of the Conservative Party should not envisage any tax cuts in our society?”Pressed again, he said: “Your argument is because one of my predecessors proposed it we can never propose it. This is why we have the highest tax burden since the (Second World) War.”James Cleverly (Jacob King/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWatch live as the Conservative Party’s leadership contest candidates speak to members on the final day of the party conference on Wednesday, 2 October.Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, and Kemi Badenoch will deliver speeches in Birmingham in their final chance to address delegates in their race to be Rishi Sunak’s successor.Topics expected to be discussed by the candidates are optimism, the party’s future and the economy, as the Tories look to rebuild the party after the general election loss in July.Mr Jenrick, the frontrunner in the contest, is expected to use his speech to call for a “new Conservative Party” if it wants to “tackle the immense challenges” it faces.The Newark MP’s speech comes a day after he suffered a backlash from his rivals for claiming that UK special forces were “killing rather than capturing” terrorists.Mr Tugendhat will set out his plans for a “new Conservative revolution” in areas such as the economy and housing, while Ms Badenoch is also expected to focus on economic policy and pitch that the Tories “have to be the party of wealth creation”.Mr Cleverly will tell members to be “enthusiastic” and “optimistic”, and that they will win back the electorate by being “professional”. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorKemi Badenoch has made it clear she wants to clamp down on migration to the UK, claiming that many use Britain as “a sponge”.The former favourite for the Tory leadership contest has seen her challenge drop off in recent days, with ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick appearing to be in the driving seat during the Tory conference in Birmingham.Ms Badenoch used an interview on the Today program to take a tough stance on migration.She said: “We need to make sure that when people are coming to this country they are people who are coming to contribute and who want the success of our country.“If you want to stay here we live in an age where you need to be very committed. We are not a dormitory, we are not a sponge.Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch walks with her team through the Birmingham International Conference Centre (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More