This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2019/nov/08/general-election-parties-unveil-plans-amid-spending-warnings-live-news
The article has changed 24 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| General election: SNP to launch campaign 'to escape Brexit' – live news | General election: SNP to launch campaign 'to escape Brexit' – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Election campaign takes shape, with cheaper visas for NHS staff and year-long maternity pay among the parties’ promises | Election campaign takes shape, with cheaper visas for NHS staff and year-long maternity pay among the parties’ promises |
| My colleague Kate Proctor will be reporting from a Nigel Farage rally in Wales this morning. | |
| My colleague Severin Carrell, the Guardian’s Scotland editor, will be at the SNP’s election campaign launch with Nicola Sturgeon near Holyrood, and will keep us updated on the campaign of the Scottish Greebns, which is set to launch at 11.30. There is no love lost between the two parties, he says. The Greens are refusing to stand down candidates in key marginals, on a pro-indy pro-remain alliance basis. | |
| My colleague Jonathan Freedland is talking about the shambolic start to the general election campaign on the latest episode of the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast. | |
| Boris Johnson told broadcast reporters today that suggesting the NHS could be up for grabs under his deal was “pure Loch Ness Monster” territory, the Press Association reports.Asked if he would legislate to protect the NHS from US intervention, the PM said: | |
| And back to election fever. | |
| The former Labour-MP Roger Godsiff, who was axed by the Labour party as their candidate for Birmingham Hall Green over comments on LGBT teaching, is rumoured to be replaced with Ibrahim Dogus, the Labour leadership- and trade union-backed mayor for Lambeth. | |
| Dogus was previously in the running to stand in Labour’s Vauxhall seat to replace Kate Hoey, but lost to Florence Eshalomi. | |
| In other news: The 30% Club, which campaigns for better gender balance through voluntary action from businesses, has launched their The Missing Millions report at the London Stock Exchange Group this morning. | In other news: The 30% Club, which campaigns for better gender balance through voluntary action from businesses, has launched their The Missing Millions report at the London Stock Exchange Group this morning. |
| According to the report, companies that fail to prioritise gender equality are missing out on millions of pounds. The report quotes a US study of 350 start-ups founded and co-founded by women, which reveals they generated 10% more in cumulative revenue over a five-year period and delivered two times as much for every dollar invested than those set up by men. | According to the report, companies that fail to prioritise gender equality are missing out on millions of pounds. The report quotes a US study of 350 start-ups founded and co-founded by women, which reveals they generated 10% more in cumulative revenue over a five-year period and delivered two times as much for every dollar invested than those set up by men. |
| Neither Labour nor the Conservatives are off to a good start today, with a video of Boris Johnson stating falsehoods about post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland circulating widely, and the fall of two Labour candidates for the upcoming general election because of anti-Semitism allegations. | Neither Labour nor the Conservatives are off to a good start today, with a video of Boris Johnson stating falsehoods about post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland circulating widely, and the fall of two Labour candidates for the upcoming general election because of anti-Semitism allegations. |
| There is much anger and scorn on the wires about both situations. | There is much anger and scorn on the wires about both situations. |
| This from Labour’s Keir Starmer: | This from Labour’s Keir Starmer: |
| And this from MailOnline’s Jack Maidment: | And this from MailOnline’s Jack Maidment: |
| And here we have the same point made by the Lib Dem’s Tom Brake: | And here we have the same point made by the Lib Dem’s Tom Brake: |
| This from the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges on the two disgraced Labour candidates: | This from the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges on the two disgraced Labour candidates: |
| This from PoliticsHome’s Kevin Schofield: | This from PoliticsHome’s Kevin Schofield: |
| According to LBC, the Labour candidate Ian Byrne, who is running in the safe seat of Liverpool West Derby, is responsible for a number of misogynist social media comments against female politicians. In a post on Facebook in 2015 about Michelle Mone, the founder of underwear brand Ultimo, he called on his supporters to “hit the c**t where it hurts”. | According to LBC, the Labour candidate Ian Byrne, who is running in the safe seat of Liverpool West Derby, is responsible for a number of misogynist social media comments against female politicians. In a post on Facebook in 2015 about Michelle Mone, the founder of underwear brand Ultimo, he called on his supporters to “hit the c**t where it hurts”. |
