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| General election: Liberal Democrats promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit at manifesto launch – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Lib Dems to promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit; prime minister reveals national insurance manifesto pledge | Lib Dems to promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit; prime minister reveals national insurance manifesto pledge |
| That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a detailed summary of the day’s events: | That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a detailed summary of the day’s events: |
| And, for those wanting to read yet more, my colleagues Rowena Mason and Jim Waterson have tonight’s main politics story: | And, for those wanting to read yet more, my colleagues Rowena Mason and Jim Waterson have tonight’s main politics story: |
| “Yes, what was that?” said Boris Johnson, affecting bafflement when asked about the Conservative party’s Twitter feed masquerading as a fact-checking service during the debate on Tuesday between the party leaders. | “Yes, what was that?” said Boris Johnson, affecting bafflement when asked about the Conservative party’s Twitter feed masquerading as a fact-checking service during the debate on Tuesday between the party leaders. |
| The prime minister appeared to be suggesting his own party’s official communications channels had nothing to do with him; he argued it was not for him to “invigilate absolutely everything” on the internet. | The prime minister appeared to be suggesting his own party’s official communications channels had nothing to do with him; he argued it was not for him to “invigilate absolutely everything” on the internet. |
| Read my colleague Rowena Mason’s report from the Tory campaign trail: | Read my colleague Rowena Mason’s report from the Tory campaign trail: |
| A complaint from the Labour Party over Sky News’ decision to brand this contest the “Brexit Election” has been rejected by the media regulator, Ofcom. | A complaint from the Labour Party over Sky News’ decision to brand this contest the “Brexit Election” has been rejected by the media regulator, Ofcom. |
| Labour are keen to fight the election on other policies such as the NHS, arguing that the presence of on-screen Brexit election branding showed bias. Ofcom rejected this claim in a letter sent on Tuesday afternoon, telling the party: | Labour are keen to fight the election on other policies such as the NHS, arguing that the presence of on-screen Brexit election branding showed bias. Ofcom rejected this claim in a letter sent on Tuesday afternoon, telling the party: |
| Some hasty revisions have been made to Boris Johnson’s equally hasty announcement of a national insurance (NI) contributions cut (see 2.11pm). | Some hasty revisions have been made to Boris Johnson’s equally hasty announcement of a national insurance (NI) contributions cut (see 2.11pm). |
| At first, the prime minister said the Tories were going to increase the threshold at which most workers begin paying NI to £12,000. | At first, the prime minister said the Tories were going to increase the threshold at which most workers begin paying NI to £12,000. |
| Later, speaking to ITV News, he said the initial increase would actually only be to £9,500, while a subsequent rise to a new figure of £12,500 was described as an “ambition”. That first change to NI, he wrongly claimed, would represent a “£500 cut for every working person”. | Later, speaking to ITV News, he said the initial increase would actually only be to £9,500, while a subsequent rise to a new figure of £12,500 was described as an “ambition”. That first change to NI, he wrongly claimed, would represent a “£500 cut for every working person”. |
| The latest version of the policy released by Tory HQ this evening is a lifting of the NI threshold from £8,632 to £9,500 in 2020/21, which the party now says will actually only be worth £100 per worker – or less than £2 per week – and an “ultimate ambition” to increase it to £12,500 at some point in the future. | The latest version of the policy released by Tory HQ this evening is a lifting of the NI threshold from £8,632 to £9,500 in 2020/21, which the party now says will actually only be worth £100 per worker – or less than £2 per week – and an “ultimate ambition” to increase it to £12,500 at some point in the future. |
| Waheed Rafiq, the Lib Dem candidate in the Birmingham Hodge Hill constituency, has been suspended from the party for making “clearly and unambiguously antisemitic” comments on social media. | Waheed Rafiq, the Lib Dem candidate in the Birmingham Hodge Hill constituency, has been suspended from the party for making “clearly and unambiguously antisemitic” comments on social media. |
