Inflation falls to two per cent, the lowest level in almost three years
“Inflation has hit the Bank of England’s target for the first time in almost three years. Prices rose at 2% in the year to May, down from 2.3% the month before, official figures show. The economy is a key talking point in the run-up to the general election on 4 July, with all of the main parties debating how they would keep the cost of living under control. The Bank of England will look at these numbers on Thursday to decide what to do about interest rates.” – BBC
Johnson “will skip election campaigning to go on holiday”
“Boris Johnson is no longer expected to join the Tory election campaign trail, because the party is facing decimation in the red wall seats he won in 2019 and there are fears he will not appeal to voters in the south. The former prime minister has endorsed 50 Tory candidates across the country and put his name to tens of thousands of letters being sent to voters as part of an attempt to counter the threat posed by Reform UK…However, Johnson, who is 60 on Wednesday, is unlikely to go out on the stump and is instead expected to go on his second summer holiday within the next few days. He is due back in the UK on July 3, the day before voters go to the polls.” – The Times
- Tories would be doing better under Johnson, Lord Frost says – The Sun
- Sunak campaigns in Torridge & Tavistock, where Tories are defending a massive 22,000 majority – Daily Mail
>Today: Columnist Daniel Hannan: Why telling voters to “stop the landslide” won’t work
Tory leadership contenders “have already set up campaigns”
“Tory leadership hopefuls are courting MPs while building grassroots support as they jostle to replace Rishi Sunak after the election, party officials and members say. Several senior Tories have stepped up manoeuvres, as Sunak’s party barrels towards what polls predict will be an electoral hammering on July 4. Potential contenders touted by MPs include former home secretary Suella Braverman, business secretary Kemi Badenoch and home secretary James Cleverly. “The shadow boxing has begun,” declared one party insider. The person added that would-be leaders were already “doing visits to other seats, helping MPs where possible, making sure they’re visible and prominent with the grassroots”, and stepping up their social media output.” – Financial Times
- The majority of Conservative MPs likely to be elected in July come from the party’s centre ground – The Times
>Yesterday: Parliament: Sunak’s survivors? Our list of new Conservative candidates in winnable seats.
Starmer claims savers are not “working people”
“Sir Keir Starmer has defined “working people” as those who cannot afford to write a cheque when they get into trouble, prompting claims by the Tories that he is preparing to target savers. The Labour leader has repeatedly ruled out putting up taxes on “working people” who have borne the brunt of the cost of living crisis but has not previously explained who he has in mind. Pressed to explain what he meant, he told LBC: “When I say working people, it is people who earn their living, rely on our services and don’t really have the ability to write a cheque when they get into trouble.” He said this included people whose mortgage had gone up several hundred pounds, and “don’t have the sort of money in the bank to pay for it”. Starmer’s comments were seized upon by the Conservatives who accused him of using a “narrow and misguided” definition of working people that opened the door for tax rises for millions of savers.” – The Times
- Come clean on Council Tax – Leader, The Times
- Starmer is barely meeting any real voters – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
Hunt: Labour would raise taxes. We would cut them.
“Today the Mail has revealed a worrying manifesto submission from a group of Labour MPs called the Tribune Group, of which Keir Starmer and many of the Shadow Cabinet are members, highlighting Labour’s secret plan to raise taxes across the board. Why won’t they just be straight with people and come clean? Because they have no plan and no idea how to run the economy. On the other hand, as Conservatives, we are the party of sound money and lower taxes…We have shown a clear direction of travel. Our tax-cutting manifesto will get taxes down and incentivise work even more.” – Jeremy Hunt, Daily Mail
- Three-fifths of voters expect Labour to raise capital gains tax – Daily Telegraph
- Labour’s secret tax rise plans revealed – Daily Mail
- Starmer lets the cat out of the bag on tax – Leader, Daily Mail
Labour suspends candidate for pro-Russian comments
“Labour has suspended one of its candidates after reports he shared “pro-Russian” material online. Andy Brown, who is standing in Aberdeen North and Moray East, also shared a post that appeared to downplay allegations of antisemitism against Labour, as first reported by the Press and Journal. A Labour spokesperson said he had been suspended pending an investigation. Weeks after the Salisbury poisonings Mr Brown shared an article on social media in April 2018 from the Russian state media outlet RT. It claimed the “toxin” used in the Salisbury poisonings was “never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, UK, and other NATO states”.” – BBC
- Putin has been diminished – Leader, Daily Telegraph
- The radical left will pose a challenge for Starmer – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
Streeting proposes NHS buys beds in care homes
