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    Free childcare plan in chaos as funding for Tories’ key pledge unravels

    Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailJeremy Hunt is under fire as it emerged that his key Budget promise to expand free childcare in 2024 is fast unravelling amid “chaos” over funding arrangements.The chancellor had announced a major extension of free care for this spring in a bid to win back voters – but experts say the sector has not been given enough cash or support to deliver his pledge.With the Tories hoping for a boost in the run-up to this year’s general election, eligible working parents of two-year-olds have been told they can claim 15 hours a week of free childcare from 1 April.However, council bosses have warned that the funding will not be in place for nurseries by then – with cash-strapped providers facing a “huge crisis” over the number of children places they can offer.Experts say many families could miss out at the last minute – with some parents telling The Independent they have already been told by their local nursery they cannot offer Mr Hunt’s flagship policy.Critics laid the blame squarely on Rishi Sunak’s government – saying Mr Hunt and fellow ministers had not backed up their “ill-thought-out” policy with enough financial support.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt during a visit to Busy Bees Battersea Nursery in south LondonLabour shadow children’s minister Helen Hayes said the Tories’ childcare offer to voters in the election year has fallen at the first hurdle.The frontbencher said the government had squeezed the timeline for funding confirmation, adding: “By failing to plan for delivery, their promises on childcare have been set up to fail.”The Liberal Democrats said there was a huge crisis looming – with the prospect of some nurseries collapsing – unless the government comes forward with proper funding guarantees.The party’s education spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “How does this government expect to roll out expansion of childcare when the amount they invest in childcare services is a fraction of what’s needed?” The Department for Education (DfE) says local authorities have until the end of March to confirm how much they will pay nurseries for extra places.But childcare under the programme is set to begin on 1 April – meaning many parents may not receive confirmation about a place until weeks after they want to start.Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are under pressure to deliver wider free childcare before an election expected later in 2024 One expert said parents may even be forced to abandon their returns to work at the last minute if do not get the free childcare they expect.Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “This chaos is the fault of the government. The government introduced this new childcare system, they are responsible for funding it. It is an ill-thought-out policy.”Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “Unfortunately, information for local authorities and providers has only recently been made available by central government, and this means they are having to work within a challenging timeframe to ensure arrangements are in place to expand before the start of the April rollout.”A mother-of-one living in Northamptonshire told The Independent her local nursery has just warned parents they will not be offering Mr Hunt’s flagship policy and will stop providing the funded places for three-year-olds they previously offered.The Independent recently revealed thousands of nurseries had been forced to close their doors amid staff shortages and a lack of funding, sparking warnings that Mr Hunt’s Budget pledge to offer 30 hours of free childcare for under-fives from 2025 was doomed to failure.A lot of people are pinning their hopes upon this materialising. I don’t think the government have grasped the danger of making false promises to parents who can’t keep their head above water. Sarah RonanThe Early Years Alliance said eligible parents who apply for the scheme through the government website will be given a code to take to a childcare provider who will then notify them if they have spaces available.Mr Leitch said: “You may qualify for your entitlement but that does not guarantee you a place. It is a huge assumption that you would automatically be given a place. If you are, it may not be the hours you are looking for.“Alternatively, you could be placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available. This code is then useless – it is a bit like telling someone you can have this free food in a supermarket but then seeing empty shelves when you arrive.”Mr Leitch, whose organisation represents nurseries, preschools and registered childminders among others, said they have encountered parents who have been on waiting lists for 18 months.“Waiting lists are likely to grow and grow,” he added. “Parents desperate to return to work will have to abandon their plans and take stock of what to do next. Even if providers have the funding for spaces, the fact is that they may well be struggling to recruit adequate people.”Mr Leitch argued that Mr Hunt’s new measures are an example of “announce first and do the thinking afterwards”.The expert noted the childcare sector is already struggling to provide the 30 hours of free childcare per week in term time for three- and four-year-olds in England that was rolled out by ministers in 2017.Mr Sunak and education secretary Gillian Keegan visit Busy Bees nursery in Harrogate Lauren Ellis, a teacher, said her “fantastic” local nursery has been pushed into a position where they can no longer offer any funded places.“It is a nationwide issue,” the 35-year-old said. “It is not their fault. If the funding had come in, it would have halved my childcare costs. It is another government promise which looks great on the face of it and is a great headline. It looks great going to an election but it is completely flawed. There is a lot of confusion among parents and they can’t plan ahead or plan for other children.”Ms Ellis said her mortgage had shot up to an extortionate rate for their small two-bedroom house, and childcare was their second highest outgoing.“We have cut down on holidays,” she added. “We now have no chance of going abroad. Buying new cars – no chance. Also on takeaways and our own clothes shopping.”Sarah Ronan, director of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition, said she has spoken to parents who are delaying having children until the new offer is rolled out.“A lot of people are pinning their hopes upon this materialising,” Ms Ronan added. “I don’t think the government have grasped the danger of making false promises to parents who can’t keep their head above water.”If the funding had come in, it would have halved my childcare costs. It is another government promise which looks great on the face of it and is a great headline. It looks great going to an election but it is completely flawed. Lauren EllisShe urged local authorities to tell providers rates for the new free-hours policy as quickly as possible – explaining services will remain unsure if they can deliver the scheme and how many places they have available until they know the rate.Ms Ronan added: “The government has run this sector into the ground. The government has knowingly underfunded the sector.”Recent figures from the schools’ inspectorate Ofsted revealed that 3,320 of the 62,300 nurseries and childminders caring for under-fives in England had shut their doors in the past year alone, leaving 17,800 fewer childcare places available.The number of nurseries and early years services for under-fives has plummeted by a quarter in recent years, from 84,970 in 2015-2016 to 63,207 in 2022-2023.Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry has estimated that implementing the government’s expanded childcare plans will cost £8.9bn rather than the £4bn ministers have allocated to fund the increase in places.Responding for the government, a DfE spokesperson said: “We are rolling out the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever, and are confident in the strength of our childcare market to deliver 30 free hours of childcare for working parents from nine months old up to when they start school.“Our data shows the number of early years staff and places increased in 2023 – but we know there is more to be done. That’s why we are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates and have allocated £100m in capital funding for more early years and wraparound places and spaces.”They added: “We published our 2024-25 hourly funding rates in November and encourage local authorities to update providers on initial budgets as early as possible ahead of the first phase of the rollout in April.” More

