All posts tagged: conservative party

Kemi Badenoch savages ‘people pleaser’ Andy Burnham – ‘all airy-fairy’ | Politics | News

Kemi Badenoch savages ‘people pleaser’ Andy Burnham – ‘all airy-fairy’ | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Andy Burnham has been slammed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch as a “people pleaser” with “airy fairy” plans. The new Labour leader will formally become Prime Minister on Monday, when he reportedly intends to make a “dynamic” start to his premiership. Plans to provide “breathing space” on the cost of living and boost economic growth across the UK could include approving new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, but his ambitions remain largely uncertain, with new Cabinet appointments also not yet confirmed. Ms Badenoch criticised Mr Burnham for not setting out his approach before Monday in an interview with the BBC, describing his comments so far as “airy fairy stuff”. The Tory leader also told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that she thought Mr Burnham was a “people pleaser” rather than someone who would make “tough decisions”. While the former Manchester Mayor has pledged to reach out to other parties and end a culture of political “point scoring” in Westminster, Ms Badenoch said she would “score as many points as possible if it means …

Kemi Badenoch brands Bridget Phillipson a ‘disgrace’ | Politics | News

Kemi Badenoch brands Bridget Phillipson a ‘disgrace’ | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Image: Getty) Kemi Badenoch has branded Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson a “disgrace to people who grew up on a council estate” as she attacked the VAT policy on private school fees. The Conservative leader’s comments on Monday night came after the two politicians clashed in Parliament last week. Speaking at a Politics UK event, Mrs Badenoch accused the Education Secretary of failure and incompetence. She said: “Look at Bridget Phillipson, for example, there are 40,000 pupils who have been displaced because of her policies. “She claimed that she was taxing schools so that she could get more teachers. 6,000 more teachers she promised. We now have 2,000 fewer teachers. This is failure. This is incompetence. “And she doesn’t want to talk about the lives that she’s ruined and the jobs that she’s lost. Heritage schools that have been there for a long time. It’s not just private school [that have been ruined] but academies as well. “It’s not about them, it’s all about her. She grew up on a council estate. …

Tory MP left furious as Muslims pray outside MoD ‘it’s domination!’ | Politics | News

Tory MP left furious as Muslims pray outside MoD ‘it’s domination!’ | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

A Conservative MP has expressed outrage at what appears to be a group of Muslim worshippers praying outside the Ministry of Defence’s base in central London. Nick Timothy posted video of some six or seven people bowing and kneeling in prayer on his X account on Monday (June 15). He said the religious observance was being performed near a memorial to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The MP for West Suffolk wrote: “As I have said before, choosing to pray in this way in public is a political act. It is a social statement and, yes, it is an act of domination.” Mr Timothy said there was “quite obviously no need” to pray in that location, adding the decision to do so was “symbolic”, “pointed” and “not welcome”. He added: “We have freedom of religion in this country, which is why there are mosques. But we are not a Muslim country and this is not welcome. It should be stopped.” The Shadow Lord Chancellor, who was an adviser to former prime minister Theresa May, …

Tory Humiliated By Makerfield Poll Placing Conservatives Last

Tory Humiliated By Makerfield Poll Placing Conservatives Last

Published by Sam Flores

A senior Conservative was left red-faced on Sunday when presented with the results of an opinion poll of the Makerfield voters. Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips showed shadow home secretary Chris Philp the findings from a Survation survey of 369 people set to vote in the crunch by-election. The graph showed put the Conservatives in last place on 2% in the constituency. The Green Party were just in front on 3%, the Liberal Democrats on 4%, Restore Britain on 7%, Reform UK on 40% and Labour in the lead on 43%. Phillips said: “Before 2024, you used to come second between 20 and 30% of the vote. “Now there are three parties that could describe themselves as being of the right, or centre right, and you – you’re the official opposition – you’re the least popular of the three! “Reform, Restore, Conservatives.” Pointing to the graph, he said: “Look, there are the Tories, down there at the bottom. What the heck happened?” Sky News’ graph of the Survation opinion poll The Tory MP replied: “By-elections …

Statistics Watchdog Criticises Kemi Badenoch Over Universal Credit

Statistics Watchdog Criticises Kemi Badenoch Over Universal Credit

Published by Sam Flores

Kemi Badenoch has been rapped by the statistics watchdog over claims she made about the number of people claiming Universal Credit. The Tory leader said the number of people out of work and receiving the benefit had risen by 1.5 million since Labour came to power in July, 2024. Grilling Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions on April 29, Badenoch said: “He has broken his promise to grow the economy; the only thing that has grown is the welfare bill. “Can the prime minister tell us how many more people are out of work and claiming universal credit since he took office? “The prime minister does not want to say how many more people are out of work and claiming universal credit since he took office; perhaps he does not know. Let me tell him: it is 1.5 million people.” HuffPost UK can reveal that Penny Young, interim chair of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), wrote to Badenoch a week later criticising the way she presented the figures. She pointed out that the increase in …

