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 ThomasEditorOur readers have blasted Tory attacks against Sir Keir Starmer, branding criticism of his intention to reserve Friday nights for his family as an ineffective “smear” campaign that fails to recognise the importance of work-life balance.Many Independent readers expressed strong support for Sir Keir when we asked for their opinions, emphasising the hypocrisy of the Conservative Party, given its historical stance on family values.Critics felt dubbing the Labour leader a “part-time prime minister” was desperate, hypocritical, and likely to backfire, recalling instances where senior Tories like Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab took holidays during crises. However, a handful of readers did express some concerns, arguing that being prime minister will mean accepting the job’s demanding nature.The sentiment was shared over on Twitter/X, where we polled our readers. Almost 89% agreed that Sir Keir was right to prioritise his family after 6pm on a Friday.Here’s what you had to say:‘Hypocrisy’Of course Sir Keir has the right to make time for his family. The fact that the Tory party, for so long the self-appointed standard bearers for family values, should suggest otherwise demonstrates their hypocrisy and mean-spiritedness.Stevevaughan‘Thrive not survive’Regardless of the political arguments here and that we are talking about politicians, we need more leaders to step up and demonstrate that you can only be a great leader if you are able to have more in your life than your job or career. In order to make the best decisions, take action when appropriate, bring others with you, grow those around you, you have to be well-rested, engage in different activities, be the person you want to be. And if that involves being a parent, a partner, a sportsperson, a musician or anything else, then you have to know how to make time for it.Will there be times when the job might involve some extra hours – of course! Just like when being a parent might involve some extra hours. And we do it to be the best person we can be and have the success in life that we want. A career is one part of life and we need to manage priorities in all parts of life as we go. Because they do change.So I applaud any leader who says and demonstrates that they understand that to be successful in any part of life you have to prioritise what is important in all parts of life. Let’s have our leaders thrive rather than just survive.SoniaGaviraWhat not to doThe Tory campaign will be seen in the future as what exactly not to do. The latest attack on Keir Starmer is actually losing votes for the Tories for a number of reasons, the first being is that it’s an attack on traditional family values something the Tories are always going on about, it comes across as anti-semitic or just ignorant of Jewish traditions and it’s just desperately pathetic, no one believes it which brings me to the last and probably most important point, when the Tories use these moronic attack lines hoping the electorate will buy them, it shows their utter contempt for the public. This party doesn’t have a clue and will be devastated in the elections, I’m so excited.HappyEater‘Desperate’What a pile of confected garbage. There are thousands, if not millions, of jobs – from nuclear power technicians to lifeboatmen – which require 24-hour ‘on call’ status. That does not prevent attendance at Shabbat or at Thursday quiz night down the pub.Tory private polling must be far worse than the ‘public’ polls for them to get this desperate.sublatomontes‘Work smarter, not harder’Work-life balance is extremely important for a person’s mental health and affects their ability to do the job, doesn’t matter who you are. I heard a story that makes the point that I will paraphrase here. Two men go into the woods with the same type of axe and start chopping down trees, half way through the day the second man leaves for an hour then comes back. At the end of the day the second man had chopped down more trees than the first. The first man asked the second how he had chopped down more trees and where had he been in the middle of the day. The second man said “I went home to sharpen my axe”. Work smarter, not harder. Recharge your mind and your body. People who brag about the amount of time they spend on a job are often compensating for the lack of quality they produce. I also imagine a lot of Tory politicians who went to boarding school don’t appreciate the value of family time as they weren’t given it by their parents. Right-wingers would love to water down workers’ rights even further by getting rid of regulations like working time directives to squeeze even more out of employees but we shouldn’t accept it. No-one seriously believes that Starmer thinks the country will shut down when he clocks off or that nothing serious will happen at a weekend. I imagine Rishi Sunak needing to work late because there are no competent Tory MPs left who the work could be delegated to.JDM17‘This is not a normal job’I think it’s commendable that Starmer wants to have some family stability.However this is not a normal job with normal hours. What worries me is what happens out of hours.CynicalmeOf course Starmer should be allowed time off with his family on Friday evening, especially if it’s to respect his wife’s faith. Some Tories seem to have forgotten how warmly they and the right-wing press welcomed Cameron’s comments about the regular downtime with his family that he took when PM. No mention of international crises or dereliction of duty then. Desperate stuff from a failed government going through its death throes (I hope).Mattrowski‘As long as he’s there when the phone rings’This is just Tory desperation