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UK Elections 2022: 5 Takeaways As Tories Suffer ‘Shattering Night’

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1. Boris GONE-son?: Tories in trouble

Make no bones about it, the Conservative Party has lost more than 400 seats and that is not good. For all the talk of a mid-term protest vote against the governing party, the Tories had already been duffed-up the last time the councils were contested four years ago, so hundreds more councillors going on a like-for-like basis should not be glossed over.

It’s telling the gloss that Boris Johnson’s outriders are painting with focuses on Labour’s lack of gains, not its own deficit. But there was scathing criticism from within the party, including this damning tweet from ex-MP and former Theresa May adviser Gavin Barwell, who called it a “wake up call”.

But, with Johnson facing a leadership challenge if 53 Tory MPs demand a vote of no confidence, there was little sign they were more prepared to wield the axe. With most critics in Westminster keeping their heads down, it was left it to grassroots Tories to speak out.

John Mallinson, leader of Carlisle City Council, hit out after Labour took control of the new Cumberland authority which will replace it, saying: “I think it is not just partygate, there is the integrity issue. Basically I just don’t feel people any longer have the confidence that the prime minister can be relied upon to tell the truth.”

Johnson himself said it had been a “mixed set of results” for the Tories. “It is mid-term,” he said, sticking to the script.

As the losses notched up, and edged towards 500 seats, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “This is a shattering result for the Conservatives.

“Boris Johnson was on the ballot paper and the British public has rejected him.

“The question every decent Conservative will be asking themselves is how much further are they willing fall for a man who never fails to put his own interest above his councillors, his MPs, his party, and his country.”

Next stop: tricky by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.

2. Keir, there, everywhere: Labour’s contrasting fortunes

Labour’s performance is open to interpretation, and interpret is what commentators have spent much of the last 12 hours doing.

There were the headline grabbing wins in London – flagship Tory councils Wandsworth, Westminster and Barnet fell – and a majority on the newly-created council in Cumberland, which Labour leader Keir Starmer said showed his party could win anywhere. The traditional county-wide authority includes ‘Workington Man’, a voter demographic that gets pollsters very excited in terms of who might win a general election.

There’s also something happening for Labour on the coast – it took control of Southampton and Worthing – and the “sea wall” appears to have entered the political lexicon, joining the “red wall” and “blue wall” stolen from US politics.

But Labour has gained 252 councils seats – a reflection of the party not pocketing all the Conservative losses. The Tories were briefing how Labour has gone backwards in Sunderland, Tyneside, Hartlepool, Nuneaton, Sandwell and Amber Valley – former heartlands areas in the north and midlands that will be essential to getting back into power in Westminster.

But it’s progress. An analysis for the BBC by Professor Sir John Curtice calculated that if the whole country had been voting Labour would have gained 35% of the vote – five points ahead of the Tories on 30% – the party’s biggest lead in local elections for a decade.

Starmer, who is now facing a fresh “beergate” investigation, proclaimed clear evidence of a Labour revival following its crushing defeat in the 2019 general election. “This is a big turning point for us,” he told cheering supporters in Barnet. “We’ve sent a message to the prime minister: Britain deserves better.”

3. Ravey Davey: The Lib Dem ‘comeback’

The toxicity surrounding the Liberal Democrats following five years of power sharing with the Conservatives, and hiking tuition fees, seems to be a fading memory. Ed Davey’s party have compounded the success in recent Westminster by-elections by taking Hull council and the newly-created Somerset unitary authority. Other wins included Westmorland and Furness and dislodging the Tories in West Oxfordshire.

The party has gained 189 seats, which in part explains why Labour’s haul looks meagre. The Green Party, too, made substantial progress – gaining 81 councillors.

The “third party” success raises questions over splitting the “progressive” vote three ways, and whether that would let the Tories back in at a general election by default. Expect to hear more talk about electoral pacts and “lending” votes.

“What began as a tremor in Chesham and Amersham, became an earthquake in North Shropshire, and is now an almighty shockwave that will bring this Conservative government tumbling down,” Davey said.

4. One love: The SNP march on in Scotland

Scotland is increasingly a one-party nation. The SNP claimed its 11th successive national victory, and the number of councillors it boasts has risen in every ballot since 2004.

Perhaps more interesting was the race for second place. After years of decline, Labour has made gains and leap-frogged the Conservatives, whose strong performances under Ruth Davidson have gone in reverse now the former party leader in Scotland has left the stage.

Improvements in Scotland – coupled with the Lib Dems nibbling away at the Tories in southern England – is part of a complicated route back to Westminster power for Labour.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross described the results as “very disappointing”, adding that Johnson “can’t ignore the message” from voters.

