Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email The United Kingdom is poised to hold its first election in five years in a country battered by a cost-of-living crisis, fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict and deep divisions over how to deal with migrants and asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from Europe on small inflatable boats.Here is a look at the upcoming election and the biggest issues at stake. When is the election in the United Kingdom? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak can call an election at any time up to Dec. 17, with the election taking place 25 working days later. That means the last possible date for the election is Jan. 28, 2025.The timing of the election will be determined by Sunak’s calculation of what date will be most advantageous for the Conservatives. The most likely time for the election is in the autumn, according to the Institute for Government, a London-based think tank. But one can’t be sure. How does voting work in the United Kingdom? People throughout the United Kingdom will choose all 650 members of the House of Commons for a term of up to five years. The party that commands a majority in the Commons, either alone or in coalition, will form the next government and its leader will be prime minister.That means the results will determine the political direction of the government, which has been led by the center-right Conservatives for the past 14 years. Opinion polls suggest that Labour is currently in the strongest position. Who is running in the United Kingdom? Sunak, a former Treasury chief who has been prime minister since October of 2022, is expected to lead his party into the election. His primary opponent will be Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions in England and leader of the Labour Party since April 2020.But there are other parties, some of which have strong regional support and could be crucial to forming a coalition government if no one wins an overall majority.The Scottish National Party, which campaigns for Scottish independence; Liberal Democrats; and Democratic Unionist Party, which seeks to maintain ties between Britain and Northern Ireland, are currently the three largest parties in Parliament after the Conservatives and Labour. Some observers suggest the new Reform Party, formed by Tory rebels, may siphon votes from the Conservatives. What are the big issues at stake in the United Kingdom? The economy: Britain has struggled with high inflation and slow economic growth, which have combined to make most people feel poorer. The Conservatives succeeded in meeting their goal of halving inflation, which peaked at 11.1% in October 2022, but the economy slipped into a technical recession in the last six months of 2023, raising questions about the government’s economic policies.Immigration: Thousands of asylum seekers and economic migrants have crossed the English Channel in flimsy inflatable boats in recent years, raising concerns the government has lost control of Britain’s borders. The Conservatives’ signature policy for stopping the boats is a plan t o deport some of these migrants to Rwanda. Critics say the plan violates international law, is inhumane, and will do nothing to stop people fleeing war, unrest and famine.Health care: Britain’s National Health Service, which provides free health care to everyone, is plagued with long waiting lists for everything from dental care to cancer treatment. Newspapers are filled with stories about seriously ill patients forced to wait hours for an ambulance, then longer still for a hospital bed.The environment: Sunak has backtracked on a series of environmental commitments, pushing back the deadline for ending the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles and authorizing new oil drilling in the North Sea. Critics say these are the wrong policies at a time the world is trying to combat climate change. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Home Office pilot scheme to place ankle tags on up to 600 migrants on immigration bail to track their location breached UK data protection law, a watchdog has said.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the Home Office had failed to sufficiently assess the risks posed by the electronic monitoring of people, including the privacy concerns around the continuous collection of a person’s location.The data protection regulator said it had now issued an enforcement notice and a warning to the Home Office over the pilot, which orders the department to update its privacy policies and warns that data collection on a similar basis would spark enforcement action by the regulator.The pilot had been evaluating whether electronic monitoring was an effective way to maintain regular contact with asylum claimants, while reducing the risk of absconding and offering a potential alternative to detention.The ICO said it had been in discussion with the Home Office about the scheme since August 2022, after concerns about the pilot were raised by Privacy International.The pilot scheme ended in December 2023, but the ICO said the Home Office continues to have access to data gathered during the trial.Having examined the scheme, the data protection watchdog said the Home Office had also failed to assess the potential impact on people who may already be in a vulnerable position because of their immigration status, for reasons such as the conditions of their journey to the UK, or English not being their first language.The Home Office did not assess those risks sufficiently, which means the pilot scheme was not legally compliantInformation Commissioner John EdwardsThe ICO said the Home Office did not sufficiently consider how to mitigate against those risks, for example by providing clear information about why people’s location data was being collected and how it would be used.The regulator added that throughout its enquiries, the Home Office had also been unable to adequately explain why it was necessary or proportionate to access the data it collected.Information Commissioner John Edwards said: “Having access to a person’s 24/7 movements is highly intrusive, as it is likely to reveal a lot of information about them, including the potential to infer sensitive information such as their religion, sexuality, or health status.