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General election: Boris Johnson dismisses Labour's broadband plan as 'crazed communist scheme' – live news General election: Boris Johnson dismisses Labour's broadband plan as 'crazed communist scheme' – live news
(about 1 hour later)
Labour leader announces free internet plan in Lancaster, while Boris Johnson launches battle bus in OldhamLabour leader announces free internet plan in Lancaster, while Boris Johnson launches battle bus in Oldham
Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem Treasury spokesman, has delivered a speech on Lib Dem economic policy this afternoon. Here are the main points.
Davey said the Lib Dems were calling for a £100bn spending programme over five years to tackle climate change. He said:
He said the Lib Dems would regulate the City to address the climate emergency. he said:
He said that by remaining in the EU, the Lib Dems would generate a £50bn “remain bonus” for the economy. The Lib Dems are committed to revoking article 50 if they form a majority government (which is probably impossible, given their size and the extent of their support). Interestingly, although Davey spoke about the Lib Dem commitment to keep the UK in the EU, he did not mention revoking article 50. There have been claims that voters are reacting badly to this promise, and that instead the Lib Dems are more keen on stressing their commitment to backing remain in a second referendum.
He said the Lib Dems would adopt “well-being budgeting”. He said:
He said the Lib Dems would aim for a structural surplus in current spending. He said:
Here is a question from below the line prompted by the post at 2.34pm, saying Boris Johnson will be defending the smallest majority for a prime minister since 1924.
Can Boris Johnson remain as prime minister if he loses his seat?
The last prime minister to lose his seat in an election was the Conservative Arthur Balfour in 1906. But his party was defeated too, and so he was going to lose office anyway. He soon returned to the Commons in a byelection and served as leader of the opposition.
If the Tories lose the election, and Johnson loses his seat, he may decide to follow the Balfour example. Or he may decide to walk away and do something else.
The much more interesting question is, what would happen if Johnson loses his seat, but the Conservatives win.
In Britain the prime minister has always been a member of parliament and since 1902, when the Marquess of Salisbury stood down, the PM has always been a member of the House of Commons, not the House of Lords.
But there is nothing in the constitution or in law saying that the prime minister has to be an MP. And there are precedents for people serving in government and not being members of the Commons or the Lords. Harold Wilson made Patrick Gordon Walker foreign secretary even though he lost his seat in the 1964 election. But when Gordon Walker lost a byelection three months later, he had to stand down.
Unless there is something in the Conservative party rules saying the party leader has to be an MP (which the party may be able to bypass anyway), it would theoretically be possible for Johnson to remain as PM, even if he had lost his seat, pending a byelection at which he might return. This would be unprecedented, but precedent has become a poor guide to our politics recently. A lot would depend on whether his party accepted this (ie, whether he was still seen as an election winner), and perhaps on whether Buckingham Palace were willing go along with this arrangement.
Doubtless the idea of being prime minister but without having to turn up to PMQs every week might appeal to Johnson. Most politically-conscious Britons would consider it unthinkable to have a prime minister not sitting in parliament, but in many other parts of the world the head of the executive is not a member of the legislature and it is not entirely impossible to imagine that one day in the UK this could change.
And if you don’t trust polling, you can always try using focus groups to get an understanding of public opinion. Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative peer and polling specialist, is conducting regular focus groups during the election campaign. He has just a report about the findings from his latest ones, conducted in three leave-voting, Labour-held seats (Stoke-on-Trent North, Bolton North East and West Bromwich East).And if you don’t trust polling, you can always try using focus groups to get an understanding of public opinion. Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative peer and polling specialist, is conducting regular focus groups during the election campaign. He has just a report about the findings from his latest ones, conducted in three leave-voting, Labour-held seats (Stoke-on-Trent North, Bolton North East and West Bromwich East).
According to Ashcroft’s write-up, the groups divided into those who saw the election in terms of Brexit and those who did not. Amongst the latter group, opposition to the Tories was still quite high, Ashcroft says.According to Ashcroft’s write-up, the groups divided into those who saw the election in terms of Brexit and those who did not. Amongst the latter group, opposition to the Tories was still quite high, Ashcroft says.
But Ashcroft also found people sceptical about Labour’s proposals.But Ashcroft also found people sceptical about Labour’s proposals.
Panelbase has released a new poll. Polls, of course, do not always turn out to be accurate predictors of election results, but they are a better guide than using hunches or guesswork.Panelbase has released a new poll. Polls, of course, do not always turn out to be accurate predictors of election results, but they are a better guide than using hunches or guesswork.
Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, has described the behaviour of Rupert Lowe, who stood down as a candidate for his party in the Labour/Tory marginal Dudley North yesterday, allowing no time for it to choose a replacement, as “disgusting”. Farage also offered an apology to voters in the constituency, who now will not have the option of voting for his party. Lowe, a Brexit party MEP, announced his decision moments before the 4pm deadline for nominations.Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, has described the behaviour of Rupert Lowe, who stood down as a candidate for his party in the Labour/Tory marginal Dudley North yesterday, allowing no time for it to choose a replacement, as “disgusting”. Farage also offered an apology to voters in the constituency, who now will not have the option of voting for his party. Lowe, a Brexit party MEP, announced his decision moments before the 4pm deadline for nominations.
In their overnight press notice about their plans to revive neglected communities, the Conservatives said they would “reverse many of the Beeching rail cuts of the 1960s, reconnecting towns that have suffered since their railways were removed”. The party said it would fund this through a £500m “Beeching reversal fund”.In their overnight press notice about their plans to revive neglected communities, the Conservatives said they would “reverse many of the Beeching rail cuts of the 1960s, reconnecting towns that have suffered since their railways were removed”. The party said it would fund this through a £500m “Beeching reversal fund”.
