UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email All 18-year-olds in Britain will have to perform a year of mandatory military or civilian national service if the governing Conservative Party wins the July 4 national election, the party said Sunday.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to bring back a form of national service for the first time in more than 60 years, seeking to energize his election campaign after a faltering start.The U.K. introduced military conscription for men and some women during World War II, and imposed 18 months of mandatory military service for men between 1947 and 1960. Since then Britain has had an all-volunteer military whose size has steadily shrunk.Under the plan, a small minority of 18-year-olds — 30,000 out of an estimated 700,000 — would spend 12 months in the military, working in areas such as logistics or cyber defense. The rest would spend one weekend a month working for charities, community groups, or organizations such as hospitals, the police and the fire service.Sunak said the program would help “create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country.”It remains unclear how it will be made compulsory. Home Secretary James Cleverly said no one would be forced to serve in the military.Cleverly said Sunday that the main goal of the new plan was not boosting the military but building “a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mix with people from different backgrounds, different religions, different income levels.”The Conservatives estimated the cost of the national service plan at 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) a year. They said it would be paid for partly by taking 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) from the U.K. Shared Prosperity Fund, which was set up in 2022 to regenerate poor communities.Labour said the national service announcement was a “desperate 2.5 billion pound unfunded commitment” from a party “bankrupt of ideas.”Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the Tory plan amounted to “compulsory volunteering” and predicted “it’ll never happen.”Elections in the United Kingdom have to be held no more than five years apart. The prime minister can choose the timing within that period and Sunak, 44, had until December to name the date.He took most people – including those in his own party – by surprise when he announced on Wednesday that the election would be held on July 4. The Conservatives, who have been in office for 14 years, are trailing the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer in opinion polls and are trying to overcome a widespread sense that voters want change.Sunak’s election announcement outside 10 Downing Street saw him drenched with rain and drowned out by protesters blasting a Labour campaign song. One of his first campaign stops was at the Belfast shipyard where the doomed ocean liner Titanic was built — another detail seized on gleefully by opponents. Voters will elect lawmakers to fill all 650 seats in the House of Commons. The leader of the party that can command a Commons majority – either alone or in coalition – will become prime minister. More

Rishi Sunak has explained the Conservatives’ justification for their plans to introduce National Service for 18-year-olds if they are voted back in at the 4 July general election.Young people will be required to complete a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spend one weekend a month for a year “volunteering” in their community, the Tories said.In a new video on Sunday, 26 May, the prime minister described how National Service would give teenagers “valuable skills” and “make our country more secure.”“Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided,” he said. More

Labour Party ‘leaks Rishi Sunak’s campaign diary’ in new ad attacking gaffesSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has vowed to bring back national service for 18-year-olds to create a “renewed sense of pride in our country” if he wins the general election. Under the mandatory scheme, teenagers would be given a choice between a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their community.Sir Keir’s party branded the announcement “another desperate unfunded commitment”, which would cost an estimated £2.5bn each year. It comes as Wes Streeting warned striking doctors he would not meet their huge pay demands, and has vowed he would be “a shop steward for patients” as health secretary. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, he spoke of his plan to tackle of record waiting lists and the ongoing pay disputes, stating: “The NHS is not the envy of the world.”Sir Keir Starmer has also sought to question why voters should have trust in Rishi Sunak’s general election proposals if Michael Gove appears to have “lost faith” in the PM by joining the record exodus of Tory MPs.Sir Keir also confirmed he wanted to lower the voting age to 16.Show latest update 1716690600Number of migrants passes 10,000 in blow for Rishi SunakMore than 10,000 migrants are thought to have arrived in the UK so far this year after crossing the Channel, in a blow to the prime minister who has made “stopping the boats” a flagship promise.Migrants, including several children, were brought ashore in Dover, Kent, on Friday.As of Thursday, 9,882 people had made the journey from