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General election: Farage claims Brexit party will 'hurt Labour in most extraordinary way' - live news General election: Farage claims Brexit party will 'hurt Labour in most extraordinary way' - live news
(32 minutes later)
Rolling coverage of the day’s political events as they happen, including 2019 general election campaigning and the election of the new SpeakerRolling coverage of the day’s political events as they happen, including 2019 general election campaigning and the election of the new Speaker
Price says Plaid Cymru is Wales’ leading remain party. It wants to lead Wales to remain, and then lead it into becoming an independent member of the European Union in its own right. Here is Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s lead Brexit spokesman, on Nigel Farage’s decision not to stand for Westminster. Farage, of course, remains an MEP.
The SDLP has announced it will not stand in three constituencies in Northern Ireland in a bid to facilitate pro-remain candidates, the Press Association reports. The nationalist party will not put forward candidates in North and East Belfast and in North Down as it attempts to prevent DUP Brexiters winning those seats. The move in North Belfast will give Sinn Féin candidate John Finucane a better chance of unseating the DUP deputy leader and longstanding MP, Nigel Dodds, who has a majority of just over 2,000.
The Ulster Unionist party has already stepped aside in North Belfast to give Dodds a better chance of winning, PA reports. The UUP decision also proved controversial, as it came only a week after the incoming leader, Steve Aiken, pledged to run in all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland.
The SDLP move in East Belfast is designed to give the Alliance party leader, Naomi Long, a better chance of defeating incumbent DUP MP, Gavin Robinson, while in North Down it is hoping that independent unionist and pro-remain MP Lady Sylvia Hermon can see off a DUP challenge to unseat her, PA reports.
If remainers are looking for reasons to Labour, Lib Dem or SNP, the Tories have got a helpful clock at CCHQ that will give them one. This is from the Tory MP Harriett Baldwin.
Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, has finished his speech at his election launch, and the Facebook live feed is over.
This is what he said about the choice facing the people of Wales.
Price seems to be referring to the publicity for this Channel 4 Dispatches programme going out tonight.
Price also said that at this election Wales should break with a century of backing Westminster parties. He said:
Price says Plaid Cymru is Wales’s leading remain party. It wants to lead Wales to remain, and then lead it into becoming an independent member of the European Union in its own right.
Price says Scotland’s needs have shot to the top of the political agenda because of devolution and the strength of the SNP.Price says Scotland’s needs have shot to the top of the political agenda because of devolution and the strength of the SNP.
The biggest legacy for Wales has been what has been cancelled: a power station, and rail electrification.The biggest legacy for Wales has been what has been cancelled: a power station, and rail electrification.
He says Wales has some of the best renewable energy resources. But it does not even feature in Labour’s clean energy plans.He says Wales has some of the best renewable energy resources. But it does not even feature in Labour’s clean energy plans.
Adam Price, the leader of Plaid Cymru, is speaking at the Plaid election campaign launch now. He is speaking in a mix of English and Welsh, but there is not translation on the live feed I’m using, so some of it I cannot follow. Adam Price, the leader of Plaid Cymru, is speaking at the Plaid election campaign launch now. He is speaking in a mix of English and Welsh, but there is no translation on the live feed I’m using, so some of it I cannot follow.
Price says an election at December is the worst Christmas ever.Price says an election at December is the worst Christmas ever.
He says voters have a choice between someone who is dishonest, and someone who is useless. And they are both advised by public schoolboys who see politics as a game, he says. He says voters have a choice between someone who is dishonest, and someone who is clueless. And they are both advised by public schoolboys who see politics as a game, he says.
He says the best future for Wales would be as an independent, prosperous nation.He says the best future for Wales would be as an independent, prosperous nation.
There has to be a better way, he says.There has to be a better way, he says.
He says at this election Plaid can break with a century of tradition. For the last 100 years Wales has backed the main parties. But what has Wales gained from that? It is at the wrong end of every league table that matters.He says at this election Plaid can break with a century of tradition. For the last 100 years Wales has backed the main parties. But what has Wales gained from that? It is at the wrong end of every league table that matters.
Plaid Cymru is launching its general election campaign. There is a live feed here.Plaid Cymru is launching its general election campaign. There is a live feed here.
Here is a question from a reader BTL (below the line).Here is a question from a reader BTL (below the line).
Could the UK leave the EU before 31 January?Could the UK leave the EU before 31 January?