He said: “The Conservatives lost Westminster Council last night, that’s a council that even in the peak Labour years under Tony Blair the party held on to, so there’s been a very strong message from the public to the prime minister and to the party.”

The actual big story?: Sinn Fein closes in on history

While the local elections in England, Scotland and Wales make for good sport for armchair analysts, they may not lead to anything of substance changing. But Northern Ireland’s ballot could lead to a seismic shift for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Sinn Fein is on the brink of political history if it emerges as the largest party in Northern Ireland following Assembly elections.

After years of lagging behind its rival the Democratic Unionist Party, with whom it shares power, the nationalist party has now emerged on top with the potential to change the political landscape.

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, centre, reacts with party colleagues after being elected in Mid Ulster at the Medow Bank election count centre in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.” width=”720″ height=”501″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/uk-elections-2022-5-takeaways-as-tories-suffer-shattering-night-2.jpg”>
Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, centre, reacts with party colleagues after being elected in Mid Ulster at the Medow Bank election count centre in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.

via Associated Press

With counting for the 90 Stormont seats continuing on Friday evening, the republican party had won 16 seats, well ahead of the Alliance on four and the DUP and UUP on three.

Sinn Fein’s position as the largest party would means a poll on the reunification of Ireland is far more likely – and the debate around Northern Ireland withdrawing from the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Wales would intensify.

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Tory Council Leader Calls For Boris Johnson To Go After Labour Wins Cumberland

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A Conservative council leader has said Tory MPs should try to oust Boris Johnson after his party suffered a humiliating defeat in a local election.

Conservative leader of Carlisle City Council, John Mallinson, vented his frustration after Labour picked up control of the new Cumberland authority after Thursday’s round voting.

The Tories lost 14 seats on the council in north west England, while Labour gained 12 and took overall control.

Mallinson, who will see the council he led replaced by the new Cumberland authority, told the BBC that he had “lost some very good colleagues” in the election, and had found it “difficult to drag the debate back to local issues” while campaigning because of partygate and the cost-of-living crisis.

Mallinson said: “I don’t think it was helping to get comments from people like George Eustice talking about people using value brands to ease their shopping bills. That just seems to have come over very patronising.”

He added: “I think it is not just partygate, there is the integrity issue. Basically I just don’t feel people any longer have the confidence that the prime minister can be relied upon to tell the truth.”

Asked if he thought Conservative MPs should oust the PM, Mallinson said: “That would be my preference, yes.”

On Sky News, he said: “(Johnson) must shoulder a lot of the blame. I have been canvassing in rural areas over the last few weeks and it’s been the one issue that people have brought up time and time again. Partygate, the cost of living crisis, the feel that the government were not in touch … and sadly I have to say the prime minister cannot be relied upon to necessarily to be telling the truth.”

He added: “I think he should consider his position now.”

When asked whether the areas three Tory MPs in the region should attempt to oust Johnson, he replied: “I call upon them to do what they think is right.”

Meanwhile, Johnson’s Tories face losing control of a flagship London authority to Labour – but there was a mixed picture for Keir Starmer’s party outside the capital.

Wandsworth, which has been a Conservative authority for more than 40 years, looks set to fall to Labour, with the Tories fearing other boroughs will also be lost.

But outside London, the Liberal Democrats won Hull from Labour, while the Greens also picked up seats in contests around England.

Council seats are up for grabs in Scotland, Wales and many parts of England, while there are elections to Stormont in Northern Ireland.

Votes were only being counted in some of the English contests overnight, including key authorities in the capital.

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Keir Starmer Under Pressure To Capitalise on Tory Woes As Voters Go To The Polls

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The received Westminster wisdom is that the local elections are do-or-die for Boris Johnson.

After months of awful headlines about partygate, and with the mood among Tory MPs once again turning fractious, a bad night for the Conservatives next Thursday may well be the trigger for a move to unseat the prime minister.

What is less discussed, however, is how the elections are also a key test for Keir Starmer and whether he has what it takes to lead Labour to victory at the general election in two years’ time.

With a new poll yesterday giving Labour a nine-point lead over the Conservatives, expectations are high that the party is set to make sweeping gains on Thursday.

But Starmer’s internal detractors are looking for any signs that the party is stalling to confirm their suspicions that he is failing to seal the deal with voters.

Here, HuffPost UK assesses where the main parties are ahead of a crucial night on May 5.

The State Of The Parties

A total of 6,812 council seats in England, Wales and Scotland are up for grabs on Thursday.

In addition, there are also mayoral elections in South Yorkshire, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Watford and Croydon, as well as the Northern Ireland Assembly election.

In England, the Tories are defending 1,404 seats, Labour 2,222 and the Lib Dems 517. The rest are held by independents.

