Markus Andrews

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe chairman of the Conservative Party is on the hunt for “talented” Tory candidates ahead of the next election, urging MPs to “have a think” about who they can recommend. In a sign the party may be struggling to find strong candidates to fight all 650 seats, Richard Holden has said Tory HQ is “redoubling efforts” to recruit and select candidates.“We need to identify more talented and dedicated individuals who want to serve their country and join our team,” he said.In a letter sent to Tory MPs, Mr Holden said: “Please have a think about someone… that is not already on the approved list and bring them to us. We are looking for every type of candidate.”The letter was exposed by Michael Crick, a journalist tracking how parties pick their candidates.The former Newsnight political editor said: “It looks a bit desperate.”Tory chair Richard Holden Mr Holden, promoted to be Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak last month, said the party faces a “big job” in the coming months to get on an election footing.A contest is expected next year, with the Conservatives trailing Labour in the polls by around 20 points.“We’re looking for every type of candidate,” Mr Holden said. “The local champion, the small business owner, a local activist through to a successful public figure which you may have come across in your position as a Member of Parliament”.Mr Holden added that “the majority of normal people” would never think about standing for public office “without being asked”.“So, let’s ensure we’re working together to identify that team and make the ask,” he said.Mr Holden’s letter comes just months after it was reported that the Conservative Party had fallen well short of a deadline to find 100 candidates for the next election.Former Tory chairman Greg Hands had been hoping to have 100 prospective MPs in place by the party’s annual conference in Manchester, which took place in October.But analysis by the Labour Party found that ahead of the gathering they had picked just 65 candidates.Mr Holden’s latest push for candidates to come forward comes after Rishi Sunak was warned he is heading for a landslide election defeat – even if his Rwanda policy gets off the ground.Professor Sir John Curtice said Mr Sunak’s bid to use his personal appeal to lift Tory fortunes since succeeding Liz Truss has failed.Rishi Sunak (James Manning/PA)In a grim seasonal message, Sir John said the prime minister faces a “very bleak situation”. The Conservatives could lose as many as 220 of their current total of 350 MPs in the election due next year, he claimed, warning they are heading for a “collapse” on a par with Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.“Sunak as a personality has failed to bring up his party,” Sir John told The Independent.Asked about Mr Holden’s letter, a Conservative Party spokesman said: “We can confirm that there will be a general election and the Conservatives will be standing candidates.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFormer Tory peer Baroness Mone has admitted she lied and lied again as she conceded she stands to benefit from £60million in profit over a PPE contract at the height of the Covid crisis. She said she was “sorry” for publicly denying her links to the firm involved, which is being investigated by the National Crime Agency.However, a defiant Baroness Mone added: “I don’t honestly see there is a case to answer. I can’t see what we have done wrong.”She claimed she was not trying to “pull the wool” over anyone’s eyes and that she and her husband had been made scapegoats on the issue. In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, she claimed her life had been “destroyed” by allegations about their PPE profits, even though “we’ve only done one thing, which was lie to the press to say we weren’t involved”.She said that was “not a crime”, adding, “No one deserves this.”Both admitted that a 30 per cent profit had been made on the contract, around £60 million. But she denied she had bought a yacht with the money and insisted the cash was her husband’s money. “It’s not my yacht, It’s not my money,” she said. “That cash is my husband’s cash, it’s just like my dad going home with his wage packet on a Friday night and giving it to my mum. So she’s benefiting from that as well, but that cash is not my cash and is not my children’s cash. If one day, God forbid, my husband passes away before me then I am a beneficiary as well as his children and my children.”But she insisted if he divorced her she would receive nothing. The astonishing interview came days after Baroness Mone appeared to fight back tears in a film about the case – funded by the company at the centre of the scandal. Two leading experts who appeared in the film have since come forward to say they would not have taken part had they been told its focus or funding. David Oliver, a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, told the Sunday Times he had been “used’. It was called The Interview: Baroness Mone and the PPE Scandal and presented and produced by Mark Williams-Thomas, a former detective and award-winning investigative journalist. Defending the programme he told the paper it was split into “two distinct parts”, the first on the government’s handling of PPE and the second half on PPE Medpro and Mone. PPE Medpro was awarded government contracts worth more than £200 