As the Press Association reports, Sim Harris, managing editor of industry newspaper Railnews, has said this fund “is not going to buy you very much”. Harris said opening many of the lines closed by the Beeching cuts would cost billions. He explained:As the Press Association reports, Sim Harris, managing editor of industry newspaper Railnews, has said this fund “is not going to buy you very much”. Harris said opening many of the lines closed by the Beeching cuts would cost billions. He explained:
From ITV’s Robert PestonFrom ITV’s Robert Peston
Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach (prime minister) has said that agreeing a UK-EU free trade deal before the end of next year would be “difficult but not impossible”. The government insists that the deal will have to be concluded within this period, because Boris Johnson says he will not extend the transition period. Speaking at the British Irish Council meeting, he said:Leo Varadkar, the Irish taoiseach (prime minister) has said that agreeing a UK-EU free trade deal before the end of next year would be “difficult but not impossible”. The government insists that the deal will have to be concluded within this period, because Boris Johnson says he will not extend the transition period. Speaking at the British Irish Council meeting, he said:
One consequence of nominations closing yesterday is that we now know Boris Johnson will defend his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency and that rumours that he might decamp to a safer seat turned out to be unfounded. As the Press Association reports, Johnson will go into the election trying to defend the smallest constituency majority for a prime minister in nearly 100 years. In 2017 he held his seat with a majority of just 5,034. No prime minister since 1924 has fought a general election while simultaneously defending such a slim personal majority.
Nominations for the election have now closed. If you want to know who the candidates are standing in your area, there is a great page on our website here that will tell you.
During an election campaign all leaders need a stump speech - a standard five-minute speech they can repeat over and over again, setting out why they should be elected. Boris Johnson has just delivered the latest version of his at the unveiling of the Conservative party’s election battlebus.
The Conservatives announced almost no new policy in the campaign so far (that may change when the manifesto eventually comes out) and there was little that was positive in the Johnson speech. Instead, it was mostly an attack on Labour, and Jeremy Corbyn in particular. Much of what Johnson was saying was not new. But the speech did include some criticism that was stronger than anything we’ve heard from Johnson in recent days (and probably less honest).
On the Labour plan for free broadband, Johnson went beyond describing it as “crackpot” (the line he used on the BBC this morning - see 9.39am) and instead described it as a “crazed communist scheme” (see 12.45pm). Johnson’s language is reminiscent of the Tories describing Ed Miliband’s plan for a cap on energy bills as “Marxist” - before adopting it two years later as party policy.
Johnson also claimed that, overall, Labour’s plans were “terrifying”. He said:
Johnson made various claims about Corbyn that have already regularly been aired by the Tories in the campaign: that Labour would hold two referendums next year (highly questionable - Corbyn says he would not allow a Scottish independence referendum in 2020, although Johnson said “that is the price that Nicola Sturgeon will demand for putting Jeremy Corbyn in power); that Labour would spend an extra £1.2tr over five years, costing taxpayers an extra £2,400 per year (implausible, because it is based on assumptions about Labour spending that are partly flawed or unfounded); and that Corbyn sided with Russia at the time of the novichok poisoning attack (arguable - Corbyn was initially sceptical of the UK government’s assessment that Russia was to blame, but Labour would contest that he “sided with” Russia.)
However, Johnson also added two other allegations that have barely featured in this campaign; that Corbyn wants to get rid of the army, and that he does not approve of home ownership. Johnson said:
The claim that Corbyn wants to get rid of the armed forces is based on a line he said in a speech in 2012: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every politician around the world instead of taking pride in the size of their armed forces did what Costa Rica have done and abolished their army, and took pride in the fact they don’t have an army.” You can argue that this shows that Corbyn wants the army to be disbanded - but only if you are not willing to accept that there is a difference between musing about an ideal world, and advocating actual policy.
As for the line about Corbyn and home ownership, I have no idea where that comes from (unless Johnson was talking about second home ownership, where Labour policy is unsympathetic). I have asked the Conservative party if they can supply evidence for this, and will let you know if I get a reply.
The Rev Richard Cameron, who heckled Jeremy Corbyn on a visit to Glasgow on Wednesday and accused him of being a “terrorist sympathiser” has been suspended from his work as a minister while the Church of Scotland carries out an inquiry.
During the incident, the Scotstoun parish church minister told Corbyn: “I thought you’d be wearing your Islamic Jihad scarf.” It later emerged that he had posted a series of Islamophobic and homophobic tweets, and that the Humanist Society Scotland had complained about Cameron’s behaviour on social media nine months ago.
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said:
The Boris Johnson event was another of those where the close-up photographs make the room look packed, but where the wide-screen shots show that he was speaking to a relatively small audience. This is from the Manchester Evening News’ Jennifer Williams.
Here is some video from the Boris Johnson bus launch.
Johnson has now finished.
It was only a very short stump speech, but it did mark an escalation in campaign rhetoric. Some of what he was saying about Labour was even more extreme, and questionable, than what he has said in the past. I will post the quotes shortly.
Johnson says he was not allowed to talk about Labour’s plans in his BBC appearances his morning. (The presenters tried to get him to focus on Conservative plans, not just on attacking Labour.)
But he says now he can talk about Labour.
Labour’s plans are terrifying, he says.
He repeats his claims (which Labour denies) that Labour would hold two referendums next year.
He claims that Labour is opposed to home ownership.