In Wales, Labour hold 462 council seats, with Plaid Cymru on 208, the Conservatives on 197 and the Lib Dems on 59. More than 300 seats are held by independents.

And in Scotland, the SNP have 432 seats, with the Tories second on 277, Labour on 262 and the Lib Dems on 67. Nearly 200 of Scottish councillors are independents.

What’s At Stake?

An awful lot more than which parties will be responsible for your bin collections for the next four years.

With a general election expected in 2024, this is likely to be the last big electoral test that Labour and the Tories will face before then.

As such, it will act as an important barometer of the national mood and indicate which parties, if any, are starting to build up momentum as the general election draws nearer.

Johnson needs to prove to his restive MPs that he is still the election winning-machine who delivered an 80-seat majority in 2019, and that the damage done to his reputation by partygate is not terminal.

The stakes are arguably even higher for Starmer who, two years after becoming Labour leader, has still to convince the public that he has what it takes to lead the country.

Is Starmer’s Labour Working?

While Labour has established a consistent poll lead in recent months, there remains a strong suspicion that it owes more to the public’s dissatisfaction with the Conservatives than any great enthusiasm for the Starmer project.

HuffPost UK revealed this week that the Labour leader is facing internal pressure to show voters how the party would tackle the cost of living crisis rather than focusing on the partygate scandal.

At a shadow cabinet meeting, communities spokesperson Lisa Nandy said Labour risked looking “out of touch” at a time when families across the country are struggling to make ends meet.

One senior frontbencher said: “Lisa’s not alone on this. There was strong agreement in the room to focus on the cost of living.”

It’s clear, therefore, that Starmer’s critics will be scrutinising Thursday’s results to try and assess whether the public support the leader’s strategy or are yet to be convinced.

Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer's strategy
Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer’s strategy

Christopher Furlong via Getty Images

What Does Success Look Like?

The main problem facing Labour is that the last time these council seats were up for grabs four years ago, the party did very well, making it harder for them to make sweeping gains this time around.

That said, a failure to pick up a significant number of council seats, and at least show progress in the Red Wall areas the party needs to win back if it’s to stand any chance of winning in 2024, will constitute a disappointing evening for Starmer.

“It’s a strange set of elections,” said one Starmer ally. “2018 was a bad night for the Tories and a very, very good one for Labour.

“So another bad night for the Tories and a good night for us isn’t going to result in a lot of exciting change.”

As polling gurus Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher summed up the situation in a recent article: ”[Labour] will do well to avoid making standing still rather than picking up gains seem rather underwhelming when the post-mortem takes place.

“For the Conservatives, by contrast, the less dramatic the results, the more they can claim not to be suffering traditional ‘mid-term blues’.”

Labour sources are attempting to play down the prospect of the party seizing totemic Tory councils like Westminster and Wandsworth, but they admit that winning back Barnet is a distinct possibility.

Beating the Tories into second place behind the SNP is also essential if the party is to have any hope of re-establishing an electoral foothold in its former Scottish heartland.

Just as important as winning more council seats, insiders say, are signs of progress in seats currently held by the Tories in England and the SNP north of the border.

“We are also tracking where we are in about about 50-70 constituencies that would put us in government at a general election, so we will be keeping an eye on them on Thursday,” said a Labour source. “Places like Stevenage, Wakefield, Bury and Glasgow.

“We need to beat the Tories and SNP in them.”

The Tory View

Unsurprisingly, the Conservatives are keen to raise the bar as high as possible for what would constitute a good night for Labour in the hope they will come nowhere near clearing it.

One Tory source told HuffPost UK: “Labour are obviously saying how difficult it’s going to be to improve on 2018, but the reality is they are ahead in the polls and so should be doing well.

“It’s going to be very difficult for us in certain places, especially central London and in places like Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, where the demographics are turning against us.

“Outer London is a bit better, but things are also going to be difficult in the affluent south – places like Surrey and West Oxfordshire, where Labour are doing well.”

Significantly, however, the Tories are more confident of holding off Labour in the Red Wall, where partygate is not the major political issue many at Westminster believe it is.

“The question for Labour is whether they can make adequate progress in the places they lost in 2019 and need to win back next time,” the source said.

“While those voters are bothered about partygate, they’re more concerned with bread and butter issues such as the cost of living. They’re pissed off with the PM about partygate, but they also like what we did on vaccines and furlough.”

Winning Here?

Like Labour, the Lib Dems performed well in 2018, making further progress more difficult this time around.

“What we’re really looking to is consolidate the gains we made in places like South Cambridgeshire, Richmond and Kingston,” a source told HuffPost UK. “If we hold our ground and edge forward a little in other areas, it should spook a few Tory MPs.”

