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Labour and Nigel Farage have accused the Tories of a ‘con’ over plans to send more migrants to Rwanda during the election campaign.
The Independent understands plans are in place to fly a person from Nigeria and another from Pakistan, who are in the UK illegally, to the East African country before the election on 4 July.
But much like the first person who was sent in April, it is a voluntary move and so not an enforced deportation.
It comes as Mr Farage claimed Reform UK is the “new opposition” following a YouGov poll that put his party ahead of the Conservatives for the first time.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has said Mr Farage is “incredibly divisive” and trying to “destroy” the Conservative Party.
Tory leadership hopefuls are already lobbying for support to take over as the next head of the party as fears abound that disaster will come in the general election under Rishi Sunak, The Guardian reports.
Key Points
- Labour leader is prepared to make ‘enemies’ to grow economy
- Starmer: I have a ‘bold’ plan for growth
- Labour leader denies changes in Labour’s manifesto ‘very small’ in Panorama grilling
- Starmer facing Panorama grilling
- Farage challenges Starmer to face off on head to head debate
- Trott: Labour ‘failed to rule out 18 potential tax rises'
Starmer wins TV debate and Farage’s Reform triumph: Key moments from election campaign trail – week four
It’s been another topsy-turvy week on the campaign trail as the political parties released their election manifestos to try and compete for your vote at the general election on 4 July.
The Independent has pinpointed these key moments:
Key moments from election campaign trail – week four
It was enough tough week for prime minister Rishi Sunak after yet another gaffe and more troubling polling, with just weeks to go until polling day on 4 July
Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 June 2024 18:30 1718471068Voters’ trust in Tories on tax plummets as Rishi Sunak’s final election gambit fails
Trust in the Tories on tax has collapsed, a new poll has revealed, in another massive blow to Rishi Sunak as he tries to turn his party’s fortunes around with less than three weeks to go.
According to an exclusive poll by Techne UK for The Independent, Sir Keir Starmer has a trust rating of more than double Mr Sunak as postal votes are sent out this weekend in a crucial stage of the election.
It comes after the Tories put all their efforts into using tax as the key dividing issue and launched an assault on Labour’s plans in a last-ditch effort to stop Sir Keir winning power with “a supermajority” on 4 July.
Voters’ trust in Tories on tax plummets as Rishi Sunak’s final election gambit fails
Exclusive: A new poll has revealed that trust in the Tories on tax has collapsed as the party deserately tries to use the issue to stop a Labour “supermajority”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 June 2024 18:04 1718469015
Wes Streeting warns of ‘nightmare in Downing Street’
Wes Streeting has warned of a “nightmare in Downing Street” if the Conservatives are re-elected.
Speaking at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire on a visit with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow health secretary dodged a question about whether he had a “pet policy” from the 2019 manifesto which he wanted in the 2024 document.
“Look, I’m really proud of the manifesto that Labour’s put forward, because not only is it fully costed and fully funded, every promise in there is a promise we can keep and the country can afford,” Mr Streeting said.
Wes Streeting warns of ‘nightmare in Downing Street’
Wes Streeting has warned of a ‘nightmare in Downing Street’, echoing The Sun’s headlines in the run-up to the general election in 2019.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 June 2024 17:30 1718465415SNP’s opposition to Trident puts national security at risk, Tories claim
The Scottish Conservatives have criticised the SNP’s opposition to Trident, the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
Deputy leader Meghan Gallacher is visiting Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute on Saturday, near the Faslane naval base which is home to the UK’s submarine fleet.
She highlighted a report from the GMB union which said thousands of jobs depended on the Faslane base – 6,500 military and civilian staff at the base and 4,000 in the supply chain and local economy.
SNP’s opposition to Trident puts national security at risk, Tories claim
Scottish party deputy leader Meghan Gallacher is visiting Helensburgh on Saturday, near the Faslane naval base.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 June 2024 16:30 1718461813Labour calls for tactical voting to oust Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch
Labour calls for tactical voting to oust Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch could be a surprise Tory election casualty if Labour succeeds in a call for tactical voting
Sam Rkaina15 June 2024 15:30 1718459935Starmer fears over right wing surge in Europe
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, whose party is leading the polls during the General Election, is “concerned” about the right wing “taking hold” in Europe.
Taking a question about the 2024 EU elections, Sir Keir said: “In Europe, obviously, it’s a different picture in different countries, and so there isn’t one picture.
“But, look, we’re a progressive party and I want to see progressive parties succeed in Europe, and I’m concerned where I see, you know, right or very right-wing politics taking hold.
“Obviously, what’s important here in the UK is that we fight this General Election in the progressive way that we are and hopefully bring about the change that we need.”
Sam Rkaina15 June 2024 14:58 1718458234Growth in the UK has been ‘missing’
Sir Keir Starmer said “growth” has been “the missing part” of Government since 2010, while on a visit to Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
Pressed on whether his party’s economic proposals were confusing for voters, Sir Keir said: “I reject the idea that the only levers a prime minister has to pull are either the tax lever or the spend lever – there’s growth.
“This has been the missing part for the last 14 years. It’s been the missing part of this general election campaign, frankly, a discussion about growth.
“Our manifesto is a manifesto for growth and a serious plan for growth.
“That’s what I set out we’re going to do, I’m planning on infrastructure and industrial strategy, on the national wealth fund, on GB Energy, these all ladder up to our argument on growth.”
Sam Rkaina15 June 2024 14:30 1718456434'Voters will choose opposition leader, not Farage’
Voters will choose who the Leader of the Opposition is, not Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader told the press: “Well, I don’t think it’s for Nigel Farage to declare himself Leader of the Opposition.
“I’m actually Leader to the Opposition just at the moment. I’m hoping to change that.
“But, look, my focus is on talking to the voters directly, that’s why I’m out and about every day, because it’s their concerns and, at the end of the day, this is a contest.
“But it is a choice between five more years of Conservative government after the failure of last 14 years, or turning a page and a Labour government will rebuild the country.
“There are only two candidates for prime minister, Rishi Sunak and myself.”
Starmer says capital gains tax ‘never a policy’
Raising capital gains tax on primary residences “was never a policy”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Asked to “clear up the issue”, Sir Keir said: “Absolutely, it was never a policy.
“It doesn’t need ruling out, but let’s rule it out, in case anyone pretends that it was (a policy).”
Asked whether he had been “vague” in his tax pledges, Sir Keir said: “Well, I think when it comes to tax, we’ve been really clear they won’t rise, so that’s no rise in income tax and national insurance or VAT.
“This is just a desperate story by the Tories in relation to capital gains tax on primary residences.”
Sam Rkaina15 June 2024 13:45 1718454634Labour leader prepared to make ‘tough decisions’ on new homes
Sir Keir Starmer has said a Labour government would take “tough” decisions to drive through plans for new homes.
He was responding to questions about Labour candidate Marsha de Cordova’s opposition to a development in the Battersea constituency where she is standing for re-election.
Sir Keir said: “We have a clearly costed plan for building 1.5 million homes over the course of the next parliament if we are elected into government.
“I know how important it is for people to own their own home, to have that first place. That will require tough decisions.”
While planning rules would be changed, Sir Keir said Labour would “listen to local communities” who had concerns about infrastructure.
But “we have to build those homes and we are going to take tough decisions in order to fix that”.
Sam Rkaina15 June 2024 13:30 Newer1 / 6OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
