Category: News Story

STORY

The exit poll for the General Election is predicting a Labour landslide with Keir Starmer likely to be the next Prime Minister with a majority of around 170.

STORY

Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has said on BBC 4 Today’s Programme that he accepts Labour are likely to win the General Election. Stride said in the interview:

“I totally accept that, where the polls are at the moment, means that tomorrow is likely to see the largest Labour landslide majority, the largest majority that this country has ever seen. Much bigger than 1997, bigger even than the National Government in 1931. What, therefore, matters now is what kind of opposition do we have, what kind of ability to scrutinise Government is there within Parliament.”

The National Government won with 554 of 615 seats, with Stride being accused of potentially misleading the electorate with an attempt to create fear of a large Labour Government. Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister, gave a speech yesterday at a rally in support of Rishi Sunak. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, said in response:

“I’ve been arguing that the last 14 years have bene about chaos and division – and last night, they wheeled out the architect of chaos and division.”

STORY

Georgie David, the Reform Parliamentary candidate for West Ham and Beckton, has defected to the Conservative Party over the failure of the party to control racism and hate speech. She said that she was “frustrated and dismayed” by Nigel Farage’s leadership, with the defection being the second in three days after Liam Booth-Isherwood also quit Reform.

David said in a statement:

“I am hereby announcing my decision to leave the Reform Party and stand down as their candidate for West Ham and Beckton, with immediate effect. I am in no doubt that the party and its senior leadership are not racist. However, as the vast majority of candidates are indeed racist, misogynistic, and bigoted, I do not wish to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are so vastly opposing to my own and what I stand for.

I also have been significantly frustrated and dismayed by the failure of the Reform Party’s leadership to tackle this issue in any meaningful way, and their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play. As such, I have now suspended my campaign with Reform, and I am endorsing the Conservative Party – I would encourage all of my fellow patriots to do the same.”

STORY

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said in an interview with the BBC that he is still hopeful of a Conservative Party victory at this week’s General Election and he suggested that he may remain as Tory leader for a period in the event of an election victory. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, warned of complacency and warned against “waking up on Friday morning to a further five years of Tory government”. Sunak also said that he intended to remain as a Conservative MP regardless of whether he remained as Prime Minister.

STORY

Channel 4 have reported that aides to Nigel Farage, the Reform candidate for Clacton, have used racist, homophobic and sexist language, using hate speech and threatening behaviour. Nigel Farage said that was he was unaware of the hate speech and said that he was “dismayed” when evidence was presented to the candidate. He said in a statement:

“I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.”

Andrew Parker, who was canvassing for Farage, said:

“We’re fucking kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.”

STORY

North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that four people have been arrested at the constituency home of Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, who tried to enter the grounds of his property. Downing Street said in a statement:

“The Prime Minister thanks the police for their swift response to keep him and his family safe. As this is a live police investigation, further queries should be direct to the relevant police force.”

STORY

The Conservative Party has suspended Laura Saunders and Craig Williams after serious allegations made against them for placing bets on the timing of the General Election. The party said in a statement:

“As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting which is rightly independent and ongoing.”

STORY

Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, has called for Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, to suspend Laura Saunders over allegations of betting fraud and corruption. Sunak, who said that he was “incredibly angry” at the situation, has so far refused to suspend the candidate, who has yet to deny the allegations. Starmer said in a statement:

“This candidate should be suspended and it’s very telling that Rishi Sunak has not already done that. If it was one of my candidates, they’d be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor.”

STORY

Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, has refused to deny corruption allegations made against her, with Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, saying that he is “incredibly angry”.

Speaking in the television debate, Sunak faced a campaign in turmoil as his campaign director stood down amidst allegations linked to Saunders. Speaking at a leadership debate, Sunak said:

“I was incredibly angry. incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities, including a criminal investigation by the police. And I want to be crystal clear that if anyone has broken the rules, they should face the full force of the law. That’s what those investigations are there to do. And I hope that they do their work as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.”

STORY

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5.25% with the 7 members of the rate-setting committee backing no change and 2 who wanted a reduction. The Bank of England said that inflation had returned to target levels and the financial markets expect a cut later in the year.

RESOURCES

Bank of England Web-Site on Interest Rates