UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Labour candidate for a seat in east London has withdrawn from the general election following an allegation of sexual harassment.Councillor Darren Rodwell, the leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, denied any wrongdoing as he said that he would not run in the election, to be held next month.It comes a day after The Independent revealed Labour was investigating the allegations made against the Barking candidate by a party member on Friday to Labour’s complaints unit.Mr Rodwell’s alleged victim said she met him for a coffee while at an event, believing the meeting was set up to discuss a development in Barking. Mr Rodwell has since said he has no recollection or record of such a meeting.In the communication to the party, the complainant said: “After 10 to 15 minutes, he started asking personal questions which I was not happy to answer. He was ordering more drinks for himself. As I was obviously not happy to be present and was looking for a way to leave, he started touching my hands and legs in a sexual way.“He clearly had other ideas about the meeting. He touched my legs and body inappropriately and I’ve made it clear to him that I did not want him to touch me and left the meeting immediately.”The complaint file, seen by The Independent, reads: “The complainant has received confirmation that an investigator will be contacting her in regards to the allegations.”Labour had previously declined to comment on what it called an ongoing disciplinary matter. Darren Rodwell is an influential local government figure in London More

Nigel Farage has boldly claimed that by becoming the Reform UK leader and embarking on his eighth bid to win a parliamentary seat, he will increase the general election turnout.Mr Farage launched his bid for election on Clacton pier declaring “a revolution to change British politics” but was left stunned on Tuesday (4 June) when a protester threw a milkshake in his face.In a live social media recording, posted to X on Tuesday (4 June), Mr Farage commented on the “incredible” response he received on his visit to Clacton.Mr Farage said: “I think my standing will increase the turnout, which is a good thing for democracy.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak could have avoided the expected election catastrophe facing him and the Conservative Party if he had agreed to make a deal with Nigel Farage.The Independent has learnt that Tory Brexiteer MP Andrea Jenkyns and former Leave.EU communications director Andy Wigmore attempted to broker a deal between the Tories and Reform.Sources have suggested that Mr Sunak “was interested” but dissuaded from going ahead by his key advisers.Around six weeks before the prime minister made his rain-sodden announcement of a snap election on the steps of Downing Street, he is understood to have met with Ms Jenkyns who presented him with a plan to save the Tories.Nigel Farage arrives in Clacton More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour announced its ‘triple-lock’ commitment to Britain’s nuclear deterrent on June 3, with Sir Keir Starmer aiming to prove his defence credentials before the general election next month.The Labour leader said his party would build four new nuclear submarines if elected, and ensure Britain’s nuclear deterrent remains at sea “24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”It is the latest policy offering from Labour ahead of the general election, as both parties continue to give hints of what their final election manifestos may contain.For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coverageSir Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves (Lucy North/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage’s decision to stand as MP and take over as party leader could change Reform UK’s chances of winning seats in the general election, says polling firm YouGov.Reform was on course to come out of the election empty-handed, according to forecasts on Monday.But the data’s release came hours before The Independent broke the news that Nigel Farage had decided to stand as the party’s candidate in Clacton, Essex.According to YouGov’s director of political analytics, Patrick English, the announcement “significantly increases the odds” that Reform could win at least one seat – and even up to four.He told The Independent: “I do think that Farage intervening significantly increases the odds of Reform UK winning one, perhaps even two seats in Westminster. You might even put an upper band of four on that, depending on what exactly happens between now and 4 July.”He added: “Certainly, it will improve Reform’s prospects. It will give them a highly competent, highly experienced strong messenger in Nigel Farage to go out, not just in Clacton, but around the rest of the country, to try and deliver that Reform UK message.”Which seats could go to Reform?Before Mr Farage’s announcement, YouGov predicted that no seat would be won by Reform, despite 300 candidates throwing their hat in the ring. Any Reform win is still far from certain. The seats to watch are those where Reform is fielding its heavy hitters, according to Mr English.He said: “[For Reform successes], we’re looking at Clacton. We’re looking at Ashfield, because Lee Anderson is standing there trying to defend his seat as a defector. We’re looking at Boston and Skegness where Richard Tice is standing.”YouGov’s polling analysis on Monday suggested that Reform has a margin of 15 points or more to close in its top constituencies, even in Ashfield, where former Tory Mr Anderson hopes to retain the seat. In Clacton, Reform was 22 points behind the Conservatives, but this gap is expected to close considerably with Mr Farage replacing Tony Mack as the candidate.Clacton is the only seat ever won by Ukip, Mr Farage’s former party, when it was retained in 2015 by Tory defector Douglas Carswell. In 2019, it was gained for the Conservatives by former actor Giles Watling. In addition, Mr English suggests keeping an eye on seats in South Yorkshire, where Reform might find success among previous Ukip and Brexit voters.“We’re also looking up toward Barnsley and Doncaster,” said Mr English. “There are a couple of seats there where the Brexit Party did very well in 2019, but I think Reform UK could potentially be very strong there as well.”He added: “It’s important to maintain the distinction between Ukip and Reform. One thing that’s very prominent is, of course, Nigel Farage is no longer talking about Brexit, and that was Ukip’s sole purpose. The switch has now gone to focusing on immigration and British cultural values. It is a different party, but a lot of its supporters and all of its base will be very similar.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour is expected to drop a general election candidate days after The Independent revealed he was under investigation for alleged sexual harassment. Darren Rodwell, the party’s candidate for Barking, has been accused of ‘inappropriate touching’ of a woman at an event last month.He was not on a list of candidates rubber stamped by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday. Although he could still technically be approved before nominations close on Friday afternoon, a leaked memo suggests the party is planning to ditch him.Darren Rodwell, Labour candidate for Barking, who is being investigated by party for alleged sexual harassment More

Holly Valance has claimed she convinced Nigel Farage to stand as a Reform UK candidate in this year’s general election.The former Neighbours actor, 41, said she had been “whispering” in the ex-Ukip leaders’s ear for a long time to convince him to run.Mr Farage announced he will contest Clacton, Essex, after it was also confirmed he will take over as leader of the party from Richard Tice.“Hopefully now we will be stronger and we will see what we can do at this next election. I’m a paid up member,” Ms Valance added. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have been urged to unveil plans to tackle hardship at their first TV debate on Tuesday night, as new analysis suggests an estimated 900,000 people are just £10 a week from the poverty line.The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said that current levels of poverty were “a stain on the moral conscience of our nation” and that whoever becomes prime minister on 4 July must reverse “this dismal trend a priority”.It comes as the two political leaders are set to face off on ITV and try to convince the nation’s voters to back their party in the upcoming general election.Official statistics released earlier this year showed the estimated total number of people in relative low income was at 14.35 million in the year to March 2023, with some 4.33 million of those being children.The latest figure for young people was the highest since comparable records for the UK began in 2002/03, and prompted campaigners at the time to say young people are being failed and forgotten.Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are going head-to-head on Tuesday evening in an ITV debate More