UK Politics

Sir Keir Starmer has denied reports he would retain the Rwanda scheme if elected.The Labour leader told Sky News he does not believe in the scheme and criticised Rishi Sunak’s government for “losing control of the borders”.“I don’t think it will work, I know we have to stop the boats and I want to get going with our plan on day one,” Sir Keir said.“I’m absolutely determined to tackle this problem, because the government has lost control of the borders. What I’m not going to do is flog a dead horse.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThere are a number of misleading websites using London election candidate names which redirect to the Russian government website, The Independent has found. Experts have warned it is “impossible to tell” who is behind these spoof websites as targeted candidates have expressed their outrage. The Independent has found six different misleading websites in candidate names which lead to an English language version of the official Russian government website.Liberal Democrat candidate Rob Blackie and Reform UK candidate Howard Cox have been targeted. There were also three website URLs impersonating Social Democrat Party candidate Amy Gallagher. It is unknown who is behind the purchase of the domains or if there are further domains that use London mayoral candidate names.Two websites impersonating candidate Brian Rose also redirect to the Tory’s Susan Hall campaign site. Stuart Fuller, chief commercial officer of Com Laude, a domain name management company, told The Independent: “Though it is impossible to tell who exactly is behind these websites, it is unlikely to be Russian Government interference. “Most cybersquatting is driven by financial gain – as there are so many relevant domains for candidates to own, such as .uk and .london, it is very difficult for campaign managers to pre-emptively buy them all before a candidate stands.“This creates the opportunity for malicious parties to cause substantial reputational damage, critical for the outcomes of elections, in a bid to sell these domains on to candidates for profit. “Domains can be registered and put to use in a matter of minutes and most candidates don’t trademark their names, making them ideal targets for this kind of cybercrime.”Liberal Democrat candidate Rob Blackie has been targeted by the hoax More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNatalie Campbell, an independent candidate running for London mayor, has said she will take a “CEO’s approach” to leading the capital because the “party-political system is broken”.Ms Campbell grew up in north-west London, and she is the co-CEO of the social enterprise Belu Water. She been the chancellor of the University of Westminster since 2022.Speaking to The Independent, she said: “I absolutely love this city, but I know it’s not working anymore for most people. “There is a £17bn budget available to make sure that people at least have an opportunity to live well, and it’s being totally squandered by the current mayor. “When I was 15, I told myself that I want to see change in this city. London should have got better since then, but I do not believe that it has that it has.”Ms Campbell took aim at the Labour and Conservative candidates, adding “party-political system doesn’t serve the people, it serves the interests of power within a party”. “Unlike politicians, a CEO knows the buck stops and ends with them,” she said. “My position as an independent is that I don’t have to plead any political party. “Londoners are my boss. I’m very clear on that.” ‘Unlike politicians, a CEO knows the buck stops and ends with them’ More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTarun Ghulati, an independent candidate running for London mayor, has pledged to reduce council tax and introduce rent controls in the capital. Mr Ghulati is a businessman and investment banker who describes himself as a “proud Hindu” and “takes pride in his roots having spent many years in India”.“I am determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that London, my chosen home for 20 years, retains its place as the leading Global City and that all Londoners feel safe, secure and empowered with opportunities for growth,” he said. “This position, however, masks the fact that around 2.2 million Londoners continue to live in poverty.“This is why improving wellbeing and living standards are critical for me. I strongly believe much more needs to be done for the low- and middle-income households across London. “I am passionate about reinvigorating optimism and pride for these families and believe this can be achieved through my proposals to level up across the city.”Mr Ghulati says he will ensure there is more visible community policing by hiring more officers and and reopening police stations across London.This includes a focus on crimes against women and girls. He has pledged to scrap Ulez and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and will also remove all 20mph speed limits. On housing, Mr Ghulati said he will introduce rent controls and ensure that new developments include a certain percentage of affordable housing units.He would also reduce council tax, and subsidise construction costs for affordable housing developments, whilst keeping the free school meals policy introduced by Sadiq Khan. Mr Ghulati’s main manifesto pledges include: Ensure London retains its place as the leading global city and that all Londoners feel safe, secure and empowered with opportunities for growthImprove wellbeing and living standardsUnwavering support for entrepreneurshipRekindle the spirit, pride, and vibrancy of every LondonerDo away with barriers for growth and ensure the safety of all its citizensEncourage the free flow of ideas and policies without party ideology and biasEnsure London becomes the first choice for investment to ensure safety and prosperity for allYou can read Tarun Ghulati’s full manifesto here.Voters can cast their ballot in person on 2 May, by post or by proxy. Find your nearest polling station here.Everyone will need to show photo ID at polling stations before they vote.The results will be announced at City Hall on Saturday 4 May.Read the full list of candidates here. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailVoters across England and Wales will take to the polls on Thursday for the latest round of local elections. Alongside thousands of councillors, a record 12 metro mayors are to be elected – including the high-profile Mayor of London.Incumbent Sadiq Khan is hoping to secure a third term for Labour as he fights off Conservative candidate Susan Hall. They are amongst 11 candidates in total, including the controversial right-wing Reform UK party’s Jeremy Cox.Mr Khan has sought to focus on his succcesses when on the campaign trail. These include an expansion to existing rail and bus lines, as well as frozen fares for Londoners.Follow our live coverage of the elections by clicking hereThe London mayor has also pledged policies which aim to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis and housing issues many in the capital are facing. Amongst these are free school meals for all children, and 40,000 new council homes.His competition has aimed to draw the dividing lines in different places. High on the agenda of most candidates is a change or scrap to Mr Khan’s Ulez expansion, which continues to provoke intense reactions.Alongside challenges to his record on knife crime and changes to the electoral system, Thursday’s mayoral election is likely to be the Labour mayor’s most difficult – something he has admitted himself.Here everything you need to know about the three big issues that have shaped London’s mayoral election:The debate around ULEZ rages on (as Reform UK takes advantage)People during an anti-Ulez protest in Trafalgar Square (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailHigh-profile Tory mayor Ben Houchen has lashed out at the state of the Conservative Party under Rishi Sunak as he battles to hold on to his job running Tees Valley.In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Lord Houchen warned that his potential defeat in this week’s local elections should be “a wake-up call” for Tory MPs.And in an extraordinary broadside at his own party, he said voters were pledging to support him, but not the Tories at the next general election.Lord Houchen told The Independent: “There are lots of people who will come up to me and speak to me that say that they’re going to vote for me, but they probably won’t be voting for the Conservative Party in the general election.”He said attempts by ministers to crack down on illegal migration, including the release of pictures showing potential deportees being rounded up, “will not be enough” to save the party.His damning intervention comes as the local election battle intensified on Wednesday, with the Tories reporting Labour West Midlands mayoral candidate Richard Parker to police for alleged electoral fraud.Sunak and Houchen during a visit to see the construction works at Teesside Freeport in Redcar in July 2022 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSadiq Khan has accused former deputy Conservative chairman turned Reform UK MP Lee Anderson of “fuelling hate crime and violent threats” following “unpatriotic” comments made by Mr Anderson about the London mayor.In a secret recording obtained by ITV News, the Reform MP is heard telling participants at a party event that Tory cabinet ministers were among those who messaged him their support after he was suspended, telling him “Rishi has thrown you under the bus”. He is also heard claiming Mr Khan “hates this country… our heritage, our culture”.Mr Khan has hit back at Mr Anderson and his former party, calling it “deeply depressing” to hear that the former deputy chairman’s “Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred was cheered on by current Tory party staff, MPs and Cabinet ministers” and that the Reform MP’s comments have “real-world consequences”.In a statement, Mr Khan said: “In the past 24hours we have seen my Tory mayoral opponent endorsing Facebook groups rife with antisemitism, Islamophobia and death threats against me. And now we have a former Tory party Deputy chair caught on camera being racist.Lee Anderson defected to the right-wing challenger party Reform UK following his suspension More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPolice are looking into Conservative claims that Labour’s candidate in a crunch election on Thursday wrongly claimed to live in the area to stand. West Midlands Police said it was “assessing” the allegations against Richard Parker. It comes as The Independent can reveal that the Tories also claimed that they have reported a Labour council group to Thames Valley Police in Milton Keynes, a hotly contested bellweather seat ahead of the local elections there. A spokesman for Mr Parker described the claims as “shameful political game-playing” while a Labour source added that the use of police complaints by the Tories ahead of the local elections “is becoming more than a habit”.The double reporting of Labour to the police today follows Tory chairman pushing for an investigation into allegations over whether Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner broke electoral law over her former home in Stockport.Richard Parker was joined by Angela Rayner on the campaign trail with both reported to the police. More