General election 2024 live: Sunak’s July vote branded ‘kamikaze’ as PM says no Rwanda flights before polls
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Rishi Sunak announces general election on July 4 2024
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Conservative 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 : “We are not sure who will come out of this with their seats.”
After the astonishing announcement on Wednesday, political parties have wasted no time in launching their campaigns.
Mr Sunak kicked things off touring broadcast studios this morning before visiting all four nations in the UK in two days. During an interview on BBC Breakfast, he confirmed Rwanda flights won’t take off before the July general election, insisting they will go “if I am re-elected”.
Sir Keir Starmer is also launching Labour’s campaign and is heading to the south east to turn around Conservative constituencies.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage is reportedly set to attend the launch of Reform UK’s general election campaign as rumours of a return for the ex-party leader swirl.
The right-wing challenger party has vowed under current leader Richard Tice to fight the Conservatives on all fronts in the general election, standing candidates in every seat.
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Conservative MP hails July election ‘the right decision’
Tobias Ellwood told Times Radio that Rishi Sunak has made absolutely the right decision” to go to the polls to avoid a clash with the US election.
He said people should “stop whinging” and “suck it up”.
The former chair of the defence select committee added “from a security perspective” there is an “unwritten rule” against the US and UK holding an election in the same period.
He adds: “I understand the speculation that you’ve just been discussing there, but from the bigger picture, you cannot have us going to the polls when the United States also goes to the polls as well.
“We cannot have two countries, Britain and America, involved in domestic issues when an adversary or competitor would take full advantage of us looking in a different way, distracted, a prime opportunity to do something significant.”
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 08:48
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Nigel Farage to attend Reform UK campaign launch as return rumours swirl
Nigel Farage is reportedly set to attend the launch of Reform UK’s general election campaign as rumours of a return for the ex-party leader swirl, Archie Mitchell reports.
The right-wing challenger party has vowed under current leader Richard Tice to fight the Conservatives on all fronts in the general election, standing candidates in every seat.
And the Conservatives have been warned it could deprive them of majorities in tens of crucial seats.
But all eyes have been on arch-Brexiteer Mr Farage and whether he will make a return to the political front lines.
With the ex-UKIP leader in a prominent role, Tories fear support for the party will surge, adding to the scale of the election defeat facing Rishi Sunak.
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 08:36
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Lib Dems don’t rule out deal with Labour
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper attends a rally of party activists and campaigners (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper has refused to rule out joining forces with Labour.
She said MPs are out across the nation today challenging 80 Conservative seats were they could have a chance to win.
Asked about which party the Lib Dems would forge a deal with, she said: “We have ruled out doing any deal whatsoever with this Conservative government because it is quite clear there are lifelong Conservative voters who can no longer stomach voting for this party.
“They simply don’t recognise it anymore.”
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 08:22
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‘Drown & out’: How the papers covered Rishi Sunak’s general election announcement
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 08:09
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Labour election chief urges voters to ignore polls
The party’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden urged people to assume nothing about the general election outcome.
Speaking“on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said: “Look, I would encourage people to ignore the polls because we start this election with not a single vote being cast, not a seat being won, or lost, and we assume nothing about the outcome.
“And the basic choice will be, we can carry on with five more years of what we’ve already had for the past 14, or we can vote for change.”
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:56
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Rishi Sunak: Rwanda flights will go ‘if I am re-elected’
Rishi Sunak has suggested Rwanda flights will not take off before the general election, insisting they will go “if I am re-elected”, Archie Mitchell reports.
The prime minister has promised to begin deporting asylum seekers to the east African nation in July, while Labour has promised to immediately scrap the scheme if it comes to power.
But the shock 4 July election date raised questions about whether Mr Sunak would be able to get flights off the ground before voters go to the polls.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Sunak said: “The choice at this election is clear, because if I’m re-elected as prime minister on 5 July, these flights will go, we will get our Rwanda scheme up and running.”
(Getty Images)
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:51
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Exclusive: MPs brand Sunak’s decision ‘the kamikaze election’
Tory MPs last night in Parliament were still stunned by Rishi Sunak’s shock decision to call a general election, David Maddox reports.
A number branded it the “the kamikaze election” in what they see as a desperate move by the prime minister.
One former minister told The Independent: “This really is the kamikaze election. We are not sure who will come out of this with their seats.”
Others complained that the party is not ready with several MPs still not in seats because of boundary changes and around 150 seats still with no Tory candidate yet.One MP described it as “a total mess”.
Among those with an uncertain future is chairman Richard Holden, who will be responsible for coordinating the campaign but is one of the MPs looking for a new seat.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a General Election campaign event at ExCeL london after calling a General Election for July 4 (PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:45
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Rishi Sunak: ‘Economic stability is returning to the country’
Rishi Sunak has said economic stability is returning to the country and “that is why we are having the election now”, Archie Mitchell writes.
Quizzed about the timing of the surprise 4 July general election, the prime minister said not everybody is “feeling the benefits” of lower inflation yet.
But he told GB News: “It’s clear that we have turned a corner. So now is the moment to look to the future and the world is clearly in a more uncertain place than it’s been in decades and the question for the country is the choice of this election is you know, who’s got the boldest ideas declare its plan to provide a secure future for you and your family.
“That’s the choice of this election.
“Now that economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question, and that’s a conversation I look forward to having with you, your viewers in the country over the next few weeks.”
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:43
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Keir Starmer ‘will do nothing to stop the boats’, Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of having no plan to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, Archie Mitchell reports.
In what is set to be a key general election attack line for the prime minister, he told GB News the Labour leader would scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme and “offer an amnesty to illegal migrants”.
Mr Sunak said: “That’s the choice at this election. He thinks that we should offer an amnesty to illegal migrants to make us the soft touch of Europe.
“It would make us a magnet for thousands of migrants coming from everywhere. So that’s the choice of this election. Do you think my plan is the right one?
“Do you think I’m the one that’s taking bold action to secure our borders and to stop the boats? Or do you think he’s going to do that?”
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:40
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July General Election Countdown: 42 days to go
Good morning and welcome to The Independent political live blog.
Things have kicked off this morning as parties battle for your vote with only six weeks left to go to the polls.
Political correspondents were on an early morning train out of London to follow Mr Sunak on his tour.
Sir Keir Starmer is heading to south-east England in a sign he wants to make inroads in Tory areas.In London, Reform UK’s leader Richard Tice is staging a press conference setting out his party’s plans.Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is expected to visit a target seat as he launches a campaign expected to focus on targeting Conservative-held seats following a series of eye-catching by-election successes.(PA Archive)
Salma Ouaguira23 May 2024 07:39
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-2024-sunak-starmer-labour-4th-july-b2550022.html