Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJeremy Hunt accused Labour of telling “a lie” about Tory tax plans as he launched his party’s fightback in a week where the starting gun on the election campaign was fired.In an unusually fiery speech by the chancellor, he claimed Labour’s attempts to scare voters about the future of the state pension was “disgraceful”.He also alleged that “the most conservative estimate” of Keir Starmer’s spending plans would cost £38.5billion and means “Labour will have no choice but to put up taxes further” to fill a £10billion black hole in government finances by 2028/29.Mr Hunt acknowledged that “difficult decisions” are needed because of the global financial shocks of the covid pandemic, and that war in Ukraine had meant he had been forced to increase taxes. However, he insisted that the election “will be framed about what the parties want to do about the tax burden”.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt blasted Labour’s economic plans (Aaron Chown/PA) More

Jeremy Hunt accused Labour of spreading “fake news” to try and win the general election with claims about his economic plans.Speaking in London on Friday, 17 May, the chancellor hit out at Labour’s judgement that scrapping national insurance would mean a £46bn funding gap, and lead to higher taxes on pensioners, telling the audience: “I don’t make any bones about it. It is fake news and it is an absolute disgrace to try and win this election by scaring pensioners about a policy that is not true.”Announcing that further tax cuts would be implemented in the autumn, Mr Hunt criticised Keir Starmer for promising “motherhood and apple pie” following his speech on Thursday. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet has said he “misspoke” – to the tune of £70bn – about one of his party’s key green policies. Months after Labour faced criticism for scaling back plans to spend £28bn a year on environmental investments, shadow environment secretary Steve Reed appeared to suggest that figure had increased again. But he later said he “clearly misspoke” and insisted the cost of GB Energy was much lower. Labour’s pledge to create a state-owned clean energy firm is a key plank of its plans for government. The party believes it can create jobs, cut energy bills and help meet its 2030 clean power target. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused energy bills to skyrocket, Labour also argues it will help to make the UK less reliant on others. Labour wants to creat a state-owned clean energy company More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Jeremy Hunt delivered a speech on Friday, 17 May, promising further tax cuts if the Conservatives win the general election.The chancellor accused Labour of “playground politics” over attacks on the historically-high burden being borne by households and businesses following Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday.Speaking from London, Mr Hunt to vowed that “taxes will go down under a Conservative government” and has accused his shadow, Labour’s Rachel Reeves, of plotting hikes to fund the opposition party’s spending pledges.Mr Hunt claims Labour’s electoral pledges would cost tax payers £59bn over the next four years and accused the party of “lying” and labelled “fake news” their economic plans.It comes as Rishi Sunak’s attempts to kickstart the general election campaign have failed to move voters, a new poll has revealed.The prime minister has claimed the UK is facing a threat of nuclear war and that the Government needs to have a government strong on defence and security. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s attempts to kickstart the general election campaign with a threat of nuclear war and a need to have a government strong on defence and security has failed to move voters, a new poll has revealed.The Techne UK weekly tracker poll seen by The Independent has shown that Mr Sunak’s speech at the Policy Exchange thinktank has left his party rooted on just 21 percent, unchanged from last week.It also followed a week where pollsters – including Techne UK chief executive Michela Morizzo, Professor Sir John Curtice and Lord Hayward – all also warned that a Tory push to use “culture war” issues to win back voters would not save the Tories. Initiatives this week included tackling “woke activism” in the civil service with banning rainbow lanyards one of the measures proposed, and banning lessons about trans issues in schools.While the tactics of Mr Sunak’s appeared to have failed Labour maintained a 23-point lead although their support fell by 1 percent to 44 percent from last week.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to be on his way out of 10 Downing Street (PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWeak leadership, poor economic management and Brexit have dragged Britain out of the top 10 countries in a global index on good government.The decline of Britain under the Tories has been charted by the global Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) which saw it take 11th place.At a time when Rishi Sunak has been under siege from his own Tory MPs, the UK’s place on the annual list was made worse by scores for “leadership and foresight” putting it in 20th place.It was also hit by coming 27th in “financial stewardship”. The findings come amid a report of an exodus by companies from the City of London.Prime minister Rishi Sunak steps out of 10 Downing Street. The UK was marked down for weak leadership More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer donned his election boots as Labour launched its bid to seize back 10 Downing Street after 14 years in opposition with a 48-hour blitz of battleground seats.In a presidential-style event in Thurrock, Essex, the Labour leader set the tone for the next six months of solid electioneering with a “stability” first message to voters who turned their back on the party after previously supporting Tony Blair.With a confident performance surrounded by his top team, Sir Keir laid out his six “first steps”, aping the five pledges of New Labour in 1997 which swept Blair to power.Among his supporters were two former Tory donors including Boots boss Sebastian James, an Old Etonian friend of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who endorsed Labour and praised Sir Keir’s focus on economic growth and Britain’s high streets.The second, Rob Boughton, runs one of the biggest developers in the South East; his company has donated nearly £1m to the Conservatives since 2017.But he told the audience that Labour’s message on economic stability and growth had won him over.Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during his visit to the Backstage Centre, Purfleet, for the launch of Labour’s doorstep offer to voters ahead of the general election More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTheresa May has joked that she risks going down in history as the prime minister who held hands with Donald Trump.The former PM, who is leaving parliament at this year’s general election, said she is not sure “whether I am going to be known as the prime minister who did not get Brexit through… or the prime minister who Donald Trump held hands with”.Ms May was asked at a gathering of journalists about the potential future relationship between Sir Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak and Mr Trump if he is re-elected in November.The Maidenhead MP replied that “all I can say is I hope he doesn’t hold their hand”.Former Prime Minister Theresa May and former U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 More