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    Ex-immigration minister threatens to toughen Rwanda bill after leak suggests Sunak tried to scale back scheme

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak faces a growing battle over his flagship Rwanda legislation after his former immigration minister threatened to lead a parliamentary revolt to try to toughen the bill. Robert Jenrick warned that if the prime minister did not strengthen the new emergency laws then he would lay amendments next week to ensure they were “sufficiently robust”.Mr Jenrick dramatically quit the government last month saying the Rwanda legislation would not work – just hours after former home secretary Suella Braverman told Mr Sunak he faced electoral ‘oblivion’ over the issue.Mr Jenrick revealed his plan to Sky News as Mr Sunak was accused of “conning” the public over the controversial Rwanda deal after leaked documents suggested he harboured significant doubts about the scheme – and argued for it to be scaled back – while he was chancellor. Mr Sunak was unsure the plan to deport asylum seekers would achieve its ultimate goal, to deter channel crossings, a month before it was unveiled by then prime minster Boris Johnson. He was concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to the Africa country and wanted to limit the numbers, according to the documents seen by the BBC The prime minister faces a battle this month to get new emergency legislation through the Commons, after the Supreme Court ruled his Rwanda plan unlawful. Losing the vote could imperil the future of the scheme and even Mr Sunak’s leadership, as Tory MPs pile pressure on Mr Sunak to fulfil his pledge to voters to stop the boat ahead of a looming general election. Mr Sunak committed to keeping the Rwanda plan as he fought to win the leadership contest to replace Mr Johnson as Tory leader. Asked about the leaked reports, Mr Jenrick told Sky News: “I know the prime minister very well and I believe that he does see the urgent need to control our borders to get the Rwanda plan up and running – because that’s such a critical element to stopping the small boat crossings.”But it is important that we get that right.”And as I said last year, I don’t think that the bill that’s going through parliament is sufficient – if we say we’re going to do whatever it takes, we have to do whatever it takes and that means strengthening that bill.”I hope that he will strengthen the bill that’s coming through parliament.” He added: “And I’ve been very clear that if he doesn’t do that, then I will lay amendments to the bill next week to make sure that it is the piece of legislation that is necessary that is sufficiently robust to do the job that the British public expect.” Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the papers shows the Rwanda plan was a “total con” and “how incredibly weak Rishi Sunak is”.“He knew costs were extortionate (and) resisted as Chancellor. But he’s now so weak he’s writing £400m cheques to Rwanda for no one to be sent,” she said.She accused the government of “continually going for gimmicks rather than ever getting a grip.”When he was chancellor Mr Sunak wanted to reduce the numbers the scheme would send to Rwanda, from 1,500 in the first year to 500, and from 5,000 to 3,000 in the two years after that, according to the documents seen by the BBC. He is also described as believing the “deterrent won’t work” and that he felt “hotels are cheaper” than reception centres to house migrants. In a sign of the tactics used over the Rwanda policy No 10 suggested Mr Sunak should be told to consider his “popularity with the base” if he was reluctant to sign up. David Campbell Bannerman, the chair of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, questioned if Mr Sunak had sought to “sabotage” the Rwanda plan “right from the start?” “These papers suggest Treasury undermined plan by cutting resources for it,” he tweeted. A government source said: that as Chancellor, Mr Sunak had funded the Rwanda scheme and then went on to “put it at the heart of his 10-point plan the month after becoming PM”. More