“Lack of clarity on how this information will be used can also inadvertently inhibit people’s movements and freedom to take part in day-to-day activities.“If such information were to be mishandled or misinterpreted, it could potentially have harmful consequences to people and their future.“The Home Office did not assess those risks sufficiently, which means the pilot scheme was not legally compliant.“We recognise the Home Office’s crucial work to keep the UK safe, and it’s for them to decide on what measures are necessary to do so.“But I’m sending a clear warning to the Home Office that they cannot take the same approach in the future. It is our duty to uphold people’s information rights, regardless of their circumstances.”In response, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that the ICO has issued this notice and whilst acknowledging improvements to documentation could be made, we reject the claim that the privacy risks of the scheme weren’t sufficiently addressed.“The pilot was designed to help us maintain contact with selected asylum claimants, deter absconding and progress asylum claims more effectively.“We will now carefully consider the ICO’s findings and respond in due course.”Under the enforcement notice issued, the Home Office has been ordered to update its internal policies, access guidance and privacy information in relation to data it retained from the pilot scheme.The formal warning issued alongside the notice states that any future data processing on the same basis by the Home Office would breach data protection law and would see the ICO take enforcement action. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRochdale voters will go to the polls today for a by-election unexpectedly besieged by political controversy and media scrutiny.In the run-up to polling day, both Labour and the Greens have withdrawn support for the candidates they originally put forward over disputes relating to the Israel-Gaza conflict. This leaves Labour with no real way to win the seat which they have held since 2010.Controversial candidates George Galloway and Simon Danczuk will also appear on the ballot.Here’s your guide to all eleven candidates standing in Rochdale:Azhar Ali, “Labour”Although Azhar Ali’s name will still appear as a Labour candidate on the ballot, the party has withdrawn its support for him. Following Mr Ali’s high-profile suspension, he would be considered an independent MP in parliament should he win today’s by-election.Mr Ali was suspended from the party following allegations of anti-semitism. At a meeting of other Labour members, Mr Ali said that Israel had “allowed” the 7 October attacks to mandate the country’s invasion of Gaza. He later apologised for the comments. Labour moved to withdraw support on 12 February, after being criticised for inaction, but this was too late for them to stand another candidate.However, should Mr Ali win it is unlikely he would remain in this position much longer than 6-10 months. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated his intention to call a general election towards the end of the year when the seat will go to the polls once more.This gives Labour the opportunity to select a new candidate for Rochdale.Mr Ali is originally from Brierfield, a town in Pendle, Lancashire – 45 minutes away from Rochdale. He joined Pendle Borough Council in 2000 at 24, becoming council leader in 2003. In 2013, Mr Ali joined Lancashire County Council, becoming leader in 2017.In 2015 and 2019, he stood as Labour’s parlimentary candidate for Pendle. In 2020, Mr Ali was awarded an OBE for his services to the community in the North West.Mark Coleman, IndependentReverend Mark Coleman is a long-time climate campaigner and Just Stop Oil activist, who has twice been jailed for non-violent direct action. The 64-year-old worked as a vicar in Rochdale until his retirement due to Parkinson’s disease.Rev Coleman continues to serve as a Church of England priest and is running on a platform of climate-related policies.Simon Danczuk, Reform UKOn 1 February it was revealed that former Labour MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk would stand as a candidate for Reform UK, aiming to regain the seat he held from 2010 to 2017.In 2015, Simon Danczuk was suspended from the Labour party after allegation he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with a teenager. He was barred from reselection by the party for the 2017 general election.Mr Danczuk nevertheless stood as an independent candidate, coming fifth with 1.8 per cent of the vote.“He had an unwise relationship with a young lady but nothing illegal and he accepted what he did was daft and unwise,” said Reform UK leader Richard Tice.