| The timing is potentially awkward for the Lib Dems, coming on the same day as the party’s manifesto launch. | The timing is potentially awkward for the Lib Dems, coming on the same day as the party’s manifesto launch. |
| A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: “At 3pm Waheed Rafiq Hodge Hill PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) was suspended from the party. | A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: “At 3pm Waheed Rafiq Hodge Hill PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) was suspended from the party. |
| “The public posts on his Facebook and Twitter account from 2010 to 2014 are clearly and unambiguously antisemitic and bring the party into disrepute and are also of material disagreement with the fundamental values and objectives of the party.” | “The public posts on his Facebook and Twitter account from 2010 to 2014 are clearly and unambiguously antisemitic and bring the party into disrepute and are also of material disagreement with the fundamental values and objectives of the party.” |
| Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The only response to the disgusting antisemitism exhibited by the Liberal Democrat candidate for Birmingham Hodge Hill is to immediately drop him as a candidate for the constituency. | Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The only response to the disgusting antisemitism exhibited by the Liberal Democrat candidate for Birmingham Hodge Hill is to immediately drop him as a candidate for the constituency. |
| “We call on the Liberal Democrats to act now and ensure he is expelled after he is dropped as a candidate.” | “We call on the Liberal Democrats to act now and ensure he is expelled after he is dropped as a candidate.” |
| Earlier, the prime minister claimed a new pledge to increase the national insurance threshold to £12,000 was part of a plan to primarily help “working people” (see: 2.11pm). | Earlier, the prime minister claimed a new pledge to increase the national insurance threshold to £12,000 was part of a plan to primarily help “working people” (see: 2.11pm). |
| But does it stack up? Here’s our factcheck, put together by my colleague Richard Partington: | But does it stack up? Here’s our factcheck, put together by my colleague Richard Partington: |
| Listen in to this week’s Politics Weekly, as my colleague Heather Stewart is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Paul Harrison and Will Jennings to pick apart the ITV debate. Plus, Rowena Mason calls in from the Tory battlebus and Peter Walker reports from the Green party’s manifesto launch: | Listen in to this week’s Politics Weekly, as my colleague Heather Stewart is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Paul Harrison and Will Jennings to pick apart the ITV debate. Plus, Rowena Mason calls in from the Tory battlebus and Peter Walker reports from the Green party’s manifesto launch: |
| Jo Swinson has launched her party’s manifesto at an event in Camden. She said the Lib Dems were the only ones who could take a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them of a majority. In a speech to activists, she highlighted the party’s policies on the environment, education and childcare. | Jo Swinson has launched her party’s manifesto at an event in Camden. She said the Lib Dems were the only ones who could take a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them of a majority. In a speech to activists, she highlighted the party’s policies on the environment, education and childcare. |
| You can read our report on the manifesto here. | You can read our report on the manifesto here. |
| She said: | She said: |
| She wraps up: “The future of our country is in our hands ... so if you want to stop Boris Johnson and stop Brexit then vote Liberal Democrat. If you want a £50bn bonus to improve your life, vote Liberal Democrat ... If you want to work with our friends to tackle the climate crisis, vote Liberal Democrat. If you want to build a brighter future, vote Liberal Democrat.” | She wraps up: “The future of our country is in our hands ... so if you want to stop Boris Johnson and stop Brexit then vote Liberal Democrat. If you want a £50bn bonus to improve your life, vote Liberal Democrat ... If you want to work with our friends to tackle the climate crisis, vote Liberal Democrat. If you want to build a brighter future, vote Liberal Democrat.” |
| The biggest investment in the manifesto is for parents, says Swinson, something she is very proud of. They will help parents going back to work by providing 35 free hours of childcare a week, for 48 weeks a year. | The biggest investment in the manifesto is for parents, says Swinson, something she is very proud of. They will help parents going back to work by providing 35 free hours of childcare a week, for 48 weeks a year. |