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    Jeremy Hunt says buying first home a ‘real struggle’ after ‘not that difficult’ claim by Natwest chair

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJeremy Hunt has said buying a first home in Britain today is a “real struggle” after the boss of NatWest claimed it was “not that difficult”. Sir Howard Davies said that people would “have to save more”, but suggested the system had simply reverted to how it “used” to be. Housing campaigners criticised his claim while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves branded Sir Howard “out of touch”.Asked about the comment, Mr Hunt pointed to much higher mortgages rates compared to 18 months ago. “We know that makes it a real struggle for people trying to buy their first home,” he said. He insisted the way to deal with the problem was to continue to focus on cutting inflation. Defending his comments, Sir Howard said: “You have to save and that is the way it always used to be.”But he later sought to clarify his remarks, saying his claim was meant to reflect easier mortgage access.He said: “Given recent rate movements by lenders there are some early green shoots in mortgage pricing and while funding remains strong, my comment was meant to reflect that in this context access to mortgages is less difficult than it has been.“I fully realise it did not come across in that way for listeners and as I said on the programme, I do recognise how difficult it is for people buying a home and I did not intend to underplay the serious challenges they face.”Mr Hunt made his comments in an interview on the BBC’s Today programme designed to highlight his National Insurance cut, announced in the Autumn Statement, which comes into effect today. He also again hinted at cutting taxes in the Budget, if the economic picture allows. Asked about is comment that inheritance tax is “pernicious” he said: “I think lots of taxes are pernicious”. And he urged the public “don’t bet against the British economy – we have actually done far better than everyone said”. Despite the struggles of recent years “we can now look forward to things getting better”, he added. The chancellor also said he “profoundly” disagrees with Chris Skidmore after the former net zero tsar announced he was quitting the Conservatives and Parliament over the Government’s stance on oil and gas .Mr Hunt said: “It is very sad to lose a respected colleague like Chris Skidmore, so I should start by saying that – I worked closely with him when I became Chancellor on climate change issues.”But I do profoundly disagree with the reasons that he gave for resigning.”The independent panel for climate change (the Climate Change Committee) that we have in this country are very clear that even when we reach net zero in 2050, we will still get a significant proportion of our energy from fossil fuels. And domestic oil and gas is four times cleaner than imported oil and gas.”Asked whether he viewed Mr Skidmore as a “rat leaving a sinking ship”, Mr Hunt said: “No, I think he is just wrong on that issue. He feels very passionate about that… But the point is, I think he is wrong on North Sea oil and gas.”When you have the problems in the Red Sea (with international cargo ships being attacked by Iran-backed Houthi rebels), it is very important for energy security that we have domestic sources of that kind of energy as we go into transition.” More

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    Sunak raised doubts over Rwanda migrants plan as chancellor – report