| It emerged yesterday that the Tory candidate Nick Conrad will not stand in the Broadland seat in Norfolk, due to controversial comments about rape in 2014. | It emerged yesterday that the Tory candidate Nick Conrad will not stand in the Broadland seat in Norfolk, due to controversial comments about rape in 2014. |
| My colleague Maya Wolfe-Robinson has written a story on how thousands of children in care whose immigration status will be affected by Brexit could face homelessness, immigration detention or deportation. | My colleague Maya Wolfe-Robinson has written a story on how thousands of children in care whose immigration status will be affected by Brexit could face homelessness, immigration detention or deportation. |
| This from Sky’s Tom Rayner: | This from Sky’s Tom Rayner: |
| Nancy Kelley, deputy chief executive of NatCen Social Research, has written an interesting comment about the voting age for the Times Red Box, stating that the majority of the public (60 per cent) think we should leave things as they are, while 19 per cent think 16 and 17 year olds should be allowed to vote, and 16 per cent say the voting age should be raised to 21. | Nancy Kelley, deputy chief executive of NatCen Social Research, has written an interesting comment about the voting age for the Times Red Box, stating that the majority of the public (60 per cent) think we should leave things as they are, while 19 per cent think 16 and 17 year olds should be allowed to vote, and 16 per cent say the voting age should be raised to 21. |
| “Nearly a quarter of those aged 65 or over think older is better when it comes to voting in general elections,” she writes. | “Nearly a quarter of those aged 65 or over think older is better when it comes to voting in general elections,” she writes. |
| Quick reminder that’s it worth refreshing this blog every once in a while, as sometimes posts get amended, but especially if you dislike typos. | Quick reminder that’s it worth refreshing this blog every once in a while, as sometimes posts get amended, but especially if you dislike typos. |
| The SNP parliamentary leader, Ian Blackford, told the Today programme that his partywas “determined” to pass legislation that would allow it to hold another referendum on Scottish independence. | |
| He added that the referendum needed to happen in 2020, so that Scotland could inform the EU of its wish to remain and then move into independent EU membership. | He added that the referendum needed to happen in 2020, so that Scotland could inform the EU of its wish to remain and then move into independent EU membership. |
| Asked whether the SNP would be prepared to support Jeremy Corbyn if he offered a referendum, Blackford said: “It’s not a question of supporting Jeremy Corbyn, because it’s a question that we would put to whoever is in 10 Downing Street, that they must respect the votes of the people of Scotland. | |
| “We’ve won every election over the course of the last few years in Scotland, but crucially we won a mandate to have a referendum on Scottish independence.” | |
| A second Scottish Labour election candidate has been dropped after she posted an image on Twitter which appeared to threaten the Scottish National party candidate Joanna Cherry, who is defending her seat of Edinburgh South West. | A second Scottish Labour election candidate has been dropped after she posted an image on Twitter which appeared to threaten the Scottish National party candidate Joanna Cherry, who is defending her seat of Edinburgh South West. |
| Frances Hoole was selected to stand against Cherry, who won Edinburgh South West in 2015 and held it in 2017. She was brought before Scottish Labour national executive on Wednesday after posting a composite image of Cherry’s face being sprayed from a Cillit Bang household cleaner bottle with the caption “Bang. And the terf is gone.” | Frances Hoole was selected to stand against Cherry, who won Edinburgh South West in 2015 and held it in 2017. She was brought before Scottish Labour national executive on Wednesday after posting a composite image of Cherry’s face being sprayed from a Cillit Bang household cleaner bottle with the caption “Bang. And the terf is gone.” |
| “Terf” is the term used by trans-rights activists to describe women who are critics as “trans-exclusionary radical feminists”. | “Terf” is the term used by trans-rights activists to describe women who are critics as “trans-exclusionary radical feminists”. |
| Cherry has been a leading figure in the campaign by women parliamentarians and activists in the SNP challenging some gender-recognition plans, including altering census questions. | Cherry has been a leading figure in the campaign by women parliamentarians and activists in the SNP challenging some gender-recognition plans, including altering census questions. |