and hypocrisy. I’m sure that if a crisis erupts at 7pm on a Friday then Starmer would get to it and be ready to work. I’m not a super fan of the man, but I doubt that he’s lazy and workshy.And besides, let’s remember Boris Johnson. The man who waddled on a vacation every other month, and refused to work. Remember when his whole cabinet was on sunny vacations and couldn’t be bothered to show up? Johnson was the personification of laziness, a man so idle that his booze parties got him kicked out of office.Starmer’s preference for family Fridays is fine. Who cares. As long as he’s there when the phone rings.BobertsonGood managementIf you’re a good manager you can go home knowing your staff are competent and the systems you’ve put in place will keep things going until you come back to work on Monday morning. Only if there is an emergency which requires you personally to deal with it should you need to go into work out of hours.Pen2030‘Burnt out’Obviously the best thing for the country is for it to be led by someone completely burnt out from never having any rest, and miserable because they don’t get to spend quality time with their loved ones. I know that I make all of my best decisions when exhausted, miserable and lonely…The Mark in remarkable‘Non-issue’I remember when Boris as London Mayor wouldn’t end his holiday early to come back because of the awful rioting. Starmer has said he would be available on a Friday evening if there was a serious matter to attend to. This is a non-issue and it’s desperate for the Tories to make it out to be something it’s not. No one can be expected to work 24/7 without any breaks.LV426Starmer ‘should put the country before himself’I dislike politicians in general but Starmer shouldn’t have decided to run for PM with these views. I understand he has a family but he knew that when he chose to run for PM. He should have mentioned there would be cover in place, and I’m sure there will be. Starmer should be putting the country before himself, it comes with the job. As for the Tories, they can do one, lazy bunch of skivers.Galileo666‘No parent should miss out’This is a non-issue. If Starmer wants to spend time with his wife and kids that is a commendable thing. This madness that he is somehow not allowed a private life is complete nonsense. And if he does it at a time when it supports his wife and children’s faith then it is an even better thing. I respect him for doing this. His children will soon be grown up and no parent should miss out on their children’s growing up. At least he has his priorities right. Tories are just liars.punda‘Not Batman’Why does this always happen? Why do Tories always try and a big deal of perfectly reasonable statements?He would be the PM, not Batman. There are millions of people running the various parts of the country. They do not need the Prime Minister at the beck and call to keep everything together.Sure if something happens, at 18:15 on Friday, then the PM will be expected to take control, but nobody is expecting him to drive an ambulance if a guy in Putney has a lie in.Jim987‘Effort to keep normalcy’The guy said he took his kids to sports and had dinner with his family. This isn’t news – this is Keir Starmer’s effort to keep normalcy in a very not normal job with his family.Now if he were to clock off on a Friday and there’s a crisis, I’d probably feel different – but he even said in his interview and I quote “I will not do a work-related thing after six o’clock, pretty well come what may. There are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do.”Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like Keir that much. But it’s kind of intense how people are just unable to be logical or rational about these things.HotLava‘Starmer is never clear’This is why Starmer will always be attacked.He is never clear on any issue. Personal or otherwise. He should have just said ‘my wife is Jewish and we observe Shabbat’ instead of the nonsense we now have….NineyTheObserver‘Tories are desperate’Tories are desperate. Raab was paddleboarding in Mediterranian during the Afghanistan evacuation. Part-time Johnson used to go on more holidays every year than he had children and still felt that he needed “power nap” after his lunches.JustOneMoreThing‘Family is the bedrock of society’Lame and desperate Tory smear tactic. Family is the bedrock of society and he should be applauded for trying to balance family with his political responsibilities. Obviously if needs be he would sacrifice that family time (we are talking a few hours on a Friday night!) if the interests of the nation required that.Gazza07‘Refreshing’There are countless studies showing that being at work all the time doesn’t make you more productive and that finding a good work/life balance is actually key to wellbeing, physical and mental health and general happiness. There are also many examples of other countries (France/Germany, etc.) where this is already commonplace and hasn’t led to a sudden decrease in productivity.It is refreshing to see a politician recognising this, and normalising “normal” working hours/days/weeks.The tories haven’t got a leg to stand on, between Boris “I’m on holibobs so won’t come to Cobra meetings” Johnson and Dominic “The sea was closed” Raab.LoneFishSome of the comments have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.All you have to do is sign up, submit your question and register your details – then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. 