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak was unsure the government’s scheme to send migrants to Rwanda would stop channel crossings when he was chancellor, according to documents.The BBC said it had seen No 10 papers from March 2022, a month before the plan was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson, which showed that Mr Sunak was not convinced of the plan’s effectiveness.Mr Sunak, who became prime minister in October 2022, has made the Rwanda plan one of his top priorities despite a string of delays due to legal challenges.The documents suggest Mr Sunak felt “hotels are cheaper” than reception centres to house migrants and that he was also concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to Africa and wanted to limit the numbers.The BBC said the documents revealed the “chancellor wants to pursue smaller volumes initially” with 500 flown to Rwanda in the first year of the scheme, instead of the proposed 1,500.They say he then proposed “3,000 instead of 5,000 in years two and three”.He is described as believing the “deterrent won’t work”.The documents, which say No 10 suggested Mr Sunak needed to “consider his popularity with the base” over the Rwanda plan, said the then chancellor was reluctant to fund “Greek-style reception centres” at a cost of £3.5 million a day to house migrants in favour of hotels.Mr Sunak has pledged to continue with the plan for migrant flights to Rwanda, despite a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that it was unlawful, while the BBC said a source close to the prime minister said he was “always fully behind the principle of the scheme” but need to ensure money was “appropriately spent” in his role as chancellor.Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC: “The prime minister knew the plan was incredibly costly and wouldn’t work, and resisted it while he was chancellor.“But he is so weak he has now agreed to write cheques to Rwanda for £400 million without sending a single person there in a desperate attempt to shore up his leadership.”Mr Sunak reiterated his support for the Rwanda plan on Tuesday, saying: “I am focused on delivering on my commitment to stop the boats and get flights off the ground to Rwanda.” More

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    Starmer backs change in law on assisted dying

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer has backed a change in the law on assisted dying as he indicated MPs could vote on the issue if he becomes prime minister. The Labour leader said he was an “advocate” for reform and warned the current law was not working. Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, who is suffering from stage four lung cancer, sparked a fresh debate on the issue last month when she revealed she had joined the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.Sir Keir said: “I am an advocate of a change to the law. Obviously that change has to be very carefully crafted.”He added: “It shouldn’t really be for the prosecutor to try and make the law work when it doesn’t really. It’d be better for parliament to actually change the law.”He also said the “best route” was probably through a private member’s bill, brought by a backbench MP. He added: “And yes, I would be open to making time for that (as prime minister).”Asked if he wold vote to change the law, Sir Keir said he would “subject to it being the right change”.He also backed calls for a “free vote”, meaning MPs would not be whipped along party lines and would instead vote with their consciences. A similar bill was used to bring in abortion in the 1960s. Earlier this week a former Labour minister called on the party’s leader to hold a vote if he becomes prime minister. Dame Joan Ruddock urged action as she revealed she came close to smothering her husband with a pillow as he died an agonising death from cancer. She said that she had gone so far as to get “the pillow ready” and anticipated a “struggle”. The former head of CND also said she had cursed herself for not using his liquid morphine while he was still able to swallow it.She is now appealing for assisted dying to be made legal.She told the Independent: Dame Joan said: “There should be a vote in the Commons and it should be a free vote. Around 80 per cent of people support assisted dying. MPs should take note of that. That is what the country wants and they should do what the country wants.”She added: “I think there will be a vote in the Commons before Keir becomes PM. But if there is not one before the general election then certainly I would urge Keir Starmer to allow … a free vote on the issue.” More

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    Starmer suggests no tax cuts for two years under Labour without economic growth

