UK Politics

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight The two main contenders to be Britain’s next prime minister were set to face off in a televised debate on Tuesday, with Conservative leader Rishi Sunak hoping to boost his party’s dismal outlook and Labour’s Keir Starmer aiming to cement his status as favorite.The two-way leaders’ debate comes a day after populist Brexit-backer Nigel Farage dealt a blow to Sunak’s hopes of winning the July 4 election by announcing he will run for Parliament at the helm of the right-wing party Reform U.K.Farage kicked off his campaign Tuesday in the eastern England seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, where he is making an eighth attempt to win a seat in the House of Commons. His seven previous tries all failed.The return of the populist politician, a key player in Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the European Union, is a major headache for Sunak’s party, which already trails Labour in opinion polls. Farage and Reform look likely to siphon off votes of socially conservative older voters that the Tories have been targeting.He claimed the Conservatives, who have been in office since 2010, had “betrayed” Brexit supporters because immigration had gone up, rather than down, since the U.K. left the EU.While Farage stands some chance of defeating Clacton’s Conservative incumbent and getting elected on July 4, he acknowledged that his larger goal is to lead the “real” opposition to a Labour Party government if the Conservatives lose, as many expect. Farage urged voters to “send me to Parliament to be a bloody nuisance.”As he left a pub where he had been speaking to the media, Farage was splattered with a beverage, which appeared to be a milkshake, by a bystander. Milkshakes became an unlikely political weapon during Britain’s acrimonious disputes over Brexit after the 2016 referendum. Farage was one of several politicians splattered with a sticky beverage in 2019.The attention-grabbing Farage has injected volatility into an election that will almost certainly result in either Starmer or Sunak becoming Britain’s leader.The two men will go head-to-head in a debate on broadcaster ITV, with Sunak likely to stress his stewardship of the economy, which has seen inflation fall to just over 2% from a peak of more than 11% in late 2022.Starmer, whose main campaign refrain is the single word “change,” aims to persuade voters tired of the Tories that Labour can be trusted with the U.K.’s economy, borders and security.Further debates are scheduled by other broadcasters before polling day, some featuring multiple party leaders and some just the two front-runners. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage has had a McDonalds milkshake thrown over him after launching his campaign for the general election. A young woman approached the new Reform UK leader on the steps of a pub in Clacton before hurling the yellow-coloured drink over him. She then smiled and casually walked away, with some onlookers applauding, as Mr Farage headed towards his campaign bus. It is not the first time Mr Farage has been hit with milkshakes by critics, having been similarly targeted in Newcastle in 2019.The young woman hurled the drink at close range More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage launched his eighth bid to become an MP today with a promise of plans to replace the Conservative Party in a revolution which will shake British politics.The Reform UK leader launched his bid to get into parliament in front of cheering crowds on Clacton pier on the Essex coast, declaring it to be “a revolution to change British politics”.The event – which was open to members of the public, who attended in their hundreds crowding into the street, lining footbridges and slopes around the launch – contrasted hugely with the stage managed events of Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.But a young woman throwing what appeared to be banana milkshake in his face after he completed his media round revealed that not everyone in the Essex seaside town welcomed him and illustrated the dangers of being so exposed.Young woman throws milkshake at Farage More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage appeared to ditch a key Reform UK policy live on air, admitting that his party’s plan to process asylum seekers in British Overseas Territories is “not terribly practical”.The former UKIP leader hit the airwaves ahead of launching his election campaign at Clacton pier today after announcing his dramatic return to political frontlines on Monday, as exclusively first revealed by The Independent.He was challenged over the party’s “secure detention for all asylum seekers” plan. Contained in Reform’s provisional manifesto, the policy states: “Asylum claims that arrive though safe countries will be processed rapidly offshore in British Overseas Territories. This will stop the scandal of undocumented asylum seekers absconding to work illegally or commit crime.”Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Nigel Farage during a press conference to announce he will become the new leader of Reform UK and that he will stand as the parliamentary candidate for Clacton, Essex More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailDiane Abbott has been cleared to stand as a Labour MP days after she swiftly deleted a tweet accusing Sir Keir Starmer of lying about his respect for her.Ms Abbott has been rubber stamped as a candidate by the party’s powerful National Executive Committee (NEC).It comes as former leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Labour of hanging her “out to dry” as Britain’s first Black female MP faced horrific racist abuse.Writing for The Independent, Mr Corbyn said the treatment of the veteran politician, who has been at the centre of a storm over whether she would be allowed to stand for the party, had been an “utter disgrace”.Diane Abbott has said she intends to ‘run and win’ as a Labour candidate (PA) More

Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent’s Race Correspondent Nadine WhiteSign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race ReportBlocked Labour candidate Faiza Shaheen has dramatically quit the party and accused it of a “hierarchy of racism”. The left-winger had been due to contest the Chingford and Woodford Green seat held by Iain Duncan Smith. But she was told on Wednesday that the party was suspending her after she liked social media posts that criticised Israel and its actions in Gaza.Ms Shaheen resigned after the decision to block her became official today, when Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) declined to nominate her. Ms Shaheen with ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn More