million to supply personal protective equipment after she recommended it to ministers.In response to her BBC interview, Labour’s Wes Streeting hit out at those he said had wanted to “make a quick buck at someone else’s expense” during the Covid crisis. Referring to Labour’s plans for a Covid corruption commissioner if it wins the next election, he said his party’s message is “We want our money back” – and on potential wrongdoers he said, “Don’t worry, we will find them”. Other guests on the programme also criticised Baroness Mone. Succession actor Brian Cox said: “To take advantage of a situation like that, there is something obscene about that”. ITV’s Susannah Reid referred to Ms Mone’s claim she had lied over fears of press intrusion for her family, said: “She thinks she is the victim because of the press intrusion… [it is] utterly remarkable she does not see how sensitive this is for people.”The Conservative peer and Ultimo bra tycoon has been at the centre of controversy over so-called “VIP lane” contracts. She has repeatedly denied that she had profited from the deal, which she first discussed with government ministers including Michael Gove.But she told the BBC: “If one day, if God forbid, my husband passes away before me, then I am a beneficiary, as well as his children and my children, so yes, of course.”The Department of Health and Social Care has since issued breach of contract proceedings over the 2020 deal on the supply of gowns.Millions of gowns supplied by the company were never used by health services.Baroness Mone, who was made a peer by Lord David Cameron in 2015, has claimed she is being used as a scapegoat for the government’s Covid failings.During the interview, her husband Doug Barrowman also repeated his claim he was asked by a government official if he would “pay more money for the NCA investigation to be called off”. Asked why he did not take the allegation to the police, he said: “I take the advice of my legal team, and the legal team at that point in time suggested that we park that one for now.”Scotland’s deputy first minister called for “absolute clarity” from ministers. Shona Robison said: “I think there are not just questions for Michelle Mone, but I think there are questions for UK government ministers. What they knew and when. And I think we need to hear from them absolute clarity of everything that was known. All of the interactions, what was said, what was promised, what was known. I think we need to have all of that laid out.”She added that people would be “astonished” at the £60 million profit, describing it as an “eye-watering figure”.Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said there were “no favours or special treatment” involved in PPE procurement and said it was “categorically not the case” that cronyism was involved in the “VIP lane”.“The government’s intention in respect of that was to make sure that if legitimate claims came forward, we’d process them quickly,” he said. “There were no favours or special treatment.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak personally intervened to prevent the RAF scrapping a £40million helicopter contract that allows him to take short hops around the UK.Over the summer the Ministry of Defence announced plans to stop renting two private choppers used by the prime minister and others. The decision followed criticism over his use of the aircraft for short trips, including flying from London to Southampton, a journey that would have taken an hour and 15 minutes by train and cost £30 return.But the new defence secretary Grant Shapps has performed a U-turn – at Sunak’s request, the Royal Air Force has revealed. Writing in the RAF’s in-house magazine, Northolt Approach, Tom Woods, the leader of No 32 Squadron, said: “In mid-September 23, the new secretary of state for defence, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps, reversed the decision at the request of the prime minister.”This prompted “frenetic activity” to ensure that the service could continue, he added. He also suggested that when the temporary contract ends a new tender would be set out for a permanent replacement, thought to be a five-year deal worth £30m – £40m.The prime minister’s official spokesman has previously defended the use of a helicopter for publicly funded trips and said that they were the “most effective use of his time”.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Jordan Pettitt/PA)Figures show Mr Sunak has taken a taxpayer-funded private flight for travel in the UK once every eight days since he secured the keys to No 10. The data shows he had already used RAF jets and helicopters for domestic journeys more frequently than any recent prime minister – after just seven months in office.He boarded 23 domestic flights on RAF jets and helicopters aircraft across 187 days, almost one flight a week on average.The frequency of his taxpayer-funded jaunts around Britain outstrips his immediate predecessors, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May.An MoD spokesperson said: “Domestic flights allow ministers to visit more parts of the UK in the time available … and reduce the need for overnight accommodation for ministers and accompanying staff. Security considerations are also taken into account.