Rishi Sunak won’t confirm whether he will quit as Conservative Party leader if the Tories lose the general election.
Pressed on whether he would remain Tory leader, Mr Sunak told the BBC: “My priority is focused on this election, right. I love this party dearly and of course I’ll always put myself at the service of it, and the service of my country.”
It came as Sir Keir Starmer has said only the progressives can beat the far-right and blamed the surge on “disaffection among voters” amid popularity of Marine Le Pen’s nationalist party in France.
The Labour leader said people feel the country is “too broken to be mended” and “can’t trust politicians” after 14 years of “Tory chaos”, but added: “Only progressives have the answers of the challenges that are facing us.”
Labour holds a strong 24-point lead in latest polls on voter intentions, with the Tories struggling to close the gap.
Parties prepare to wrap up the general election campaign
As the general election campaign comes to an end, parties are sharpening their key messages in the hopes of convincing the last few undecided voters before 4 July.
- Rishi Sunak will be speaking from Oxfordshire where he will urge wavering Tory voters to stick with his party to ensure a swing away from a Labour “supermajority”.
- Sir Keir Starmer is expected to spend one of the final days on the campaign trail making multiple visits across England. The Labour will then head to London to deliver a speech tonight.
- Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will be in the south west revisiting one of the party’s key priorities: ending the “sewage scandal”.
- First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney is set to visit a distillery as he calls on Scotland to reject Westminster austerity cuts from the next Labour government.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 07:15
University chancellor says she is an ‘accidental trailblazer’ for women in Stem
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 07:20
Litvinenko’s widow ‘disgusted’ by Farage praise for Putin
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 07:00
Inside the constituencies thrown into disarray by the betting scandal
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 05:00
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ap-england-boris-johnson-hartlepool-nigel-farage-b2571622.html
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 04:00
Greens promise to abolish Ofsted
The Green Party has pledged to abolish Ofsted and bring in continuous assessments to replace SATs testing, as part of an £8 billion education package.
The party is also proposing to scrap tuition fees, provide free school meals for all children, and have a qualified counsellor in every school and college.
Co-leader Carla Denyer said the Greens are providing an “A-star offering” which is “fully inclusive and costed”.
She said: “To help relieve the stresses in our education system and improve wellbeing, for both teachers and pupils, Greens want to replace high-stakes formal SATs testing in primary and secondary schools with a system of continuous assessment, and abolish Ofsted.
“We also want to see a massive boost in funding for special needs provision in mainstream schools, and for a qualified counsellor in every state school and college.
“No child must be left behind by poverty. Opportunities must be available to all.
Barney Davis2 July 2024 03:00
In a proud and troubled UK town, voters wonder whether their election choice will make a difference
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 02:00
Exclusive: Windrush pensioner facing homelessness at 89 as Home Office ‘unable to verify her identity’
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 01:00
Watch: Theresa May leaves doorbell camera message while campaigning for Conservatives
Theresa May leaves doorbell camera message while campaigning for Conservatives
Theresa May left a message on a constituent’s Ring doorbell camera while out canvassing for Perth and Kinross-shire Conservative candidate Luke Graham on Saturday, 29 June. The former prime minister introduced herself before informing the homeowner she was putting a leaflet through their door as they were not in. Ms May’s campaigning was praised online, with Labour councillor Adam Aston declaring the gesture “a lovely little message.” It’s not the first time a former Tory leader has been recorded on a doorbell camera – David Cameron left a video message for a household in Hampshire earlier in June.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 00:30
Michael Spicer: Politicians think it’s a joke, but I’m serious about them
Comedian Michael Spicer has said he finds it “very irritating” that the politicians he has “lampooned” follow him on social media, saying “I think they think that it’s just a game”.
Spicer shot to fame during the 2019 general election for his Room Next Door sketches, where he would pretend to act as a political adviser speaking in the ear of a public figure during an interview.
“I just provide entertainment because the evidence of that is the fact that a lot of the people that I’ve lampooned are following me, and I find that very irritating,” he said.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 00:00