Starmer says big Labour majority ‘better for the nation’
Andrew Sparrow
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking up from Helen Sullivan.
As reported earlier, whereas the Conservatives are attempting to depress the Labour vote by warning about the risks of a Labour “supermajority”, Keir Starmer has mentioned a big Labour majority would be good for Britain.
Here is the full extract from the Times interview the place he made that time. Steven Swinford reviews:
For all his instinctive warning, Starmer makes a advantage of the Tory assault by interesting to voters handy the get together a “strong mandate”.
“The most important thing is growing the economy and wealth creation,” he says. “I do suppose that’s been the Achilles’ heel for 13 years now.
“You can discuss public companies however when you haven’t obtained your financial system working then you’ll be able to’t do this. If you haven’t settled the planning, the infrastructure challenges, then you’ll be able to’t get your financial system going.
“It’s the mindset change we’ve talked about. Do we need a strong mandate for that? Yes, we do. Because these changes are difficult and the sense of the whole country wanting those changes is important in terms of the platform on which we stand to take the country forward.”
The greater the majority, the better? “Better for the country. Because it means we can roll up our sleeves and get on with the change we need.”
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message beneath the line (BTL) or message me on X (Twitter). I can’t learn all the messages BTL, however when you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra more likely to see it as a result of I search for posts containing that phrase. If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of X; I’ll see one thing addressed to @AndrewSparrow in a short time. I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos (no error is simply too small to appropriate). And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically in the weblog.
Key occasions
Rishi Sunak is about to do a phone-in on BBC Breakfast.
Starmer says big Labour majority ‘better for the nation’
Andrew Sparrow
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking up from Helen Sullivan.
As reported earlier, whereas the Conservatives are attempting to depress the Labour vote by warning about the risks of a Labour “supermajority”, Keir Starmer has mentioned a big Labour majority would be good for Britain.
Here is the full extract from the Times interview the place he made that time. Steven Swinford reviews:
For all his instinctive warning, Starmer makes a advantage of the Tory assault by interesting to voters handy the get together a “strong mandate”.
“The most important thing is growing the economy and wealth creation,” he says. “I do suppose that’s been the Achilles’ heel for 13 years now.
“You can discuss public companies however when you haven’t obtained your financial system working then you’ll be able to’t do this. If you haven’t settled the planning, the infrastructure challenges, then you’ll be able to’t get your financial system going.
“It’s the mindset change we’ve talked about. Do we need a strong mandate for that? Yes, we do. Because these changes are difficult and the sense of the whole country wanting those changes is important in terms of the platform on which we stand to take the country forward.”
The greater the majority, the better? “Better for the country. Because it means we can roll up our sleeves and get on with the change we need.”
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message beneath the line (BTL) or message me on X (Twitter). I can’t learn all the messages BTL, however when you put “Andrew” in a message aimed toward me, I’m extra more likely to see it as a result of I search for posts containing that phrase. If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of X; I’ll see one thing addressed to @AndrewSparrow in a short time. I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos (no error is simply too small to appropriate). And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically in the weblog.
Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has echoed Rishi Sunak’s declare that simply 130,000 voters might stop a Labour landslide.
She instructed LBC Radio:
It’s by no means over ‘till it’s over. What I would say is that a number of folks, in the event that they take a look at the press, they may suppose the election is a foregone conclusion.
Actually, it’s a comparatively small quantity of voters throughout the nation – about 130,000 folks have been estimated – who could make the distinction on this election.
Asked by presenter Nick Ferrari whether or not these voters might convey a few Tory victory, she mentioned: “There’s quite a lot of seats that are very, very marginal, Nick. So, actually, just a handful of voters in those seats can change the outcome in those seats.”
With that, and with Lenny Kravitz now in my head, that is Helen Sullivan leaving you in the succesful fingers of Andrew Sparrow.
Stephen Flynn additionally mentioned voters in Scotland might want to select whether or not they need members of parliament who will “go and sit quietly behind Keir Starmer and nod along”, or those that will stand as much as him.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, SNP’s Westminster chief mentioned:
Do they need members of parliament who will sit reverse Keir Starmer, will stand as much as him on the largest points, who will argue in opposition to austerity, argue for better relations with the European Union, argue for funding in our NHS, motion on the cost-of-living disaster, for Scotland’s proper to decide on and recognition of the state of Palestine?