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDeputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden did not deny reports that the UK Government is considering restricting the use of social media by under-16s.It has been reported the Government is considering launching a consultation in the new year around possible restrictions being placed on those under the age of 16 using social media platforms, in an effort to bolster UK online safety laws.According to reports, the plans could see teenagers required to gain their parents’ permission before setting up an account on sites such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.There’s a real worry from parents about how they can protect their children from the harms of social mediaOliver DowdenAsked about it on the Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News, he said: “You’ll have to wait for announcements in that area.“I don’t think we’ve actually made a formal policy announcement.”He added: “What I do think, and I saw this when I was digital secretary, and I see it speaking to my constituents and elsewhere, there’s a real worry from parents about how they can protect their children from the harms of social media.“Now, of course, as a Conservative, I don’t want to reach for a lever of banning, but we need to look at how we can protect children online, and I think any reasonable government should do that.”Science minister Andrew Griffith last week said it was about a “consultation that is rumoured to happen in the new year” and called it only “speculation”. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNew foreign secretary Lord Cameron has added to mounting international pressure on Israel as he called for a “sustainable ceasefire” in the conflict in Gaza.In a joint intervention with Germany, the former prime minister signalled a significant shift in the government’s tone warning “too many civilians have been killed”. He also told the Israeli government it would not win its war on Hamas, which killed 1200 people in a series of terror attacks on October 7, if “its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful co-existence with Palestinians”.The warning comes just a day after Israeli troops killed three Israeli hostages being held by Hamas as they carried a white flag. It also follows the White House which has expressed concern about the failure of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reduce devastating civilian casualties. Writing in the Sunday Times, Lord Cameron said: “Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable.”Both Lord Cameron and his German counterpart foreign affairs minister Annalena Baerbock stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire. There are fears that isolating Israel on the world stage could harden opinions within its leadership and prolong the conflict. “We know many in the region and beyond have been calling for an immediate ceasefire,” the article said. “We recognise what motivates these heartfelt calls.”It is an understandable reaction to such intense suffering, and we share the view that this conflict cannot drag on and on. That is why we supported the recent humanitarian pauses.”Lord Cameron returned to frontline politics last month (Dan Kitwood/PA)The conflict has so far left thousands dead and driven 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes.In a warning to Israel, the two foreign ministers said: “Israel has the right to defend itself but, in doing so, it must abide by international humanitarian law.”Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful co-existence with Palestinians. They have a right to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas.”But too many civilians have been killed. The Israeli government should do more to discriminate sufficiently between terrorists and civilians, ensuring its campaign targets Hamas leaders and operatives.”Mr Netanyahu is facing growing anger inside Israel over his government’s stance, especially from the families of hostages. In a nationwide address on Saturday, the Israeli prime minister said the killings “broke my heart, broke the entire nation’s heart,” but he indicated no change in the country’s military campaign.”We are as committed as ever to continue until the end, until we dismantle Hamas, until we return all our hostages,” he said. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak is heading for a landslide election defeat – even if his Rwanda policy gets off the ground, Britain’s top pollster has warned. Professor Sir John Curtice said Mr Sunak’s bid to use his personal appeal to lift Tory fortunes since succeeding Liz Truss has failed.In a grim seasonal message, Sir John said the prime minister faces a “very bleak situation”. The Conservatives could lose as many as 220 of their current total of 350 MPs in the election due next year, he claimed, warning they are heading for a “collapse” on a par with Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.“Sunak as a personality has failed to bring up his party,” Sir John told The Independent.The forecast came as the prime minister warned migrants could “overwhelm” countries including the UK without changes to global refugee rules, such as the Refugee Convention or the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Critics accused him of a “bidding war” with former home secretary Suella Braverman for the most “toxic” contribution to the debate. His comments were made at a festival organised by the far-right Italian leader Giorgia Meloni. Asked if the Tories would do better in the election if the PM manages to start sending migrants to Rwanda, the polling guru said: “The short answer is no. Yes, some core voters are upset (about immigration). But it’s not the core vote you need to win back – it’s those who are saying they won’t vote Conservative.”Mr Sunak had blundered by not focusing on the economy and the NHS, he argued. “People are asking two main questions: ‘Can I afford to feed my kids?’ and, ‘If I fall ill, will the NHS look after me?’