These include Stephen Hammond in Wimbledon, where the Lib Dems launched their local election campaign. The party also wants to make progress in Wokingham, where the local MP is one Dominic Raab.

The source added: “The big picture is we’re going after the Conservatives and laying the groundwork for the next election.”

The Pestminster Factor

In the past week alone, unnamed Tory MPs have smeared Angela Rayner by accusing her of using her legs to distract Boris Johnson, while another has been suspended by the party for allegedly watching porn in the Commons.

The timing could hardly have been worse for the Conservatives. Will voters use their ballots to register their disgust at the latest examples of Tory sleaze? Keir Starmer and Labour certainly hope so.

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‘We Will Support Ukraine For As Long As It Takes’ Boris Johnson Says During Walkabout In Kyiv

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Britain will support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, Boris Johnson has vowed during a surprise visit to the war-ravaged country.

The prime minister spoke to ordinary Ukrainians as he walked around the capital city Kyiv with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Johnson held talks with his opposite number after flying in to Ukraine on an unannounced visit amid tight security.

A video was later posted on Twitter showing the two leaders walking through the centre of Kyiv.

At one point, a local man expresses his gratitude to the PM for the support the UK has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.

In response, Johnson said: “It’s nice to meet you and it’s been our privilege to help. You have a remarkable president, Mr Zelensky, who’s done an outstanding job and we simply wish to keep supporting the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Appearing alongside Zelenskyy in a recorded broadcast clip, Johnson said the West would continue to “ratchet up” sanctions on Moscow as he praised the courage of the Ukrainian resistance.

“I think that the Ukrainians have shown the courage of a lion, and you Volodymyr have given the roar of that lion,” he said.

“The UK and others (will) supply the equipment, the technology, the know-how, the intelligence, so that Ukraine will never be invaded again.

“So Ukraine is so fortified and protected – that Ukraine can never be bullied again. Never be blackmailed again. Never be threatened in the same way again.”

The Ukrainian president said: “I am very grateful for this visit. It is very important at this very difficult and turbulent time for our country.

“You came here and we are especially grateful for this to happen. This is a true reflection of the decisive and significant support for Ukraine from the United Kingdom and we will always remember that.”

It was also announced that the UK has agreed to provide Ukraine with 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems.

That is on top of the £100 million worth of high-grade military equipment announced yesterday, including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, another 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes.

The UK is also guaranteeing £385m in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking its total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion.

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Boris Johnson Flies To Kyiv For ‘Surprise’ Meeting With Volodymyr Zelenskyy

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Boris Johnson has flown to Kyiv for “surprise” talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Downing Street said the prime minister made the unannounced trip “in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people”.

The lightning visit was revealed in a tweet by the Ukrainian embassy in London, which showed Johnson holding talks with Zelensky.

Above the picture was a winking emoji and “surprise”.

The trip had been shrouded in secrecy due to security concerns.

Afterwards, it was announced that the UK has agreed to provide Ukraine with 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems.

That is on top of the £100 million worth of high-grade military equipment announced yesterday, including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, another 800 anti-tank missiles, and high-tech loitering munitions for precision strikes.

The UK is also guaranteeing £385m in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking its total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion.

The PM said: “It is a privilege to be able to travel to Ukraine and meet President Zelenskyy in person in Kyiv today.

“Ukraine has defied the odds and pushed back Russian forces from the gates of Kyiv, achieving the greatest feat of arms of the 21st century.

“It is because of President Zelenskyy’s resolute leadership and the invincible heroism and courage of the Ukrainian people that Putin’s monstrous aims are being thwarted.

“I made clear today that the United Kingdom stands unwaveringly with them in this ongoing fight, and we are in it for the long run.

“We are stepping up our own military and economic support and convening a global alliance to bring this tragedy to an end, and ensure Ukraine survives and thrives as a free and sovereign nation.”

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister has travelled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy in person, in a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

“They will discuss the UK’s long term support to Ukraine and the PM will set out a new package of financial and military aid.”

It is the first time the prime minister has visited Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24.

Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv
Boris Johnson meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv

No10 Downing Street

Number 10 later issued a picture appearing to show the two leaders on a walkabout in Kyiv.

The BBC reported that in a Facebook post, Andriy Sybiha, deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office said: “The UK is the leader in defence support for Ukraine. The leader in the anti-war coalition. The leader in sanctions against the Russian aggressor.”

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‘He’s In Trouble’: Have Rishi Sunak’s Tax Controversies Ended His Leadership Hopes?

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At his peak, Rishi Sunak was the most popular politician in the country.

It was a reputation forged after the “crisis chancellor” rose to the challenge of the Covid pandemic — splashing billions on furlough and business support and later the “eat out to help out” scheme to keep the hospitality sector afloat.

