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| General election: Johnson to tell CBI Brexit must happen even though 'big business' didn't want it – live news | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| PM to unveil business tax cuts and Labour to expand on immigration plans. Follow the latest developments, live | PM to unveil business tax cuts and Labour to expand on immigration plans. Follow the latest developments, live |
| The leaders of the three main UK parties will be speaking at the CBI conference in London today and, as my colleague Peter Walker reports in his preview story, they will all be making arguments about why their policies are advantageous to business. | |
| But it is not just business who will be listening, and the speeches will also illustrate how the leaders are trying to frame the election. For Labour, it is about reversing a decade of austerity, and Jeremy Corbyn will be speaking about the number of apprentices that could be created by his party’s £250bn green transformation fund. But for the Tories primarily the election is about Brexit, and Boris Johnson will argue that he needs a majority because parliament has been trying to “sabotage the democratic will of the people”. Here is an extract from his speech released overnight by CCHQ. Johnson is expected to say: | |
| It is interesting to note that Johnson is admitting that big business does not want Brexit. Four years ago the CBI conference in London was disrupted by two protesters from Vote Leave, the organisation that Johnson subsequently went on to lead (in November 2015 he still had not yet committed himself to the leave cause), who accused the CBI of being the voice of Brussels, and not representative of business. One of the protesters said at the time: | |
| At its party conference in September Labour passed a motion saying the party should work “towards a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2030”. But that does not necessarily mean the 2030 target will be in the party’s manifesto, and on the Today programme this morning Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, implied the manifesto target will be looser. This is from the BBC’s Norman Smith. | At its party conference in September Labour passed a motion saying the party should work “towards a path to net zero carbon emissions by 2030”. But that does not necessarily mean the 2030 target will be in the party’s manifesto, and on the Today programme this morning Barry Gardiner, the shadow international trade secretary, implied the manifesto target will be looser. This is from the BBC’s Norman Smith. |
| UPDATE: This is what Gardiner told Today: | UPDATE: This is what Gardiner told Today: |
| Here are the election items in the diary for today. | Here are the election items in the diary for today. |
| 10.15am: The Liberal Democrat and the SNP take legal action in the high court against their exclusion from the ITV leaders’ debate taking place tomorrow. | 10.15am: The Liberal Democrat and the SNP take legal action in the high court against their exclusion from the ITV leaders’ debate taking place tomorrow. |
| 10.40am: Boris Johnson speaks to the CBI conference. | 10.40am: Boris Johnson speaks to the CBI conference. |
| 11.15am: Jeremy Corbyn speaks to the CBI conference. | 11.15am: Jeremy Corbyn speaks to the CBI conference. |
| 2.25pm: Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, speaks to the CBI conference. | 2.25pm: Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, speaks to the CBI conference. |
| In an interview on the Today programme Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary, said that if the Conservatives won the election their immigration rules would be “fair to the world” and not just the EU. She explained: | In an interview on the Today programme Andrea Leadsom, the business secretary, said that if the Conservatives won the election their immigration rules would be “fair to the world” and not just the EU. She explained: |
| Labour’s David Lammy has accused her of “migrant bashing”. | Labour’s David Lammy has accused her of “migrant bashing”. |
| Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Sarah Marsh. | Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Sarah Marsh. |
| As my colleague Matthew Weaver reports, Boris Johnson is facing fresh pressure over his relationship with the American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. Arcuri gave an interview to ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning and, although she has refused to say whether she had an affair with Johnson when he was London mayor, she described their relationship as “very special”. | As my colleague Matthew Weaver reports, Boris Johnson is facing fresh pressure over his relationship with the American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. Arcuri gave an interview to ITV’s Good Morning Britain this morning and, although she has refused to say whether she had an affair with Johnson when he was London mayor, she described their relationship as “very special”. |
| Asked directly on“was it an affair”, Arcuri replied: | Asked directly on“was it an affair”, Arcuri replied: |
| We will be pausing the live blog for a while and resuming shortly. Thank you | We will be pausing the live blog for a while and resuming shortly. Thank you |
