UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe billionaire founder of Phones4U who donated £500,000 to the Tory party in 2019 has switched his support to Labour in a fresh blow to Rishi Sunak’s stuttering election campaign.John Caudwell has said he will be voting for Labour citing his amazement at Sir Keir Starmer’s transformation of the party.Mr Cauldwell was one of the biggest donors to the Tories ahead of the 2019 general election, when he gave half a million pounds to Boris Johnson’s campaign.Encouraging everybody to vote for Labour, Mr Caudwell said he was “amazed by how Keir Starmer brought it back from that Corbyn brink.”Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage is set to win in his constituency of Clacton, Essex, according to fresh predictions from pollster Ipsos. The projections show Mr Farage at 52 per cent, far ahead of the next candidate, Labour’s Jovan Owusu-Nepaul at 24 per cent.The model is the first research of its kind to be carried out entirely after Mr Farage announced that he would return to Reform UK as party leader, and run for candidate. Tory defector Lee Anderson is also estimated to hold his seat in Ashfield. The model also projects that Jeremy Corbyn may lose his seat in Islington North after 41 years of being an MP. Labour is estimated at 54 per cent of the vote in the constituency, with candidate Praful Nargund, while Mr Corbyn may be at just 13 per cent.Head of politics at Ipsos Gideon Skinner explained that projections can be affected by a variety of factors, and are riskier with high-profile candidates: “Is it the question of Jeremy Corbyn losing, or is it more a question of just Labour holding off in Islington? It may be that there is identity with Labour there, even if there is also support for Jeremy Corbyn as an individual candidate.”He added that the methodology he used “is good at making estimates based on the demographic characteristics of each individual constituency. But it’s not so good at picking up very unique political, local dynamics.”“We make some efforts in areas where we know there are high-profile independents, we’ve made some changes to the approach to take that into account a bit more, but even so, that’s not going to pick up the full picture of everything. This is the latest projection using multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) polling, a relatively new type of polling, to show that Labour will likely win a strong majority. Sir Keir Starmer’s party is on track to win an average of 453 seats, ranging between 439 and 462.The projections suggest that Labour will see the most substantial leaps in Scotland and the North East, as well as winning seats in Wales thanks to the declining Tory vote.Meanwhile, just 115 seats have been projected for the Tories; a loss of 225 constituencies for the party. This could go as low as 99 seats, or as high as just 123, with sharp drops in the East, South, and the Midlands. The large-scale survey is of 19,000 people, and population data on local constituency levels.Top Tory cabinet ministers are at high risk of losing their spots in parliament, with Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees-Mogg among those projected to lose on 4 July. Meanwhile Jeremy Hunt, who has poured £100,000 of his own money into his fight for re-election, still faces an uncertain future. The former chancellor is just 1 point ahead (34 per cent) of the Lib Dems (33 per cent) in his newly-formed constituency of Godalming and Ash.Reform is also leading by a small margin in North West Leicestershire, with candidate Noel Matthews projected at 35 per cent.The Conservative majority in the constituency has crumbled since former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen was expelled last year, after comparing Covid to the Holocaust. Mr Bridgen then joined Reclaim Party, before quitting at the end of 2023. The right-wing challenger party Reform is currently coming in second in 30 constituencies. At the highest end of the spectrum, Ipsos projects that the party could win up to 10 seats.Around 1 in 5 seats (117 overall) have been deemed “too close to call”, with a projected winning margin of under 5 per cent. These include Salisbury, North Devon, and Torbay.The Lib Dems are projected to win an average of 38 seats, which could increase to 48 seats on the highest estimates. This is s sharp increase from the 8 seats which they won in the 2019 general election. The party is set to gain at least 20 seats from the Tories. Though the Green Party are looking to make headwinds, winning party leader Carla Denyer’s constituency of Bristol Central, Ipsos projects that they may lose their only existing seat in Brighton Pavilion where Caroline Lucas has been elected since 2010.The current projections show musician Tom Gray leading by 17 points for Labour, at 54 per cent. However, there are more positives in sight for the party, which has historically struggled to translate national vote share into seats; the Greens are currently on track to win in North Herefordshire, and are neck-in-neck in Waveney. