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Esther McVey has defended her role as the “minister for common sense” – an unofficial title bestowed after her appointment to the Cabinet Office in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle – in a speech quoting Aristotle on Monday, 13 May.The Conservative MP for Tatton referenced the Greek philosopher in a speech at the right-wing Centre for Policy Studies think tank as she announced there would be no more spending on external equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) contracts without an explicit sign-off from a minister.”Aristotle thought common sense helped us form coherent thoughts and make rational decisions. It’s as important [as] a sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell,” Ms McVey said. More

Rishi Sunak ruled out a January election in a speech on Monday, 12 May, after the Conservatives suffered blows in local and regional elections earlier this month.In a pre-election pitch to voters, the prime minister said: “At some point in the second half of this year, we will all go to the polls… I remain confident that my party can prevail, not because of our record alone, but because we will be the only party really talking about the future.”It came as the Tories dropped behind Labour in the polls.Mr Sunak has previously declined to rule out an election in July, repeatedly saying his “working assumption” is that it would be later this year. More

Lord David Cameron said it would be “absolutely right” for Rishi Sunak to call a general election in the second half of the year because it would give voters time to see “the plan is working”.The foreign secretary told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme today (12 May): “I think the prime minister is a good man doing a great job at a difficult time.“And I think you’ve got a very clear choice opening up, and that’s what happens as you get to the end of a parliament. It stops being a referendum on the government every day and it starts being a choice between two teams.”Lord Cameron added: “Labour is desperate for an election because the longer you look at it you can see the plan is working.” More

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK’s failed asylum system has turned refugee camps into a “job-centre for modern slavery” as he outlined Labour’s plan to stop small boat crossings on Friday 10 May.The Labour leader delivered a speech on the Kent coast in which he attacked the government’s current approach as “rank incompetence” and dismissed the Rwanda scheme.Sir Keir also recalled a visit to a refugee camp on the outskirts of Calais in 2016 and described the situation as a “monumental failure”.“People had been brutally let down,” he said.“Not just in terms of the truly awful conditions but also because the failure of our asylum system had encouraged a false hope.” More

Tory minister Claire Coutinho has defended Rishi Sunak’s recent poor party election results as she insisted the Conservatives have got a “very positive agenda”.The Conservative Party suffered its worst electoral defeat in years last week, losing more than half of its councillors who stood for re-election across England.The energy secretary defended the Conservative Party’s results when she appeared on ITV’s Peston show on Wednesday night (8 May) and was asked if the prime minister should change his plans. More

Robert Jenrick wrote that he was sharing “the truth that needs to be told” as he posted a new video explaining his decision to resign from government.Mr Jenrick resigned as immigration minister back in December 2023 as he criticised the government’s Rwanda legislation and this week suggested Rishi Sunak needs to win back Tory voters who have gone “on strike”.“I resigned as immigration minister because this dishonesty can’t go on,” Mr Jenrick says in a new video shared on his social media on Wednesday evening (8 May). More

Robert Jenrick has labelled Natalie Elphicke’s defection to the Labour Party “baffling and idiotic”.Ms Elphicke quit the Conservatives just moments before Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (8 May), hitting out at Rishi Sunak’s “tired and chaotic government” and accusing him of failing to deliver on his promise to “stop the boats”.Speaking on ITV’s Peston hours after she crossed the floor in the House of Commons, former Tory immigration minister Mr Jenrick suggested Ms Elphicke has joined a party that represents “everything she despises”.“Her decision was baffling, idiotic,” he said. More

Natalie Elphicke appeared to join in with protesters’ chants as she attended a demonstration against P&O Ferries’ decision to sack 800 seafarers, resurfaced footage from March 2022 shows.The video was re-posted on social media after the MP for Dover defected from the Tories to Labour, heavily criticising the prime minister and her former party.Footage showed Ms Elphicke being heckled by union members outside Maritime House in the Kent town, with other protesters shouting “You voted for fire and rehire,” and “Shame on you.”Elaborating on her decision to defect, Ms Elphicke hit out at the “broken promises of Rishi Sunak’s tired and chaotic government.” More