If they consider in that, then vote for the SNP, and that over the course of the subsequent 48 hours I consider will come by way of to the normal public and be sure that proper throughout Scotland we are able to win the seats the place it’s a really shut battle between ourselves and the Labour Party.”
Meanwhile the SNP’s Westminster chief Stephen Flynn has simply been on BBC Breakfast, the place he mentioned he was “massively concerned” voters throughout Scotland reporting they haven’t obtained their postal votes.
He instructed BBC Breakfast:
I’m massively involved about that, like nearly each candidate throughout Scotland that I consider to be the case. I’ve had quite a few emails from individuals who haven’t obtained their postal poll, that’s merely not adequate.
You know, we warned the Prime Minister of this when it grew to become obvious that he was going to decide on the election date as a result of, in fact, for an enormous majority of the folks of Scotland, it’s now the college holidays, individuals are away on vacation.
If their postal vote didn’t land in time, then they’re now disenfranchised from this election, they’re not in a position to vote for who they wish to signify them at Westminster, whether or not that’s the SNP, or in any other case, that’s merely not adequate.
I see some people are blaming the Royal Mail however the actuality is the system just isn’t match for goal, and we have to see large reform. We additionally must see a big reflection on how we’ve managed to get right into a state of affairs the place a first-rate minister can at his personal whim declare an election, the Tories determined this was the method that they need the elections to function in the UK.”
Postal affairs minister ‘urgently’ investigating poll delays
The postal affairs minister is “urgently” investigating delays to postal ballots being delivered, Health Minister Maria Caulfield has mentioned.
Postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake has criticised Royal Mail for failing to ship votes in time for the General Election.
Caulfield instructed Sky News:
Kevin is taking this very critically. He’s in direct contact with the Royal Mail.
It doesn’t appear to be a problem in my constituency, however I do know a lot of colleagues the place folks haven’t obtained their postal votes and are anxious about that.
Kevin is investigating this urgently. I do know there’s further assets going into this to try to do a sweep of all the sorting places of work and ensure they’re on the market.
If folks have solely simply obtained their postal vote, they’ll take it to their polling station on election day and it’ll nonetheless be counted.”
Jim Waterson
British feminine politicians have change into the victims of faux pornography, with a few of their faces utilized in nude photographs created utilizing synthetic intelligence.
Political candidates focused on one distinguished pretend pornography web site embrace: the Labour deputy chief, Angela Rayner; the training secretary, Gillian Keegan; the Commons chief, Penny Mordaunt; the former house secretary, Priti Patel; and the Labour backbencher Stella Creasy, according to Channel 4 News.
Many of the photographs have been on-line for a number of years and attracted tons of of hundreds of views.
While some are crude Photoshops that includes the politician’s head imposed on to a different particular person’s bare physique, different photographs seem to be extra difficult deepfakes which were created utilizing AI expertise. Some of the politicians focused have now contacted police.
Dehenna Davison, a Conservative MP till the latest dissolution of parliament, is a kind of featured on the website. She instructed Channel 4 News it was “really strange” that folks would goal girls like her and she or he discovered it “quite violating”.
She mentioned that until governments round the world put in place a correct regulatory framework for AI, there would be “major problems”.
Creasy instructed the broadcaster that she felt “sick” to find out about the photographs and that “none of this is about sexual pleasure, it’s all about power and control”.
Thursday’s normal election is a chance to “draw a permanent line” underneath the Scottish independence debate, a senior Scottish Conservative has mentioned.
With his get together’s election marketing campaign coming into its last days, get together chairman Craig Hoy mentioned voting for the Conservatives in “key seats” the place the get together goes toe-to-toe with the SNP might “finish off any hope the SNP have of seeking independence”.
He mentioned this would allow the nation to deal with “the things that really matter”, reminiscent of healthcare and roads.
