Tag Archives: labour party

Major Boost For Rishi Sunak As Tories See Off Labour Challenge In Uxbridge

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The Conservatives have narrowly beaten Labour to retain Boris Johnson’s former seat following a bitter by-election campaign.

In a major blow for Keir Starmer, Steve Tuckwell beat Tory candidate Danny Beales by just 495 votes to become the new MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

The by-election was called following Johnson’s dramatic resignation last month after he was found guilty by the privileges committee of repeatedly lying to parliament over partygate.

The former prime minister retained the seat with a majority of 7,210 at the 2019 election.

Tuckwell received 13,965 votes to Beales’s 13,470 to claim the constituency for the Tories once again.

The Conservatives effectively turned the by-election into a referendum on Labour mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the whole of the city from next month.

The result of a huge boost for Rishi Sunak, who had been braced for the Tories to lose the seat, given the unpopularity of the government and Labour’s commanding lead in the national polls.

A Labour spokesperson said: “This was always going to be a difficult battle in a seat that has never had a Labour MP and we didn’t even win in 1997. We know that the Conservatives crashing the economy has hit working people hard, so it’s unsurprising that the ULEZ expansion was a concern for voters here in a by-election.”

Elsewhere, Labour have won the Selby and Ainsty by-election after toppling one of the safest Tory seats in the country.

And in the third by-election of the night, the Lib Dems pulled off a stunning victory in a previously safe Tory seat of Somerton and Frome.

Despite the Conservatives avoiding a three-nil defeat, the swing in the vote went away from the Tories in every seat.

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Grant Shapps Mocked For ‘Invoicing’ Labour For Damage Caused By Just Stop Oil

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Grant Shapps has faced ridicule for “invoicing” the Labour Party for damage caused to a government department building by activists Just Stop Oil.

Two campaigners from the climate group have admitted spraying orange paint onto the department for energy security and net zero’s headquarters in Westminster on Wednesday after it issued more than 100 new oil and gas licences in the UK.

In a letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer, Shapps, who runs the department as energy security and net zero secretary, made a spurious link between the opposition party and Just Stop Oil.

It’s based on Dale Vince, the green energy entrepreneur, donating money to Just Stop Oil and some Labour politicians, including leader Starmer.

But that’s not the same as Just Stop Oil funding the Labour Party. Yet, Shapps claims Labour are the “political wing” of Just Stop Oil.

It’s a familiar attack line from the Conservatives – and one that fell apart under light scrutiny on BBC Question Time.

By that principle, the Conservatives would be responsible for any of its donors’ actions – which could be eye-wateringly expensive.

In his letter, Shapps said: “I am writing to you to ask you to pay to repair the damage to the department. The British public should not have to foot the bill for your mates in Just Stop Oil.”

Shapps claimed the damages are worth £3,000 to £4,000, adding: “We will send you the invoice.”

Just Stop Oil activists last Friday disrupted the opening night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall after running on to the stage, setting off confetti cannon and sounding air horns.

On the same night, three activists interrupted the start of the live Channel 4 comedy show, The Last Leg.

Protesters have also disrupted sporting events across Britain this year, including the Ashes and Wimbledon, as well as other events such as the Chelsea Flower Show.

No-one on Twitter seemed especially persuaded by the Shapps “stunt”.

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Greg Hands Gets Rinsed After Claiming Labour Would Put Everyone On The Dole

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Tory chairman Greg Hands got rinsed on Twitter after claiming a Labour government would mean “we’ll all be queuing outside the job centre”.

The outspoken MP – who regularly tries to troll the opposition on social media – posted a picture of the famous Tory election ad from 1979 showing a lengthy dole queue with the headline: “Labour isn’t working”.

Hands said: “If Labour get in, we’ll all be queuing outside the job centre.”

But the tweet led to a backlash from thousands of Twitter users – with many of them pointing out that Hands himself could be among those out of work after the election.

Hands is MP for Chelsea and Fulham, where he was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 11,241.

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Thousands Denied A Vote Because Of Tory Voter ID Law, Say Election Chiefs

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Thousands of voters were barred from taking part in last month’s local elections because of the Tories’ voter ID law, election chiefs have revealed.

For the first time ever in Britain, voters were required to provide photographic proof of their identity in order to collect their ballot paper.

Ministers had argued that it was necessary to prevent voter fraud, despite there being no evidence that it is widespread problem in this country.

A report out today by the Electoral Commission found that around 14,000 who went to their polling station on May 4 were not given a ballot paper because they did not have the correct photographic identification.

Research found that 4% of all people who said they did not vote identified the new ID requirement as the reason.