“Unless they come up with better answers, this government will struggle politically,” said Sir John, who is renowned for his near 100 per cent accurate predictions on polling day.The PM is desperately hoping that rebellious Tory MPs will back his Rwanda bill, and that his first deportation flight can take off by spring, in a bid to deliver on his “stop the boats” promise.But Sir John said: “On immigration, probably the fundamental mistake the [Conservatives] are making is assuming the preoccupations of their activists and MPs are the same as the public.”Rishi Sunak claims his Rwanda bill will help him deliver his ‘stop the boats’ pledgeSir John said his own “poll of polls” analysis of five recent surveys gives Labour an 18-point lead, meaning the Tories are facing their worst-ever result at the general election.He said they would be “lucky” to win more than 200 seats in the best-case scenario for the party, adding: “They are facing a collapse on the scale of 1997. It’s a very bleak situation for the Conservatives.”The Tories were left with 165 seats in 1997, when the John Major-led party was thumped by Labour – which won a 179-seat majority.Chris Hopkins, director of Savanta, said his own company’s analysis currently has the Tories winning just under 150 seats. But he agreed with Sir John that it could be closer to 200 if enough “don’t know” voters return to the Tories.“I think Labour looks on course for a three-digit majority. We’re definitely in landslide territory. There’s no doubt the Conservatives are in deep, deep trouble,” the pollster said.Mr Hopkins said getting the one-way flights going to Rwanda may help Mr Sunak – but warned that the PM’s row with Conservative MPs over the bill could make things even worse. “The Rwanda policy is more likely to expose Tory divisions, which could add to the damage.”Mark Francois, centre, and other Tory right-wingers have threatened to ‘kill the bill’ Mr Sunak faces a major battle with his own MPs in the early months of 2024. The Tory right has threatened to “kill” the Rwanda bill if it is not toughened up, while One Nation moderates want to amend it in a bid to soften its impact. Tory peer and polling guru Robert Hayward agreed the Rwanda issue was becoming a “distraction” and was “causing the party real problems” despite immigration figuring highly as a key concern of voters.“Immigration matters to a lot of 2019 Conservative voters. And yet Rwanda is a distraction, particularly if there is a split within the party. People don’t vote for split parties,” Lord Hayward said.The elections expert said the focus on the Rwanda bill was crowding out more positive news on inflation, which has been halved since the start of 2023 as Mr Sunak promised. “The economy is the prime issue,” said the Tory peer.Dominic Grieve, the former Tory attorney general, said: “This whole Rwanda thing is an unmitigated disaster. The infighting makes the party look mad. The bill looks like it will either fail, or at least lead to very few people being deported.”The Conservative grandee said Mr Sunak had made a mistake to push on with a policy that he inherited from Boris Johnson. “It would have been a sensible decision for Sunak to say, ‘This is unworkable’, and either not pursue it or pursue only in a very low-key way.”Polling on the Rwanda plan reveals overwhelming cynicism about its potential effectiveness. Only one per cent of voters think it will stop the boats, a survey by YouGov found earlier this week. And only 18 per cent believe it will “significantly” reduce Channel crossings.Luke Tryl, UK director at the More in Common research group, said the government would struggle to claim success even if a plane leaves for Africa: “If it’s a half-empty flight, it’s not clear it’s having an impact on small boats, it’s not clear it makes much difference to voters.”The polling expert said voters in his focus groups were scathing about Tory infighting. “People say they are ‘sick of the chaos’, so Sunak is right to say ‘unite or die’. But it is an uphill struggle to present a united party now,” he said.Mr Tryl added: “The government has made Rwanda so totemic, it’s become an albatross around their necks – it means they’re not able to talk about anything else on immigration, like the Albania returns agreement or other aspects of policy.”Joe Alder, senior research associate at the JL Partners polling firm, said: “I don’t think [Rwanda flights] would turn things around. The real problem is Conservative disunity. It has been an error to let Rwanda become this totem of immigration policy.”The latest Office for National Statistics survey shows that immigration is only the seventh most important issue for Britons, behind the cost of living, the NHS, the economy, climate change, crime and housing.While the latest Ipsos polling has immigration in fourth place, recent YouGov polling finds immigration in joint second place in the public’s priorities – tied with health on 41 per cent, but behind the economy on 54 per cent. More