| Hoole apologised on Twitter and told the Edinburgh Evening News she accepted her tweet was unacceptable and apologised. “I am genuinely really sorry I posted it. I’m sorry about the violent content. | Hoole apologised on Twitter and told the Edinburgh Evening News she accepted her tweet was unacceptable and apologised. “I am genuinely really sorry I posted it. I’m sorry about the violent content. |
| “I apologised about the actual content of the meme. It was silly, I posted it without looking very hard at it.” | “I apologised about the actual content of the meme. It was silly, I posted it without looking very hard at it.” |
| Her removal came on the same day another Scottish Labour candidate, Kate Ramsden, stood down in Gordon in north east Scotland after a blog emerged where she described Israel as “an abused child who becomes an abusive adult”. | Her removal came on the same day another Scottish Labour candidate, Kate Ramsden, stood down in Gordon in north east Scotland after a blog emerged where she described Israel as “an abused child who becomes an abusive adult”. |
| According to the BBC’s Iain Watson, an alliance of 51 Labour MPs has signed a letter pledging “to campaign to Remain in any confirmatory referendum”. | According to the BBC’s Iain Watson, an alliance of 51 Labour MPs has signed a letter pledging “to campaign to Remain in any confirmatory referendum”. |
| Signatories include Wes Streeting, David Lammy, Margaret Beckett, Rosie Duffield and Helen Hayes. | Signatories include Wes Streeting, David Lammy, Margaret Beckett, Rosie Duffield and Helen Hayes. |
| The letter states: | The letter states: |
| The crossbench peer Gus O’Donnell has said on the Today programme that the future chancellor would have to increase taxes in order to fund the government’s and the opposition’s current spending promises. | The crossbench peer Gus O’Donnell has said on the Today programme that the future chancellor would have to increase taxes in order to fund the government’s and the opposition’s current spending promises. |
| “When you look at the big capital spending increases – it’s about 50 billion for Labour, 20 billion for the Conservatives - do we have the capacity?” he asked. | “When you look at the big capital spending increases – it’s about 50 billion for Labour, 20 billion for the Conservatives - do we have the capacity?” he asked. |
| “The civil servants who are writing their briefing packs for the incoming ministers for various parties will be thinking: well what could you spend this on? | “The civil servants who are writing their briefing packs for the incoming ministers for various parties will be thinking: well what could you spend this on? |
| “What’s, as it were, shovel ready? Will you get good value for money if you rush at it this quickly? | “What’s, as it were, shovel ready? Will you get good value for money if you rush at it this quickly? |
| “So I think there’ll be lots of bottlenecks.” | “So I think there’ll be lots of bottlenecks.” |
| The Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, Christine Jardine, has criticised the SNP’s push for another independence referendum, and told Sky that she believes the SNP needs “to start thinking about what’s best for the people of Scotland, not independence”. | The Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, Christine Jardine, has criticised the SNP’s push for another independence referendum, and told Sky that she believes the SNP needs “to start thinking about what’s best for the people of Scotland, not independence”. |
| The Clacton Labour candidate, Gideon Bull, has quit over the accusation that he used an antisemitic term in front of a Jewish Labour councillor. According to the BBC’s Simon Dedman, Bull admitted in an interview with BBC Essex to using the term “Shylock” in a meeting, but added: “The allegation that I called a Jewish cabinet member ‘Shylock’ is entirely false.” | The Clacton Labour candidate, Gideon Bull, has quit over the accusation that he used an antisemitic term in front of a Jewish Labour councillor. According to the BBC’s Simon Dedman, Bull admitted in an interview with BBC Essex to using the term “Shylock” in a meeting, but added: “The allegation that I called a Jewish cabinet member ‘Shylock’ is entirely false.” |
| While on the campaign trail, Boris Johnson promised there won’t be any checks on goods coming from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK, a comment that has caused much furore on Twitter. | While on the campaign trail, Boris Johnson promised there won’t be any checks on goods coming from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK, a comment that has caused much furore on Twitter. |
| This from my colleague Lisa O’Carroll: | This from my colleague Lisa O’Carroll: |
| And this from Sky’s deputy political editor, Sam Coates: | And this from Sky’s deputy political editor, Sam Coates: |
| And this from Sky’s Lewis Goodall: | And this from Sky’s Lewis Goodall: |