Nigel Farage makes major promise after stunning election victory | Politics | News

Nigel Farage makes major promise after stunning election victory | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Nigel Farage (Image: Getty) Nigel Farage has pledged to fix Britain after his party’s stunning local elections victory. The Reform UK leader said he will “turn our great country around” if he becomes Prime Minister, insisting it’s what the public wants. Mr Farage set his sights on No. 10, having crushed his rivals at the ballot box after millions went to the polls. The so-called “Reformquake” left Sir Keir Starmer desperately clinging onto his job tonight with Labour sustaining heavy losses in England and humiliating defeats in Scottish and Welsh elections. A jubilant Mr Farage promised the “best is yet to come”, telling the Express: “I stand before the British people ready to begin the process of turning our great country around. The election results this year and last year show the British people want Reform – and we have a plan to give it to them. He added: “This is a stepping stone to the next general election”. More than 5,000 council seats were up for grabs in the biggest set of votes since …

Farage ready to unleash Stage Two of No 10 plan as Reform blitzes Rayner’s backyard | Politics | News

Farage ready to unleash Stage Two of No 10 plan as Reform blitzes Rayner’s backyard | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Nigel Farage’s local election success puts him on a path to power (Image: Express) Nigel Farage knew the local elections were make or break in his march towards No 10 and threw everything at them. The Reform UK leader has been touring the country for months to speak to voters directly in the hope of persuading them to back his party in votes that are usually focused on bin collections and potholes. But Farage has a roadmap for power and knew that without a stunning performance in these votes the momentum behind his party would evaporate. He described the elections as Reform’s Becher’s Brook. It has to be cleared if there is any chance of going on to win. Read more: ‘Keir Starmer is done – he’s exposed himself as very thing he railed against’ Two councils sum up how the Turquoise tsunami keeps him on course. Labour’s natural Red Wall heartlands had a dalliance with the Conservatives in 2019 but have now firmly fallen for Reform. This was perfectly illustrated in Tameside, the council …

Robert Jenrick’s Tense Reunion With Tory MP Live On TV

Robert Jenrick’s Tense Reunion With Tory MP Live On TV

Published by Sam Flores

Robert Jenrick had a very tense reunion with one of his onetime Conservative colleagues on live TV on Friday as they argued over his painful defection to Reform. Jenrick, who is now Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, was celebrating his party’s success on the BBC after it won more than 400 seats in the local elections in England. But he was sat next to Victoria Atkins, the Conservatives’ shadow environment secretary – and she quickly got personal. “Robert and I haven’t actually spoken to each other since I supported his leadership [bid to take over the Tories],” the MP for Louth and Horncastle said. “So I’m surprised he’s so quick to can all of the work he did in the government when he was immigration minister, but also the work that we were trying to do since the general election in order to rebuild.” She pointed out that Jenrick was also “part of the team that made those mistakes” when the Conservatives were in government. He hit back that the public’s “trust is completely and utterly gone” …

Keir Starmer facing ‘resignation time’ over Peter Mandelson scandal | Politics | News

Keir Starmer facing ‘resignation time’ over Peter Mandelson scandal | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

The flare-up of the Mandelson scandal threatens Sir Keir Starmer’s political future (Image: Getty) Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to quit so the Government will not be distracted by a “personal crisis of his own making” following the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. The Labour leader’s future could hinge on the expected appearance before MPs on Tuesday by Olly Robbins. The former top civil servant at the Foreign Office was ousted on Thursday amid claims his department did not tell the Prime Minister that Mandelson had failed security vetting. Sir Keir will stand before MPs on Monday and detail how Mandelson – a former close friend of billionaire sex predator Jeffrey Epstein – was granted the top diplomatic post. The PM claims “no minister was told” that this veteran of the Blair and Brown governments had failed the vetting process. A Labour MP told the Sunday Express: “If that is proven incorrect then I think we are talking resignation time, to be honest.” The MP said the evidence that Mr …

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Conservatives have gained a seat from Reform UK in a council by-election in the latest sign of a bounce for Kemi Badenoch’s party. The Tories took the Cramlington South West ward on Northumberland County Council with 34.2% of the vote, up nine points. Reform was down 13 points to second place with 26.1% of the vote share. The Liberal Democrats came third with 23%, while the Greens were fourth on 14.3%. It comes as the Tory fightback is underway following their 2024 general election defeat. The research found that 22% of voters backed the Conservatives, up 3% from the previous poll. Meanwhile, Reform’s lead had narrowed with Nigel Farage’s party on 25%, down 5% from the week before. Labour was third on 21%, while Zack Polanski’s Greens were fourth on 13% and the Lib Dems were on 12%. It comes ahead of next month’s local elections where Reform is expected to make major gains, while Labour is facing a drubbing. Source link