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJeremy Hunt’s re-election campaign is being bankrolled in part by a hedge fund manager who hosted a champagne reception on the day of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget.Andrew Law, a financier worth £750 million, also helped to fund Ms Truss’s leadership campaign, before she lasted just 49 days as prime minister.And he is reported to have likely profited as “Trussonomics” crashed the value of the pound. New figures released by the Electoral Commission show Mr Hunt’s campaign in Godalming and Ash has received more than £14,000 from Mr Law. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is facing a battle to win his seat (Aaron Chown/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailMore than half of all voters believe that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn should be allowed back into the party if he is re-elected as an MP in his constituency of Islington North.Exclusive polling for The Independent by Techne shows that while 56 per cent of all voters say he should be readmitted, the number is much higher among Labour voters, with eight in 10 saying that Mr Corbyn should be allowed to rejoin the Labour Party.Mr Corbyn was banished from the Labour Party in May this year, after announcing he would stand as an independent candidate for the general election on 4 July.He had previously held the seat of Islington North for Labour since 1983. Mr Corbyn had been suspended since 2020, over downplaying antisemitism reports, and was unable to run for Labour.Mr Corbyn’s decision to stand as a non-Labour candidate was particularly controversial since he held the post of party leader between 2015 and 2020.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has repeatedly said he would not strike a deal with the Tories; nor is the idea popular on the other side, with former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson saying he would be allowed into her party “over my cold, dead corpse”.Yet 46 per cent of all voters believe that Mr Farage should be allowed to join the Conservatives if he wins his seat in Clacton, Essex, next month.A sample of 1,624 UK adults were asked the question: “If they become MPs at this general election should Nigel Farage be allowed into the Conservatives and/or Jeremy Corbyn be allowed into Labour ?”Nearly half of voters said Nigel Farage should be allowed to join the Tories More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBritain will head to the polls on July 4 after prime minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election at the end of May. June has seen intense vote-garnering efforts from all political parties as leaders chat, debate, and even paddle across the country to win over as many as possible. All parties have now revealed their election manifestos, laying out their vision for the country.Current polling would suggest things are not looking good for the Conservatives, with most trackers firmly putting Labour an average 20 points ahead of the governing party.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to Cambridge Rugby Club in Cambridge More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBoris Johnson has been pulled in to help the crisis-hit Conservative election campaign – but he still might snub Rishi Sunak. The former prime minister has had a tense relationship with his ex-chancellor since Mr Sunak’s resignation hastened his departure from Downing Street. In recent days he has filmed a series of cameo-style videos for individual Tory candidates who have loyally stood by him over the years – including one who tried to oust Mr Sunak. Now he has been parachuted into the disastrous Conservative election campaign, as it tries to fight off the threat from Nigel Farage. Letters exhorting voters to back the Tories, signed by the ex-party leader, are due to land on tens of thousands of doorsteps later this week. But a spokesman for Mr Johnson would not be drawn on whether the letters would mention Mr Sunak, although he did describe them as “supportive”.Letters from Boris Johnson urging voters to back the Conservatives are due to land on doorsteps later this week. More

Grant Shapps says Tories ‘fighting for every single vote’ as he faces questions on campaignSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBoris Johnson’s backing “will make a difference” to the ailing Tory campaign, Rishi Sunak has insisted – as his predecessor was drafted in to help fight Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.The prime minister said it was “great” that Mr Johnson – who is on holiday in Greece – would be endorsing Tory candidates in a series of videos and letters to voters in the coming days, in an intervention Mr Sunak said was “co-ordinated by the campaign”.But a spokesman for Mr Johnson would not be drawn on whether the letters would mention Mr Sunak, although he did describe them as “supportive”. Asked if they would mention the prime minister, he said their content “will become clear in due course”.Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer refused to rule out changes to council tax rates in his plans for government, telling LBC he would not “write the budgets for the next five years”.And he joked that the intervention from Mr Johnson was a “third or fourth relaunch” of the Conservative election strategy, adding: “If you can’t even have a strategy that holds for six weeks you really don’t deserve to win.”Show latest update 1718722241Watch: Ed Balls grills Nigel Farage on ‘who would benefit most’ from Reform UK tax proposalsEd Balls grills Nigel Farage on ‘who would benefit most’ from Reform UK tax proposalsAndy Gregory18 June 2024 15:501718721341David Cameron warns Lib Dems would bring more ‘wokery’ to politicsRishi Sunak said it has been “a real privilege” to understand the contribution farmers make to society.The Prime Minister said at a Q and A with farmers in North Devon: “Now, I grew up in Southampton, and I didn’t come from a farming background. So it’s been a real privilege to understand the contribution that you make to our society.”He was introduced by Lord David Cameron, who warned the Liberal Democrats would bring more “wokery” to politics.Andy Gregory18 June 2024 15:351718720501Sunak and Cameron struggle to feed sheep on farm in DevonRishi Sunak and Lord David Cameron struggled to feed sheep on a campaign visit to a farm in north Devon.“Come on,” the prime minister said as the flock ran to the other side of the pen.“They don’t want to play ball,” a farmer accompanying Mr Sunak said.Andy Gregory18 June 2024 15:211718719859Vetting firm being sued by Nigel Farage denies ‘stitching up’ Reform UKThe vetting company hired by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to run background checks on its candidates has denied trying to “stitch up” the right-wing party.Vetting.com, which is now being sued by Reform on Mr Farage’s orders, said it did not have time to scrutinise all 609 of Reform’s candidates before the snap summer poll.A spokesman for the organisation said it had been working on the assumption the general election would be this autumn, giving it the summer to complete its work.It came after Mr Farage lashed out at the company, claiming to have paid it £144,000 only to have been “stitched up”. The Reform leader blamed Vetting chairman Colin Bloom, who was faith engagement adviser for the Conservative Party under Boris Johnson.Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full report:Andy Gregory18 June 2024 15:101718719491Rishi Sunak turns to Margaret Thatcher to save flagging campaignRishi Sunak has turned to a favourite of Conservative PMs looking to appeal to the party’s base … if in doubt, wheel Thatcher out.The prime minister has posted a graphic of Lady Thatcher on Facebook alongside a 1989 quote from the Iron Lady railing against socialists.Hours after the Tories took to warning of a decade of socialism if Sir Keir Starmer is elected on 4 July, Mr Sunak was highlighting Lady Thatcher’s opposition to socialist tendencies.In the quote, she said: “Socialists don’t like ordinary people choosing, because they might not choose socialism.”Archie Mitchell, Political Correspondent18 June 2024 15:041718717905Watch: Starmer reveals wife Victoria had to cheer him up after ‘frustrating’ first TV debateKeir Starmer reveals wife Victoria had to cheer him up after ‘frustrating’ first TV debateAndy Gregory18 June 2024 14:381718716825Starmer leaves door open to maintaining beer duty freezeSir Keir Starmer has not ruled out maintaining a freeze on beer duties, after shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves signalled in an interview with the Sun newspaper that Labour was open to such a move.Asked about this, party leader Sir Keir told broadcasters in the South East: “I think it is important that we support hospitality and the beer duty is part of the package there. I am glad and obviously support what Rachel has already said.“But it is part of the challenge for small businesses, whether it is hospitality, whether it is retail as we have just been talking about.“That is why I am really pleased today to be unveiling our plan for supporting small businesses, for supporting high streets, to make sure that more people are out using those small businesses on their high streets.“It is all part of our manifesto, which is a manifesto for wealth creation, for growth, and making sure that people genuinely feel better off with Labour.”Andy Gregory18 June 2024 14:201718715685Britain’s future at stake, says SunakRishi Sunak said it was important to register to vote in the general election because Britain’s future was at stake.Asked why it was important to register on the last day of the window to do so, the PM told broadcasters: “This election there is a very clear choice. “The future of our country is at stake, we are living in uncertain times, people need to decide who’s got the clearest plan and the boldest ideas to deliver a more secure future.”He added that the choice was “crystal clear” with the Conservatives offering “tax cuts at every stage of your life”.Andy Gregory18 June 2024 14:011718714845Sunak says Johnson support for Tories ‘will make a difference’Rishi Sunak said Boris Johnson’s support for the Conservatives “will make a difference” and his interventions had been “co-ordinated by the campaign”.The PM told broadcasters: “It’s great that Boris is supporting the Conservative Party, I very much welcome that. He is endorsing many candidates in videos and letters which have been co-ordinated by the campaign.