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General election: Sajid Javid makes speech on cost of Labour manifesto – live news General election: Sajid Javid claims ordinary taxpayers would pay more under Labour – live news
(32 minutes later)
Follow the latest from the election campaign, including speeches by Javid, Boris Johnson and Jeremy CorbynFollow the latest from the election campaign, including speeches by Javid, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn
This is from Stefan Rousseau, the Press Association’s chief political photographer.
Here are the main points from Sajid Javid’s Q&A.
Javid, the chancellor, refused to endorse the language that Boris Johnson used in a Telegraph column when he described Muslim women in burqas as looking like letter boxes. Javid claimed that the Conservative problem with Islamophobia was not the same as Labour’s problem with antisemitism partly because “no one has every credibly suggested that it’s an issue with the leadership of the party”. But, when asked repeatedly if he would have been willing to use the “letter box” language that Johnson used, Javid repeatedly refused to endorse what Johnson wrote. Javid said:
Javid also said that Johnson himself had explained what he meant, and that Johnson was actually trying in that article to defend the rights of women to wear what they want.
Javid said the Conservatives should not be willing to accept Islamophobia in their ranks. Asked about this issue, he said:
He rejected claims that the proposed inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party had been watered down. During the Tory leadership contest, in one TV debate, Javid bounced Johnson and the other candidates into agreeing that there should be an inquiry into Islamophobia in the party. Johnson is going to set up an inquiry, but it will cover all forms of racism. Asked if he was disappointed about the inquiry being watered down in this way, Javid replied:
Javid said the inquiry would start before Christmas. And he said people would be impressed by how serious it was. He said:
Boris Johnson again made a series of unforced errors when he launched the Scottish Conservative election manifesto, wrongly claiming a spaceport was being built in Scotland; that the SNP wants to use the euro and that Jeremy Corbyn wants to scrap the armed forces.
Giving the carefully improvised stump speech he has made his trademark, Johnson accused the Labour leader of plotting to demilitarise the UK, stating: “Corbyn has said he wants to scrap our armed services, and can’t think of circumstances in which he would use them”.
While Corbyn has in the past suggested global demilitarisation and is a CND member, the Labour manifesto commits a Corbyn-led government to spending at least 2% of UK GDP on the armed forces, remain in Nato, replacing the Trident nuclear missile fleet, and increasing UK funding for UN peacekeeping by £100m.
Johnson then referred to a prickly BBC interview between Andrew Neil and Nicola Sturgeon broadcast on Monday night, where Neil pressed the first minister on her plans for an independent Scotland rejoining the EU. Banging his fist on the lectern in emphasis, the prime minister told activists:
The SNP said this was “utter fiction”; the party wants to first use sterling after independence and then in time create a new Scottish currency. It explicitly rejects taking on the euro, although its critics insist that EU membership requires a commitment to eventually joining the currency union.
Johnson finally wrongly asserted there was a spaceport in Sutherland, in the far north of Scotland, being built – only to be corrected by an audience member that it was still only planned. Riffing on the wealth- and job-creating potential of artificial intelligence and advance technologies, he said:
That Space Hub Sutherland project has significant official backing but it is not yet cleared for construction, and is months away from getting planning permission. It is expected to start that process next month.
From the BBC’s Laura KuenssbergFrom the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg
From my colleague Peter WalkerFrom my colleague Peter Walker
Q: [From my colleague John Crace] In the Tory leadership contest you managed to get all candidates to agree to an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party. Are you disappointed it has been watered down into a general inquiry?Q: [From my colleague John Crace] In the Tory leadership contest you managed to get all candidates to agree to an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative party. Are you disappointed it has been watered down into a general inquiry?
No, says Javid. He says “nothing has been watered down”. He says when people see the terms of inquiry, they will see how serious it is.No, says Javid. He says “nothing has been watered down”. He says when people see the terms of inquiry, they will see how serious it is.
And that’s it.And that’s it.
I will post a summary soon.I will post a summary soon.
Q: Why have you not committed to the whole of Northern Powerhouse Rail if you can afford it under your borrowing rules?Q: Why have you not committed to the whole of Northern Powerhouse Rail if you can afford it under your borrowing rules?
Javid says the party has not set out all its borrowing under the new borrowing rules. If they win the election, the Conservatives will say more in their first budget.Javid says the party has not set out all its borrowing under the new borrowing rules. If they win the election, the Conservatives will say more in their first budget.