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Labour government may not be able to cut personal taxes for two years without healthier economic growth, Keir Starmer has suggested.The Labour leader said on Friday he wanted to “lower the tax burden on working people” – but could not repeat Liz Truss’ mistake of unfunded promises.It opens up a dividing line with Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, after the PM pledged to offer more personal tax cuts in the run-up to the 2024 general election.“I do want to see a lower tax burden on working people … I do want to do that,” Sir Keir told an LBC radio phone-in – saying the way to cut taxes was to “grow the economy”.“What I’m not going to do is make unfunded, unaffordable promised that I can’t keep. That’s what Liz Truss did … The economy crashed and people are still paying the price.”Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, Sir Keir refused to say if he would want to cut taxes within his first two years in office.“Of course, I want working people to pay less tax, to have less of a burden. But we’ve got to get our economy working. And I think everybody understands that,” Starmer told the broadcaster.And the Labour leader told reporters that “the first lever that we look for is the growth lever”, adding: “Before we even get to the question of tax, we’ve got to deal with the economy.”Keir Starmer says he wants to get tax burden down on LBC phone-in It comes as Labour made the audacious move of taking out anti-government tax adverts on the ConservativeHome website – the “bible” for the Tory grassroots.Labour’s “Rishi’s raw deal” posters highlight that for every £10 paid in tax they will only be getting £2 back because of frozen thresholds.Meanwhile, Sir Keir gave his strongest signal yet that he will get behind the legalisation of assisted dying if he becomes prime minister.“I totally feel that we ought to actually change the law … Obviously that change has to be very carefully crafted,” he told the LBC phone-in – before saying would be “open to making time” for a free vote in parliament.Asked if he would like personally vote to allow assisted dying, Sir Keir said he would back it “subject to it being the right change”.Sir Keir also conceded his planned £28bn-a-year green energy investment could shrink depending on economic conditions – saying it remained only a “confident ambition” and would be subject to strict fiscal rules.The Labour leader told LBC that the green spending will be “ramped up” in second half of parliament – but “in the end the fiscal rule comes first”. He added: “The world can change … It’s a confident ambition.”Sir Keir said criticised health secretary Victoria Atkins for demanding that junior doctor strikes called off before entering talks. “I would just say, get in the room and get on with it,” said the Labour leader.And the Labour leader said that UK police should be willing to examine any allegations made against Prince Andrew.The Duke of York has been reported to the police by the campaign group Republic after allegations of sexual assault resurfaced in unsealed court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has denied any wrong doing.Asked if police should investigate, Sir Keir said: “Wherever there’s a complaint made, it’s inevitable that it should be looked at. We have to start with the victims here, and look at what allegations have been made.”He added: “I’ve seen the headlines on this, not the detail, but frankly whoever it is, where there are allegations, credible allegations made, then of course they should be looked at.”On Thursday Sir Keir claimed Mr Sunak was trying to “squat” at No 10 for as long as possible, after the PM rejected a spring election and said he wanted to wait until the second half of the year. More

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    Derek Draper death: Kate Garraway’s husband dies after devastating Covid battle, aged 56

    Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviewsSign up to our free IndyArts newsletter
    Sir Tony Blair has led tributes to Derek Draper, who has died aged 56 after a heartbreaking battle with long Covid. Draper, a political lobbyist who later became a psychotherapist, was perhaps best known as the husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway.Mr Blair described the Labour adviser as a ruthless political operative and “an important part of the New Labour story”.Draper, who contracted the illness during the early stages of the pandemic, was rushed to hospital on Sunday 17 December after suffering a cardiac arrest that left him fighting for his life.Garraway announced the death of “my darling husband” in a statement on Instagram on Friday 5 January. “I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away,” she wrote. “As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.“Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed. Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support. Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life,” she wrote. Replying to her post, Sir Elton John wrote: “So sorry to hear of this news, Kate. Love and thoughts to you and your family.”Garraway and Draper, who got married in 2005, attended the singer’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the 02 Arena in London last April. Mr Blair was among the New Labour era heavyweights leading tributes to Mr Draper, who worked for Peter Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.Mr Blair said: “It is extraordinary and remarkable that Derek survived so long after the ravages of Covid. And that was in large measure due to the love Derek had for his family and they for him. This also says something very special about Derek.Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime VideoSign up now for a 30-day free trialSign upAccess unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime VideoSign up now for a 30-day free trialSign up“He was a tough, sometimes ruthless political operative, a brilliant adviser and someone you always wanted on your side. But underneath that tough exterior he was a loving, kind, generous and good-natured man you wanted as a friend.”He added: “He was an important part of the New Labour story, at the centre of things right at the beginning. But most important of all, he was a good colleague and great friend. And we will miss him deeply.”Another former Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown, wrote: “I will remember him as brilliant, creative and multitalented, and our thoughts are with Kate, Darcey and Billy.”Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell described Draper as “a huge character”.Lorraine Kelly described her ITV colleague as “strong and brave” in a statement shared on Instagram. She wrote: “This is just so sad. Our friend Kate Garraway has been so strong and brave. Thoughts with her and her children and family. She was right by his side until the end and did him proud. An astonishing woman.”Born on 15 August 1967 in Chorley, Lancashire, Draper went to Southlands High School until 1984. He then attended Runshaw College in Leyland before studying at the University of Manchester.His political career began in 1990, when he was appointed constituency secretary to Nick Brown, now a Labour Party veteran, who went on to serve as chief whip. He quit the job two years later and went to work as a researcher for Peter Mandelson. In 1996, Draper was made director of lobbying firm GPC Market Access, where he remained until early 1999. During his career, he became involved in a scandal now known as “Lobbygate”, when he and Labour political organiser Jonathan Mendelsohn were caught on tape boasting that they could sell access to government ministers to create tax breaks for their clients. Derek Draper watches as his wife Kate Garraway collects her MBE from Prince WilliamAfter quitting politics, he went back to university and retrained as a psychotherapist, obtaining an MA in clinical psychology. Garraway spent nearly four years caring for Draper after he was diagnosed with Covid in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. During the course of the illness, he was hospitalised and placed in a medically induced coma.Draper was discharged from hospital more than a year after he was first admitted, returning home to Garraway and the couple’s two children, daughter Darcey and son Billy. He was readmitted on several occasions.He developed sepsis in February 2022. This led to another prolonged stint in hospital, during which Garraway said he had taken an “unexpected and frightening turn for the worse” and that he was “fighting for his life”. Seven months later, the TV presenter shared another update about her husband’s health, revealing that he had again developed sepsis that “threatened his life”.Garraway was awarded an MBE by the Prince of Wales in recognition for her services to journalism, broadcasting and charity, during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in July last year. She captured the devastating and permanent impact long Covid can have in the incredibly moving documentary Finding Derek.She said Draper had been the sickest person in the UK to survive Covid, adding that “unless you are up close to it, you don’t know what it’s like”. In the film, she narrated the story of the ordeal Derek and her family had endured since he became ill, as she reflected on what the future could hold for them. Draper is survived by Garraway and their two children. More