“I know that will make a difference and, of course, every week he is making the case in his column and making sure that everyone understands what the Labour government would do to this country and why it’s important that everyone votes Conservative and I’m glad he’s doing that.”Andy Gregory18 June 2024 13:471718713825Boris Johnson pulled into Tory campaign with personalised letters to voters – but may still snub Rishi SunakBoris Johnson has been pulled in to help the crisis-hit Conservative election campaign – but he still might snub Rishi Sunak.In recent days he has filmed a series of cameo-style videos for individual Tory candidates who have loyally stood by him over the years – including one who tried to oust Mr Sunak.Now he has been parachuted into the disastrous Conservative election campaign, as it tries to fight off the threat from Nigel Farage. Letters exhorting voters to back the Tories, signed by the ex-party leader, are due to land on tens of thousands of doorsteps later this week.But a spokesman for Mr Johnson would not be drawn on whether the letters would mention Mr Sunak, although he did describe them as “supportive”.Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the exclusive report:Andy Gregory18 June 2024 13:30 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe UK will take to the polls on July 4 after prime minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election at the end of May.Speaking outside of Downing Street, the prime minister announced that King Charles had granted his request to dissolve Parliament and promised to “fight for every vote” in the run up to polling day.The following weeks have seen fervent campaigning from all parties, as they vie for votes up and down the country. The Labour and Conservative ‘battlebuses’ are travelling far and wide to visit as many areas as possible, attempting to woo voters, and avoid gaffes along the way.Polling has remained steady since the election was called. This is probably much to the dismay of Mr Sunak, as his party lags behind. Most of the latest predictions put Labour around 20 points ahead of the Conservatives on average.All the large parties have now released their election manifestos, laying out their vision for the future of Britain. It is down to voters to decide which party they feel is best to take the country forward as they cast their ballot for the candidate they want to represent their area in parliament.To cast your vote on July 4, there’s a few things you will need to be aware of. Here’s everything you need to know about voting in the next general election.How to register to voteRegistering to vote can be done online or with a paper form.In England and Northern Ireland you can register to vote from 16, while in Wales and Scotland it’s 14. However, you must be 18 on polling day to vote in a general election.The deadline to register to vote in the July 4 general election is June 18 at 11.59pm, the Electoral Commission has confirmed.You must be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, and also be resident at an address in the UK or registered as an overseas voter.You will cast a single vote for the person that you want to represent your constituency as a Member of Parliament (MP). They will either represent a political party or be standing as an independent candidate.MPs are elected using the first past the post voting system – whoever gets the most votes, wins. How to apply for a postal voteIf you’ll be away from home or abroad during the general election, you can apply for a postal vote. This means you will complete your ballot paper remotely, and post it back to your polling station.You can apply for a postal vote on the government’s website. You must first be registered to vote.You should receive your ballot paper by post around three weeks before polling day. It must be completed and sent back to the polling station in time for them to receive it no later than 10pm on polling day, so it is advisable to return it as soon as possible after you receive it.If you are unable to do so, you are allowed to take your completed postal vote directly to your local polling station before this deadline. You can hand in your own and up to five other people’s. It is an offence for a political campaigner to hand yours in if they do not know you personally.How to apply for a proxy voteA proxy vote is when someone votes on your behalf at the polling station. Similar to a postal vote, a proxy vote is for someone who is not able to physically be at the polling station on polling day.However, it is only allowed under certain circumstances.These are: being away on polling day, being registered as an overseas voter, having a medical issue or disability, and not being able to vote in person due to work or military service.You must apply for a proxy vote by 5pm, six working days before the election.However, if you are unable to vote on polling day due to circumstances such as a medical emergency or losing your photo ID, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote. You will have until 5pm on polling day to apply.What about voter ID?Following the introduction of new election laws in 2023, the July general election will be the first ever where people will be required to present a form of identification to vote.Many standard forms of ID are valid, including passports and driver’s licences. However, there are some omissions such as veteran cards, or travel passes for younger people.If you don’t possess an accepted form of ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from the government. They are free and do not expire, but must be ordered with time to arrive before the election date.Read our guide to find out more about the new voter ID laws. More