General election latest: Starmer warns only the Left can beat far right as Tories set for London wipeout
Sir Keir Starmer says Left must show only ‘progressives have answers’ if far right wins in France
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With six days to go until the general election, party leaders jump on the final week campaign trail.
Sir Keir Starmer has said only the progressives can beat the far-right and blamed the surge on “disaffection among voters” amid popularity of Marine Le Pen’s nationalist party in France.
The Labour leader said people feel the country is “too broken to be mended” and “can’t trust politicians” after 14 years of “Tory chaos”, but added: “Only progressives have the answers of the challenges that are facing us.”
It comes as Labour holds a strong 24-point lead in latest polls on voter intentions, with the Tories struggling to close the gap.
Further fueling Mr Sunak’s fears, a new poll suggested the Conservatives could be “all but wiped out” in London.
A Savanta survey revealed Labour has a 30 points lead with 49 per cent of the votes while the Tories are way behind with only 19 per cent of the backing.
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Cleverly accuses Labour of copying immigration policy
James Cleverly has accused Labour of copying his campaign promises on immigration policy.
The Home Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I’m absolutely determined as Home Secretary to continue looking at ways of smashing the gangs, interrupting their supply of boats, interrupting their supply of engines, interrupting their illegal money, and of course having the deterrent, the Rwanda scheme, which is designed to deter people from making that dangerous and illegal crossing.”
Asked whether the phrase “smash the gangs” was part of Labour’s policy on immigration, Mr Cleverly said: “They are copying my work.”
Starmer says being a father makes him a better politician
Sir Keir Starmer has said being a father helps him to become a better politician.
The Labour leader said his son and daughter are his “pride and joy” and “I don’t want to lose that time”.
He added: “I don’t believe in the theory that you are a better decision-maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a dad and to have time for your kids.
“Actually, it helps me, it takes me away from the pressure, it relaxes me, and I think, actually, not only is it what I want to do as a dad, it is better.”
Labour: It’s not over until the final whistle
As parties prepare for polling day, Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth has insisted that the election is not over until “the final whistle blows”.
Despite the party’s 20-point lead in the opinion polls, the shadow paymaster general claimed the fight is not over yet.
Mr Ashworth said: “There’s an election on Thursday, and if people want to bring an end to the chaos, to the scandals from the party in Number 10 to the insider gambling scandals, if people have had enough of being stuck on an NHS waiting list, if people who’ve had enough of having their family finances hammered and pay more on their mortgage, they’ve got to come out and vote Labour.
“Don’t wake up, don’t switch on Sky News on Friday morning and hear that Rishi Sunak has been re-elected.
“If you don’t want that, we don’t want that feeling in the pit of your stomach.”
Revealed: the worst-hit schools as budget cuts amplify ‘privilege gap’
Revealed: the worst-hit schools as spending freezes amplify ‘privilege gap’
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Farage slams Donald Trump trial an ‘absolute joke'
Nigel Farage has said the guilty verdict against Donald Trump was “an absolute joke”.
The Reform leader told Times Radio: “I do believe in the rule of law, but I think the American judicial system absolutely stinks. It’s become politicised.
“There is almost no such thing as a fair trial in America. Now, 98 per cent of cases end in plea bargaining, guilty verdicts... They’ve completely corrupted it.
“I thought what happened in New York was an absolute joke. As for 2020, look, the election wasn’t stolen because there were no laws to stop what happened.”
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Cleverly hits out at Starmer over Bangladeshi migrants comments
Home secretary James Cleverly has labelled Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s comments about returning migrants to Bangladesh a “weird dog whistle attack on the Bangladeshi community”.
He told the BBC: “Labour keep saying they’re going to do less, they’re going to scrap the Rwanda scheme. They are going to scrap the Rwanda scheme, they’ve said they’re going to do that even if it’s working.”
He added: “The only intervention recently that Keir Starmer has had on this is this weird dog whistle attack on the Bangladeshi community where he’s claiming that that we are not returning people to Bangladesh which was, A, not true and, B, not relevant, because the Bangladeshi community make a tiny, tiny, tiny, less than a half a percent of small boat arrivals.”
Ashworth denies Putin happy to see Labour win
Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth has denied Vladimir Putin would rather see Labour win over the Conservatives.
When asked about comments made by Rishi Sunak on Sunday, Mr Ashworth told Times Radio: “No of course not. This is pretty desperate stuff from the Tories now, really desperate. Labour would always put the defence of our people first.”
Will Cleverly still be Home Secretary on Friday?
James Cleverly has been asked whether he would still be Home Secretary come Friday.
“Well I hope to be - that decision is in the hands of voters in Braintree and nationally,” he told BBC Beakfast.
The Tory minister urged people to “vote to keep their taxes low” adding he hopes to remain in the cabinet because “it’s a privilege to serve”.
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