Author: UK News

Nigel Farage says he will not stand in general election in bombshell announcement There is no bias in the title provided. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNigel Farage is not standing as a candidate in the general election, he has announced. The former Ukip leader said he thought “long and hard” about contesting the general election, but has decided to help with Donald Trump’s re-election bid in the US instead. “Important though the general election is, the contest in the United States of America on…

General election 2024 live: Sunak’s July vote branded ‘kamikaze’ as PM says no Rwanda flights before polls There is no bias in the original title provided. Rishi Sunak announces general election on July 4 2024Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailConservative MPs were left stunned by Rishi Sunak’s shocking decision to fire the starting gun for a 4 July general election.Tory members have branded the move the “kamikaze election” and believe it is a desperate bid by the prime minister. A former minister told The Independent…

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the next general election will be held on July 4. The snap election has shocked the press – and the Tories but has been welcomed by Labour.

Former Post Office Chief Executive Paula Vennells has acknowledged that the testimony she provided to MPs in 2012 regarding issues with the Horizon IT system was inaccurate.

Senior Tory MP says he won’t cancel holiday for general election campaign: ‘I’m going stick to my plans’ There is no bias in the title provided. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA senior Conservative MP has said he won’t cancel his holiday plans for his party’s general election campaign despite admitting he will likely lose his seat.Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, said he would stick to his plans after admitting he was widely expected to lose his seat in July.Prime minister Rishi Sunak launched the…

Paula Vennells faced heavy criticism over her handling of the Horizon affair, finally stepping down from her role as Post Office chief executive in February 2019.

Paula Vennells has said she was “too trusting” as she was asked if she was the “unluckiest CEO in the United Kingdom”. Giving evidence on her first day at the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry on Wednesday (22 May), Jason Beer KC asked Ms Vennells: “Do you think you are the unluckiest CEO in the United Kingdom?”

Paula Vennells repeatedly burst into tears during her first appearance at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry as she mounted a desperate bid to salvage her reputation. The disgraced former boss of the Post Office offered an apology to subpostmasters caught up in the scandal, dubbed the worst miscarriage of justice in British history.

Councils refuse to fix potholes that are ‘too small’ – how big do they have to be? Potholes are going unfilled because councils think they are too small, analysis shows. A total of 35% of local authorities say the size potholes must be before they will act. The most common depth stated is 4cm (54 councils), but in the case of six councils – Warwickshire, Torbay, Thurrock, Nottingham, Torfaen and South Lanarkshire – potholes need to be at least 5cm (2in) deep to be considered for repair. Thirteen local authorities, including Buckinghamshire, Stockport and Devon, state only those at least…

Prime minister Rishi Sunak to announce July 4 general election 2024 Rishi Sunak is today set to dramatically announce that the general election will be held on July 4 after months of intense speculation. Mr Sunak is expected to take Westminster by surprise by revealing the date following a year and a half of scutiny and questions over his leadership. His anticipated announcement comes after factions within Downing Street had been vying between a “do or die” early pitch to the country or holding on til the autumn. The prime minister is set to go early after positive economic news…

July 7 general election: Postal vote rules and everything else you need to know Rishi Sunak has called a General Election for July 4, saying it was “the moment for Britain to choose its future”. The Prime Minister has gambled that improved inflation figures and a recovering economy will help him overturn Labour’s 20-point opinion poll lead. In a sign that security and the economy will be key battlegrounds, Mr Sunak said: “This election will take place at time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War.” The “uncertain times” call…

General Election announcement: Rishi Sunak calls 4 July election Rishi Sunak has fired the starting gun for a 4 July general election – but his opening speech was marred after journalists were forcibly ejected from his event by security. The political correspondent Darren McCaffrey said they had not been allowed in because broadcast arrangements had been “pooled” – so other broadcasters there were obliged to share footage with others. It came after the prime minister addressed the nation in the pouring rain, as he battled against the deafening sound of Things Can Only Get Better playing in the background –…

General election: What are Labour and the Conservatives key manifesto policies? There is no bias in the title provided. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAfter a day of fervent speculation, Rishi Sunak has finally called a snap general election on July 4.Mr Sunak confirmed the news in a speech outside No 10. Almost upstaged by the rain – and pranksters loudly playing D:Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, closely associated with Tony Blair’s 1997 Labour victory – the prime minister reminisced on his time in…

Watch: Aerials of central London as Sunak calls snap general election Watch aerials of central London after Rishi Sunak announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Prime Minister made a statement outside No 10 shortly after 5pm on Wednesday 22 May, naming the summer polling date. He has gambled that improved inflation figures and a recovering economy will help him overturn Labour’s 20-point opinion poll lead. In a sign that security and the economy will be key battlegrounds, Mr Sunak said: “This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has…

Covid inquiry: the questions cabinet secretary Simon Case will be asked The most senior civil servant in the UK is to give his testimony, delayed for months, with no shortage of queries to address The Covid inquiry makes a brief return on Thursday to considering how Westminster and Whitehall responded to the pandemic, as the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, gives evidence delayed for months because of illness. Case had been due to appear before the inquiry in the autumn, when a series of other top officials appeared, as did politicians who were in leading roles during the time of the…