In theory, yes. Here is an extract from the official EU statement (pdf) agreeing the extension. If parliament were to pass the Brexit deal in time, the UK could leave the EU on 1 January. It says:In theory, yes. Here is an extract from the official EU statement (pdf) agreeing the extension. If parliament were to pass the Brexit deal in time, the UK could leave the EU on 1 January. It says:
In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Boris Johnson suggested that, in the event of the Tories winning the election, Brexit could happen by Christmas. The story started:In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Boris Johnson suggested that, in the event of the Tories winning the election, Brexit could happen by Christmas. The story started:
But the actual quote from Johnson was a bit less specific. He told the paper:But the actual quote from Johnson was a bit less specific. He told the paper:
And, in practice, Johnson’s ‘Brexit by Christmas’ pledge will probably turn out to be as reliable as his “do or die” one to deliver Brexit by 31 October because it is very hard to imagine the Brexit agreement being passed before Christmas.And, in practice, Johnson’s ‘Brexit by Christmas’ pledge will probably turn out to be as reliable as his “do or die” one to deliver Brexit by 31 October because it is very hard to imagine the Brexit agreement being passed before Christmas.
MPs will not be able to return to the Commons “the following day” after the election because the counting will not finish in some constituencies until late Friday. Then, when MPs do return to the Commons at the start of a new parliament, it normally takes a few days for them all to take the oath before any legislating can actually start. And even if Johnson were able to ram the withdrawal agreement bill through parliament before Christmas, the European parliament would also have to vote to rubber-stamp it for the UK to be able to leave on 1 January.MPs will not be able to return to the Commons “the following day” after the election because the counting will not finish in some constituencies until late Friday. Then, when MPs do return to the Commons at the start of a new parliament, it normally takes a few days for them all to take the oath before any legislating can actually start. And even if Johnson were able to ram the withdrawal agreement bill through parliament before Christmas, the European parliament would also have to vote to rubber-stamp it for the UK to be able to leave on 1 January.
UPDATE: Sorry. I got sidetracked, and overlooked the point about a no-deal Brexit. No deal is now off the table until 31 January. The extension agreement means that, under international law, the UK is now a member of the EU until the end of January, unless a deal is agreed by the end of December, and UK law has also been amended to reflect this.UPDATE: Sorry. I got sidetracked, and overlooked the point about a no-deal Brexit. No deal is now off the table until 31 January. The extension agreement means that, under international law, the UK is now a member of the EU until the end of January, unless a deal is agreed by the end of December, and UK law has also been amended to reflect this.
And here is Jennifer’s full story about Jean-Claude Juncker criticising Boris Johnson for telling “so many lies” during the 2016 referendum campaign.And here is Jennifer’s full story about Jean-Claude Juncker criticising Boris Johnson for telling “so many lies” during the 2016 referendum campaign.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing president of the European commission, has said in an interview that Boris Johnson lied during the 2106 referendum campaign, my colleague Jennifer Rankin reports.Jean-Claude Juncker, the outgoing president of the European commission, has said in an interview that Boris Johnson lied during the 2106 referendum campaign, my colleague Jennifer Rankin reports.
If you are looking for evidence of lies and untruths told during the 2016 referendum, the Labour MP Richard Corbett has a good list on his website here.If you are looking for evidence of lies and untruths told during the 2016 referendum, the Labour MP Richard Corbett has a good list on his website here.
(The remain campaign was generally more honest, but it wasn’t perfect, and the claim that a vote to leave would trigger the need for an emergency, tax-raising budget was particularly spurious.)(The remain campaign was generally more honest, but it wasn’t perfect, and the claim that a vote to leave would trigger the need for an emergency, tax-raising budget was particularly spurious.)
In a phone-in with LBC this morning Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons and leading Brexiter, said that Nigel Farage should “retire from the field” because he had already achieved his lifelong ambition to deliver Brexit. Rees-Mogg claimed that, by standing against the Tories at the election, the Brexit party could end up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Rees-Mogg said:In a phone-in with LBC this morning Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons and leading Brexiter, said that Nigel Farage should “retire from the field” because he had already achieved his lifelong ambition to deliver Brexit. Rees-Mogg claimed that, by standing against the Tories at the election, the Brexit party could end up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Rees-Mogg said:
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, played down suggestions that by standing candidates all over Britain, his party would damage the Tories more than Labour. He said his party would “hurt the Labour party in the most extraordinary way”. He said:In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, played down suggestions that by standing candidates all over Britain, his party would damage the Tories more than Labour. He said his party would “hurt the Labour party in the most extraordinary way”. He said:
Farage’s analysis is not generally shared by election experts, who have been arguing that it is the Conservatives who will lost out most from having Brexit party candidates on the ballot.Farage’s analysis is not generally shared by election experts, who have been arguing that it is the Conservatives who will lost out most from having Brexit party candidates on the ballot.
In his interview Farage also defended his decision not to stand as a candidate himself.In his interview Farage also defended his decision not to stand as a candidate himself.