France this year, according to provisional Home Office figures.This is up 35% on the number recorded this time last year (7,297) and 6% higher than the same point in 2022 (9,326), according to PA news agency analysis of the data.The latest arrivals suggest at least around 130 migrants arrived in the UK on Friday, indicating the number crossing the Channel for 2024 to date has hit 10,000, and more were seen making the journey as the day continued.Holly Evans26 May 2024 03:301716688800Starmer defends New Deal ‘rebrand’ after union backlashSir Keir Starmer has defended Labour’s decision to rebrand its package of workers’ rights pledges following a backlash from one of the UK’s biggest trade unions.The party leader denied he was weakening policies on areas like zero-hours contracts, parental leave and sick pay after Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the plans had “more holes than Swiss cheese”.It comes after the latest flare-up in a row over Labour’s New Deal for Working People, following reports it would go through a formal consultation process with businesses – potentially delaying or toning down the pledges.Read the full article here: Holly Evans26 May 2024 03:001716687000Jeremy Corbyn’s constituents give views on re-election campaign as independentJeremy Corbyn’s constituents give views on re-election campaignJeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituents have given their views on their MP after he announced he would stand as an independent candidate in the general election. The former Labour leader was suspended by the party in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge. Mr Corbyn has now been banished from the party after announcing he will stand as an independent. Labour has selected Praful Nargund to stand against Mr Corbyn, who has held the seat for more than 40 years.Holly Evans26 May 2024 02:301716685200What makes a great Labour leader – and does Starmer have what it takes?If Keir Starmer wins on 4 July, he will be only the seventh Labour prime minister in the party’s history. Each of his predecessors has brought their own character to the office. Read the full analysis from John Rentoul here: Holly Evans26 May 2024 02:001716683400Watch: Starmer says Labour will give 16-year-olds right to voteStarmer says Labour will give 16-year-olds right to voteHolly Evans26 May 2024 01:301716681600All the MPs standing down at general election as Michael Gove joins the exodusThe UK will go to the polls in July after Rishi Sunak announced the date for the next general election – but scores of high-profile MPs will not be facing the electorate after deciding to stand down.Housing secretary Michael Gove and former business secretary Andrea Leadsom became the latest Tory MPs to announce they would not contest the next election, as the number of Conservative MPs deciding to stand aside hit a new post-war record. In his letter to constituents, Mr Gove cited the “toll” of public office as he said it was time to let “a new generation lead” following a political career spanning nearly 20 years.Read the full article here: Holly Evans26 May 2024 01:001716679800SNP will stand against ‘twin threats’ of austerity and privatisation John Swinney has said the SNP will stand against the “twin threats” of austerity and privatisation, as his party campaigns on public services.The SNP will seek to focus on investing in the NHS and other public services over the coming week of General Election campaigning.On Saturday, the First Minister visited several constituencies around Scotland as part of the SNP’s first national “day of action”.He said the Conservatives and Labour had both embraced austerity.Mr Swinney said: “Ensuring the NHS remains in public hands will be one of the defining debates of this General Election – and the SNP will do whatever we can to protect Scotland from the creeping privatisation and cuts agenda supported by the Westminster parties.“I am deeply alarmed at the language that is coming out of Westminster on the health service – and my pledge to the people of Scotland is that the Scottish Government and the SNP will play no part in it.”Holly Evans26 May 2024 00:301716678000Boris Johnson to be abroad for majority of election campaign The former prime minister has a series of pre-arranged trips over the coming weeks which he will not be cancelling, which ranges from speaking engagements to personal holidays. The Telegraph reports that these were all pre-arranged before the announcement came of the general election, with Mr Johnson categorically ruling out standing in the next election. Boris Johnson will be out largely of the country during the election campaign More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWes Streeting has vowed he will be “a shop steward for patients” as health secretary, with a warning to striking doctors that he will not meet their huge pay demands of 35 percent.With an election on 4 July, Mr Streeting has attempted to outline what sort of health secretary he would be if Labour, as expected, is victorious but takes power in the face of record waiting lists caused by the Covid pandemic and exacerbated by ongoing pay disputes.And he comes with a message on why things need to change: “The NHS is not the envy of the world.”The shadow health secretary was speaking to The Independent ahead of appearing at the Hay Festival