The Electoral Commission said their data also suggested that disadvantaged groups were more likely to be impacted by the voter ID arrangements.

Opposition politicians said the report showed the new law was “a transparent attempt at voter suppression by Conservative ministers”.

Craig Westwood, the Electoral Commssion’s director of communications, policy and research, said: “The evidence suggests that the vast majority of voters were able to present an accepted form of ID at the May elections.

“But it also shows that some people were prevented from voting in polling stations due to the requirement, and significantly more did not attempt to because they lacked the required ID.”

He added: “We don’t want to see a single voter lose the opportunity to have their say. We are working to understand the challenges people faced, and will make recommendations that, with the engagement of Government and wider electoral community, will support the participation of all voters.”

Former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted last month that the voter ID policy was an attempt at “gerrymandering” to boost the Tories – but that it had backfired because it kept more of their supporters out of the polling booths.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “No legitimate voter should be locked out of democracy but that has been the effect of the Tories’ failed voter ID regulations.

“This evidence suggests shows that as well as those turned away at polling stations, many others did not attempt to vote because they lacked the required ID.

“It’s particularly alarming that under-represented groups look to have been more likely to have denied their say by these new barriers to voting. These strict rules are having a chilling effect on democracy.”

Lib Dem local government spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said: “It is an outrage that thousands of people were denied a voice at the local elections because of the Conservative Party’s Voter ID rules.

“Obstructing people’s right to vote like this in such a disproportionate way is a complete waste of money that undermines our democracy.

“It looks like a transparent attempt at voter suppression by Conservative ministers who are desperate to stop people from holding them to account by any means possible.”

Councillor James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “It is a fundamental part of the democratic process that elections can run smoothly and effectively where every citizen is able to exercise their right to vote.

“It is therefore of concern to councils that this review has found that some groups may have been more impacted than others by the introduction of voter ID, with a small number being left unable to vote.”

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‘You Couldn’t Run A Whelk Stall’: BBC Question Time Audience Member Blasts Politicians

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A BBC Question Time audience member has let rip at Britain’s political class – claiming it is so “incompetent” the two main parties “couldn’t run a whelk stall”.

This week’s show, which came from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, came against the backdrop of more partygate revelations, a backlash to Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list and tensions over the Covid-19 public inquiry.

One question – what could the Tories could do to turn around their fortunes and win at the general election next year – prompted a diatribe from one member of the audience, who appeared dissatisfied with the way the country is being run regardless of who is charge.

He said: “We’ve heard it all before from both of you, from both parties. You’re absolutely incompetent. Those that are not incompetent and corrupt.

“I have no idea why any of us bothered to vote for any of you. You couldn’t run a whelk stall, let alone the country. Either of you.

“And all you can do is bat off each other and not make any sense whatsoever. Stay behind afterwards. Both of you. Have a word from me, I’ll give you some home truths.“

He added: “I’m sick to death of you. The only person who went in parliament with good intentions was Guy Fawkes.”

Both Conservative Lee Rowley and Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth – on the panel – agreed to meet the man afterwards to discuss his concerns. He claimed the recent local elections was the first time he has not voted.

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Female MPs And Young Staff Are Not Safe In Parliament, Labour MP Says

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Charlotte Nichols has said female MPs are not safe in parliament as sexual harassment is “baked in”.

The Labour MP for Warrington North said those most at risk are parliamentary staff who are usually much younger.

She also said no political party had “clean hands” on the issue of sexual harassment.

Last week Labour received a formal complaint over the conduct of Swansea West MP Geraint Davies, who had been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment.

It has once again prompted questions about the behaviour of MPs and how their parties handle complaints.

Asked on GB News if MPs are safe, Nichols said: “I don’t think that female MPs are, but I think that the people that are most at risk are parliamentary staff, particularly young women, and young gay men or men perceived to be gay, who have the least power in the institution.

“They are the most at risk and have the least form of redress of any of us.

“I think the issue of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct is unfortunately baked into every single part of how the institution of Westminster operates. No party has clean hands on this.

“But one of the things that I’m concerned about is that I do expect my own party to be better.

“And we’re not having the ability to have the moral high ground at the moment because we can’t even keep our own house in order and on a personal and a professional level, I find it deeply, deeply upsetting.”

Nichols has previously revealed that when she first came into parliament she was given a list of around 30 MPs to avoid, adding: “This was MPs from all different parties, including a handful from my own.”

A Labour spokesperson said the party would urge people with complaints to come forward so they can be investigated and action taken.

Politico website said a sitting Labour MP had also registered a complaint against Davies.

The outlet had earlier reported that five women had made sexual harassment claims against the veteran politician.