“NHS money will be used to buy thousands of beds in care homes under Labour plans to reduce overcrowding in England’s hospitals, long waits in A&E and patients becoming trapped in ambulances. Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said the move would tackle the huge human and financial “waste” of beds being occupied by patients fit to leave but stuck there because a lack of care outside the hospital. There are 13,000 beds in England – enough to fill 26 hospitals – being occupied by such patients.” – The Guardian
- SNP manifesto to pledge ‘major investment’ in NHS – BBC
Sir Jim Ratcliffe backs Labour
“Sir Jim Ratcliffe has backed Labour to form the next government, as he said voters have “had enough” of Rishi Sunak’s policies. The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, who controls a minority stake in the club through his chemicals empire Ineos Group, criticised the Tories’ time in power and hit out at a string of failed prime ministers…Sir Jim’s endorsement is an apparent sign that Labour has convinced City grandees that they can be trusted to steer the British economy. The billionaire chemicals mogul, who is worth £11.9bn, also criticised Jeremy Hunt’s plan to abolish the non-dom status for foreign nationals working in the UK, saying it was “very foolish”. He said: “You’ve got 60,000 very wealthy people in London, why would you want to encourage them to leave? It doesn’t make any sense to me really because they all bring enormous value.” – Daily Telegraph
- John Caudwell, the Phones4U founder, switches from Conservatives to Labour – The Guardian
Buckland calls for covid fine amnesty
“The justice secretary who oversaw the courts during the pandemic has called for an amnesty for the more than 29,000 people given criminal convictions for breaking Covid rules. Sir Robert Buckland said the 29,383 people fined by the courts should have their “slates wiped clean” rather than risk their career prospects being hampered by convictions handed out at an “exceptional time”. Sir Robert’s call has been backed by two former Cabinet ministers and charities while a source close to Alex Chalk, the current Justice Secretary, said he was also sympathetic to the idea of wiping the slate clean.” – Daily Telegraph
Reform UK to be excluded from four-way BBC election debate
“The BBC will allow Reform UK to take part in an extra Question Time leaders’ special after Nigel Farage complained about being excluded from the programme. The corporation has added an additional Question Time to its election coverage to reflect “the fact that it is clear from across a broad range of opinion polls that the support for Reform UK has been growing”. Mr Farage had demanded a spot on the BBC’s main four-way leaders’ debate panel, which Fiona Bruce will host on Thursday. The two-hour programme is set to feature the leaders of the UK’s four largest political parties – the Tories, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats.” – Daily Telegraph
- Farage threatens legal action against candidate vetting company – Financial Times
- Poll suggests Reform UK could get 10 seats – The Sun
- The seven Reform candidates on track to win seats – Daily Telegraph
- Reform UK defends candidates as more comments emerge – BBC
- It’s bad news when Farage is the centre of attention – Matthew Parris, The Times
- The Tories are past their prime. Reform UK are not the ones handing Labour a landslide victory – Ann Widdecombe, Daily Express
>Today: Columnist Patrick English: Just who is voting for Reform UK, and why do they only hurt the Conservatives?
Other political news
- UK cancer care lagging 20 years behind Europe – Daily Telegraph
- ‘Glacial’ progress on levelling up claims Institute for Fiscal Studies – The Guardian
- Post Office bosses ran ‘criminal conspiracy’ to hide IT flaws, says investigator – The Times
- Up to 95% of state school places already full. So where will priced-out pupils now go? – Daily Mail
- Reeves pledges to introduce more power for the Office for Budget Responsibility in Labour’s first king’s speech – The Guardian
- Sunak commits to maintaining badger cull – BBC
- UK triumphs after London stock market soars above EU rival – Daily Express
Braverman: Starmer will make Britain the illegal immigrant capital of Europe
“Labour could start considering Rwanda migrants for asylum within weeks of taking power as it attempts to achieve its superficial “ambition” of ending the use of hotels in a year. As The Telegraph reported this week, the party is investigating using discretionary powers to switch up to 90,000 migrants earmarked for Rwanda flights into the asylum system. It would be a gift to the people-smugglers, who may then promise asylum to more victims…Very quickly after July 4, the summer will enter full swing and it will be open season for illegal migrants on the Channel. The gangs will explode, the adverts encouraging migrants to get on a dinghy to the UK will go crazy, and we will again become the number one destination for millions of illegal arrivals. The numbers we saw last year will look minuscule compared to what awaits us under Labour.” – Suella Braverman, Daily Telegraph
News in brief
- The case for not voting at this election – Robin Ashenden, The Spectator
- What Rachel Reeves gets wrong about Brexit – Andrew Lilico, CapX
- Reform’s TikTok rise takes the Party by surprise – Zoe Crowther, The House magazine
- What the Conservatives can learn from Germany – Fred de Fossard, The Critic
- Who’s really winning in Scotland? – Chris Deerin, New Statesman
The post Newslinks for Wednesday 19th June 2024 appeared first on Conservative Home.
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