Now, the image of Sunak as a sympathetic chancellor who is in touch with the needs of ordinary people appears to be in tatters — and the same could be said of his ambitions to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister.

Revelations that his billionaire wife Akshata Murty had “non-dom” status — allowing her to avoid paying UK tax on her hefty overseas income — could hardly have come at a worse time for Sunak.

Although she was forced into a screeching U-turn on Friday night, the damage to her husband’s reputation was already done.

Meanwhile, the chancellor himself was also hit by claims in the Independent that he has been listed as a beneficiary of tax haven trusts linked to Murty in the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands.

Pat McFadden, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said the allegations were “extremely serious”.

“We need full transparency about this and the other stories about the chancellor emerging over the past 24 hours,” he said.

Murty always paid UK tax on any income she earned here, but under the non-dom arrangement, domestic rates did not apply to the vast majority of her foreign wealth, derived from her stake in her father’s Indian company Infosys.

It reinforced the already damaging perception that it’s “one rule for them, one for the rest of us”.

Reports suggest that Murty’s non-dom status, which is perfectly legal, may have allowed her to avoid millions in tax.

Given the fact that her husband has just increased national insurance contributions for working people during the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, the timing of the revelations could hardly have been worse.

Following Murty’s U-turn, one Labour insider said: “Rishi Sunak has realised that being a total hypocrite doesn’t wash with the British public.”

One former minister admitted to HuffPost UK that the stories emerging about Sunak had put him in “a lot of trouble”.

“It looks like a coordinated campaign and that there will be more to come. Also, there’s not much support being expressed for him publicly.”

Discussing the chancellor’s leadership prospects a few weeks ago, one senior Tory backbencher said that while they liked Sunak, he was not a “political operator” like the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, and questioned whether he had any allies in the Conservative party.

“Who are his allies? I don’t know who they are.”

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak alongside his wife Akshata Murthy.” width=”720″ height=”553″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/hes-in-trouble-have-rishi-sunaks-tax-controversies-ended-his-leadership-hopes-3.jpg”>
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak alongside his wife Akshata Murthy.

Ian West via PA Wire/PA Images

Another Conservative said that while the chancellor may be feeling the pain now, it was only just the beginning.

“Everyone is talking about the cost of living,” one Labour source said.

“It’s a massive issue. Rising bills, rising taxes, the cost of food and fuel — the cost of petrol is in the minds of most people you speak to. They can tell you the price they last paid to the half penny.

“The Tories are of course making the chancellor the scapegoat: rule number one in the current Tory party is protect Johnson.

“But voters don’t seem to blame Sunak when you speak to them. They blame the government.

“They know there’s a stink but it’s from a steady and constant flow not from one single burst pipe.”

Sunak was quick to defend Murty’s tax’s affairs, launching a spirited defence of his wife in an interview with the Sun on Thursday evening.

He claimed the couple were the victim of “unpleasant smears” and that those responsible were wrong to target her as a “private citizen”.

“She has had her own career,” he said. “She has her own investments and is paying the taxes that she owes in the UK.

“She is 100 per cent doing everything this country asks of her.”

Some of Sunak’s colleagues rallied to his defence, also suspecting he is the victim of an orchestrated campaign to undermine his credibility.

Alec Shelbrooke, who represents a constituency in Yorkshire, said it was “disgraceful that the chancellor’s wife should change her life, just because of her husband’s job”.

“She hasn’t done anything illegal, she has followed the law, but people are trying to say she should be subservient to her husband’s choices — any feminist attacking her, needs to find a dictionary.

“It’s nasty politics at all levels and its fundamentally sexist. The people attacking are, at best, confused on feminism and inconsistent on tax policy.

“Good smear campaign for them, but vacuous politics.

“Rishi has my full support.”

Another backbencher said: “I think this is quite smeary — Labour looked at non-dom when they were in power and decided to keep it with a fee, which we then jacked up when we were in charge.

But they added: “Notwithstanding that, it’s still politically damaging for him.”

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Rishi Sunak places an "eat out to help out" sticker in the window of a business during a visit to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland.” width=”720″ height=”479″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/hes-in-trouble-have-rishi-sunaks-tax-controversies-ended-his-leadership-hopes-4.jpg”>
Rishi Sunak places an “eat out to help out” sticker in the window of a business during a visit to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland.

Jeff J Mitchell – PA Images via Getty Images

What is also worrying for Sunak is the confirmation that he held a US green card for the first 18 months of his role as chancellor.

Green card holders must pay US tax on their worldwide income and declare the US as their permanent residence.

The Liberal Democrats have demanded that the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, open an investigation into the claims and whether Sunak broke the ministerial code.

