UK News and Discussions

[Time_Traveller]

This is why Labour and friends have ONE shot at fixing the country; else it is Trumpism (Faragism?) after that.

All the parties will have to come together in unity and stop Farage from becoming PM in 29'.

[Time_Traveller]

Boris Johnson has a potential path back to power as Tory leader… in 2028

June 19, 2024 12:12 pm

Boris Johnson has not given up an ambition to lead the Conservative Party again but is unlikely to stage a frontline political comeback immediately after the Tories’ likely electoral wipeout next month, i understands.

The former prime minister, who turned 60 on Wednesday, is trying to help the Tory campaign stave off massive losses on 4 July by offering his endorsement to any Conservative candidate who asks for one – a total of more than 50 so far.

But despite mounting speculation that he may try to return for this summer’s expected Tory leadership contest, it is likely that Johnson will wait and plot a comeback after the party has spent a term in opposition – leaving the door open to a return in 2028.

The ex-prime minister may want to take on Sir Keir Starmer when he is weaker after serving a term in office in difficult economic circumstances, rather than being a caretaker leader of the opposition facing a new PM with a Labour landslide. i understands if Johnson does make a comeback it would be further down the line.

Johnson is not expected to personally join the election campaign trail as he is out of the country on holiday between now and close to polling day, although it is still thought possible he will make a cameo appearance in the run-up to 4 July.

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/boris ... 28-3119800

Hopefully another to stop too, I think once is enough don't you?

[Time_Traveller]

Tory government from 2010 to 2024 worse than any other in postwar history, says study by leading experts

2 hour ago

As John Stevens reports in a story for the Daily Mirror today, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, was complaining at a private Tory dinner earlier this year about the electorate’s “total failure to appreciate our superb record since 2010”.

But just how good is the Conservative party’s record in government over the past 14 years? Thankfully, we now have what is as close as we’re going to get to the authoritative, official verdict. Sir Anthony Seldon, arguably Britain’s leading contemporary political historian, is publishing a collection of essays written by prominent academics and other experts and they have analysed the record of the Conservative government from 2010 to 2024, looking at what it has achieved in every area of policy.

It is called The Conservative Effect 2010-2014: 14 Wasted Years? and it is published by Cambridge University Press.

And its conclusion is damning. It describes this as the worst government in postwar history.

Here is the conclusion of the final chapter, written by Seldon and his co-editor Tom Egerton, which sums up the overall verdict.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/li ... inned-post

[Time_Traveller]

Tories to slump to lowest number of seats since party's formation, new poll projects

Wednesday 19 June 2024 17:03, UK

Labour are on course for a majority of 200 according to a new YouGov projection, which also suggests the Tories will slump to their lowest number of seats at an election since the party's formation in 1834.

If this projection is replicated when the country goes to the polls on 4 July, Labour would have the second largest majority since the Second World War.

This is the second of three polling projections of this election campaign by YouGov, which Sky News has partnered with for the election. It uses a modelling technique known as MRP.

The latest poll suggests Labour are on course for a majority that is six seats larger than their initial projection on 3 June, which suggested a majority of 194.

If this and other MRP polls are accurate, it suggests Britain is on the cusp of a fundamental redrawing of the political landscape.

https://news.sky.com/story/tories-to-sl ... s-13155554

[Time_Traveller]

Rishi Sunak's close protection officer arrested and suspended over alleged bets on election date

Wednesday 19 June 2024 17:59, UK

A close protection officer for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been arrested and suspended over alleged bets about the timing of the general election.

He is a member of the Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, which provides personal close protection to ministerial VIPs and members of the Royal Family.

The Gambling Commission informed the Met Police last week that they were investigating the activity by the police constable.

The matter was immediately referred to officers in the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards who opened an investigation, and the officer was also removed from operational duties.

The officer was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was taken into custody and bailed pending further inquiries.

https://news.sky.com/story/met-police-c ... e-13155548

Another one:-

Second Tory candidate looked into over election betting

5 hours ago

A second Conservative candidate is being looked into by the Gambling Commission over a bet relating to the timing of the general election, the BBC can reveal.

Laura Saunders is the party’s candidate in Bristol North West and has worked for the party since 2015.

It is understood she worked most recently in the party’s International Division – a department of Conservative Campaign Headquarters which liaises with other centre-right parties around the world.

It is not known when the bet was placed or for how much money.

A Conservative Party spokesman told the BBC: “We have been contacted by the Gambling Commission about a small number of individuals. As the Gambling Commission is an independent body, it wouldn’t be proper to comment further, until any process is concluded.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11j1q3y13o

[wjfox]

Pat McFadden's letter to Rishi Sunak:

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

Labour’s VAT on private school fees would not come in until 2025, Rachel Reeves says

1 hour ago

Labour will not impose VAT on private school fees until at least 2025 if it wins the general election, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party believes it can raise some £1.6bn a year by ending the 20 per cent VAT exemption as part of its plans to recruit around 6,500 specialist state school teachers in England.