But he says he is “very keen” on Northern Powerhouse Rail.But he says he is “very keen” on Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Q: Boris Johnson says he wants to raise the national insurance threshold eventually to £12,500. But that is not in the manifesto. Will it happen in the next parliament?Q: Boris Johnson says he wants to raise the national insurance threshold eventually to £12,500. But that is not in the manifesto. Will it happen in the next parliament?
Javid says the Tories are a tax-cutting party. The national insurance threshold will go up to £9,500, saving people around £100.Javid says the Tories are a tax-cutting party. The national insurance threshold will go up to £9,500, saving people around £100.
But he says he cannot say when the national insurance threshold will rise further.But he says he cannot say when the national insurance threshold will rise further.
Q: What extra spending would come to Bolton under a Tory government?Q: What extra spending would come to Bolton under a Tory government?
Javid says people think the north does not get enough infrastructure spending. He says he wants to address that.Javid says people think the north does not get enough infrastructure spending. He says he wants to address that.
Q: What about Boris Johnson’s use of Islamophobic language?Q: What about Boris Johnson’s use of Islamophobic language?
Javid says Johnson has defended the language he used in his Telegraph article that compared Muslim women to letterboxes. He says Johnson has given an explanation for this. Johnson was making a point about how women should be free to wear what they want.Javid says Johnson has defended the language he used in his Telegraph article that compared Muslim women to letterboxes. He says Johnson has given an explanation for this. Johnson was making a point about how women should be free to wear what they want.
He says the Labour situation is different. The Conservative party has not had MPs leaving because of the views of the party leader.He says the Labour situation is different. The Conservative party has not had MPs leaving because of the views of the party leader.
Q: Would you use that language? Incidents of Islamophobia went up 375% after that article.Q: Would you use that language? Incidents of Islamophobia went up 375% after that article.
Javid says Johnson has defended his language.Javid says Johnson has defended his language.
Q: Would you use that language?Q: Would you use that language?
Javid says politicians decide what language they want to use.Javid says politicians decide what language they want to use.
Q: So you are not saying you would not say that?Q: So you are not saying you would not say that?
Javid says he wants to bring people together.Javid says he wants to bring people together.
Javid is now taking questions.Javid is now taking questions.
Q: Why do you think Labour would not be able to borrow to spend more? And, given that both main parties are planning to spend more, why should people trust you more on spending then them?Q: Why do you think Labour would not be able to borrow to spend more? And, given that both main parties are planning to spend more, why should people trust you more on spending then them?
Javid says Labour itself admits it would put tax up.Javid says Labour itself admits it would put tax up.
It is also proposing higher borrowing. But there remains a black hole, Javid claims.It is also proposing higher borrowing. But there remains a black hole, Javid claims.
Javid says Labour would not just borrow more because it has fiscal rules. He says he is taking them at their word, assuming they would meet their fiscal rules. And if Labour does borrow more, taxpayers will eventually have to pay for that anyway, he says.Javid says Labour would not just borrow more because it has fiscal rules. He says he is taking them at their word, assuming they would meet their fiscal rules. And if Labour does borrow more, taxpayers will eventually have to pay for that anyway, he says.
He says the Conservatives have published their own costs. In most cases he used Treasury figures in that costings document, he says. He says Labour has not challenged the figures in that document.He says the Conservatives have published their own costs. In most cases he used Treasury figures in that costings document, he says. He says Labour has not challenged the figures in that document.
And he says his fiscal rules are much stricter than Labour’s.And he says his fiscal rules are much stricter than Labour’s.
Javid claims there are six tax rises in the Labour manifesto that would hit ordinary people.
Javid says the Labour claim that 95% of taxpayers would not have to pay more under its plans is not plausible.
Javid says the Tories published a claim earlier in the campaign that a Corbyn government would spend £1.2tn. He claims that, now the Labour manifesto has been published, the Tories have been able to review the figure. It could be an underestimate, he claims.
Here is an article by my colleague Richard Partington explaining why the original £1.2tn figure was flawed.
Sajid Javid, the chancellor, is giving a speech in Bolton on the cost of Labour’s plans.
We will have a live feed at the top of the blog soon.
The most aggressive and forensic interviewer on TV at the moment is the BBC’s Andrew Neil and he is interviewing the party leaders during the campaign. Jeremy Corbyn gets the Neil treatment tonight. Last night Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, was put through the Neil wringer. I would not normally post on something that happened last night, but in the comments below the line some readers have been asking why we did not cover the interview in more detail, it came up briefly at the Scottish Tory launch earlier and I can’t find a good summary elsewhere on the web, so here is a round-up of the main points. You can watch the half-hour programme here.
