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    Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch refuses to say whether or not she wants to be prime minister

    Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch refused to say whether or not she wants to be prime minister.The Conservative MP, who faces Robert Jenrick in the final battle to become Tory leader, was repeatedly pressed on whether she would like to be prime minister, but refused to give a straight “yes or no” answer, when she appeared on Sophie Ridge’s Sky Politics show on Monday evening (28 October).Ms Badenoch said her interest at the moment was leading the Conservative Party in opposition.She added: “I am very well aware of how life could change for the worse.” More

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    Labour minister claims Budget will be ‘most honest’ in years

    Labour minister Pat McFadden clashed with BBC Radio 4’s Emma Barnett over the definition of “working people” as he predicted that this week’s Budget would be the “most honest” in years.The Today programme host accused the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster of “not being honest” as she said he could not answer her questions on who working people are.Labour faces a row over reported plans to raise employer national insurance contributions and capital gains, with critics arguing this would breach the party’s commitment to not raise taxes on “working people.”Mr McFadden said: “I think you’re going to get the most honest Budget on Wednesday that you’ve had in many years.“We’re going to end the fiscal fiction of things being announced which had no money set aside for them.” More

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    Keir Starmer responds to video of MP appearing to punch man

    Sir Keir Starmer responded to a video of suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury appearing to punch a constituent.Footage appeared to show the 55-year-old MP for Runcorn and Helsby repeatedly hitting another man as others nearby shouted “Stop it”.In a pre-Budget speech, the prime minister said: “I’ve seen the video footage. It’s shocking. We moved very swiftly to suspend him as a member and as a member of parliament.“There is now a police investigation. In the circumstances, you’ll appreciate there’s not much more I can say.”On Sunday, Cheshire Police confirmed a 55-year-old man had been voluntarily interviewed under caution in relation to the incident after officers were called to reports of an attack in Frodsham at 2.48am on Saturday.“He has since been released pending further inquiries,” the force said. More

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    Budget 2024: Education secretary gives Labour’s latest definition of ‘working people’

    Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has shared the latest definition of “working people” from Labour’s manifesto.Labour promised at the general election not to increase taxes on “working people” – but has been struggling to define who these people are ahead of its tax-raising Budget.Ms Phillipson was pressed for a definition of “working people” when she appeared on Sky Breakfast with Trevor Phillips on Sunday (27 October).She replied: “It is people whose main income arises from the fact they go out to work every day.” More

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    The Kemi Badenoch interview: Tory leadership favourite discusses how she’ll stand her ground if elected

    In an exclusive interview with The Independent, Kemi Badenoch discusses her campaign to become the next leader of the Conservatives.In a wide-ranging interview, Badenoch defends her position on a number of topics including two-tier policing, that police officers should be backed over the killing of Chris Kaba and how she thinks Britain will have to leave the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) like her opposition Robert Jenrick.Speaking with political editor, David Maddox, the Conservative MP for North West Essex also responded to comments by Sir Christopher Chope, as well as many comparing her to Margaret Thatcher. More

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    Furious Vladimir Putin blasts BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg when challenged at press conference

    A furious Vladimir Putin blasted BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg when challenged at a post BRICS press conference.Putin was asked whether the Ukraine war went against the values put forward by the BRICS of justice, regional stability and security, and a fair world on Thursday (24 October).It was the final question introduced by Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov who smiled as he claimed the BBC was “a rare guest these days”.Putin hit back at the question saying: “Is it fair that for years our (Western) partners for years ignored our constant appeals not to expand NATO to the East? To lie to our face and violate all their obligations… to get into Ukraine and build military bases?” More

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    Donald Trump endorses Boris Johnson in 2019 general election, resurfaced clip shows

    Donald Trump endorsed former Conservative leader Boris Johnson in the 2019 general election, this resurfaced clip shows.The former US president, who this week filed a legal campaign against Labour accusing it of electoral interference, appeared on Nigel Farage’s LBC show back in 2019 via telephone.Trump tells Farage: “Boris is a fantastic man and I think he is the exact right guy for the times.”Trump continues: “Corbyn would be so bad for your country, he’d take you in such a bad way.” More

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    Vladimir Putin denies having any contact with Donald Trump

    Vladimir Putin has denied having any contact with former US president Donald Trump.Speaking after the BRICS summit in Kazan on Thursday (24 October), the Russian president said: “This is something that has been constantly discussed for more than one year. “At one time, we were accused of this, and Trump himself of being somehow connected with Russia. Then, as a result of an investigation in the United States itself, everyone came to the conclusion, including in the Congress, as far as I know, that this was complete nonsense, that nothing like this had ever happened.“It didn’t happen before, and it doesn’t happen now.” More