Sunak’s spokeswoman said: “Upon his first trip to the US in a government capacity as chancellor, he discussed the appropriate course of action with the US authorities,” she said.

“At that point it was considered best to return his green card, which he did immediately.

“All laws and rules have been followed and full taxes have been paid where required in the duration he held his green card.”

For some Tories this is where the real danger lies.

Asked whether the constant drip of revelations meant it was all over for Sunak, one former Cabinet minister said: “For his leadership ambitions, certainly, and probably for his current job. The green card stuff is incredible.”

A backbencher added: “Not over non-dom, but if this green card stuff is true, then I expect it is over for him. Probably even as an MP.”

At a press conference on Friday, the prime minister was repeatedly dogged by questions on Sunak’s tax affairs.

Asked whether he was behind the briefings, the prime minister said: “If there are such briefings they are not coming from us in No 10 and heaven knows where they are coming from.”

“I think that Rishi is doing an absolutely outstanding job.”

The question now is whether Sunak can make that case himself to a weary, cash-strapped public who are feeling the pinch like never before.

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UK Energy Strategy: Boris Johnson Puts Faith In Nuclear And Offshore Wind

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Nuclear and offshore wind power are at the heart of the government’s long-awaited energy strategy that has been given added weight by the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine.

Ministers are promising “cleaner and more affordable energy” – but the plan has been criticised for being cool on the expansion of onshore wind given its unpopularity in rural Tory heartlands.

Central to the thinking behind the plan is to reduce the UK’s dependence on foreign sources of energy – an issue that has been brought into sharp focus by the reliance on Russian oil and gas since the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Rocketing energy bills faced by families, caused in part by a post-pandemic rise in demand for gas and lower levels of production, has also put Boris Johnson under pressure to respond decisively.

Under the government’s fresh plans, a new body, Great British Nuclear, will be launched to bolster the UK’s nuclear capacity with the hope of up to 24 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2050 coming from the source of power. That would represent 25% of the projected electricity demand.

It is hoped the focus on nuclear will deliver up to eight reactors – equivalent to one reactor a year instead of one a decade.

The strategy also confirmed the intention to push ahead with a nuclear project at the Wylfa sites in Anglesey.

On offshore wind, the plan outlines the ambition of producing up to 50GW of energy by 2030, which the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said would be more than enough to power every home in the UK.

Some 5GW should come from floating offshore wind in deeper seas and planning reforms will slash approval times for new wind farms from four years to one year.

It is thought a major crunch point in the strategy, and one of the reasons its launch has been delayed, is wrangling over onshore wind farms.

Several ministers have aired views backing the development of new oil and gas, but not onshore wind, which is one of the cheapest forms of electricity.

The government said it would be “consulting on developing partnerships with a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills”.

The cautious wording squares with comments made by Tory ministers in recent days. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said he did not favour a vast increase in onshore wind farms as he said they “can create something of an eyesore”.

Labour said the prime minister had “caved to his own backbenchers” and that the plan would do nothing to help the rising energy costs faced by households.

Johnson said: “We’re setting out bold plans to scale up and accelerate affordable, clean and secure energy made in Britain, for Britain, from new nuclear to offshore wind, in the decade ahead.

“This will reduce our dependence on power sources exposed to volatile international prices we cannot control, so we can enjoy greater energy self-sufficiency with cheaper bills.”

The government has already commissioned a review into the science around fracking, which could pave the way to lifting the moratorium on the controversial process, imposed over the tremors it caused.

A £30m competition to manufacture heat pumps is also to be launched, and there are ambitions to increase solar capacity with a consultation of the rules for solar projects.

Meanwhile, on oil and gas, a new licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects is planned for the autumn to cover the “nearer term”.

The plan was welcomed by offshore wind firm Orsted, trade association Hydrogen UK, Shell and EDF, among others.

But Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow climate change and net-zero secretary, said: “The government’s energy relaunch is in disarray.

“Boris Johnson has completely caved to his own backbenchers and now, ludicrously, his own energy strategy has failed on the sprint we needed on onshore wind and solar, the cheapest, cleanest forms of homegrown power.

“This relaunch will do nothing for the millions of families now facing an energy bills crisis.

“No reversal of the ban on onshore wind and not a penny more on energy efficiency.

“These decisions will force households to pay hundreds of pounds more for their energy bills and keep the UK dependent on imported gas for longer.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the plans were “utterly hopeless”.

Climate think tank E3G said the announced plans had “failed to support the action needed to either get off Russian gas this year or bring down energy bills”.

Ed Matthew, campaigns director at E3G said: “With no new support to save energy and by holding back on solar power and onshore wind, this strategy will do nothing to help the UK get off Russian gas this year.

“Instead, the government has prioritised policies that will keep us dependent on high-cost fossil fuels and nuclear power.