This General Election in Scotland is a large alternative to beat the SNP, so that every one of the focus can lastly be on the issues that actually matter, reminiscent of sooner GP appointments and fixing the roads.
If voters again the Scottish Conservatives in the key seats the place we’re going toe-to-toe with the nationalists, it might be the season finale of the SNP’s bid for independence.
We might end off any hope the SNP have of in search of independence and draw a everlasting line underneath the debate that has divided Scotland for greater than a decade.
Here is a roundup of LibDem chief Ed Davey’s stunts all through this marketing campaign. But can he pull off the best stunt of all of them (becoming the third biggest party in the Commons)?
Health leaders have warned that strikes “must not become the status quo” for the NHS as junior medical doctors in England return to work after a five-day walkout, PA reviews.
It is anticipated that tens of hundreds of appointments, procedures and operations had been postponed on account of the industrial motion by members of the British Medical Association (BMA).
NHS leaders mentioned that hospitals have been left to “pick up the pieces” as workers work to reschedule all of the appointments misplaced throughout strike days.
Officials are anticipated to verify the variety of appointments that had been postponed on Friday – the day after voters take to the polls in the General Election.
Both the Conservatives and Labour have pledged to renew talks with the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee if they’re voted to energy.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins pledged to “get back into the negotiating room immediately after the election” whereas Labour’s shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting mentioned that he’ll name the BMA on 5 July.
Health leaders have referred to as for the long-running dispute to be dropped at an in depth swiftly.
Matthew Taylor, chief govt of the NHS Confederation, mentioned the impression of the strike will be felt “for some time to come” including:
We know that tens of hundreds of operations and appointments are more likely to have been cancelled.
Now well being leaders and their groups might want to start choosing up the items by rescheduling all these in order that sufferers can get the therapies they so desperately want.
It is essential to keep in mind that it’s sufferers who’re bearing the brunt of this ongoing dispute, sufferers who are sometimes ready in ache or discomfort for care.
While we recognise that junior medical doctors have real points over pay, circumstances and coaching, it’s questionable that these strikes in the midst of a General Election marketing campaign might have moved the dial. We are involved that so many sufferers ought to have their care disrupted when no authorities was ready to barter.
We hope that the subsequent authorities can re-start negotiations and produce this dispute to an finish so the NHS can deal with enhancing efficiency and reducing ready lists relatively than filling rota gaps and rescheduling appointments.”
Will Thatcher’s house city vote for first Labour MP?
Robyn Vinter
Projections present there’s a actual probability on Thursday of what would be the first ever Labour victory in Margaret Thatcher’s house city.
The true blue constituency has by no means voted Labour, not even throughout the New Labour landslide of 1997, when large swathes of the nation left the Tories behind.
Grantham continued to withstand the pull, with the Conservative vote share solely rising each election. By 2019, Gareth Davies, the incumbent Tory MP, had a whopping 66% of the vote.
But such is the disastrous polling for Rishi Sunak’s get together that on Friday morning, voters in the seat of Grantham and Bourne, renamed from Grantham and Stamford to take note of a boundary change, might be waking as much as their first elected Labour MP. There was one interval in 2007, when their MP Quentin Davies defected to Labour, however as quickly as voters had the probability in 2010 Labour was relegated to 3rd place with a strong Conservative win.
Though a boundary change is a think about the city’s potential new swap of allegiance, projections from the consultancy Electoral Calculus utilizing the outdated boundary present Labour would nonetheless steal the seat from the Tories. In different phrases, folks in Grantham are more likely to vote for change.
Large monetary backers are returning to Labour
Rowena Mason
Labour HQ was shocked and delighted to find the get together had raised £4m throughout the first two weeks of the election marketing campaign, whereas the beleaguered Tories managed simply £290,000.
But in response to a Labour donor who used to boost funds for the get together, the adage “when power shifts, so too does the money” rings true.
Donations of greater than £11,180 – a sum that just lately elevated from £7,500 – should be reported to and printed by the Electoral Commission and the turnaround in Labour’s fortunes with massive monetary backers couldn’t be extra stark. Over the decade till Starmer grew to become chief, Labour had misplaced greater than 95% of its big non-public donors, in response to get together sources concerned in elevating money.