Starmer says he would be prepared to deploy nuclear weapons if needed to defend UKSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour are on course to surpass Tony Blair’s landslide majority in 1997, according to YouGov’s first major poll of the general election campaign.The pollsters’ MRP forecast, based on data from more than 58,000 people, suggests Sir Keir Starmer’s party will win a huge majority of 194, with some 422 seats, while the Conservatives could suffer their biggest loss since 1906, winning just 140 seats.The poll – which came after Nigel Farage announced his intention to stand as an MP, in a blow to the Tories – also followed Redfield and Wilton’s second nationwide poll, of 10,000 people – which put the Tories on just 20 per cent, 26 points behind Labour. Another mega-poll published over the weekend had earlier suggested that the Tories could win just 66 seats in parliament.The result would be a Labour landslide, with Sir Keir Starmer’s party securing 476 MPs – a majority of 302 – once tactical voting has been taken into account. This blog will keep track of every major poll released between now and the general election, and what it means for the parties. Show latest update 1717509844ICYMI: YouGov: Labour on track for historic 422-seat win as Tories predicted to lose key seatsLabour is projected to win 422 seats across the UK in a historic landslide victory, according to a new MRP prediction from YouGov released on Monday.Under this prediction, today, Labour would enjoy a 194-seat majority, larger than the one achieved by Tony Blair at the 1997 general election.The forecast predicted the Conservatives would lose 223 seats and be left with just 140. That would be the worst loss for the Tories in well over 100 years, since then-prime minister Arthur Balfour lost 246 seats in 1906.Alicja Hagopian reports.Joe Middleton4 June 2024 15:041717491824Burley tells Cleverly the Tories will get “battered” according to YouGov pollSky’s Kay Burley listed the twelve cabinet members who are predicted to lose their seats in the YouGov poll that has Labour are on course to surpass Tony Blair’s landslide majority in 1997.She told home secretary James Cleverly the party is “going to get battered according to this”.He responded: “The whole point of an election campaign is you make your case to the British people and when I speak to people they want to hear what our plan for the future.”Joe Middleton4 June 2024 10:031717447352Labour will win more southern seats than Tories, YouGov poll suggestsIn a blow to Rishi Sunak, YouGov’s new poll suggests Labour could be on course to win more seats in the south of England than the Conservatives, even when excluding London.Andy Gregory3 June 2024 21:421717445347YouGov poll suggests biggest Labour majority since 1924YouGov’s MRP poll predicts Labour would win a 194-seat majority – which would mark the highest number since Stanley Baldwin won a majority of 208 in 1924.Andy Gregory3 June 2024 21:091717442795The Lib Dems are on course to win 44 seats, according to YouGov’s new poll – which would be four times as many as in 2019.Unsupported twitter embedAndy Gregory3 June 2024 20:261717441535YouGov poll in graphs: How many seats could each party win? More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe general election campaign is in full swing with party leaders travelling across the country announcing policies and speaking to voters. Over the past two weeks, there has been no shortage of gaffes and blunders, particularly from prime minister Rishi Sunak. It has left Baroness Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Conservative leader, wondering whether a mole had been planted inside the Tories communications team to sabotage Mr Sunak. From being soaked outside Number 10 as he called the snap election without an umbrella, to being asked if he was captaining a “sinking ship” when he visited Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, the PM’s campaign has been far from ideal. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has also had his fair share of blunders. He has been spotted falling off a paddleboard, riding a waterslide in a rubber ring and skidding down a hill on a bike – all as part of his campaign trail.With 30 days until voters head to the polls, party communications teams will be hoping to avoid any more slip ups. The Independent has put together the best gaffes and blunders from the election campaign below. Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party‘Things can only get wetter’: Sunak drenched as he announces electionRishi Sunak drenched as he announces snap electionThe campaign hadn’t even begun when the prime minister made his first mistake – swapping the £2.6 million Downing Street press briefing room for the Great British Outdoors.Heavy rain poured down on the prime minister, who spoke from a lectern outside No 10 without an umbrella. Labour’s 1997 theme Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream was blasted from a speaker, drowning out Mr Sunak’s attempts to boast of his inflation achievements.Mr Sunak, wearing a suit with a light blue tie, became increasingly soaked during the speech. A few days later, the PM admitted he “was a bit wet” during the announcement. Own goal at Welsh brewery over national team’s Euros absenceRishi Sunak asks Welsh voters if they are looking forward to Euros – despite team not qualifyingOne day into the election trail, Mr Sunak asked staff at a brewery in Barry, South Wales,  if they were looking forward to this summer’s football, despite the national team not qualifiying for the Euros.But one of the pub workers was quick to correct him on his mishap, following Wales’s play-off final defeat to Poland in March.He interjected and said “Only if you support England!”, to which Mr Sunak awkwardly replied the hospitality industry was one the Conservatives supported.Captain of a “sinking ship” at the Titanic QuarterRishi Sunak wears a life jacket during his visit to the Titanic Quarter More