UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Tory MP who previously described Nigel Farage as a “true patriot” has put a picture of the Reform UK leader on her election leaflets.Dame Andrea Jenkyns has said the arch-Brexiteer is a “conservative to the core” and “one of the most influential politicians of our generation”.In fact, Dame Andrew admires Mr Farage so much that she has put a picture of the two fo them smiling together in a prominent position at the top of her re-election leaflet.As well as putting a picture of an opposing party leader on the handout it also contains no clear references to the Tory Party at all.Responding to the furore, she said on X, formerly Twitter: “Lots of excitement over my leaflet today… All conservatives must be prepared to come together to prevent a socialist supermajority and the end of Britain as we know it. #CountryFirst.”The threat of Reform to the Tory Party increased significantly after Mr Farage decided to stand in the Clacton-on-Sea seat last week.At a campaign rally he said that his goal was for the upstart party to effectively take over the Conservative Party and that he would be a “bloody nuisance” in Westminster if he succeeds in becoming an MP at his eighth attempt.The most recent poll indicates that Mr Farage’s party has moved to within one point of the Tories. The YouGov survey published after Mr Sunak launched the Tory Party’s manifesto on Tuesday, found Mr Farage’s party were on 17 per cent.Mr Sunak’s party is on 18 per cent, while Labour retain a 20-point lead, in the poll carried out between 10 and 11 June.The Independent exclusively revealed that Dame Andrea and former Leave.EU communications director Andy Wigmore attempted to make a deal between the Tories and Reform.Sources have suggested that Mr Sunak “was interested” but ultimately convinced not to go ahead by his advisers.Dame Andrea has previously admitted her admiration for Mr Farage and attended his 60th birthday party, along with former Tory Party leader Liz Truss.In a tweet, she said: “A pleasure to be invited to @Nigel_Farage‘s 60th birthday bash — a true patriot, conservative to the core, and, like him or loathe him, one of the most influential politicians of our generation. Cheers!”The Conservative Party has been approached for comment. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPrime minister Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will debate each other in a second live TV grilling tonight.It comes after broadcasters revealed their line-up of televised debates ahead of the general election on 4 July.The Conservative Party leader and the Labour Party leader first went head-to-head in a debate broadcast by ITV on 4 June.They will then be questioned on Sky News on 12 June live at 7pm, in front of an audience in the key seat of Grimsby.The two party leaders will face off against one another in a final head-to-head contest to be televised by the BBC on 26 June.Below is a full schedule of what each broadcaster has announced, including the date and time the programme will be aired, what format will be used and who will participate.The final head-to-head debate between Sunak and Starmer will take place on 26 June More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPolling experts have warned Rishi Sunak he is running out of time to woo voters with the first ballots set to be cast in the election within days. Postal votes will start landing on doorsteps early next week, the Electoral Commission has told The Independent. With one in five now voting by post time is running out for the prime minister to turn around Labour’s 20-point lead in many polls. One polling expert told Mr Sunak it was “now or not at all”. Applications to register to vote have jumped sharply in the past week (Peter Byrne/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak complained the D-Day commemorations ‘ran over’ when he turned up late to the TV interview he skipped them for. The prime minister was condemned for failing to attend some of the events to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy last week, so he could return home for a sitdown with ITV that is finally due to be aired on Wednesday evening.But despite leaving for that interview, Mr Sunak was still late for the pre-recorded chat – and apologised to the presenter before the conversation began.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised to the presenter for turning up late to the interview More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Conservatives appear to have u-turned on Rishi Sunak’s flagship national service policy just a day after he announced it in his general election manifesto.Defence secretary Grant Shapps said the military aspect of the plan will see 18-year-olds take placements in the armed forces for just 25 days per year, despite the manifesto promising a “year-long full-time placement in the armed forces or cyber defence”.Labour said the policy had been “plunged into disarray” and confirmed the eye-catching plan had not been properly thought through.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Setting out the party’s plans in Silverstone on Tuesday, Mr Sunak promised to “invest in a new form of national service to give our young people the chance to enjoy new experiences, learn new skills and feel a sense of community, belonging and national purpose”.Grant Shapps plunged Rishi Sunak’s flagship policy into chaos More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe UK economy recorded no growth in April in a blow to Rishi Sunak’s hopes of turning around the Tory Party’s faltering election campaign.According to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday, gross domestic product (GDP) was flat during the month, following growth of 0.4 per cent in March.This follows an estimated 0.6 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2024, which pulled the UK out of a small recession at the end of last year.It also comes just over a week before the next figures on inflation are released and a decision is made by the Bank of England on interest rates.The latest monthly figure will make grim reading for the prime minister who has made economic growth one of the central pillars of his general election campaign.In March he said this year will be “prove to be the year that the economy bounces back” after the downturn in 2023. Responding to the figures, chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “There is more to do, but the economy is turning a corner and inflation is back down to normal.”Prime minister Rishi Sunak has pegged much of his general election campaign on a recent record of economic improvement More