“This isn’t an energy security strategy and will do nothing to bring down energy bills.

“It is a national security threat and the person who will be happiest with it is Vladimir Putin.”

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Government’s Landmark LGBT+ Conference Cancelled After Conversion Therapy Ban Backlash

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The UK government’s international LGBT+ conference has been cancelled amid the row over partially banning conversion therapy, multiple reports have suggested.

It comes after more than 100 organisations, including Stonewall, boycotted the landmark Safe To Be Me event, to be held in in London in June, over plans to exclude trans people from the legislation.

Earlier on Tuesday, the government’s LGBT business champion resigned in protest at the decision to water down the ban.

Boris Johnson last week changed the government’s policy twice within a matter of hours.

First, the administration said it was abandoning plans to ban the practice, with the cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine cited as reasons to “rationalise our legislative programme”.

However within hours of the announcement, it was revealed legislation would be included in the Queen’s Speech in May – but trans conversion therapy would be excluded.

Conservative MP Dehenna Davison expressed dismay at the decision to cancel the conference.

“We had such a huge opportunity to prove the UK (and the Conservative Party) is a defender of freedom,” she posted on Twitter.

“As a Conservative member of the LGBT+ community, it is so wrong it has come to this.”

The Times reported a senior Downing Street figure is said to have claimed that “the majority of people won’t care” that the event is not going ahead.

More than 80 LGBT+ groups and more than 20 HIV groups said they will not take part in the global, UK-hosted conference unless Johnson would revert to his promise for a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy.

Iain Anderson, the UK’s LGBT+ business champion, quit the role as he accused the government of engaging in a “woke war”.

He said ministers are trying to “drive a wedge” between the community.

Anderson added that it was “profoundly shocking” that the government had backtracked on protection for trans people during the same week that the first trans MP felt able to share his journey.

A government spokeswoman said: “We thank Iain for his contributions as LGBT business champion.

“The government has a proud record on LGBT rights and we remain committed to building upon that work with sensitivity and care.”

On Monday, the UK’s first openly trans MP has said he is “bitterly disappointed” by his own government’s decision to scrap the ban on trans conversion therapy.

Jamie Wallis, who came out last week in a heartfelt post shared on Twitter, said pressing ahead with outlawing conversion therapy – but not for trans people – would be a “broken promise”.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Boris Johnson Urges Russians To Sidestep State Media To Find Out About Putin’s ‘War Crimes’

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Boris Johnson has urged Russian people to use alternative forms of news to find out about Vladamir Putin’s alleged war crimes, arguing they would not support the invasion and crimes that are a “stain on the honour of Russia”.

In a video message directed to the Russian population, the UK prime minister said they only needed an online VPN connection to sidestep state-controlled media and gain access to independent information from around the world.

“Your president knows that if you could see what was happening, you would not support his war,” he said.

“He knows that these crimes betray the trust of every Russian mother who proudly waves goodbye to her son as he heads off to join the military.

“And he knows they are a stain on the honour of Russia itself.”

Speaking in Russian, he added: “Your president stands accused of committing war crimes. But I cannot believe he’s acting in your name.”

His comments follow global outrage at the massacre uncovered at Bucha, a Ukrainian town, that was targeted by the Russian forces on their way to conquer Kyiv in March.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of committing the “most terrible war crimes” since the Second World War as he called for trials akin to those held after the defeat of the Nazis.

The Ukrainian president accused Putin’s forces of creating “mass starvation” and shooting and raping civilians, during a graphic address to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.

Russian forces then began to withdraw from the region around March 30, reportedly due to a shortage of resources, meaning journalists have been able to access to beleaguered Bucha once again.

The Associated Press released images from the town showing bodies on the Bucha streets, with their hands tied behind their backs and wounds to the back of their heads.

According to the news agency, at least 21 bodies were found, with at least nine of them in civilian clothing.

Anatoly Fedoruk, Bucha’s mayor, said more than 300 residents in the town had been killed, while Ukrainian prosecutors allege Russian forces used the basement of one house as a torture chamber.

Satellite images showed a 45ft-long mass grave in the town too.

Russia has denied any involvement and suggested the bodies were placed their strategically by the Ukrainians.

Moscow has dismissed any accusations of war crimes too, and claims “Ukrainian radicals” are responsible for the massacre in Bucha as “not a single civilian” faced violent military action from Russian forces.

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="President Volodymyr Zelensky, of Ukraine, addresses a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City.” width=”720″ height=”469″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/boris-johnson-urges-russians-to-sidestep-state-media-to-find-out-about-putins-war-crimes-2.jpg”>
President Volodymyr Zelensky, of Ukraine, addresses a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images

In his message, Johnson said the reports were so shocking that Putin had deliberately sought to hide the truth from his people.

