Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDouglas Ross is to step down as Scottish Conservative leader after the general election and will also quit Holyrood if he is elected as an MP.The Scottish Tory made the announcement in the wake of the row over his decision to stand in the Aberdeen North and Moray East constituency.Former UK Government minister David Duguid had wanted to fight the seat, but the Scottish Conservative Party management board ruled ill health meant he should not stand, with Mr Ross confirming last week that he would put himself forward for the constituency.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.It comes after Mr Ross, who is also an MSP, had previously vowed he would step down from Westminster to focus on Holyrood and his role as party leader.Douglas Ross has announced he is quitting as Scottish Tory leaderIn a statement released on Monday, Mr Ross said: “I am committed to fighting and winning the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East constituency.“Should I be given the honour to represent the people and communities of this new seat, they should know being their MP would receive my complete focus and attention.“I will therefore stand down as leader following the election on July 4, once a successor is elected.“Should I win the seat, I will also stand down as an MSP to make way for another Scottish Conservative representative in Holyrood.”Mr Ross sparked fury when he announced he intended to run for Westminster after previously planning to concentrate on the Scottish parliament.His neighbouring Scottish Tory MP David Duguid was ruthlessly deselected by the Scottish Conservative management board at the last minute to make way for Mr Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.Mr Duguid, who was the MP for Banff and Buchan before the boundary changes, had recently had spinal surgery but was on course to make a full recovery. He had been readopted by his local party and told by doctors that he could campaign as long as he did not go door-knocking.Mr Ross had said he intended to step back from Westminster politics to focus on his duties at Holyrood. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer is facing calls to be clearer on climate change as a new poll warns half of voters are unsure of Labour’s plans. The Survation figures also show that less than a third, 30 per cent, believe they know what the party would do in government. Greenpeace, which commissioned the poll, has launched a new campaign ‘Keir be Clear’ ahead of Labour’s general election manifesto launch on Thursday. The environmental group, which caused controversy last year when they draped 200 square metres of oil-black fabric over Rishi Sunak’s £2m manor house in Yorkshire, says Labour has the opportunity to win over voters who are hungry for change on the climate. Follow our live coverage of the general election campaignLabour has pledged to create a new green energy company (Danny Lawson/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage has dismissed calls by Tory rightwinger Suella Braverman for her party to embrace him in an election pact.The Reform UK leader told a press conference that he “likes Suella Braverman” but said it was “impossible” to believe Reform would want to join the “high tax, high immigration” Tories.He suggested that the former home secretary instead joins his party after the “inevitable” election defeat for the Conservatives.The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader confirmed that “all marriage plans are off” when it comes to him rejoining the Tories, a party he left over the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.Farage addresses the media today More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFour Tory candidates have signed up to the pledges of Laurence Fox’s right-wing Reclaim Party in exchange for campaign donations of £5,000 each.The four Conservatives, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Karl McCartney and Marco Longhi, have promised to uphold Reclaim’s “four commitments to culture”.The commitments are to seek to pull Britain out of the European Court of Human Rights, repeal the Human Rights Act, ban gender reassignment for children and to reform the Equality Act.Laurence Fox said he founded Reclaim after being ‘cancelled’ for a BBC Question Time appearance More

The Independent has launched a brand new WhatsApp Community, bringing you the latest news on the General Election as the campaign unfolds.Never miss a big story as our dedicated politics team will keep you informed on the latest breaking news, exclusive features, gripping interviews and must-watch videos.You can expect breaking news alerts, exclusive poll results and campaign updates, cutting-edge opinion from our commentators and Premium news analysis from our award-winning journalists.To sign up to our free service all you need to do is follow the simple steps below:How to join The Independent’s WhatsApp channel( More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Tory minister has said he was “surprised and disappointed” by Rishi Sunak’s decision to snub commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.Becoming the latest member of the PM’s top team to condemn him over the gaffe, policing minister Chris Philp said Mr Sunak “made a mistake”.It followed criticism from transport secretary Mark Harper, who said the prime minister had made a mistake and apologised for it. That came after House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, a Navy reservist, who branded MR Sunak’s snub “completely wrong”.Rishi Sunak left the D-Day commemorations early More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Conservative Party chairman has been involved in a clash with a reporter as he attempted to dodge questions before an aide stepped in to end the interview.Richard Holden was being grilled by Sky News’s chief political Correspondent Jon Craig in Westminster on Sunday over the way he was chosen as an electoral candidate for the Basildon and Billericay constituency at the last minute this week.A bumbling Mr Holden repeatedly tries to avoid answering directly, but he is pressed by Mr Craig over the accusations of a “stitch-up” – and then an off-camera CCHQ advisor interrupts to complain about the questions and terminate the interview.In the clip shared on social media, Mr Craig begins by asking: “So you can’t justify the way you have been parachuted into Basildon and Billericay? You’re not deciding it’s a stitch-up and it’s anti-democratic?”Mr Holden pauses before replying with a deflection onto Labour: “Emily Thornberry today has admitted…”He is cut off by the journalist saying: “I’m going to stop you now. This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous! You said in an interview earlier this year you were bloody loyal to the North East. What happened to that?”The Tory press officer is now heard muttering “this wasn’t agreed” in the background.Mr Holden insists, “I’ve already answered these questions,” referring to an interview Channel 4, an answer rejected by Mr Craig, who responds: “That’s one broadcaster isn’t it? This is a pool interview for all the other broadcasters.”The unseen aide can be heard arguing: “These broadcasters agreed that the questions would be specifically…” before Mr Craig throws back: “No, nobody agreed! I’ve got a list here of questions from other broadcasters. Nobody’s agreed, absolutely not.”With a sheepish Mr Holden still in the camera shot, the advisor then asserts: “If that’s the way this is going to go, then we will just leave, because that’s not what we agreed to come here today to discuss.”A Labour source told HuffPost: “The Conservatives have spent another day in total chaos – running and ducking from scrutiny. They know their desperate, scattergun plans don’t stack up and think they can take the public for fools.” More