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 ThomasEditorBoris Johnson lent his support to Rishi Sunak on the campaign trail in a last-ditch attempt as pollsters forecast their party could “win a lower share of the vote than at any past general election”.The former prime minister has been largely absent from the campaign, although supportive in his newspaper column, and has been writing letters of endorsement and backing a number of Tories in social media posts.As he stepped onto the stage at the National Army Museum on Tuesday, less than 48 hours before polls open, Mr Johnson was greeted by applause and chants of “Boris, Boris, Boris”.He made his speech after Survation pollsters found Labour is on course to win more seats than it did in 1997.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Here is Mr Johnson’s 10-minute speech in full:“First of all, […] how wonderful it is to see you all again. “I feel the pride of your company and how grateful I am to all of you for everything that you’ve been doing over the last few weeks and for coming so late tonight to this as it is way past Keir Starmer’s bedtime.“If you are slightly surprised to see me, if you’re slightly surprised, I’ll be absolutely clear that I was glad when Rishi asked me to help. Of course, I couldn’t say no and I’m here for one reason and one reason only, which is the same reason as all of us are here, we’re here because we love our country and whatever our differences, they are utterly trivial by comparison with the disaster we may face if these so-called opinion polls are right. “I think and hope the British people will show more sense on Thursday and draw back from the brink. “But if these polls are right, then at the very moment when this country has beaten Covid and beaten post Covid inflation, and at the very moment when we should be encouraging enterprise and growth and putting some money into home ownership and putting some money into people’s pockets, Westminster is about to go in diametrically the opposite direction. “So, none of us can sit back as a Labour government prepares to use a sledgehammer majority to destroy so much of what we have achieved and what you have achieved. “Five years ago, you helped to send Jeremy Corbyn and his then disciple Keir Starmer into orbit, where they belonged and we got Brexit done, we restored democracy.  “It was because we got a proper Brexit, and you will all remember how hard that fight was when we came out of the EU single market. We controlled our own regulation and my friends, whatever people may say, that national independence was vital. “When it came to approving Covid vaccine faster than any EU country and therefore getting the fastest vaccine rollout of any major economy and the fastest economic rebound in the G7. “And let me just ask you in case you’ve forgotten, because I haven’t, a chance to remind you that for the 200 countries on Earth, which was the first government, after all the miseries of Covid to put a licensed, approved and effective vaccine into the arms of our citizens?“It was the British government. It was a Brexit government. It was a Conservative government. It was thanks to Brexit which you helped to deliver. “This country was able to take the lead in standing up for Ukraine in delivering the agreement. “Many, many other things, taking back control of our money, our laws, thanks to Brexit that we can today finally legally control our own borders. “And is it not therefore the height of insanity if these polls are right that we are about to give Labour a supermajority, which they will use to make us nothing but the punk of Brussels, taking EU law by dictation with no say on how that law is made, paying into Brussels budgets again, you watch, you watch. “As the price for scrapping the Rwanda scheme just as it is on the verge of coming into force, just as it is being imitated by governments around the world to act as a deterrent. Bringing back uncontrolled free movement, uncontrollable free movement as the price of stamps deal with the EU. “Do you think this country really wants to give Starmer that kind of mandate? I don’t think they do. “And yet, Labour are so complacent, they’re so smug, they’re barely concealing their agenda anymore, and we can see what it is. “Whacking up taxes on pensions, on property, persecuting private enterprise, attacking private education and private healthcare, with all the pointless extra burden that will place on the taxpayers. “Poor old Starmer is so terrified of disobeying left-wing dogma that he’s reluctant to explain the difference between a man and a woman. And he just sits there with his mouth opening and shutting like a stunned mullet. “Do we want this kind of madness? Do we want to have higher taxes? Do we want more wokery imposed on our schools? “Unless we change it, this gigantic Labour majority, pregnant with horrors, because even though Labour’s share of the votes right now is far lower than ours was in 2019, and even though Starmer has record low approval ratings for a man in his in his position supposedly on the verge of office, our system, I’m afraid, will deliver that supermajority because too many good, kind, moderate Tories are about to vote for other parties apparently, and thereby get exactly the opposite of what they really want. “Even if those other parties turn out to be full of Kremlin crawlers who actually make excuses for Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They say Putin’s a good operator, puffing their troops and running a tight ship. “Well, if that’s what they mean by a man who shoots journalists and poisons his opponents and murders thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians, I say shame on them. “They can achieve nothing at this election except to usher in the most left-wing Labour government since the war, with a huge majority, and we must not let it happen. “Don’t let the Putinistas deliver the Corbynistas. Don’t let Putin’s pet parrots give this entire country psittacosis – which is a disease you get by the way from cosying up to pet parrots.