Johnson said that people only needed a VPN connection to access independent information from around the world.

“When you find the truth, share it,” he said.

“Those responsible will be held to account. And history will remember who looked the other way.”

During the UK-convened meeting of the UN’s most powerful body, whose membership includes Russia, Zelenskyy called for those responsible to be “brought to justice” in a tribunal similar to the Nuremberg trials.

He warned the world is yet to see the acts committed by the Kremlin’s troops in other regions after evidence of atrocities was unearthed after their withdrawal from Bucha, near Kyiv.

“Today, as a result of Russia’s actions in our country, in Ukraine, the most terrible war crimes we’ve seen since the end of World War Two are being committed,” he said in the virtual address.

“Russian troops are deliberately destroying Ukrainian cities to ashes with artillery and air strikes. They are deliberately blocking cities, creating mass starvation. They deliberately shoot columns of civilians on the road trying to escape from the hostilities.

“They even deliberately blow up shelters where civilians hide from air strikes.

“The massacre in our city of Bucha is unfortunately only one of many examples of what the occupiers have been doing on our land for the past 41 days.”

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Ukraine War: Putin’s ‘Massively Misjudged’ Invasion Plagued By Blunders, Says UK Spy Chief

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Vladimir Putin has made a “strategic miscalculation” over his assault on Ukraine, the head of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency said as he claimed demoralised Russian troops are in such disarray they are even shooting down their own aircraft.

In a rare public address during a visit to Australia, Sir Jeremy Fleming will say the Russian president has “massively misjudged” the situation in Ukraine, from the impact of sanctions to the strength of the resistance and the ability of his forces to deliver a rapid victory.

And he will paint a picture of a faltering military campaign plagued by blunders.

“We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” he will say.

“And even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime.

“It all adds up to the strategic miscalculation that Western leaders warned Putin it would be. It’s become his personal war, with the cost being paid by innocent people in Ukraine and, increasingly, by ordinary Russians too.”

Earlier on Wednesday, British intelligence suggested Russian forces appear to have conceded that its strategy to overwhelm the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has so far failed.

The ministry of defence tweeted: “Russian units suffering heavy losses have been forced to return to Belarus and Russia to reorganise and resupply.

“Such activity is placing further pressure on Russia’s already strained logistics and demonstrates the difficulties Russia is having reorganising its units in forward areas within Ukraine.

“Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground manoeuvre capability through mass artillery and missile strikes.

“Russia’s stated focus on an offensive in Donetsk and Luhansk is likely a tacit admission that it is struggling to sustain more than one significant axis of advance.”

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Ukrainian serviceman as seen on the checkpoint in the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.” width=”720″ height=”479″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ukraine-war-putins-massively-misjudged-invasion-plagued-by-blunders-says-uk-spy-chief-3.jpg”>
Ukrainian serviceman as seen on the checkpoint in the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Anastasia Vlasova via Getty Images

Fleming is also warning China not to become “too closely aligned” with Russia as it continues to pursue its path of aggression against Ukraine.

And he will say that China’s long-term interests are not well served by an alliance with a country that “wilfully and illegally” ignores the international “rules of the road”.

His intervention comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week directly confronted President Xi Jinping over Beijing’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine in what was described as a “frank and candid” discussion.

Speaking at the Australian National University in Canberra, Fleming will say that Putin has made a clear “strategic choice” to align with China as it grows more powerful in direct opposition to the United States.

From the Kremlin’s point of view, it regards China in the current crisis as a supplier of weapons, a provider of technology, a market for its oil and gas and a means to circumvent sanctions.

However, Fleming will say President Xi – who has not publicly condemned the invasion – has a “more nuanced” view of the relationship.

With “an eye on retaking Taiwan”, he would not want to do anything which might constrain his actions in future, while he may calculate that it actually helps him oppose the US.

At the same time, Beijing is taking the opportunity to purchase cheap Russian hydrocarbons while Moscow provides additional impetus and support to its digital markets and technology plans.

Fleming will however argue that there are risks for both sides – but particularly China – in becoming “too closely aligned”.

“Russia understands that, long term, China will become increasingly strong militarily and economically. Some of their interests conflict; Russia could be squeezed out of the equation,” he will say.

“And it is equally clear that a China that wants to set the rules of the road – the norms for a new global governance – is not well served by close alliance with a regime that wilfully and illegally ignores them all.”

On Ukraine, Fleming will say GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre has seen “sustained intent” from Russia to disrupt Ukrainian government and military systems.

He will say there is the potential for a spillover into neighbouring countries, suggesting Russia’s “cyber actors” are looking for targets in states that oppose their actions.

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