As my colleagues Simon Murphy and Liz Perkins report here, Francesca O’Brien is being urged to stand down as the Conservative candidate in Gower after it emerged that five years ago she wrote a post on Facebook saying people on the reality TV show Benefits Street needed “putting down”. Gower, a Labour-held marginal, is one of the Tories’ key targets in Wales.As my colleagues Simon Murphy and Liz Perkins report here, Francesca O’Brien is being urged to stand down as the Conservative candidate in Gower after it emerged that five years ago she wrote a post on Facebook saying people on the reality TV show Benefits Street needed “putting down”. Gower, a Labour-held marginal, is one of the Tories’ key targets in Wales.
In her Today interview Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, refused to back calls for O’Brien to be removed as a candidate. Coffey said that O’Brien’s comment was “clearly wrong”, but that she had apologised and that it should be up to the people of the Gower to decide if they wanted her as an MP.In her Today interview Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, refused to back calls for O’Brien to be removed as a candidate. Coffey said that O’Brien’s comment was “clearly wrong”, but that she had apologised and that it should be up to the people of the Gower to decide if they wanted her as an MP.
Ian Lavery, the Labour party chair, said Coffey should have disowned her candidate. In a statement he said:Ian Lavery, the Labour party chair, said Coffey should have disowned her candidate. In a statement he said:
Brexit is at risk because of Nigel Farage’s decision to put up Brexit party candidates against the Tories, Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, told the Today programme this morning. She said:Brexit is at risk because of Nigel Farage’s decision to put up Brexit party candidates against the Tories, Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, told the Today programme this morning. She said:
The election campaign has only just started but already senior figures in the health service are expressing alarm at the way that the NHS is being used as a “political weapon” in the campaign. The NHS is always a key election issue, of course, but there are at least two reasons why it is set to be more salient than usual this year. First, we are having an unusual December election, which means hospitals are under more pressure than they are when people normally go to the polls in the spring. And, second, this is an election where both main parties think they can win on health. Normally the Tories cede this issue to Labour, but Boris Johnson has decided to put the NHS at the top of his agenda (he believes that the Vote Leave bus slogan means he is obliged to champion health spending) and some polling shows that he is trusted more on health than Jeremy Corbyn, which is an unusual feat for a Tory leader.The election campaign has only just started but already senior figures in the health service are expressing alarm at the way that the NHS is being used as a “political weapon” in the campaign. The NHS is always a key election issue, of course, but there are at least two reasons why it is set to be more salient than usual this year. First, we are having an unusual December election, which means hospitals are under more pressure than they are when people normally go to the polls in the spring. And, second, this is an election where both main parties think they can win on health. Normally the Tories cede this issue to Labour, but Boris Johnson has decided to put the NHS at the top of his agenda (he believes that the Vote Leave bus slogan means he is obliged to champion health spending) and some polling shows that he is trusted more on health than Jeremy Corbyn, which is an unusual feat for a Tory leader.
In an article in the Times (paywall) Carrie MacEwen, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, says that any public debate about the NHS needs to be based on “realistic expectations” and that the general election makes this unlikely. She says:In an article in the Times (paywall) Carrie MacEwen, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, says that any public debate about the NHS needs to be based on “realistic expectations” and that the general election makes this unlikely. She says:
And in an article for the Times’ Red Box website (paywall) Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and other health trust organisations, makes a similar point. He says having the NHS as a dominant election issue could be counterproductive. He explains:And in an article for the Times’ Red Box website (paywall) Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and other health trust organisations, makes a similar point. He says having the NHS as a dominant election issue could be counterproductive. He explains:
These are understandable arguments, but there seems to be little chance of their having much impact on the campaign. Rightly or wrongly, electioneering is always drawn towards hyperbole.These are understandable arguments, but there seems to be little chance of their having much impact on the campaign. Rightly or wrongly, electioneering is always drawn towards hyperbole.
Here is the agenda for the day.Here is the agenda for the day.
10am: John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, meet NHS staff at Unison HQ in London.10am: John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, and Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, meet NHS staff at Unison HQ in London.
10.30am: Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, and Liz Saville Roberts, its leader at Westminster, launch Plaid’s election campaign.10.30am: Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru leader, and Liz Saville Roberts, its leader at Westminster, launch Plaid’s election campaign.
2pm: Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, unveils the party’s 600 election candidates.2pm: Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, unveils the party’s 600 election candidates.
2.30pm: MPs start the process of electing a new Speaker.2.30pm: MPs start the process of electing a new Speaker.
As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I will be focusing mostly on general election developments and on the election of a new Speaker. I plan to publish a summary when I wrap up.As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I will be focusing mostly on general election developments and on the election of a new Speaker. I plan to publish a summary when I wrap up.
You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads.You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads.
If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.
If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter.If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter.