By-election results: Sunak faces general election disaster after shocking losses, says the Conservative Party – British Politics Today

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By-election: Rishi Sunak says the upcoming election is not a done deal

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Conservative MPs have warned Rishi Sunak that Labor is on course to win the general election after the Conservatives suffered a double defeat in the Selby and Somerton by-elections.

Of the three seats up for grabs in Thursday’s election, only Sunak retained Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge – a win widely seen as a result of local anger over Olys’ expansion towards London.

The race in the former prime minister’s constituency went to the wire for a recount in the early hours of Friday – but it was Mr Sunak’s party that clung on, saving him from a “disastrous” triple defeat in the by-election in something embarrassing for Sir Keir Starmer.

Nigel Mills, the Conservative MP for Amber Valley in Derbyshire, told The Independent that Selby’s result was “manifestly not good” and meant “red wall” colleagues across the north and that Midlands would worry about losing their seats.

“It reinforces that we are in a really difficult situation. No one doubts that we have a fight on our hands. If you lose 20,000 a majority and the opposition is 20 points ahead of you, you stand to lose a lot of seats.”

Key PointsShow Latest update 1689999757Labour to prepare the electoral field after the by-election boost

Labor is set to host its annual political forum this weekend, the day after it ousted the largest Conservative majority in a by-election in history and, along with the Liberal Democrats, directed two big front pages for Rishi Sunak’s party.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to address members and affiliate groups in Nottingham on Saturday as they consider the ideas Labor should put forward in its manifesto at the next general election, likely next year.

Read more about what’s on offer here:

Adam Wisnall Jul 22 2023 05:22

Desperate Tories warn Sunak they are headed for disaster after ‘horrific’ by-election

His party has warned Rishi Sunak that the Conservatives are heading for a catastrophic defeat in the general election – with ‘desperate’ Tory MPs calling for urgent changes to halt Sir Keir Starmer’s path to 10th place.

As Labor overturned a majority of 20,000 in a historic by-election victory while the Liberal Democrats secured another safe seat in the Conservative Party, a former Tory minister told The Independent: “The party is over.”

Sir Keir seized the victory to announce that the Labor Party was on its way to power, with Rishi Sunak forced to insist that the next election “wasn’t a done deal”.

One long-serving Conservative MP admitted the results showed voters were “a mess with us” over the escalating interest rate crisis, and that Labor would “handily” win the impending general election.

Another, Nigel Mills, warned the Tories would “lose a lot of seats”, while former Justice Minister David Gauke said most Tory MPs would be “horrified” by the “horrific” result.

Read the full story here:

Holly Bancroft Jul 22 2023 01:13

Boris Johnson says the head of Natwest should resign if she leaks information about Nigel Farage’s account

Former prime minister, Boris Johnson, has called on NatWest’s chief executive to resign if it is found that she leaked Nigel Farage-Cotes’ account details to the BBC.

Johnson said he did not know whether Ms Alison Rose had brought the story to the BBC’s business editor.

But he called on Banking Minister Andrew Griffiths to “establish all the facts about how the false impression of Farrag’s financial conditions was given to the media”.

He added: “And I’m afraid if Mrs. Alison is in any way responsible, she really should go. And Farage – if that’s what he wants – all his accounts should be restored immediately. This is much more than just one person’s bank account.”

(PA wire)

Holly Bancroft Jul 22 2023 00:21

1689978468ICYMI: Starmer calls Johnny Mercer a “sill sod” that will be “close to date”

Sir Keir Starmer has branded a government minister a “silly idiot” who will “soon become history”, after comparing the party’s 25-year-old new MP Johnny Mercer to a character from Channel 4’s cult comedy The Inbetweeners.

The Minister for Veterans Affairs said Keir Mather had been “dropped into” the Selby and Ainstey constituency and had “launched Keir Starmer’s defining lines”, having previously stated: “We don’t want Parliament to become like the Interns”.

The Labor leader hit back at Mercer at Selby on Friday, where he celebrated his by-election victory alongside Mr Mather and deputy leader Angela Rayner.

Strolling along the pitch at Selby Town Football Club surrounded by the media, Sir Keir said to the new vicar: “There was something silly on the radio, on TV last night saying you were only 25.

The comments were captured by an ITV camera crew and Sir Keir can be heard saying: “But the answer is you’re 25 and you’ve made history and whatever age he is he will soon be history.”

Mr Mather will become the youngest MP in the House of Commons – the baby of the House – after overturning a 20,137 Conservative majority to win the North Yorkshire seat for Labour.

The Inbetweeners, which aired in the late 2000s, follows four school friends who end up in awkward and embarrassing situations while trying to enter adulthood.

Explaining his comments to Sky News on Friday, Mercer said: “I think this manufactured anger, a Labor politician is the opposite of what people like me have gotten into politics.

He’s been at Oxford more than he’s had a job, right? So if you can really apply that to the empathy required to understand what it’s like in this country right now, in terms of the cost of living and all these experiences of these people he’s trying to represent.

“Personally, I don’t think this is conducive to good electoral representation and I am more than qualified to hold this view.”

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer

(PA archive)

Holly Bancroft Jul 21 2023 23:27

1689975168 My grandmother said that the new MP Selby had wanted to be prime minister since he was six

The grandparents of the new ‘baby of the house’ Keir Mather have said he has wanted to be prime minister since he was six.

Mr Mather, aged just 25, won a historic victory at Selby and Ainstey at the recent by-election.

His grandmother told Channel 4: “I’ll tell you why he won – there’s no bull. He’s just an honest kid and that’s what people want. He told me he was going to be prime minister when he was six or seven.”

His grandfather told the broadcaster: “We are not surprised that he became an MP, we are just surprised that he won the victory he has here today. We thought maybe it was impossible to beat him. But he worked hard and he deserves it.”

“He is one of six grandchildren and has always been a leader and spokesperson for all of them.”

Newly elected Labor MP Keir Mather (left), with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer at Selby Football Club, North Yorkshire, after Selby and Ainstey’s by-election wins

(PA)

Holly Bancroft Jul 21 2023 22:32

The eyes of the treasury inherited the pension utensils

Tax breaks could be eliminated for people who inherit a pension, according to a report in The Times.

Annuities are usually exempt from inheritance tax and the beneficiary can inherit one, keep it invested, and continue to withdraw the income without paying tax on it. This stops if the annuity belongs to someone over the age of 75, with income tax payable on withdrawal.

However, the government is considering a plan to apply income tax to withdrawals regardless of age, the newspaper reported.

Holly Bancroft Jul 21 2023 21:27

Bottom line: Sadiq Khan needs to “think” O’Lease, says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer said London Mayor Sadiq Khan needs to “consider” a plan to expand London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone after the Conservative Party’s by-election wins in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

The Labor leader blamed transport policy as “the reason we didn’t win there”.

“We know that. We heard it around the corner. We all have to think about it, including the mayor. We have to look at the outcome. The mayor needs to think. And it’s too early to say what should happen next.”

Khan said he was “disappointed” with Oxbridge’s result, but said that going ahead with the expansion of Ulez was the right thing to do.

It was a tough decision to make. But just as no one accepts drinking dirty water, why accept polluted air? “

Sir Keir Starmer said the Oxbridge constituency will always be ‘tough’ (Danny Lawson/PA)

(PA wire)

Holly Bancroft Jul 21, 2023 20:32

offending comment

Here’s how the Tories have dubbed Labor’s newest MP an ‘Inbetweener’.

William Mata Jul 21 2023 19:30

Home / The Ministry of Interior denies that the residential barge Asylum is a ‘floating prison’

The Home Office denied that the barge housing the asylum seekers was a “floating prison” and said that the people on board would be “free to come and go as they please”.

Gardening in the neighborhood and hiking tours of the area are among the activities that can be offered to some 500 immigrants who are set to board the gigantic ship now moored at the southernmost point of Dorset’s Jurassic coast.

Officials were eager to stress the administration’s efforts to assuage the concerns of people in Portland — a small island with a population of about 13,600 people — as they led a press tour of the ship on Friday.

Asylum Residence Deputy Director Lianne Balk disputed allegations made by activists about the facilities.

She said, “It’s not a floating prison.

“People are free to come and go as they want, but we have this secure fence in place just so people don’t wander into the port.

“It’s a working port and we need to keep the safety of asylum seekers on board at the heart of everything we do.”

It is unlikely that asylum seekers will leave the barge and never return, Ms. Black said, adding: “They have a vested interest in having their asylum claims processed.”

A view of the Bibby Stockholm boarding house

(AP)

1689960634 What do Oxbridge voters think of Boris Johnson?

ICYMI, here’s what Oxbridge had to say about the MP’s departure.

William Mata Jul 21 2023 18:30

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