UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA member of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet has said he “misspoke” – to the tune of £70bn – about one of his party’s key green policies. Months after Labour faced criticism for scaling back plans to spend £28bn a year on environmental investments, shadow environment secretary Steve Reed appeared to suggest that figure had increased again. But he later said he “clearly misspoke” and insisted the cost of GB Energy was much lower. Labour’s pledge to create a state-owned clean energy firm is a key plank of its plans for government. The party believes it can create jobs, cut energy bills and help meet its 2030 clean power target. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused energy bills to skyrocket, Labour also argues it will help to make the UK less reliant on others. Labour wants to creat a state-owned clean energy company More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Jeremy Hunt delivered a speech on Friday, 17 May, promising further tax cuts if the Conservatives win the general election.The chancellor accused Labour of “playground politics” over attacks on the historically-high burden being borne by households and businesses following Sir Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday.Speaking from London, Mr Hunt to vowed that “taxes will go down under a Conservative government” and has accused his shadow, Labour’s Rachel Reeves, of plotting hikes to fund the opposition party’s spending pledges.Mr Hunt claims Labour’s electoral pledges would cost tax payers £59bn over the next four years and accused the party of “lying” and labelled “fake news” their economic plans.It comes as Rishi Sunak’s attempts to kickstart the general election campaign have failed to move voters, a new poll has revealed.The prime minister has claimed the UK is facing a threat of nuclear war and that the Government needs to have a government strong on defence and security. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s attempts to kickstart the general election campaign with a threat of nuclear war and a need to have a government strong on defence and security has failed to move voters, a new poll has revealed.The Techne UK weekly tracker poll seen by The Independent has shown that Mr Sunak’s speech at the Policy Exchange thinktank has left his party rooted on just 21 percent, unchanged from last week.It also followed a week where pollsters – including Techne UK chief executive Michela Morizzo, Professor Sir John Curtice and Lord Hayward – all also warned that a Tory push to use “culture war” issues to win back voters would not save the Tories. Initiatives this week included tackling “woke activism” in the civil service with banning rainbow lanyards one of the measures proposed, and banning lessons about trans issues in schools.While the tactics of Mr Sunak’s appeared to have failed Labour maintained a 23-point lead although their support fell by 1 percent to 44 percent from last week.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to be on his way out of 10 Downing Street (PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWeak leadership, poor economic management and Brexit have dragged Britain out of the top 10 countries in a global index on good government.The decline of Britain under the Tories has been charted by the global Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) which saw it take 11th place.At a time when Rishi Sunak has been under siege from his own Tory MPs, the UK’s place on the annual list was made worse by scores for “leadership and foresight” putting it in 20th place.It was also hit by coming 27th in “financial stewardship”. The findings come amid a report of an exodus by companies from the City of London.Prime minister Rishi Sunak steps out of 10 Downing Street. The UK was marked down for weak leadership More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer donned his election boots as Labour launched its bid to seize back 10 Downing Street after 14 years in opposition with a 48-hour blitz of battleground seats.In a presidential-style event in Thurrock, Essex, the Labour leader set the tone for the next six months of solid electioneering with a “stability” first message to voters who turned their back on the party after previously supporting Tony Blair.With a confident performance surrounded by his top team, Sir Keir laid out his six “first steps”, aping the five pledges of New Labour in 1997 which swept Blair to power.Among his supporters were two former Tory donors including Boots boss Sebastian James, an Old Etonian friend of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who endorsed Labour and praised Sir Keir’s focus on economic growth and Britain’s high streets.The second, Rob Boughton, runs one of the biggest developers in the South East; his company has donated nearly £1m to the Conservatives since 2017.But he told the audience that Labour’s message on economic stability and growth had won him over.Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during his visit to the Backstage Centre, Purfleet, for the launch of Labour’s doorstep offer to voters ahead of the general election More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTheresa May has joked that she risks going down in history as the prime minister who held hands with Donald Trump.The former PM, who is leaving parliament at this year’s general election, said she is not sure “whether I am going to be known as the prime minister who did not get Brexit through… or the prime minister who Donald Trump held hands with”.Ms May was asked at a gathering of journalists about the potential future relationship between Sir Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak and Mr Trump if he is re-elected in November.The Maidenhead MP replied that “all I can say is I hope he doesn’t hold their hand”.Former Prime Minister Theresa May and former U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 More

Keir Starmer launches Labour election campaign with six pledges to votersSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has clashed with Janet Street Porter on ITV’s Loose Women over his recent spring Budget. The Prime Minister was confronted on why he “hates pensioners” as some measures “didn’t cater to older people”. It came hours after Sir Keir Starmer has launched Labour’s pitch to voters ahead of the general election, unveiling a set of six steps for government. Speaking from Essex this morning, he is joined by deputy leader Angela Rayner and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. He vowed to deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, create a new Border Security Command to end criminal boat gangs, and a publicly owned energy provider, to be called Great British Energy.He promised to tackle on antisocial behaviour, and he will announce the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers.The chief executive of Boots Sebastian James has endorsed Labour. The Old Etonian friend of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, praised Sir Keir’s focus on economic growth and Britain’s high streets.Rishi Sunak delivered in his own keynote speech earlier this week where he criticised Labour for fighting based on “Starmer versus Sunak”.Show latest update 1715871031‘Truss book should be shelved under sci-fi and fantasy,’ Theresa May saysThe former Prime Minister has made fun of her successor’s books. “Liz Truss’ 10 years to save the West?” she laughed. “Well, given Liz’s reputation and record, maybe it should be 10 days to save Britain.“That one probably goes under sci-fi and fantasy.”And on Boris Johnson’s upcoming memoir, she said: ”That will undoubtedly be shelved under ‘current affairs’.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has defended his controversial sex education plans after they were compared to Margaret Thatcher’s hated Section 28. Ministers are to bar sex education classes for children younger than nine years old. And the teaching of gender identity will be banned right up until the age of 18, education secretary Gillian Keegan said. Critics have compared the plans to the heavily criticised Section 28 policy, which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities, including in schools. Rishi Sunak said he could not remember his own sex education More