The policy is among the most-discussed in Labour’s manifesto, and has raised concerns of local authority schools being strained by a sudden influx of pupils taken out of private schools due to rising fees.

Sir Keir said in the early days of the election campaign that his party – which is some 20 points ahead in the polls – would seek to implement the change “straight away” and “as soon as it can be done”.

Ms Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has now suggested that the policy will not be enforced until 2025.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 66493.html

[Time_Traveller]

Labour raised £4.4m to Tories’ £290,000 in second week of campaign

Fri 21 Jun 2024 16.52 BST



Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives struggled to raise money in the second week of the election campaign, bringing in just £290,000 from private donors, while Labour received a windfall of £4.4m.

The figures show that business donors are turning towards Labour as it edges closer to power, while financial support for Sunak’s party is waning.

Over the first two weeks the Tories have raised less than £900,000, compared with the almost £9m they brought in during the first two weeks of the 2019 campaign under Boris Johnson.

In contrast, Labour has been given £5.3m in the first two weeks, hugely boosted by £2.5m from David Sainsbury, the supermarket scion.

Over the year to the end of April, the Tories have significantly outgunned Labour, bringing in £44m while Labour drew £24.6m, excluding public funds.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ar ... n-campaign

[wjfox]

[raklian]

[Time_Traveller]

Rishi Sunak says he is proud of disastrous election campaign - and claims he will win

1 hour ago

Rishi Sunak has said he is “proud” of his disastrous election campaign - and claimed he would win Thursday’s general election.

The prime minister has come under fire in recent weeks for a series of calamities that included a rain-soaked announcement of polling day, leaving D-Day commemorations early and a gambling scandal.

But in a crunch interview with just days to go before the vote, Mr Sunak told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show "this campaign is something I am very proud of" as he sought to highlight Labour’s plans.

He also said he believes he will win the election. Asked whether he thought he would still be prime Minister on Friday, he said: “Yes. I’m fighting very hard and I think people are waking up to the real danger of what a Labour government means.”

The Leave-campaigning Tory leader also admitted that Brexit has been bad for many British businesses.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p ... 71339.html

Sunak is deluded isn't he trying to claim the Tories will win in a few days time.

[Time_Traveller]

Murdoch's Fox to launch free Netflix rival in UK

2 July 2024, 04:42 BST

Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation is entering the UK's highly competitive free, ad-supported video streaming market.

Tubi will compete with the likes of Netflix, Disney+, ITVX and Channel 4's streaming platform as well as the BBC iPlayer.

The platform has been quickly gaining market share in the US where, according to Fox, it has almost 80 million monthly active users.

In the UK, Tubi says it will offer more than 20,000 films and TV series, including content from Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The platform will also include a selection of British, Indian and Nigerian content.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn385lgk0vjo

No thanks, I will not be associated with anything from the Murdoch Corporation or its channels. I will definitely stick with Netflix.

[wjfox]

[firestar464]

Keir Starmer: I want people to say Labour has made them better off

https://archive.ph/vwuCQ

Otherwise decent interview apart from the fact that BRO IS TRANSPHOBIC WTF

[firestar464]

Also I just learned that r/humour is unmoderated. Perhaps one of you could request it at r/redditrequest

[firestar464]

Prompt for a dystopia story: In the year 2027, the UK is the only democracy remaining on the UNSC

[weatheriscool]

[Cyber_Rebel]

I imagine Wjfox & Time_Traveller will be very pleased. Hope everything works out for the U.K. soon.

The Conservatives Have Run Britain for 14 Years. How Has That Worked Out?
Since Britain’s Conservative Party took power 14 years ago, most things have not gone the way it planned.

NYTimes

The Conservative Party has dramatically reshaped Britain since 2010, orchestrating its exit from the European Union, slashing spending on public services and cutting welfare spending. Time and again, British voters have returned the party to power.

But Britons say their country is worse off now than when the Conservatives took office. Their dissatisfaction emerges on almost every issue they are asked about, from the economy to education to the National Health Service.

With the Conservatives facing the possibility of a crushing defeat in Thursday’s election, we took a look at how Britain has changed since they came to power. To do so, we chose the metrics that voters — and the party itself — say matter the most.

No single measure can capture the Britain of 2024, of course, but taken together, these metrics offer a snapshot of decline.

[wjfox]

How Has That Worked Out?

By pretty much every metric, the UK is worse off now than in 2010, and that isn't even hyperbolic. I honestly can't think of a single thing that has improved under the Conservatives. They deserve to be annihilated tomorrow. And I hope the Lib Dems become the new opposition.