22 March 2024 • 10:35am
10:35AM
Labour more trusted than Tories to deliver on Sunak’s five pledges
Labour is more trusted than the Tories to deliver on Rishi Sunak’s five big pledges, according to a Savanta survey conducted for The Telegraph.
Mr Sunak used a speech in January last year to announce his five main goals: Cut NHS waiting lists, grow the economy, get debt dalling, halve inflation and stop the boats.
But the Savanta survey, conducted between March 15-17, found Labour was ahead of the Conservatives when voters were asked which party was best placed to manage each issue.
On cutting NHS waiting lists, some 47 per cent of respondents picked Labour while 22 per cent picked the Tories.
On growing the economy it was 40 per cent to 30 per cent, on getting debt falling it was 38 per cent to 29 per cent, on halving inflation it was 35 per cent to 33 per cent and on stopping the boats it was 32 per cent to 25 per cent.
10:12AM
Culture Secretary criticises ‘pointless’ decision to change St George’s Cross
Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, has criticised the “pointless and unnecessary” decision to make a St George’s Cross on the new England football kit multicoloured.
She tweeted: “Fans should always come first, and it’s clear that this is not what fans want.
“Our national heritage – including St George’s Cross – brings us together. Toying with it is pointless and unnecessary.”
10:02AM
Emily Thornberry criticises ‘weird’ decision to make St George’s Cross multicoloured
A Labour frontbencher said the decision to make a St George’s Cross on the new England football kit multicoloured was “weird” and suggested it should be restored to its original red and white.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, told BBC Breakfast: “I think it is a bit weird. I think the England flag is the England flag. Why has it got all these other colours on it?
“Imagine putting a bit of purple on the Irish tricolour or something. Why would you do it? Why can’t we just have the England flag?”
She added: “Why are we messing around with it? I don’t understand.”
9:58AM
Police investigate Tory donor Frank Hester over ‘racist’ comments
West Yorkshire Police are investigating alleged racist comments reportedly made by Tory party donor Frank Hester at a meeting in 2019.
The force said the investigation had been passed over from the Metropolitan Police as the meeting took place in Horsforth, Leeds.
A spokesperson said officers were now “working to establish the facts and to ultimately ascertain whether a crime has been committed”.
They added that the Metropolitan Police had been contacted on March 11 about a report in The Guardian, and that this was the first time the comments had been brought to the attention of police.
Mr Hester was alleged to have told colleagues in a 2019 meeting that looking at Diane Abbott, a former Labour MP who now sits as an independent, makes you “want to hate all black women”.
Mr Hester has admitted making “rude” comments about Ms Abbott, but claimed they had “nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin”.
9:18AM
Lord Cameron: ‘UK-Australia relationship has never been more important’
The UK-Australia relationship has never been more important.
Projects like AUKUS will enhance mutual security. Our Free Trade Agreement will boost prosperity. We will continue to build on these historic initiatives.
Thank you @SenatorWong for welcoming me to Australia. pic.twitter.com/DsUFG1GrPI
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 22, 2024
8:59AM
Sir Geoffrey Cox warns of election ‘annihilation’ risk for Tories
Sir Geoffrey Cox warned the Tories will be “annihilated” as a credible opposition in the House of Commons if Labour replicates its current poll lead at the general election and wins a 200-seat majority.
The former attorney general argued a landslide election victory and crushing majority for Labour would be “bad for democracy”. He also said the Conservatives needed to show voters “why we should be elected again”.
Sir Geoffrey told GB News: “The Conservative Party represents a cluster of important values, ideals and principles which if the country is without, it is a very dangerous thing for democracy.
“At the moment, an 80-seat majority is big but the proposal at the moment, the suggestion that Labour might win a 200-seat majority effectively annihilates any credible opposition.
“That’s bad for democracy, but on our part, we need to show why we should be elected again, why our party stands for really important values and principles.”
The Telegraph’s poll tracker currently has Labour just over 20 points ahead of the Conservatives.
8:34AM
Lord Cameron backs closer cooperation with Australia following talks in Adelaide
Lord Cameron has backed closer cooperation with Australia to provide increased security and Commonwealth stability.
The Foreign Secretary was speaking in Adelaide today after talks with Penny Wong, his Australian counterpart, and Richard Marles, deputy prime minister, along with Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary.
The talks have seen the two countries sign a defence and security agreement as well as announcing a contract for British firm BAE Systems in the building of nuclear-powered submarines as part of the Aukus agreement between the nations and the US.
Lord Cameron said: “This is a strong partnership, but it has got so much stronger in recent years. I think the discussions have shown we share analysis, we share values.
“I also say we share a pretty concrete and clear plan of action that we are going to support Ukraine. It is vital in resisting Russian aggression, working together to stabilise the Middle East, getting aid into Gaza and bringing about the solution to that conflict.”
Richard Marles, Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister, Lord Cameron, Britain’s Foreign Secretary and Grant Shapps, Britain’s Secretary of State for Defence hold a media conference at Government House in Adelaide, South Australia today
Credit: Michael Errey/AFP
8:04AM
Osborne: Sunak should challenge Tory leadership critics to ‘put up or shut up’
Rishi Sunak should challenge his Tory leadership critics to “put up or shut up”, George Osborne said.
The former chancellor said he believed voters would appreciate Mr Sunak showing a “flash of steel” to his rivals amid speculation he could face a potential challenge.
Mr Osborne told his Political Currency podcast: “[Sunak] is so worried about reigniting the Tory civil war… he’s allowed the civil war to be ignited without necessarily taking a strong position in it.
“I think it’d be very much to his credit to say, ‘look, there are some people in the party that don’t like what I’m doing, don’t like the way I’m leading it, fine, but I’ll tell you what, the way I’m doing it is moral, it’s economically competent, it’s going to deliver the results for Britain’.
“And if they don’t like it, they can either put up or shut up. And I think people would like a bit of a flash of steel.”
7:58AM
Set election date to kill off leadership row, Osborne urges Sunak
Rishi Sunak should name the general election date now to end speculation and kill off any chance of a Tory leadership contest, George Osborne said.
The former chancellor told his Political Currency podcast: “I would today say: ‘I’ll tell you when the general election is going to be, it’s going to be on this date’. That ends all the speculation about early elections. It means you don’t go through the whole summer with ‘is it going to be October or November?’.
“The marginal advantage he’s going to get by having a bit of a surprise that it’s late October rather than mid November or early December is more than outweighed by the endless speculation.
“And the only reason people know he isn’t calling an election right now is because he knows he couldn’t win it because he’s behind in the polls…”
He added: “You fix the date now, you end the speculation, you forestall any leadership contest and you’re back in charge of events.”
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