| The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, are also speaking at the CBI conference. | The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, are also speaking at the CBI conference. |
| Labour has promised to create a climate apprenticeship programme that will train an average of 80,000 people a year. | Labour has promised to create a climate apprenticeship programme that will train an average of 80,000 people a year. |
| Under the plans, they said they will deliver 320,000 apprenticeships in England during their first term in government, with the programme creating 886,000 by 2030. | Under the plans, they said they will deliver 320,000 apprenticeships in England during their first term in government, with the programme creating 886,000 by 2030. |
| The conference comes after the CBI director general, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, said Corbyn’s nationalisation plans would “freeze investment”, and called on Labour to work with business. | The conference comes after the CBI director general, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, said Corbyn’s nationalisation plans would “freeze investment”, and called on Labour to work with business. |
| She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “We look at the policies on the table and we have real concerns that they are going to crack the foundations of our economy.” | She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “We look at the policies on the table and we have real concerns that they are going to crack the foundations of our economy.” |
| Boris Johnson will announce cuts to national insurance and business tax in a speech today. | Boris Johnson will announce cuts to national insurance and business tax in a speech today. |
| The prime minister will tell leaders at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) annual conference on Monday that the Tories will put an end to Brexit “uncertainty and confusion” if they are returned to power on 12 December. | The prime minister will tell leaders at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) annual conference on Monday that the Tories will put an end to Brexit “uncertainty and confusion” if they are returned to power on 12 December. |
| Johnson will increase the employment allowance from £3,000 to £4,000, providing a cut in NI of up to 1,000 for more than half a million businesses.They have also promised to increase the structures and buildings allowance (SBA) from 2% to 3% to increase the tax relief on the purchase, building or leasing of a structure.Johnson is expected to say: | Johnson will increase the employment allowance from £3,000 to £4,000, providing a cut in NI of up to 1,000 for more than half a million businesses.They have also promised to increase the structures and buildings allowance (SBA) from 2% to 3% to increase the tax relief on the purchase, building or leasing of a structure.Johnson is expected to say: |
| He is expected to add: | He is expected to add: |
| Mike Cherry, the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: | Mike Cherry, the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: |
| That’s it from me, I am now handing over to my colleague Sarah Marsh, who will then pass the baton to Andrew Sparrow. Thanks for reading. | That’s it from me, I am now handing over to my colleague Sarah Marsh, who will then pass the baton to Andrew Sparrow. Thanks for reading. |
| If you need to wake up fast, click on this offering on rail transport from Jeremy Corbyn and turn the volume up to 11. | If you need to wake up fast, click on this offering on rail transport from Jeremy Corbyn and turn the volume up to 11. |
| That’s the papers. Time for a little more on the latest from the Arcuri investigation from Matthew Weaver. The London assembly’s oversight committee is going to review a case stemming from 2010, when Johnson failed to declare an interest after having affair with the City Hall adviser Helen Macintyre, who later had a child with him. | That’s the papers. Time for a little more on the latest from the Arcuri investigation from Matthew Weaver. The London assembly’s oversight committee is going to review a case stemming from 2010, when Johnson failed to declare an interest after having affair with the City Hall adviser Helen Macintyre, who later had a child with him. |
| At the time, Johnson acknowledged that a potential conflict of interest had not been disclosed and vowed to “bear in mind the definition of close associate for the future”. | At the time, Johnson acknowledged that a potential conflict of interest had not been disclosed and vowed to “bear in mind the definition of close associate for the future”. |
| Len Duvall, a Labour assembly member who chairs the committee, said: “I’m looking at the paperwork into Helen Macintyre. We need to understand that because he was advised to make those declarations in the future. The question is why did he hide the new relationship with Arcuri?” | Len Duvall, a Labour assembly member who chairs the committee, said: “I’m looking at the paperwork into Helen Macintyre. We need to understand that because he was advised to make those declarations in the future. The question is why did he hide the new relationship with Arcuri?” |
| You can read more here. | You can read more here. |