UK Politics

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe Labour Party lost almost a third of its support from Black and Asian communities in the run-up to the general election, according to exclusive polling from Ipsos.Among ethnic minority voters, Sir Keir Starmer’s party led the Conservatives with 46 per cent of ballots to 17 per cent, and among white voters, Labour clinched 33 per cent compared to 26 per cent for the Tories.However, Labour’s support among ethnic minority voters was higher during the last general election in 2019 under Jeremy Corbyn at 64 per cent and has fallen by 18 percentage points.Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said: “Some have marvelled at the efficiency of Labour, securing a huge majority based on lower share of the vote in comparison to 2019.“Nevertheless, it should concern Labour that they have not only lost votes from Asian communities, but they have lost seats. How Labour addresses the concerns of these communities, such as a disproportionate experience of poverty, excess deaths during the pandemic and now Palestine, is likely to be crucial in whether this is a blip or becomes a trend.”The “mega-poll” by Ipsos of 15,234 adults, carried out just after the general election, found significant variation in Labour support among different ethnic minority groups with younger people from these groups less likely to rally behind Sir Keir.Grassroots Black Left, a socialist organisation backed by former frontbencher Clive Lewis, said the polling reflects Labour’s recent race rows, its fragmented relationship with Black and Asian communities and disappointment around its position on Gaza.“It’s not surprising that disenchanted former loyal Labour supporters, especially younger ones, are increasingly voting for the Green Party and radical independent candidates,” a GBL spokesperson said.In an interview last year, Sir Keir made comments which suggested he thought Israel has a right to limit water and electricity in Gaza. He later said that Israel has a right to self-defence but not to withhold aid. This earlier statement put off voters, the GBL spokesperson said. Labour lost 22 per cent of support among young people in the July election – more than any party in that age group More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorRachel Reeves will outline her plans to grapple with the government’s £20bn “black hole” in public finances on Monday as she lays out a Treasury report into the state of the nation’s finances.Laying the blame squarely with previous Conservative administrations, the chancellor is expected to accuse Rishi Sunak’s government of “covering up” spending shortfalls before “running away”.She will also announce “immediate action” on the issue in her speech, with experts predicting that several cost-cutting measures are likely to be announced.It is also expected that the chancellor will reveal some tax rises in her first autumn statement to tackle Labour’s spending gap. While the party has pledged not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, there are other routes they could take.Ms Reeves will also share plans to drive “efficiencies” in departmental spending, likely meaning some budget cuts. This will come alongside a pledge to reduce “non-essential spending” on consultants and sell off “surplus” government property which is not in use.But it is infrastructure cuts that are most likely to boost Labour’s finances in the short-term. These are likely to include the scaling back or halting of projects related to roads, railways and building projects.Here are some of the key infrastructure cuts Ms Reeves could reveal:HS2’s last leg in LondonHS2 has seen several major setbacks since first being announced (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorFormer deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine quietly had the Tory whip restored earlier this month after five yearsHe was suspended in May 2019 after saying he would vote for the Liberal Democrats at the European elections.On July 9 2024, the Conservative Party restored the whip to Lord Heseltine, public records show.Lord Michael Heseltine has the whip removed in 2019 More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe Conservatives’ latest leadership contest is underway after Rishi Sunak led the party to its worst election defeat in history. A string of senior figures have thrown their hats in the ring to succeed the former PM and lead the party through the next five years in opposition. Candidates must win the support of 10 Conservative MPs before the Monday deadline in order to make it onto the ballot paper. With the shortlist to be whittled down gradually until a final four are paraded in front of the party faithful at October’s Tory conference, The Independent looks at the runners and riders to take the reins from Mr Sunak. Who has officially declared? James Cleverly Former home secretary James Cleverly avoided losing his seat, unlike many of his cabinet colleagues More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour has rejected a free movement deal for young people with Spain after the country’s prime minister floated the idea with Sir Keir Starmer.The government repeated the prime minister’s promise not to take Britain back into the single market, customs union or restore freedom of movement.“And we are not considering a youth mobility scheme,” a government spokeswoman said.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shelters from the the rain at the Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Mike Egerton/PA). More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditor Six British lawmakers have announced they are running to lead the defeated Conservative Party, ahead of a Monday deadline, in a contest that will decide whether the opposition party tacks to the right or steers toward the political center ground.Contenders include former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat from the party’s centrist grouping. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel and ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch have support from the right of the party.Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and lawmaker Mel Stride also have secured the required support of 10 Conservative lawmakers before the deadline of 2:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. EDT, 1330GMT) on Monday.Badenoch, who came third in the party’s last leadership election in 2022, was the early favorite with bookmakers. She said the party should lead “a renewal for capitalism” built around a smaller state and seek to persuade voters “why conservatism should matter.”In the wake of the party’s devastating election defeat this month, which saw it lose votes to parties on both right and left, Conservatives are split between moderates who want to try to win back centrist voters and hard-liners who want tougher migration and law and order policies to regain political territory lost to the Reform U.K. party led by anti-immigration firebrand Nigel Farage.Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a standard-bearer for the party’s right, said Sunday she would not run. Braverman has urged the party to reach out to Reform and welcome Farage into Conservative ranks.Writing in the Daily Telegraph, she said Conservative colleagues were unwilling to listen to her, and had branded her “mad, bad and dangerous.”The Conservatives were kicked out by voters in a July 4 election that brought a Labour landslide, ending 14 years in power under five prime ministers. The Conservatives were reduced to 121 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, their worst-ever result.The Tories’ turbulent years in office brought a series of economic shocks: years of spending cuts, Britain’s exit from the European Union, a global pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It also brought self-inflicted wounds including the scandal-tarred tenure of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the economic turmoil unleashed by his successor Liz Truss.The contest to replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will last more than three months. Sunak will remain acting leader until his successor is announced on Nov. 2.Conservative lawmakers will narrow the field down through a series of votes to four contenders, who will make pitches to members at the party’s annual conference in early October. Lawmakers will then choose two final candidates, who will be put to an online vote of Conservative members across the country.The party’s last contested leadership selection, in mid-2022, saw members choose Truss over Sunak. Truss resigned after just 49 days in office when her tax-cutting plans rocked the financial markets and battered the value of the pound. The party then chose Sunak to replace her. More