Davies said that he did not “recognise” the allegations, according to Politico.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We would strongly urge anyone with a complaint to come forward so that allegations can be swiftly and fully investigated and action taken.

“The party has ensured that there is a wide range of support available to complainants, to provide confidence and confidential guidance throughout the disciplinary process.”

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Keir Starmer Says Party Must Be New Labour ‘On Steroids’

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Keir Starmer will tell his party it must be New Labour “on steroids” and that he does not care if it “sounds conservative”.

In a speech on Saturday morning, the Labour leader is expected to say while the party is on the path to power the “toughest part lies ahead”.

Labour gained hundreds of council seats in last week’s local elections, which saw voters give Conservatives a kicking.

The results suggest Rishi Sunak is likely to be booted out of Downing Street at the next general election, expected to be held in 2024.

But Starmer could have to settle for Labour being the largest party in a hung parliament rather than winning an overall majority.

Speaking to the Progressive Britain annual conference in London, Starmer will say it “misses the point” to think all he is doing is distancing himself from Jeremy Corbyn’s “regime”.

“This is about taking our party back to where we belong and where we should always have been. Back doing what we were created to do,” he will say.

“That’s why I say this project goes further and deeper than New Labour’s rewriting of Clause Four.

“This is about rolling our sleeves up, changing our entire culture – our DNA. This is Clause Four – on steroids.”

Tony Blair famously scrapped Labour’s commitment to mass public ownership in 1995 as he sought to appeal to middle England.

Since taking over as leader in April 2020, Starmer has steadily moved Labour towards the political centre ground.

He has been criticised by those on the left of the party for abandoning many of the promises he made during the leadership campaign to stick to policies included in its 2017 and 2019 manifestos.

Last week, on the eve of the local elections, he all but confirmed his promise to to scrap university tuition fees would be ditched.

Plans to nationalise railways, Royal Mail, energy companies and water companies have been essentially scrapped, with Starmer having argued the economic situation now meant this was too expensive.

Progressive Britain is associated with the Blairite wing of the party and was formed in 2021 by the merger of the Progress and Policy Network groups.

Starmer will tell party members at the gathering that “I don’t care” if he “sounds conservative” sometimes.

“Somebody has got to stand up for the things that make this country great and it isn’t going to be the Tories,” he will say.

“That in the end is one of the great failure of the last 13 years. A Tory Party that in generations past saw itself as the protector of the nation and the union has undermined both.

“They’ve taken an axe to the security of family life, trashed Britain’s reputation abroad, and totally lost touch with the ordinary hope of working people.”

The suggestion Labour could fall short of a majority has led to questions about whether Starmer would do a deal with Ed Davey’s Lib Dems in order to become prime minister.

Starmer last week refused seven times to rule out forming a coalition with the Lib Dems, although he has said he would not do so with the SNP.

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‘The NHS Trumps Woke’: Keir Starmer Slams Tories Over Culture Wars

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Keir Starmer has declared that “the NHS trumps woke” as he slammed the Tories for focusing on culture wars rather than public services.

The Labour leader will on Tuesday address his shadow cabinet for the first time since last week’s local elections, in which they gained more than 500 councillors and take control of 22 more local authorities.

At the same time, the Tories lost more than 1,000 seats and 48 councils on a disastrous night for Rishi Sunak.

However, polling experts said that if the results were replicated across the country at a general election, Labour would fall short of winning an overall majority.

Starmer will tell his frontbench colleagues that while the party has “started to earn back voters’ trust” after Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, it still has more to do to convince the public that it deserves to be in government.

He will say: “The local elections showed that the country was desperate for change.

“The fact that Labour won in all parts of the country was a sign of the strides we have made. People who turned away from us during the Corbyn years and the Brexit years are coming back.

“But there is understandably a lot of scepticism about politics out there and now we need to go from reassurance to hope. We need to show that we will be a big reforming government bringing hope of a better life for working people.”

Starmer believes the Tories made a strategic blunder in believing that so-called “woke” issues like the trans debate were more important to voters than the cost of living crisis and the state of the NHS.

He will say: “Labour’s plan to rebuild the NHS will be at the heart of our offer to the British people. The Tories are doing too little, too late to repair the damage they have done to the NHS.

“The NHS trumps ‘woke’ every day of the week.”

His comments echo the views of many Tories, who have criticised the “non-existent” campaign by the party’s HQ.

One told HuffPost UK: “Nobody cares about all of the culture war stuff – what they really want is the potholes to be fixed.”

One local Conservative association chair also wrote to colleagues saying the local election results were “not a reflection on us, it was part of the national picture”.