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    Tories only winning among certain age group, polls show

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Tories are only supported by over-65-year-olds ahead of a looming general election, a tracker of polls reveals.Rishi Sunak’s party is trailing Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour with voters in every age group except the over-65s, according to The Economist.The party enjoys the support of 40 per cent of people in the oldest age bracket, compared with just 18 per cent of those aged between 18 and 34. At the last election, two thirds of over-65s voted for the Conservatives.Meanwhile Labour is backed by more than half of 18 to 34-year-olds, and leads in the polls with everybody 64 and under.Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will face off at a general election this year After Mr Sunak announced plans to hold an election in the second half of 2024, the tracker shows his party trailing Labour by 19 points – the largest gap a year out from polling day since Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.And, in a boost to Sir Keir after Jeremy Corbyn’s historic election defeat, Labour leads the Conservatives in every region, with the strongest support in its heartlands in the North and Midlands.Britain is set for a gruelling election campaign in 2024 after the PM ruled out a spring vote and revealed he wanted to go to the polls much later in the year.Mr Sunak told reporters it was his “working assumption” that he would call the election in the second half of the year.And Sir Keir vowed to fight “fire with fire” as he predicted that the Tories would embark on nasty and personal attacks in a battle now expected to last until at least October.The timing of the election was revealed after the Labour leader made a major speech setting out his stall to voters.He promised to deliver “project hope” and called for Mr Sunak to “bring it on”.Labour and the Liberal Democrats – who have called for a spring election – accused the PM of “bottling” it. Sir Keir claimed that the PM was trying to “squat” at No 10 for as long as possible.Conservative polling guru Robert Hayward told The Independent on Thursday that most “serious” Tory MPs favour an autumn election – though some are worried the local elections in May will only add to the “doom and gloom”.The Tory peer believes, on balance, that Mr Sunak was “wise” to wait in the hope of an economic revival. And he said the PM was smart to rule out a spring election today to stop Labour “going on and on about the ‘running away’ narrative”.Lord Hayward added: “It’s not risk-free, because the local elections will be bad. But the polls are still so awful. And it’s just possible that voters will become more inclined to consider his competence if inflation and interest rates continue to fall.”On Friday shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth warned the Conservatives would “run a very dirty negative campaign”, promising Labour would focus on the economy and the NHS. More