Some enterprise figures had misplaced curiosity when the get together was not in energy, others light away throughout the Ed Miliband period, after which an actual exodus occurred throughout the Jeremy Corbyn years.
The actual blow got here in 2019 when the longstanding Labour funder David Sainsbury, of the grocery store dynasty, gave £8m to Jo Swinson’s Liberal Democrats. “That was a low point,” remembers one particular person concerned in elevating money for the get together.
But in the final 4 years, not solely have non-public donations come trickling again, however Starmer’s get together has had an inflow of “mega-donors” – folks giving tons of of hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands, of kilos every time.
The money has been flowing so readily that personal donations now outstrip funding from the commerce unions:
The Guardian’s Whitehall editor, Rowena Mason, is on the marketing campaign bus with Rishi Sunak in the present day.
She writes:
Sunak had an early begin this morning as he toured an Ocado warehouse at 5am – watching the robots pack luggage and speaking to employees about their 10 hour shifts in fridge-like temperatures.
The prime minister has appeared to be extra chirpy and fewer tetchy this week, now the finish of the marketing campaign is in sight and the rows over D-Day and playing have subsided a bit.
After boarding the bus, he stopped for a McDonalds wrap for breakfast and revealed that his regime of fasting all day on Monday has gone out the window throughout the marketing campaign.
That avocado never stood a chance:
48 hours to go
It is 7am, and you realize what meaning: precisely 48 hours from now, polling stations will open throughout the UK.
With that in thoughts, the Guardian’s Rupert Neate has spoken to YouGov about how undecided voters could shape the results:
Pollsters from YouGov reckon about 12% of the citizens are nonetheless undecided. They tracked down 641 of them, and found that, whereas they’re evenly unfold throughout age teams, they’re much extra more likely to be feminine (67%), to have voted depart in the EU referendum (43%, in opposition to 30% for stay), and to have voted Conservative at the final normal election (43% in comparison with 15% who voted Labour).
When questioned (which might be onerous as unsure voters are much less seemingly to reply to pollsters) some are extra undecided than others. They discovered that 9% are more likely to find yourself voting Conservative, 9% for Labour, 5% for the Lib Dems, 4% Green and three% Reform. 1 / 4 of the undecided voters are “unlikely to actually vote”.
“This leaves 45% of the overall sample of people who are ‘truly undecided’, having told us they are at least 6/10 likely to vote at the election, but even with one week to go won’t commit to a party,” says YouGov’s director of political analysis, Adam McDonnell. “This group accounts for 6% of the entire public.”
It’s a far bigger group of individuals than at the 2019 election, and is unusually concentrated amongst one get together. “For months and months we have noticed that people who voted Conservative in 2019 are more likely to be undecided,” says Surridge. “By this point in the campaign we would have expected the proportion of “don’t knows” to have come down beneath 10%.”
This morning’s entrance pages
It is sort of 7am: let’s check out the day’s high tales.
The Guardian leads with an interview with shadow energy security secretary Ed Miliband, who guarantees that Labour will take the lead on international efforts to sort out the local weather disaster:
The I Paper: Labour faces as much as prospect of far-right neighbour in France with early talks
Metro: Naver thoughts the ballots
The Daily Telegraph: Royal Mail blamed for postal vote chaos
The Daily Mail: Britain’s forces not prepared for ‘conflict of any scale’
The Times: Starmer: a big majority will be finest for Britain
The Daily Express: Voting reform ‘risks losing hundreds of Tory MPs for a generation’
Scotland’s Daily Record: Sacre Bleu!
The Daily Mirror: Give our kids hope
And the Liberal Democrats will name on voters to “end the sewage scandal” and vote for “historic change”.
Ahead of his visits to the South West of England, LibDem chief Ed Davey mentioned: “In just 48 hours’ time, the British public can vote to end the sewage scandal and kick the Conservatives out of power,” PA reviews.
“Filthy sewage dumping has caused untold damage to our precious environment and left people feeling unable to swim in their local rivers and beaches because they’re worried about getting sick.”