UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAkshata Murty has revealed that she no longer reads the news, as it has become “so much more personal”.As the wife of Rishi Sunak, she has found that she and her husband are in the spotlight not just for his political decisions, but every aspect of his life.Bemused by the interest in his Adidas Samba trainers, she told The Times: “I had no clue. Rishi has always worn Sambas. You kind of have to live your life and not let it consume you.“I try not to [read the news] now because it is so much more personal.” Ms Murty, 44, is the multimillionaire daughter of one of India’s richest businessmen and managed to stay out of the public eye until The Independent revealed she had been avoiding tax by claiming non-dom status while her husband was chancellor. She later agreed to pay UK tax on her overseas income.She and her husband also came under fire over her stake in Koru Kids after Mr Sunak failed to declare her involvement in the childcare agency that benefited from the Budget in 2023.Mr Sunak and Ms Murty in their flat in 10 Downing Street More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour have accused Rishi Sunak of being out of touch and performing a “victory lap” after it emerged the UK was out of recession. Mr Sunak claimed that “things are starting to feel better” hours after figures showed the economy had grown by 0.6 per cent over the first three months of this year.But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper labelled the Conservatives as “out of touch” for celebrating. She told Sky News: “The Government seems to think we should be grateful for the fact that we are no longer in recession and have low growth instead.”I think this still reflects the fact that working people are still worse off than they were 14 years ago, that people are still paying more on their mortgages, prices are still much higher and actually people are feeling really squeezed.” She added: “The idea of the Conservatives trying to do a victory lap on all of this and expecting everyone to think: ‘It’s all wonderful and we’ve never had it so good,’ just shows how out of touch they are.”Rishi Sunak (Carl Court/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour will scrap the Rwanda deportation plan “straight away” if it wins power, Sir Keir Starmer said as he vowed an end to the “unquenchable Tory desire for shortcuts”.The Labour leader attacked Rishi Sunak’s approach to the small boats crisis as “gimmicks, not serious government” and set out the party’s own plans to crack down on people smugglers.In a major speech in Dover, for which he was introduced by the defected Tory MP Natalie Elphicke, Sir Keir promised to end Westminster’s “talk tough, do nothing” culture over the issue.Sir Keir Starmer with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, ex-Tory MP Natalie Elphicke and Labour’s Dover parliamentary candidate Mike Tapp More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Independent’s “crucial” investigation into Nadhim Zahawi has been praised after the former chancellor announced he will stand down at the next election. Mr Zahawi said his mistakes “have been mine” as on Thursday he joined the long list of Tories set to leave parliament. His withdrawal from politics comes a year after he was sacked by Rishi Sunak after an ethics probe found serious breaches of the ministerial code over his tax affairs.The investigation was sparked byThe Independent’s revelation of an HMRC investigation into the MP over his tax affairs. Mr Zahawi tried to stop this publication exposing the investigation by threatening to sue if we published.At the time, the then chancellor repeatedly said he had paid all due taxes and would “one hundred per cent take legal action” if we reported that he had been investigated.However, The Independent ignored his threats and published two reports, detailing how Mr Zahawi had faced inquiries from the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency and HMRC. The investigation was sparked by The Independent’s revelation of an HMRC investigation into the MP over his tax affairs More

‘Failed’ asylum system offers ‘false hope’ to migrants, Starmer saysSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer has unveiled a counter-terror style small boats plan that will “replace gimmicks with graft” by scrapping the Rwanda scheme.He has vowed to partly fund a new “elite” border unit as he set out his plans to stop small boats crossing the Channel.In a speech at Dover, the Labour leader accused the Conservatives of operating a “Travelodge amnesty” by housing asylum-seekers in hotels rather than processing their claims.He was accompanied by new Labour MP Natalie Elphicke, who has slammed the Tories approach on boats just days after defecting from the party. Speaking about her admission, he said the move represents the “mood of the country” as Rishi Sunak is “clinging on by his fingernails” to power.During the press conference, the opposition leader hasn’t ruled out letting Nigel Farage join the Labour Party.It comes after shadow health secretary Wes Streeting  claimed more Tory MPs were considering defecting to Labour because of “division and incompetence” in Rishi Sunak’s government, claiming to have spoken to others “who are wrestling with their future”.Show latest update 1715352894First UK deportation flight ‘to take off in June’The first asylum seekers were originally set to be flown out of the ground in July. But court documents have now revealed that flights could take off in June. Government lawyers said: “In the prime minister’s press conference on 22 April he said the first flight would leave in 10 to 12 weeks. The 10th week after 22 April starts with the week commencing 24 June.