“Everybody if you actually want higher taxes next week, this year, if you feel you’ve got a few thousand to spare, then vote Labour on Thursday. If you want uncontrolled immigration and mandatory wokery, and pointless kowtowing to Brussels again, then go right ahead, make my day, vote for Starmer.“But if you want to protect our democracy and our economy and keep this country strong abroad by spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence which Labour still refuses to commit to, then you know what to do, don’t you, everybody?“There’s only one thing to do – vote Conservative on Thursday my friends and I know you will. I know you will.”“In the brief time that we have left, I hope that you will encourage everybody else in this country to do the same. “Thank you very much. Thank you.” 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 ThomasEditorVoters in the UK will visit polling stations up and down the country on July 4 to have their say in which political party they want to represent their area and country.Prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the snap general election at the end of May, sparking six frantic weeks of political campaigning. June has seen leaders, candidates and activists fight for every last vote: knocking on doors, taking part in televised debates, and trying to avoid controversy.For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coveragePolling suggests the election will mark the end of 14 years of Conservative governance, with Labour flying ahead in projected voting intention. Some also predict smaller parties like the Lib Dems, Greens and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could pick up record seats.Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate 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 Britain’s upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the country’s most consequential elections since the end of World War II.Ahead of the July 4 vote, The Associated Press takes a look back at other landmark U.K. elections since the war.___When former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called an election in December 2019, it was essentially about one issue: Brexit. General elections in the U.K. are typically held in the spring or early summer. But in the fall of 2019, the recently-appointed Johnson gambled on holding one on December 12, when most people just want to get ready for Christmas and would rather think of anything but politics.For Johnson, desperate times called for desperate measures. The June 23, 2016 Brexit referendum, won narrowly by those backing an exit from the European Union, triggered a chaotic period in politics.Former Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, had resigned immediately after his side lost the referendum. His successor, Theresa May, tried but failed to find a Brexit formula that a majority in Parliament would back. Everyone seemingly had a different idea as to what post-Brexit deal the U.K. should have with the EU, and the original day of departure — March 2019 — was delayed. Parliament was in chaos, and Johnson, who succeeded May, pledged that he would get “Get Brexit Done.”With Labour’s Brexit policy unclear and its left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn deeply unpopular, Johnson’s Conservatives won their biggest majority since 1987 under Margaret Thatcher. Labour suffered its worst election result in terms of seats since the 1930s.Johnson prevailed largely because his message was clear, especially in parts of the country that voted Brexit but had for decades voted Labour. The U.K. left the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020. Any celebrations were short-lived, however, with a deadly coronavirus pandemic soon spreading around the world. Johnson was forced to resign in the summer of 2022 after he was found to have lied to Parliament over lockdown-breaching parties at his offices in Downing Street. The 49-day tenure of his successor, Liz Truss, was even more chaotic after she unveiled unfunded tax cuts that roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs for homeowners surging.It’s a dual legacy that their successor Rishi Sunak has had to contend with ahead of Thursday’s election. 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 United Kingdom elections have a distinct vocabulary that draws on traditions of parliamentary democracy as well as modern political slogans and spin.As voters go to the polls Thursday to elect a new government, The Associated Press deciphers some key words and phrases: Battle bus Luxury coaches rented by the main political parties to whisk politicians and journalists around the country for campaign visits during the five-week campaign. Labour has a red bus emblazoned with the word “change,” while the Conservatives’ blue bus promises a “clear plan, bold action, secure future.” The centrist Liberal Democrats’ yellow bus has taken leader Ed Davey on a headline-grabbing journey that has involved paddleboarding, rollercoaster-riding, Zumba and bungee-jumping. Blue wall A swath of seats in southern England, the wealthiest part of the country, where voters traditionally have supported the Conservative Party, whose traditional color is blue. With the Conservatives trailing in the polls, the centrist Liberal Democrats are targeting these affluent, socially liberal voters and hope to snatch some of the seats. See also: Red Wall. Brexit Britain’s departure from the European Union, triggered by a 2016 referendum and completed in 2020, was the country’s most seismic, and divisive, act in decades. Yet it has featured little in the election campaign. The Conservatives don’t want to acknowledge that many of the promised economic benefits haven’t materialized. Labour doesn’t want to reopen old wounds or alienate Brexit-backing voters. So Brexit has become something of a political Voldemort — that which mustn’t be named. Coalition government A rarity in the United Kingdom, a coalition government is one in which two or more political parties divide up ministerial posts, compromise on policies and agree to govern in concert. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition of 2010-2015 was Britain’s first since World War II. First past the post Used to describe an electoral system in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in each district wins, even if that person doesn’t gain a majority of votes cast. The system tends to favor the two big parties, Conservatives and Labour, which historically have won a majority of seats in Parliament, while taking well under half the votes. House of Commons The lower house of Parliament has 650 seats, each representing a district of the U.K. The leader of the party with enough seats to command a majority — either alone or in coalition — becomes prime minister and leads the government. House of Lords The unelected upper house of Parliament scrutinizes legislation passed by the Commons. It’s made up of peers appointed for life by political parties, along with a smattering of judges, bishops and hereditary nobles. Its ballooning size and undemocratic nature are often criticized but reform has proved difficult. Hung Parliament An outcome in which no single party holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons. In that case, parties will try to forge agreements that will assemble a working majority, enabling a government to pass laws. If opinion polls giving Labour a double-digit lead are borne out on polling day, this is an unlikely result. King’s Speech An annual speech — read by the monarch at the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament — that is written by the government and outlines its legislative program. This year’s speech will be delivered by King Charles III on July 17, and will lay out the plans of either Labour leader Keir Starmer or Conservative leader Rishi Sunak. Majority/minority government A majority government is formed by a party that holds more than half the seats in the House of Commons. Minority government occurs when a party that doesn’t have a majority of seats governs alone, relying on support from smaller parties on a vote-by-vote basis. Minority governments tend to be short-lived — the most recent lasted from 2017 to 2019. Marginal seat Constituencies won by a small margin and thus more likely to switch hands in an election. The opposite is a safe seat. Red wall A string of seats in England’s Midlands and north once dominated by mining, steelmaking and other heavy industries that traditionally voted Labour, whose traditional color is red. After years of high unemployment and social decay, many of these voters switched to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson. Labour hopes to regain many of these seats Thursday. Supermajority An American term with no clear meaning in Britain, introduced into the U.K. election by the Conservatives in an attempt to shore up the party’s vote by warning that Labour could get untrammeled power if it wins too many seats in Parliament. Swingometer A fixture of the BBC’s election night coverage for decades, a pendulum-style representation of the percentage of voters who have shifted from one party to another, used to predict the outcome in parliamentary seats. Once an actual prop, it’s now delivered through digital graphics. Tactical voting Describes the practice of voters backing a party they wouldn’t usually support in order to defeat another candidate. There has been speculation this election could see high levels of tactical voting by centrist and left-leaning electors to oust Conservatives. 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 ThomasEditorVoters in the UK will visit polling stations up and down the country on July 4 to have their say in which political party they want to represent their area and country.Prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the snap general election at the end of May, sparking six frantic weeks of political campaigning. June has seen leaders, candidates and activists fight for every last vote: knocking on doors, taking part in televised debates, and trying to avoid controversy.For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coveragePolling suggests the election will mark the end of 14 years of Conservative governance, with Labour flying ahead in projected voting intention. Some also predict smaller parties like the Lib Dems, Greens and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could pick up record seats.Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate 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 ThomasEditorRishi Sunak has warned voters against enabling a Labour ‘supermajority’ at the general election on Thursday as his party continues to lag behind in the polls.The prime minister tested out the new line on the campaign trail in the run-up to polling day in a decidedly defensive move against Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.“The outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion,” said Mr Sunak. “If just 130,000 people switch their vote and lend us their support, we can deny Starmer that supermajority.“Just think about that: you have the power to use your vote to prevent an unchecked Labour government.”For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coverageRishi Sunak delivers a speech in central London while on the general election campaign trai More