UK Politics

Dawn Butler has released a video of herself rapping to mark the three-week countdown to the general election.The Labour candidate, battling for the Brent East seat, shared a clip of herself singing over a remixed version of “21 Seconds” by So Solid Crew.“We’ve got 21 days to go,” Ms Butler sings, before referencing Rishi Sunak’s D-Day blunder and labelling previous Tory prime ministers “corrupt”.“Vote for Labour. Vote for me as your MP for Brent East on Thursday 4th July,” she wrote alongside the video on Thursday 13 June.The clip has already been viewed nearly 500,000 times. 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 been given 100 days to make good on his promises to workers, with unions promising to “hold Labour’s feet to the fire”.The Labour leader set out his party’s manifesto on Thursday, including the promise to introduce a “new deal for working people”.The package, which would be the biggest shakeup of Labour laws in a generation, would see Labour repeal Tory anti-strike laws, end the use of “fire and rehire” and strengthen day one employment rights for employees.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Unions feared Sir Keir would row back on the package under pressure from business lobbyists, but have welcomed its inclusion in the general election manifesto.Keir Starmer promised workers he would ‘raise your wages and your security’ More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage has hit back at Keir Starmer’s jibe that Clacton is a “pantomime” by demanding he takes action against Labour’s candidate there for an anti-white comment.During his manifesto launch, Sir Keir addressed the fact that he was not revealing any “rabbits out of the hat” with no new policies revealed.He said: “If you want politics as pantomime, I hear Clacton is nice this time of year.”Farage answered questions on LBC this morning More

Nigel Farage said he wants to lead a “national opposition” to Labour if Sir Keir Starmer’s party wins the general election.The Reform UK leader, who hopes to engineer a reverse takeover of the Conservative Party to form a new centre-right grouping, said he believed the situation was already “close to a tipping point”.Mr Farage also insisted he would not “surrender to the mob” after having a milkshake poured over him and objects thrown at him at campaign events.“Do I think I’m capable of leading a national opposition to a Labour Party with a big majority, where I can stand up and hold them to account on issues? Yes,” he told LBC. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA Reform UK parliamentary candidate who said the UK “should have accepted Hitler’s offer of neutrality” was only making “ordinary” pub talk, Nigel Farage has claimed.Ian Gribbin, standing for Reform in Bexhill and Battle, also wrote online that women were the “sponging gender” and should be “deprived of health care” in comments reportedly made on the UnHerd website. Mr Farage, Reform’s leader, blamed Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap election for 4 July for not being able to properly vet candidates.The Reform leader said he was not able to deselect Mr Gribbin because the legal deadline had passed for putting prospective MPs on the ballot paper, before declining to say whether he still backed the candidate.“I can’t, they are legally on the ballot paper,” he told LBC Radio on Thursday. “I can disown them, I might well do that… its ordinary folk down the pub speak.”Nigel Farage in the LBC studio as he addressed the backlash to his candidate More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer arrived at his manifesto launch with his jacket off and sleeves rolled up as he launched his vision to “turbo charge” Britain but revealed that he intends to raise £8.6billion in new taxes.The increase in revenues will by the manifesto’s own admission give the UK its highest ever tax burden, even though Sir Keir claimed he did not want to increase taxes.The Labour leader emphasised the change in his own party and the need for change from “Tory chaos” as he unveiled a programme for government which appeared to deliberately ape traditional Tory policies.This was emphasised when he was confronted by a heckler early in his speech: “We gave up being a party of protest five years ago, we want to be a party of power.”Sir Keir Starmer launches Labour manifesto More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Sir Keir Starmer launched the Labour Party’s general election manifesto on Thursday, 13 June.The party has said it will put “wealth creation” at the heart of its promises, with Sir Keir proclaiming economic growth as his their “core business”.Thursday’s launch came after polling showed Sir Keir came out on top in the latest election broadcast event opposite Rishi Sunak – The Battle For No 10 leaders debate on Sky News on Wednesday night.YouGov figures said around 64 per cent of 1,864 respondents said Sir Keir was the better performer, compared to 36 per cent who said Mr Sunak.Both Sir Keir and Mr Sunak faced jeers and tough questions from audience members; the PM was booed after claiming the junior doctors’ strike had an impact on NHS waiting lists, while Sir Keir was branded a “political robot”.Sir Keir has insisted his manifesto will not include any “tax surprises” for the public.Mr Sunak has repeatedly claimed that Labour will increase taxes for the average household by more than £2,000 a year, but he has been accused of “misleading” the public.The £2,094 figure was originally raised in the first televised clash of the general election campaign, when Mr Sunak repeatedly pointed to analysis by Treasury civil servants he said showed a £38.5bn black hole in Sir Keir’s spending plans.Treasury permanent secretary James Bowler told MPs the Treasury should not be cited as the author of the costing analysis. More

Sir Ed Davey was given a makeover and strutted down a catwalk during an appearance on This Morning on Thursday, 13 June.The Liberal Democrat leader appeared on the programme to discuss his party’s manifesto with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard ahead of the general election in July.Sir Ed was dressed a fedora hat, suit, and sunglasses, prompting Deeley to compare his walk to the “Blue Steel” modelling facial expression featured in comedy film Zoolander.The party leader has been taking part in various stunts throughout his campaign, such as paddleboarding and riding a waterslide. More