“We are instructed that this is the earliest possible date for the first removals and that the decision on the precise date will be based on operational considerations and progress over the coming weeks.”Salma Ouaguira10 May 2024 15:541715352283Let’s recap…If you’re joining us now here’s what you’ve missed:Sir Keir Starmer has outlined a plan to curve small boats crossings and crack down on people smugglers. The Labour leader has promised to totally scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme as it is a “gimmick”.During the press conference in Dover Starmer hasn’t ruled out accepting far-right politician Nigel Farage into the party.The Tories have clapped back at Labour with an MP slamming the plan as “already being done”. Salma Ouaguira10 May 2024 15:441715351683What are the polls saying?The Tories have lost ground after a disastrous local election.Labour is leading the way with 44 points, according to a poll from today.Salma Ouaguira10 May 2024 15:341715351063Refugee Council calls for a ‘fair’ asylum system The Refugee Council, which provides support to asylum seekers, has urged the government to tackle applicants waiting in limbo to be processed. CEO of the Refugee Council Enver Solomon said:“Whoever is in government must focus beyond anything else on running a fair and effective asylum system that actually processes people’s claims. “The current system is in meltdown, with thousands of people shut out of the asylum process and living in indefinite limbo. “Men, women and children from countries such as Afghanistan and Syria with clear protection needs face endless uncertainty, while those whose claims have been refused are not being supported to return to the countries from which they came.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJames Cleverly has been mocked for appearing to forget his own government’s policy to welcome Syrian asylum seekers.The Home Secretary shared a 2015 article in which Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called for Britain to take in 10,000 refugees from Syria during the 2015 European migrant crisis.After Ms Cooper and Sir Keir Starmer made a major speech on Labour’s asylum policy, Mr Cleverly used the article to suggest she could not be trusted with “stopping the boats”.James Cleverly appeared to forget his past support for the resettlement of Syrian refugees More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJeremy Hunt has admitted Conservative MPs are “losing their nerve” as they continue to be trounced by Labour in the polls. Westminster was stunned this week with the shock defection of Tory MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour.The move added to Rishi Sunak’s woes just days after he appeared to see off Tory rebels keen to oust him, after bruising devastating local election results. Ben Houchen, the Tory Mayor of the Tees Valley, has also urged Mr Sunak to get a grip of his party as he warned the “public do not vote for parties who are not united”. Asked about both Lord Houchen’s comments and Ms Elphicke’s defection said: “What he (Houchen) said was divided parties don’t win elections and we need to pull together as a Conservative Party.“I think that when you see we are behind in the polls, unfortunately some colleagues do lose their nerve.” He added: “But the vast majority of parliamentary colleagues, they understand a very simple truth which is that people vote for Conservative governments because they trust us to take tough and difficult decisions in the long term interests of the economy. They can see that we have done that.”His comment come as Tory MPs panic over who could be next to defect to Labour. Many admit they were blindsided by Ms Elphicke’s decision to cross the floor, as she has been seen as one of the most right wing on the party’s benches. Her defection came hot on the heels of ex-Tory MP Dan Poulter, who joined Keir Starmer’s team last month. But Westminster is awash with rumours another Tory politician is soon to make the jump. Jeremy Hunt (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out letting Nigel Farage into Labour Party, but joked that he would be the last person wanting to join his party.The Labour leader was introduced by former Tory MP Natalie Elphicke ahead of a major speech on immigration just days after her defection.Sir Keir said it is “great to have you” to Ms Elphicke, whose shock decision to cross the floor of the House of Commons sparked fury among Labour MPs.Sir Keir Starmer said Nigel Farage would not More