Watch: Paula Vennells gives evidence at Post Office Horizon IT inquiry Watch as Paula Vennells gave evidence at the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry on Wednesday (22 May). The disgraced former Post Office boss did not answer any questions as she entered Aldwych House in London on Wednesday. She began her three days of evidence amid claims she covered-up the Post Office’s knowledge of bugs in the faulty accounting software. Hundreds of subpostmasters were prosecuted by the business between 1999 and 2015 after Horizon, owned by Japanese company Fujitsu, made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.…

Labour MP reveals general election falls on wedding anniversary A Labour shadow minister has revealed he’ll be spending his wedding anniversary campaigning – as it falls on the date Rishi Sunak announced as the general election. The prime minister announced that the public will go to the polls on 4 July after months of speculation. Many in Westminster had expected the election to be held in October or November. Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, 22 May, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “I wasn’t planning to be in Dukinfield town hall getting my election count on that day.” https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/general-election-date-labour-wedding-b2549879.html

Swinney: Election during Scottish school holidays shows ‘disrespect’ | News Rishi Sunak calling a general election during Scotland’s summer school holidays shows “disrespect,” John Swinney has said. On Wednesday (22 May), the prime minister confirmed the date the public will go to the polls is 4 July. Schools in all but two of the 32 Scottish local authorities will be closed for the summer on that day, meaning it is likely some voters will be on holiday when the general election is held. “This is perhaps the latest act of disrespect from a Conservative government, to call an election during…

Bear hugs, security ejections and umbrellas just in case: Inside Rishi Sunak’s general election Conservative Party rally It is officially the start of Rishi Sunak’s general election campaign. I watch as exhausted security guards wave in Tory members filing towards the Excel Centre in the shadow of derelict shipping buildings and super yachts. Past the sniffer dogs and blacked-out Range Rovers, I am greeted by a cheery Conservative press officer equipped with an umbrella – clearly learning his lesson from the big boss’s washout outside Downing Street. Mr Sunak’s campaign rally has clearly been organised at late notice – with…

Reporter ‘forcibly removed’ from Sunak election event live on air | News A Sky News reporter appeared to be kicked out of from Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party general election campaign launch event on Wednesday, 22 May. Footage broadcast live on the channel showed political correspondent Darren McCaffrey being led away by security staff. “We were told because there were pool arrangements in place, we’re not allowed to be here,” the journalist explained. Mr Sunak was holding a rally in London’s ExCel Centre after confirming 4 July as the election date. The Independent has contacted Mr Sunak’s office for comment. https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/general-election-sunak-sky-news-b2549834.html

General election 2024: Sunak says Labour taking victory for granted as Starmer calls on voters to ‘stop the chaos’ on 4 July – live Prime minister announces early summer election with date putting parties on campaign trail for six weeks Sunak calls UK general election for 4 JulyWhy is Sunak calling an election now? In an interview with Sky News this morning, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, was asked if the UK would follow Ireland, Spain and Norway in formally recognising a Palestinian state. No, he replied. He told Sky: We have a long-standing position on this that we will be…

Sky News crew thrown out of Tory election campaign launch live on air Security guards removed a Sky News broadcast crew from the centre where Rishi Sunak was launching the Conservatives’ election campaign. Journalist Darren McCaffrey and a film crew with him were escorted from the ExCel Centre in London before the prime minister gave his speech. The political correspondent said they had not been allowed in because broadcast arrangements had been “pooled” – so other broadcasters there were obliged to share footage with others. Outside, Mr McCaffrey and the crew – who had apparently been invited to the event…

Watch: Rishi Sunak launches Conservative general election campaign Rishi Sunak launched the Conservative Party’s general election campaign in London on Wednesday, 22 May. It came after the prime minister announced that the public will go to the polls on 4 July after months of speculation over when he would confirm the date. Many in Westminster had expected the election to be held in October or November. Soaked from the rain during his announcement outside 10 Downing Street, the PM said he would “fight for every vote” as he attempts to overturn a 20-point opinion poll deficit. In response, Labour leader…

Watch from Downing Street on day Sunak announced general election date Watch from Downing Street on the day that Rishi Sunak announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Prime Minister has gambled that improved inflation figures and a recovering economy will help him overturn Labour’s 20-point opinion poll lead. In a sign that security and the economy will be key battlegrounds, Mr Sunak said: “This election will take place at a time when the world is more dangerous than it has been since the end of the Cold War. The “uncertain times” call for a “clear plan”, he…

UK general election to be held on 4 July, says Rishi Sunak – video After a day full of speculation Rishi Sunak has announced the UK will be holding elections on 4 July. The prime minister stood outside No 10, his suit getting increasingly wet in steady rain, and promised the electorate he would ‘fight for every vote’, while in the background Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream could be heard being played nearby Rishi Sunak will call general election for July in surprise move – sources UK general election opinion poll tracker: Labour leading as election looms Continue…