this weekend in conversation with Independent editor Geordie Greig about his biography One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up.Mr Streeting insisted that the book is “not my Obama book” in the way it is meant to promote him as a future leader.Wes Streeting hopes that soon he will be the new health secretary 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 announced plans to lower the voting age to 16 – as Labour and the Tories kicked off the first weekend of the general election campaign.On a campaign visit to Stafford, the Labour leader confirmed plans to follow Scotland and Wales in extending the vote to a further 1.5 million people, telling reporters: “If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote.”The “extremely straightforward” legislation will likely even appear as soon as the King’s Speech, a Labour source told The Times, which estimated that such a move could flip eight Tory seats red in England alone. It comes as Rishi Sunak is scrambling to find more than 190 candidates amid the largest exodus of Tory MPs since the Second World War, with 78 now announcing they are stepping down at the July election. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer looks on during a Labour general election campaign event in Stafford More

Labour Party ‘leaks Rishi Sunak’s campaign diary’ in new ad attacking gaffesSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has sought to question why voters should have trust in Rishi Sunak’s general election proposals if Michael Gove appears to have “lost faith” in the PM by joining the record exodus of Tory MPs.On a visit to Stafford, the Labour leader said: “If he has effectively lost faith in what Rishi Sunak is putting before the electorate it does beg the question as to why the voters should have faith in what Rishi Sunak is putting forward. “They have effectively got off the bus, because they don’t think the bus is going anywhere, I do think that’s significant.”The first weekend of the general election campaign kickstarted with the Tories and Labour clashing over the economy, with Sir Keir focusing on the cost-of-living crisis, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt hinting at tax breaks for high earners.His shadow, Rachel Reeves, vowed to deliver financial stability with a Thatcher-style commitment to “sound money”.Sir Keir also confirmed he wanted to lower the voting age to 16.Show latest update 1716648797Starmer defends Labour’s worker’s rights packageSir Keir Starmer has defended Labour’s decision to rebrand its package of workers’ rights pledges following a backlash from one of the UK’s biggest trade unions.The party leader denied he was watering down policies on areas like zero-hours contracts, parental leave and sick pay after Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the plans had “more holes than Swiss cheese”.It comes after the latest flare-up in a row over Labour’s New Deal for Working People, following reports it would go through a formal consultation process with businesses – potentially delaying or toning down the pledges.On Friday, Labour rebranded the New Deal as “Labour’s plan to make work pay”.Andy Gregory25 May 2024 15:531716646228Senior Tories ‘getting off the bus because it’s going nowhere’, claims StarmerSir Keir Starmer has attacked Rishi Sunak over the record exodus of Tory MPs, including longstanding parliamentarians such as Michael Gove.“Michael Gove has a reputation for delivery in government. So if he has effectively lost faith in what Rishi Sunak is putting before the electorate it does beg the question as to why the voters should have faith in what Rishi Sunak is putting forward,” the Labour leader was quoted by the Telegraph as saying during a vist to Stafford.“They have effectively got off the bus, because they don’t think the bus is going anywhere, I do think that’s significant.”Andy Gregory25 May 2024 15:101716645066SNP’s John Swinney defends challenge of ‘prejudiced’ probe sanctionJohn Swinney has defended his decision to challenge the sanction ordered against his colleague Michael Matheson, saying the process on a Holyrood committee was “damaged” by “prejudice” from one of its members, reports Neil Pooran.Holyrood’s Standards Committee backed a 27-day suspension for Mr Matheson following the row over a near-£11,000 data roaming bill on his parliamentary iPad.But the First Minister said he did not support the cross-party committee’s sanction as one of its members, Conservative Annie Wells, had previously made critical comments about Mr Matheson’s explanation for the bill, which Mr Swinney believes therefore prejudiced the decision.The Conservatives have said voters will punish Mr Swinney for his “shameful defence” of his former ministerial colleague.Andy Gregory25 May 2024 14:511716643348Tory candidate crisis memes go viralThe Tories started the election needing to find 191 candidates and now another 10 MPs including Michael Gove have decided they do not want to run bringing the total to 78.With candidates also deciding they would rather not put their names forward for what could be a thankless task in many constituencies the party’s crisis is now being mocked on social media.Memes of pictures with Mr Sunak with random voters with the message “do you want to be a Conservative candidate?” are circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms.Others have a lifeboat crew member asking the same question of asylum seekers on the Channel in a small boat.Another one is an image of Alistair Sim’s version of Scrooge from the 1951 adaption of A Christmas Carol shouting the same question from window.David Maddox, Political Editor25 May 2024 14:221716642688Sunak ‘hiding away in mansion’, Labour claimsLabour has accused Rishi Sunak of “hiding away in his mansion” as his predecessor Liz Truss urged him to scrap all net zero targets in order to win the election.The PM was out campaigning on Saturday morning as he met with local veterans in his constituency, though his plans for the rest of the day have not been publicly confirmed.Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: “While Rishi Sunak spends today hiding away in his mansion, Liz Truss is yet again reminding voters that he has no control over his party and desperate Jeremy Hunt is making more completely unfunded promises.“Five more years of the Tories will mean more of this chaos – with the British public left paying the price every single day.”The Conservatives say it is inaccurate to suggest Mr Sunak is not out on the trail, pointing to his meeting with veterans on Saturday morning.Andy Gregory25 May 2024 14:111716641480Government could be first in post-war history to end with British public worse off, think-tank saysThe current Conservative government may be on track to be the first since the Second World War in which the British public’s average disposable income is lower in real terms than when it took power in 2019, according to the Resolution Foundation.Andy Gregory25 May 2024 13:511716639316Tories would cause mini-budget disaster repeat, Reeves warns The shadow chancellor has criticised government plans for further “uncosted, unfunded tax cuts”, suggesting they would cause a repeat of the mini-budget in 2022.Speaking on a visit to a supermarket in west London, Rachel Reeves said: “I want taxes on working people to be lower, but the Conservatives have now put forward a number of uncosted, unfunded tax cuts similar to what Liz Truss did just 18 months ago.“The Conservatives haven’t learned that lesson and putting forward unfunded commitments is something that I would never do, because when you play fast and loose with the public finances, it is ordinary working people that pay the price.“We saw that with the Conservatives’ mini-budget, the risk of another five years of Conservatives is that they do exactly the same thing all over again.”Ms Reeves added that Labour’s manifesto was ready to be published. Jane Dalton25 May 2024 13:151716638116Scottish party leaders hit out at SNPScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is due to visit Wishaw in North Lanarkshire following the official launch of Scottish Labour’s campaign.Mr Sarwar said: “This chaotic and dysfunctional Tory government has let down Scots and put their own party interest ahead of the national interest – but the same is true of the SNP.“This is a pivotal moment for Scotland and a chance to reject the division and decline of both the Tories and the SNP.”Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross was joined by Stephen Kerr, the party’s candidate for Angus and Perthshire Glens, as he visited a railway station in Brechin.Mr Ross said: “Our campaign to beat the SNP and end their obsession with independence is going full steam ahead.”Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said it was time to “tear down the acid yellow wall of the SNP” as he campaigned in Mid Dunbartonshire, which he claimed would be the most tightly fought seat in Scotland.Keir Starmer Joins Anas Sarwar More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe boss of a childcare firm backed by Rishi Sunak’s wife and hosted at a Downing St reception has said she is backing Labour after she saw at first hand how Tory infighting and the toppling of prime ministers prevented the introduction of key policies that would benefit parents.Supporting Sir Keir Starmer in the general election, Rachel Carrell, the CEO and founder of Koru Kids, said the Conservatives “are not serious people” but Labour’s top team would give the UK the stability that is “absolutely essential to business growth and … getting necessary reforms through”. She also said that she looked forward to “living in a country with competent leadership” after it had lurched from “crisis to crisis, embarrassment to embarrassment” under the Conservatives.Her verdict will come as a blow to Mr Sunak, who was at the centre of a conflict-of-interest row over his wife’s shareholding in the company last year. Rishi Sunak was at the centre of a row over the shares his wife Akshata Murty had in childcare agency Koru Kids More

A Tory minister has said it is “reasonable” for long-serving MPs to stand down as a post-war record of 78 Conservative MPs have announced they will not seek re-election.Speaking to Sky News, economic secretary to the Treasury Bim Afolami said: “It’s reasonable after people spending time doing a job for 20 to 30 years… that they choose to do something else.”Housing minister Michael Gove cited the “toll” of public office as he announced he was stepping down as an MP after almost 20 years.The total number of Tory MPs stepping down has surpassed the previous high of 72 who quit prior to Labour’s 1997 landslide. More