General election latest: Tories and Labour locked in VAT tax plan row as Diane Abbott vows to stand as MP
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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Rachel Reeves have ruled out raising VAT after the general election amid a furious row about each other’s tax plans.
Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was accused of secretly planning to raise taxes to fund for the party’s spending pledges if they win the general election.
But shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones denied the remarks and said Labour will not cut public services and some areas like defense and healthcare will “have a kind of protected status”.
During the morning press round, Mr Hunt said that the Tories will keep VAT as it stands but confirmed he will continue to freeze income tax thresholds for four more years.
Meanwhile, Diane Abbott has vowed to be the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington “as long as it is possible” amid a row over her political future.
The veteran MP had the Labour whip restored on Tuesday, but the question of whether or not she will be able to stand as a candidate for the party in the general election remains mired in uncertainty.
Key Points
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Tories taunt Keir Starmer over Diane Abbott fiasco
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruthlessly seized on the chaos in the Labour Party over the future of Diane Abbott which has sparked a revolt on the left of the party, David Maddox reports.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was accused on Radio 4’s Today Programme ths morning of “dithering” over the trail blazing MP and first black woman to be elected to Parliament in Britain.
Speaking on the Today Programme this morning, Mr Hunt centred in on row being a issue about the Labour leader’s character ad whether he is fit to be prime minister. He said: “If Keir Starmer can’t deal with Diane Abbott how on earth is he going to deal with Vladimir Putin?”
(Getty)
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:55
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Faiza Shaheen speaks out after Labour blocks candidacy
Faiza Shaheen speaks out after Labour blocks candidacy in general election
Faiza Shaheen has spoken out after saying Labour did not endorse her for the Chingford and Woodford Green seat in north east london. Reports suggested the economist would be suspended by the party after she allegedly liked a series of posts on X that downplayed antisemitism accusations. Ms Shaheen says she was informed of the decision shortly before appearing on Newsnight on Wednesday, 29 May. “They briefed the press before they even had the decency to call me… I’m so shocked right now, to be treated this badly after being such an active member,” she added. The Independent has reached out to Labour for comment.
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:49
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Plaid Cymru launch their election campaign in Bangor
Party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says a vote for Plaid Cymru would guarantee “fair funding for Wales” if elected.
Speaking to ITV ahead of the rally, he said: “It is clear that people across Wales have called time on this disastrous and destructive Conservative government. Voting Plaid in constituencies like Ynys Môn is essential in keeping the Tories away from Westminster and out of Wales.
“At the same time, voting Plaid in Carmarthen and Bangor Aberconwy keeps Labour in check too. Plaid’s positive message of a fairer, more ambitious Wales, shows that we are the only party putting the interests of the nation ahead of party interests.”
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:45
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Campaign pledges: Has Rishi Sunak met his targets?
The prime minister pledged that “more will change in the next five years than in the last 30” in a pre-election speech to voters.
But how many promises were actually delivered by the end of 2023, and which have failed to meet the mark? Here’s an analysis from our data correspondent Alicja Hagopian.
Halve inflation: The commitment to halve inflation in 2023 was successful. However, the cost of living is still being felt by many Brits.With a benchmark of around 5.4 per cent (half of 10.7 per cent at the end of 2022), inflation settled comfortably below this number, ending at 4.0 per cent in December 2023, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).Grow the economy: According to ONS data, the UK economy was stagnant or shrank for most of 2023, ending at a minor recession of -0.3 per cent in the final quarter of the year.Reduce debt: The UK’s debt pile has reached £2.7 trillion, up by nearly £200 billion from January 2023. As a proportion of GDP, debt has also continued to rise, exceeding the total GDP at 101.3 per cent.Cut waiting lists: NHS data shows that the number of patients waiting for non-emergency treatment is at 7.54m as of March 2024, around 300,000 (4.5 per cent) higher than when Sunak pledged to cut waits in January 2023.‘Stop the boats’: In 2023, there were less small boat crossings across the English Channel than in 2022, down by over a third to 29,437. Some 7,567 people were detected crossing the English Channel from January to April 2024, a new record for the first four months of a calendar year.
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:40
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Labour’s candidate uncertainty overshadows campaign as Starmer accused of purge
Labour’s General Election campaign has been overshadowed by internal chaos as Sir Keir Starmer was accused of trying to purge the party’s left.
Questions about whether Diane Abbott will be barred from standing again remain as the party suspended one candidate and declined to endorse another.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer insisted no decision has yet been taken about whether Ms Abbott – who in 1987 became the first black woman elected to Parliament – would be allowed to defend her seat.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain30 May 2024 09:36
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Labour’s Darren Jones denies party is purging the left
The Labour shadow Treasury minister has denied Jeremy Corbyn’s claims that the party is carrying out a purge of the left ahead of the election.
Mr Jones said on BBC Breakfast: “You know, there are colleagues, friends of mine in the parliamentary Labour party who would define themselves as being on the left of the party, who have been endorsed as candidates and are standing at this election.
“This isn’t a purge. It’s just the fact that snap election had been called and an accelerated process to resolve outstanding issues must then be followed. And that’s what’s happening this week.”
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:28
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Sunak urged to deselect Truss over appearance on ‘hateful channel’
Rishi Sunak is facing calls to ban the former PM after she appeared on a platform founded by a YouTuber who reportedly tweeted about raping a Labour MP.
Labour MP Jess Phillips has written to Mr Sunak saying that Carl Benjamin, founder of the Lotus Eaters, who stood as a UKIP MEP, has views about violence against women.
She said: “The impact men like Benjamin have on politics cannot be understated. Men like Benjamin make female MPs live in fear, while discouraging women from standing in future, weakening our democracy in the process.”
Mr Benjamin responded on X, saying: “It’s hard to believe that parliamentarians live in fear of YouTubers making jokes, when the apparently real threat of terrorism looms over their head.”
(PA Archive)
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:24
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Richard Tice says no pact with Tories who have ‘betrayed Britain’
The Reform UK leader has denied claims that Nigel Farage could be open to forge a deal with the Conservatives.
The party president said both parties “might have a conversation”, but Mr Tice has said there won’t be a pact any soon.
Mr Tice told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are doing no deals with the Tories. They have betrayed Britain, they have betrayed Brexit, they have betrayed their promise to reduce immigration.”
Reform UK leader Richard Tice has said a suggestion by Nigel Farage that he could be open to a deal with the Conservatives was ‘a bit of banter’ (PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:14
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Jeremy Hunt refuses to lower VAT on dog food
The chancellor has been grilled by Sky’s Kay Burley over the rising prices of dog food – which have gone up by 58 per cent this year.
Asked if a Tory government would reduce the cost of pet food, and he replies: “We want to stop the cost of pet food going up.
“I can’t make a commitment about reducing prices – they’re decided in a market economy by lots of different actors.”
But Kay Burley points out that there is VAT on dog food, to which he replies: “There are lots of taxes I’d like to bring down. The most important thing I can do for families at home is to stop prices going up by supporting the Bank of England to reduce inflation.”
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 09:03
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Jeremy Hunt admits he will raise taxes by freezing income tax thresholds
The chancellor is pressed on his commitment that he will not raise income tax the Tories win the general election.
With income tax already set to go up for another, four years as the thresholds are being frozen, which means people pay more tax as their wages increase.
Talking to BBC Radio 4, Mr Hunt confirms the thresholds will “stay for their allotted time period” until 2028.
But he claims a Conservative Treasury will not continue the threshold freeze beyond that date.
Salma Ouaguira30 May 2024 08:41
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-diane-abbott-starmer-sunak-labour-news-b2553642.html