UK Politics

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer will table a no-confidence motion in Boris Johnson’s government on Tuesday in order to try to prevent his opposite number from clinging to power until the conclusion of his party’s leadership contest on 5 September.The prime minister was finally forced to step down on Thursday after the Chris Pincher scandal had inspired a tidal wave of ministerial mass resignations led by chancellor Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid as Mr Johnson’s own party revolted against his leadership.After delivering a resentful resignation speech from Downing Street in which he expressed no remorse or contrition over his myriad mistakes, it quickly became clear that Mr Johnson hoped to stay on in Number 10 for at least another eight weeks, a notion that was beyond the pale to many, with the PM’s enemies likening his ignominious bid to hold onto power to Donald Trump’s bogus election fraud narrative.Sir Keir warned the Conservatives last week: “He’s inflicted lies, fraud and chaos on this country. If they don’t get rid of him then Labour will step up, in the national interest, and bring a vote of no confidence, because we can’t go on with this prime minister clinging on for months and months to come.”He has now made good on that threat.RecommendedHere is everything you need to know about what happens next.What is a Commons no-confidence vote?What Sir Keir is proposing is effectively a Commons-wide referendum on the PM’s ongoing fitness for office, giving MPs from other parties including Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and the Greens their chance to weigh in on whether he should be drummed out early and replaced by a caretaker PM, perhaps his deputy Dominic Raab.Mr Johnson’s foes from across the aisle are unlikely to prove sympathetic and require a simple majority to win.However, it is nevertheless regarded as unlikely that Mr Johnson will be ousted ahead of schedule as most Tories are thought to have accepted the incumbent’s self-appointed caretaker status and retrained their focus on the fight to choose his permanent successor.They will also be wary that opposing the government could trigger a general election that would see them risk losing the large Commons majority Mr Johnson won in December 2019.If the confidence vote were to succeed, a general election could indeed be called, or the Queen could invite someone else to form a government on the basis they could win a vote of confidence in the House.It is the first time such a vote will have been held since Sir Keir’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, brought one against Theresa May’s government in January 2019 in the wake of a historic defeat on her Brexit plans, which she survived.According to the House of Commons library, governments have been defeated on questions of confidence on just four occasions since 1895, with the most recent being in 1979, which brought about the toppling of James Callaghan’s Labour government.How does it differ from the Conservative Party vote held in June?Just after the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations last month – at which Mr Johnson was publicly booed by a crowd of royalists on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral – Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful Tory backbench organisation the 1922 Committee, announced that he had received the requisite number of letters from Conservative MPs expressing their loss of confidence in the PM to trigger a vote on his future.The Tories duly gathered in the Commons to cast their votes, with Mr Johnson only narrowly surviving the ballot by 211 votes to 148, meaning he had lost the support of almost 40 per cent of his own party.While the 1922 Committee’s current rules meant the PM would have been shielded from facing another such trial by fire for 12 months, members were due to vote on revising those regulations imminently, which could have resulted in his facing more regular challenges to his authority had he not been defenestrated by other means.When will it take place?Labour has said it is seeking to hold its vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday after the conclusion of Prime Minister’s Questions at around 12.30pm.RecommendedExplaining the thinking behind the vote, a party source told The Huffington Post on Monday: “It will put the squeeze on backbench Tories to either vote for him, and be hypocrites, or back Labour, admitting we’re right.“Do all those Tory leadership candidates really want to be answering that question next week? They know he needs to go.” More

Tory leadership hopefuls should stop coming out with “populist nonsense” about tax cuts, Ken Clarke has said.The former chancellor said he would love to see taxes coming down but that the economy was clearly not able to support them now.It comes after would-be replacements for Boris Johnson unveiled pledge after pledge designed to woo Tory members.Nadhim Zahawi, who took over as chancellor last week, on Monday said he would make £50 billion a year in tax cuts – as much as the entire budgets of the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office.Sajid Javid also said he would make £40 billion in tax cuts including taking 10p off the price of petrol, cutting income tax, and scrapping the recent rise in national insurance.RecommendedSpeaking on Monday night on the BBC’s Newsnight programme Mr Clarke said:”I would like to see tax cuts, of course I would, from the present extraordinary levels. But when the economy has been put into a state where you could responsibly afford them. “Tough and difficult decisions are require right now, not more populist nonsense on top of what we’ve sometimes had already.”Other candidates like Penny Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat have both said that tax cuts are important but that other economic reform measures are needed to stimulate growth. Mr Zahawi insisted on Tuesday that cutting taxes “isn’t a fairytale” in a swipe at his leadership rival Rishi Sunak, as he set out his pitch to the Conservative membership.Mr Sunak said leadership required “honesty and responsibility, not fairytales” and said he would only cut taxes after getting inflation under control.In March Mr Clarke, who served as chancellor from 1993 to 1997, branded Mr Sunak himself “reckless” for pledging to cut income tax three years in advance. RecommendedIn office the former chancellor himself prioritised low taxes and balanced budgets, cutting the basic rate of income tax from 25 per cent to 23 per cent, and also cut UK Government spending as a percentage of GDP and the budget deficit. It was announced on Monday that the new leader of the Conservative party, to replace Boris Johnson ,would be announced on 5 September, after a hot summer of campaigning. More