“He has an excellent track record of integrity and being brave enough to call out the grooming gangs in Rochdale”.Iain Donaldson, Liberal DemocratsIain Donaldson is a retired administrator for the University of Manchester, and has 19 years of experience as a councillor in the area. He hopes to regain Rochdale for the Lib Dems, who held the seat from 2005 to 2010.Paul Ellison, ConservativeThe Conservative’s candidate for Rochdale, Paul Ellison, is a businessman and campaigner who owns and operates a landscaping company in the area. His campaign messaging emphasises his local roots, stating that he has been a political campaigner in the area for over 30 years.George Galloway, Workers PartyGeorge Galloway is a former Labour and Respect Party MP, who is now leader and founder of the Workers Party of Britain. He has said he is running to “teach Labour a lesson”.His party, formed in 2019, aims to build a “new working class politics in Britain”. Its 10-point programme includes bringing an end to imperialist wars” and rebuilding British industry. Mr Galloway has said the main focus of his campaign will be to acheive a resolution to the conflict in Gaza.Mr Galloway has been a mainstay in the UK political landscape since the late 80s, first becoming a Labour MP for Glasgow Hillhead in 1987. He was expelled from the Labour Party in 2003 by Tony Blair for prominent opposition to the Iraq War.In 2004 he joined Respect, winning the seat of Bethnal Green and Bow for the party in the 2005 general election. Mr Galloway remained in this seat until 2010. He was Respect MP for Bradford West for one term from 2012 to 2015, and has not been an MP since – despite various campaigns.Michael Howarth, IndependentMichael Howarth is a businessman from Rochdale who owns several bars in the borough, as well as living and working in the town. He is running on a platform of local town and business improvement, vowing to open empty shops and improve street safety.William Howarth, Independent“Billy” Howarth is a local campaigner and co-founder of the support group Parents Against Grooming UK. His campaign is centred on tackling issues around grooming in the wake of Rochdale’s grooming gang scandal. He raised his £500 registration fee by fundraising.“After 30 years of child abuse cover-ups, two tired leaderships accompanied by failures to protect the town’s constituents, I have decided that this town needs to be independently represented,” reads Mr Howarth’s GoFundMe campaign.Guy Otten, “Green”Like Labour, the Greens have also withdrawn support for their Rochdale candidate, Guy Otten over comments made on Twitter.The retired solicitor called the posts “regrettable,” confirmed he had “decided to leave the stage” and halted his campaigning efforts from 7 February. His name will still appear on the ballot as a Green Party candidate.Ravin Rodent Subortna, Monster Raving LoonyCandidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Ravin Rodent Subortna has made a raft of unusual promises on the campaign trail, as has become tradition for the party.His policies include the introduction of a 99p coin, fairground carousels on roundabouts, and hedgehog homes to “prevent hedgehog homelessness”. Mr Subortna has said his aim is to get “zero votes”David Tully, Independent“Born and raised in Rochdale,” David Tully operates a vehicle repair centre in the area. He is running on a platform of community-focused pledges, aiming to halt the “decline” of Rochdale town. He is an avid rugby and football fan, and the only candidate to meet with the local club, Rochdale AFC, on the campaign trail. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCapital punishment may be required for those involved in “crimes against humanity”, according to an MP accused of pushing “conspiracy theories” over Covid-19.In a bizarre speech Independent MP Andrew Bridgen, who was expelled from the Tories after appearing to compare Covid-19 vaccines to the Holocaust, told business questions: “I’ve always opposed capital punishment on the principle that it’s wrong to take a life so it can’t be right for the state to take a life in revenge.“Events have caused me to reconsider my position.“So can we have a debate on crimes against humanity and the appropriate punishment for those who perpetuate, collude and cover up for these atrocities, atrocities and crimes so severe that the ultimate punishment may be required?”Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt replied: “I think (Mr Bridgen’s) incredibly subtle question is not lost on anyone in this House on where he might be taking it.“It is appropriate that the finale of this session, which has featured so heavily conspiracy theories, should fall to the honourable gentleman.“I would just caution him also just to reflect with the things that have been said about his own behaviour, what he does on social media, the security measures that have had to be stepped up for honourable members in this place in the wake of some of his social media tweets and questions in this House.“Whatever my disagreements are with (Mr Bridgen), I will always stand ready to get answers from departments and assist him in his work.“But I’m going to call out on every occasion when he is doing things that are, I think, a danger to our democracy and also the safety and security of members of this House.”Mr Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) and Ms Mordaunt have had several run-ins at business questions in recent months.In March last year, Ms Mordaunt criticised Mr Bridgen for repeating “conspiracy theories” about Covid, adding that they include “falsehoods” originating in Russia and China.The criticism came days after Mr Bridgen used a debate in the Commons to call for the Government to “immediately stop the mRNA vaccine booster programme and initiate a full public inquiry into not only the vaccine harms but how every agency and institution set up to protect the public interest has failed so abysmally in its duties”. More