UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s attempts to kickstart the general election campaign with a threat of nuclear war and a need to have a government strong on defence and security has failed to move voters, a new poll has revealed.The Techne UK weekly tracker poll seen by The Independent has shown that Mr Sunak’s speech at the Policy Exchange thinktank has left his party rooted on just 21 percent, unchanged from last week.It also followed a week where pollsters – including Techne UK chief executive Michela Morizzo, Professor Sir John Curtice and Lord Hayward – all also warned that a Tory push to use “culture war” issues to win back voters would not save the Tories. Initiatives this week included tackling “woke activism” in the civil service with banning rainbow lanyards one of the measures proposed, and banning lessons about trans issues in schools.While the tactics of Mr Sunak’s appeared to have failed Labour maintained a 23-point lead although their support fell by 1 percent to 44 percent from last week.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to be on his way out of 10 Downing Street (PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWeak leadership, poor economic management and Brexit have dragged Britain out of the top 10 countries in a global index on good government.The decline of Britain under the Tories has been charted by the global Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) which saw it take 11th place.At a time when Rishi Sunak has been under siege from his own Tory MPs, the UK’s place on the annual list was made worse by scores for “leadership and foresight” putting it in 20th place.It was also hit by coming 27th in “financial stewardship”. The findings come amid a report of an exodus by companies from the City of London.Prime minister Rishi Sunak steps out of 10 Downing Street. The UK was marked down for weak leadership More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer donned his election boots as Labour launched its bid to seize back 10 Downing Street after 14 years in opposition with a 48-hour blitz of battleground seats.In a presidential-style event in Thurrock, Essex, the Labour leader set the tone for the next six months of solid electioneering with a “stability” first message to voters who turned their back on the party after previously supporting Tony Blair.With a confident performance surrounded by his top team, Sir Keir laid out his six “first steps”, aping the five pledges of New Labour in 1997 which swept Blair to power.Among his supporters were two former Tory donors including Boots boss Sebastian James, an Old Etonian friend of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, who endorsed Labour and praised Sir Keir’s focus on economic growth and Britain’s high streets.The second, Rob Boughton, runs one of the biggest developers in the South East; his company has donated nearly £1m to the Conservatives since 2017.But he told the audience that Labour’s message on economic stability and growth had won him over.Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during his visit to the Backstage Centre, Purfleet, for the launch of Labour’s doorstep offer to voters ahead of the general election More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailTheresa May has joked that she risks going down in history as the prime minister who held hands with Donald Trump.The former PM, who is leaving parliament at this year’s general election, said she is not sure “whether I am going to be known as the prime minister who did not get Brexit through… or the prime minister who Donald Trump held hands with”.Ms May was asked at a gathering of journalists about the potential future relationship between Sir Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak and Mr Trump if he is re-elected in November.The Maidenhead MP replied that “all I can say is I hope he doesn’t hold their hand”.Former Prime Minister Theresa May and former U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 More

Keir Starmer launches Labour election campaign with six pledges to votersSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has clashed with Janet Street Porter on ITV’s Loose Women over his recent spring Budget. The Prime Minister was confronted on why he “hates pensioners” as some measures “didn’t cater to older people”. It came hours after Sir Keir Starmer has launched Labour’s pitch to voters ahead of the general election, unveiling a set of six steps for government. Speaking from Essex this morning, he is joined by deputy leader Angela Rayner and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves. He vowed to deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, create a new Border Security Command to end criminal boat gangs, and a publicly owned energy provider, to be called Great British Energy.He promised to tackle on antisocial behaviour, and he will announce the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers.The chief executive of Boots Sebastian James has endorsed Labour. The Old Etonian friend of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, praised Sir Keir’s focus on economic growth and Britain’s high streets.Rishi Sunak delivered in his own keynote speech earlier this week where he criticised Labour for fighting based on “Starmer versus Sunak”.Show latest update 1715871031‘Truss book should be shelved under sci-fi and fantasy,’ Theresa May saysThe former Prime Minister has made fun of her successor’s books. “Liz Truss’ 10 years to save the West?” she laughed. “Well, given Liz’s reputation and record, maybe it should be 10 days to save Britain.“That one probably goes under sci-fi and fantasy.”And on Boris Johnson’s upcoming memoir, she said: ”That will undoubtedly be shelved under ‘current affairs’.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has defended his controversial sex education plans after they were compared to Margaret Thatcher’s hated Section 28. Ministers are to bar sex education classes for children younger than nine years old. And the teaching of gender identity will be banned right up until the age of 18, education secretary Gillian Keegan said. Critics have compared the plans to the heavily criticised Section 28 policy, which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities, including in schools. Rishi Sunak said he could not remember his own sex education More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Partygate investigator Sue Gray gave evidence to the Covid inquiry in Belfast on Thursday, 16 May.The former senior civil servant, now Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, authored a report looking into Boris Johnson over lockdown breaches in Downing Street during the pandemic.It was launched after media reports of gatherings in the locale of the British prime minister.Ms Gray concluded there were “failures of leadership and judgment in No 10 and the Cabinet Office” for which “the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility”.“The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen,” she added.Ms Gray found that leaving dos and other boozy gatherings, including drinking until the early hours of the morning, were held while restrictions were in place.The findings were widely viewed as hastening Mr Johnson’s departure from the top job.The Metropolitan Police conducted a probe, named Operation Hillman, into rule breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall.Officers said a total of 126 fines were issued to 83 people in the scandal.Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie, and Rishi Sunak all received fixed penalty notices for attending a birthday gathering for the then-PM in No 10.After writing the report, Ms Gray joined the Labour leader’s team,A government investigation found she breached the civil service code by talking to Sir Keir about a job four months before leaving Whitehall.A Labour spokesperson said the finding by the Cabinet Office was “Mickey Mouse nonsense” and a “political stunt” by the Tories, adding: “All rules were complied with.”Ms Gray began working as Labour leader’s chief of staff after a six-month cooling off period from when she quit as a senior civil servant in March 2023. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Sir Keir Starmer launched Labour’s six “first steps” in a pre-election pitch to voters on Thursday, 16 May. The opposition leader outlined the party’s doorstep offer at a potential electoral battleground in Essex.Sir Keir spoke to build on the missions for what Labour has branded a “decade of national renewal” should they win when voters go to the polls.The politician has pledged to deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, launch a new border security command, set up publicly-owned energy firm Great British Energy, crack down on antisocial behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers.Though the proposals will be give to voters in physical form, Labour has steered away from directly comparing this to the pledge card given out by Sir Tony Blair ahead of the landslide 1997 general election.The Labour leader has insisted the “six steps” are not all the party has to offer, remarking: “I would remind you for example… the national minimum wage was not on the pledge card in 1997, but it was one of the most important achievements of the Labour government, and in a similar vein, our manifesto will be our full offering.” More