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has insisted cutting taxes “isn’t a fairytale” in a swipe at his leadership rival Rishi Sunak, as he set out his pitch to the Conservative membership.The remarks from Mr Zahawi — appointed chancellor after Mr Sunak’s resignation last week — came after he set out plans to reverse a planned hike in corporation tax and slash VAT from energy bills.In a campaign video on Tuesday, the Tory leadership hopeful said: “We need to reduce the burden of tax. I believe cutting taxes isn’t a fairytale, but rather a critical step to tackle the cost-of-living crisis”.Taxation has become a key dividing issue between Mr Sunak, the former chancellor who has advocated restraint until the economy improves, and other candidates who have floated immediate tax cuts if they win the race to succeed Boris Johnson in No 10.Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, another of the 11 candidates vying to replace the prime minister, has vowed to start cutting taxes “from day one” and would reverse April’s national insurance hike.RecommendedBut in his own campaign launch today, Mr Sunak will tell his supporters: “We need a return to traditional economic values — and that means honesty and responsibility, not fairytales.”“My message to the party and country is simple: I have a plan to steer our country through these headwinds,” he will add. “Once we have gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down. It is a question of ‘when’, no ‘if’”.Speaking on BBC Newsnight, the former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke, appeared to back Mr Sunak’s stance, stressing that some Tory leadership hopefuls were peddling “populist nonsense” with major tax pledges.He said candidates needed to show they are willing to take the “tough, necessary decisions” in the face of the “worst economic crisis we’ve had for at least a generation” and the possibility of a recession.He suggested immediate tax cuts could boost demand and result add to the inflationary pressures facing the country, adding: “I would like to see tax cuts, of course I would from the present extraordinary levels, but when the economy has been put into a state when you can responsibly afford them”.Recommended“Difficult decisions are required now, not more populist nonsense on top of what we’ve sometimes heard already,” he added.Lord Clarke’s comments were echoed yesterday by another former Conservative chancellor, Lord Lamont, who warned the leadership contest risked descending into a “Dutch auction” and that “unfunded, irresponsible tax cuts which are not necessarily affordable, not necessarily rightly timed”. More

Contenders to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson were racing Tuesday to clear their first hurdle: amassing enough support from colleagues to make the Conservative Party leadership ballot.Nominations officially opened Tuesday morning and will close at 6 p.m. (1700GMT). Candidates need support from at least 20 Conservative lawmakers to be on the ballot for run-off votes, which will start Wednesday.So far only three of the 11 declared candidates have met the threshold: former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and backbench lawmaker Tom Tugendhat. Several others are likely also to reach the mark, including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.The candidates are jostling to replace Johnson, who quit as Conservative leader last week amid a party revolt triggered by months of ethics scandals. He will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until his replacement as party chief is chosen. The winner of that contest will automatically become prime minister, without the need for a national election.The new leader will be chosen in a two-stage election, in which the 358 Conservative lawmakers reduce the race to two candidates through a series of elimination votes. The final pair will be put to a ballot of party members across the country.RecommendedThe first round of voting will take place Wednesday, with candidates who fail to get at least 30 votes eliminated. Further rounds will take place Thursday and, if needed, next week.The party aims to complete the parliamentary stage of the election before lawmakers break for the summer on July 21. The two final candidates will then spend the summer campaigning around the country.The new leader is due to be announced when the House of Commons returns on Sept. 5.Many Conservatives are wary of leaving Johnson in office for too long, concerned a lame-duck leader is the last thing Britain needs with war raging in Ukraine, food and energy price increases driving inflation to levels not seen in decades, and growing labor unrest. Some also worry Johnson — brought down by scandals over money, rule-breaking and his handling of sexual misconduct allegations against lawmakers — could do mischief even as a caretaker prime minister. The opposition Labour Party says it will push to hold a no-confidence vote in Johnson in the House of Commons this week. But it is unlikely to gain enough Conservative support to pass, as many Tories resist voting with the opposition even against a tarnished leader.In the wide-open leadership contest, contenders are striving to set themselves apart from the perceived front-runner Sunak, who already has the backing of more than three dozen lawmakers.Many have repudiated the tax increases Sunak introduced to shore up U.K. finances battered by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit — a 1.25% income-tax rise for millions of workers, and an increase in corporation tax next year from 19% to 25%. Most candidates say they will scrap one or both.Sunak, whose resignation a week ago helped topple Johnson, has cast himself as the candidate of fiscal probity, and warned rivals not to tell the public “comforting fairy tales.”Zahawi hit back that his own tax-cutting plan was “fully costed.”“I believe cutting taxes isn’t a fairy tale, but rather a critical step to tackle the cost-of-living crisis,” he said.Recommended___Follow all of AP’s coverage of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and British politics at https://apnews.com/hub/boris-johnson More