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Sue Gray Refused To Co-Operate With Inquiry Into Job With Labour, Government Says

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An inquiry into Sue Gray’s proposed move to the Labour Party has been put on hold after the partygate investigator refused to take part in the probe, a government minister has said.

Her appointment as the Labour leader’s chief-of-staff proved hugely controversial among Tory MPs given that she led the official government probe into Downing Street rule-breaking during lockdown.

Some reports suggested she could have breached the civil service code with her job move.

According to an update on a review into the appointment, Gray declined to make representations into the inquiry looking into her discussions with Labour about the senior party role, Oliver Dowden has said.

In a written statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, cabinet office secretary Oliver Dowden said his department has made a “confidential assessment” to the anti-corruption watchdog and will not provide further information on Gray’s departure “whilst we consider next steps”.

As well as a cabinet office probe, the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), is reviewing the terms of Gray’s departure.

It can set recommendations for when senior people leave government, including calling for a cooling-off period to avoid any conflict of interest.

Who Is Sue Gray?

The senior civil servant was thrust into the limelight when she took over the probe into coronavirus rule-breaking at No 10 in 2021.

She stepped in to lead the investigation after cabinet secretary Simon Case – her boss – recused himself following allegations that his own office held a Christmas event amid a lockdown.

An initial dossier, published in January 2022, included several strong criticisms of Downing Street’s drinking culture, but was short on details about the parties as it was hampered by an investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police.

But her full report in May 2022 proved to be a bombshell. It detailed events at which officials drank so much they were sick, sang karaoke, became involved in altercations and abused security and cleaning staff at a time when millions of people across the country were unable to see friends and family.

She criticised “failures of leadership and judgment” in No 10 and said “the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility”.

Six weeks later, Johnson was forced out of office by his own cabinet and Conservative MPs.

While Gray, in her mid-60s, is said to shun the media spotlight, some politicians have gone so far as to suggest the former publican is the “real leader” of the UK.

In her former role as director-general of propriety and ethics in the Cabinet Office from 2012 to 2018, she is said to have overseen cabinet reshuffles, served as a guiding hand in compiling honours lists, and even signed off political memoirs before their publication.

In the statement, Dowden said Gray was “given the opportunity to make representations as part of this process but chose not to do so”.

He added that “in order to maintain confidentiality towards an individual former employee, I am unable at this stage to provide further information relating to the departure of Ms Gray whilst we consider next steps”.

Dowden also highlighted sections of the civil service code relating to the political activity of civil servants, adding: “The impartiality and perceived impartiality of the Civil Service is constitutionally vital to the conduct of government.”

Earlier in the day Starmer insisted he had no discussions with Gray while she was investigating Boris Johnson and he was “confident” she had not broken any rules.

“Firstly I had no discussions with her while she was investigating Boris Johnson whatsoever, I don’t think anyone is suggesting that’s the case,” the Labour leader told BBC Breakfast ahead of an expected update later from the Cabinet Office on the circumstances of her departure.

He went on: “I’m confident she hasn’t broken any of the rules.”

Starmer claimed the government was trying to resurrect a story about Gray, because they do not want to talk about the cost of living crisis.

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Labour Launches Fresh Attack On Rishi Sunak Despite Tweet Row

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Labour has stepped up its attacks on Rishi Sunak by claiming he does not want thieves to be punished.

The latest move comes despite fierce criticism of an earlier ad accusing the prime minister of not wanting child sex offenders to be jailed.

And it follows a second tweet which said Sunak did not want to imprison adults convicted of gun possession.

The latest online graphic, which again features a picture of the PM alongside his signature, says: “Do you think thieves should be punished? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.”

It adds: “Under the Tories, only 180 of the 4,500 thefts a day will see someone charged this year.”

HuffPost UK revealed yesterday that Labour was planning to step up its personal attacks on Sunak despite widespread condemnation of the tweet about child sexual assault.

In an unusual move, Twitter has added a “context” note making clear the Tories do not want to end the jailing of child sex offenders.

Critics of the campaign included former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said Labour is “better than this”.

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell also repeatedly refused to say she agreed with the ad when quizzed about it yesterday.

But appearing on Radio Four’s Any Questions programme last night, shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said: “I heard a lot of people criticising it, and a lot of people who I like and respect criticising it and saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist.

“I have to say, I think they’re wrong. I just disagree with that. I think the truth is we do need to have a debate in this country, and Rishi Sunak is the Prime Minister and he is responsible for a broken justice system.”

Asked if she genuinely thinks Sunak held these views, Thornberry said: “If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence?”

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