Rishi Sunak is set to formally launch his campaign for the Tory leadership with a pledge to cut taxes – but only when inflation has been brought back under control.The former chancellor will use his campaign launch event in London on Tuesday to insist he has a plan to deal with the economic “headwinds” the country is facing.He will say it is a matter of “when” not “if” the tax burden starts to fall after coming under fire from Tory MPs for refusing to offer immediate tax cuts like the rest of the leadership candidates.Mr Sunak will receive heavyweight support from Lord Lamont, chancellor under John Major, who said his successor at the Treasury had the courage to take the “tough decisions” needed to deal the “extremely serious” economic situation.Allies of Boris Johnson have been scathing about Mr Sunak, whose announcement he was quitting government they believe helped trigger the slew of resignations which forced the prime minister to admit his time was up.RecommendedBut in his address, Mr Sunak will seek to make a virtue of his willingness to confront difficult economic realities. More

A minister reportedly accused Rishi Sunak of having acted like a Labour chancellor, as Conservatives lined up to attack the bookies’ favourite in the Tory leadership race over his record in government.James Cleverly, recently appointed education secretary, said Mr Sunak had emulated the opposition and plotted to oust Boris Johnson while serving in the most senior role in his cabinet, according to The Times.The member for Braintree gave his support to Liz Truss, saying she had shown leadership as foreign secretary and had the experience to deal with the cost of living crisis, the paper’s political editor said.Allies of Mr Johnson have been highly critical of Mr Sunak for his handling of the economy and alleged scheming against the outgoing prime minister.Jacob Rees-Mogg, a firm Johnson loyalist, said: “I belong to a party that believes in low taxation and the former chancellor has talked about low taxation and delivered higher taxation.”RecommendedMr Sunak was the only candidate not to pledge tax cuts on gaining office, though he later said he would bring cuts once inflation was brought under control. More

The new prime minister will be revealed on 5 September, dashing the hopes of many Conservative MPs that Boris Johnson could be forced out of No 10 sooner.The Conservative Party stuck to its expected timetable for the leadership contest, after grassroots Tories appeared to fight off the push to remove the prime minister faster.Graham Brady, the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, said the party’s volunteers had insisted upon “sufficient opportunities for hustings” around the country in August.“We have reached a satisfactory agreement on that,” he told journalists – leaving Mr Johnson a further eight weeks in Downing Street for his “caretaker” period.Candidates will require 20 nominations to enter the race – up from the 10 needed during the 2019 leadership election – making it likely that several of the 11 hopefuls will fail to enter the race.RecommendedGrant Shapps, the transport secretary, currently has only eight supporters, with former health secretary Sajid Javid and attorney general Suella Braverman (both 11) also lagging behind.Nominations will open and close on Tuesday, with the first ballot among Conservative MPs to be staged on Wednesday and a second on Thursday.Candidates will need 30 votes to progress through to the second ballot – to ensure they are whittled down to just two contenders by 21 July, with the final choice made by members.Sir Graham suggested the new prime minister will be installed on 5 September, revealing discussions with Buckingham Palace to ensure the date would not “cause unnecessary inconvenience”.The support for and policies of each of the candidates were widely varied:• With around half of the 358 Conservative MPs having declared, Rishi Sunak boasts the most supporters (38) ahead of Penny Mordaunt (24), Tom Tugendhat (20), Liz Truss (15) and Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi (both 14).• The home secretary Priti Patel continued to mull over whether to join the leadership race – as, reportedly, did Brexit Opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.• A former Tory chancellor, Norman Lamont, joined criticism of the race for being dominated by calls for massive tax cuts which were unaffordable and badly timed. He pointed to the risk of it sparking even higher price rises, saying: “You can’t grow your way out of inflation, you’re just likely to add to it if you attempt to do that.”• Mr Zahawi, the chancellor, nevertheless raised the stakes further – pledging to cut income tax to 18p by 2024 and scrap green levies on energy bills for two years.• Mr Javid announced he would cut fuel duty by 10p a litre – on top of an income tax cut to 19p and reversing corporation tax and National Insurance rises. He also warned fellow Tories of 1997-style “oblivion” unless they change course, but dodged questions about his past tax-avoiding non-dom status.• Both Mr Zahawi and Liz Truss-supporter Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, admitted spending cuts would be necessary to fund tax cuts – raising the spectre of a return to austerity.• The chair of the Conservative Net Zero Support Group, Chris Skidmore, warned there were “two weeks to save net zero”, as the climate emergency failed to feature in the race.• Mr Johnson said he would not be endorsing a successor, because he “wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances by offering my support”.Recommended• The prospect of Labour staging a no-confidence vote in Mr Johnson, in an attempt to force him out of No 10 immediately, moved a step closer – as Tory MPs pulled back from trying to eject him.• A grassroots survey for the ConservativeHome website put Penny Mordaunt top (with 20 per cent of respondents), ahead of Kemi Badenoch (19 per cent), Mr Sunak (12 per cent) and Ms Braverman and Ms Truss (both 10 per cent). More