Sturgeon said she did not think it was “credible” to believe that Jeremy Corbyn would refuse to grant the SNP demand for a Scottish independence referendum if he needed the SNP to support a Labour minority government. But she admitted that the SNP would back the Labour proposal for a second Brexit referendum whatever, and Neil put it to her that her bargaining position would be weak if Corbyn refused her request, because the SNP would not support a Tory government. Sturgeon rejected this. Asked if she would really be willing to withhold support from a minority Labour government if it did not agree to an independence referendum, she replied:
But Sturgeon also said compromise would be necessary.
She claimed that, even if UK were to vote to remain in the EU in a second referendum, a second independence referendum would still be justified. Neil put it to her that in those circumstances Scotland would not have undergone the “material change” that the SNP said would be needed for a re-run of the 2014 independence referendum to be justified. Sturgeon rejected this. She claimed that the experience of the last three years was enough to justify one because of “the way in which Scotland has had it completely demonstrated to [it] over the past three years that our views and our views doesn’t matter”.
She refused to say how long it would take Scotland to rejoin the EU if Scotland voted for independence after Brexit. Neil put it to her that it would be five to 10 years, because that is how long the SNP’s growth commission report said it would take for Scotland to establish its own currency.
She rejected claims that Scotland would need its own independent currency before it would be allowed to join the EU. She said an independent Scotland would start off using the pound. Neil claimed the EU would not allow this. But Sturgeon did not accept that. She said:
She was unable to say how an independent Scotland would build up the currency reserves needed to support a new currency. Neil pointed out that Scotland was running a deficit. Sturgeon accepted this, but said the deficit was coming down.
She was unable to explain why the SNP says leaving the EU would lead to job losses in Scotland, but why leaving the United Kingdom would not lead to similar job losses. Neil said the Scottish government has accepted research showing that 80,000 jobs in Scotland could go after Brexit because of the impact of trade friction. Asked why the same thing would not happen after Scottish independence, if Scotland ended up in the EU and the rest of the UK was outside, Sturgeon just said we did not know yet what England’s final relationship with the EU would be. She said:
She claimed that a confirmatory referendum was necessary on Brexit because leavers did not give details of what they were planning in 2016, but she said that if Scotland had voted for independence in 2014, a second confirmatory referendum would not have been necessary because the SNP had been very clear about what it was planning. But Neil rejected this argument, saying that the SNP plan in 2014 assumed oil revenues of £8bn by 2016, but that the actual figure was £300m in 2016.
She admitted that the NHS in Scotland was only meeting two of its eight key waiting time targets. Neil said: “You’ve called for legislation to protect the NHS from Donald Trump. Maybe the NHS needs legislation to protect it from Nicola Sturgeon?” Sturgeon said obviously she did not accept that.
Lord Falconer, who was lord chancellor when Tony Blair was PM, told the World at One that he thought the chief rabbi’s criticism of Labour over antisemitism was justified.
UPDATE: Presumably Falconer was using the word “vote” in a loose, metaphorical sense when he really meant “support”. As Phil Gibson points out BTL, members of the House of Lords do not get a vote in general elections.
Here are the main points from Boris Johnson’s Q&A at the launch of the Scottish Conservative manifesto in Fife.
Johnson ruled out agreeing to a second referendum on Brexit or Scottish independence if rival parties demanded them as the price for supporting the Tories in a hung parliament. Asked what would happen if the Tories were the largest party in a hung parliament, and another party demanded a second referendum on Scottish independence or on Brexit as the price for putting Johnson in power, he replied:
Johnson said the chief rabbi’s comments about Labour and antisemitism were “very serious” and showed that Jeremy Corbyn was guilty of “a failure of leadership”. Asked about the comments, he said:
But Johnson said Corbyn was also showing a “general failure of leadership”, particularly by refusing to take a position on Brexit.
Johnson laughed off a question about his unpopularity in Scotland. (See 12.35pm.)
Jackson Carlaw, the Scottish Tories’ interim leader, said his party would block requests from Holyrood for the powers to hold a second independence referendum “for a generation”, accusing Nicola Sturgeon of supporting “disposable democracy” by insisting on one.
Speaking to reporters after Boris Johnson launched the Scottish Tory election manifesto at a hotel only a mile or so from Gordon Brown’s home in North Queensferry, Carlaw said there were no circumstances in which a Conservative government at Westminster would transfer those powers to Holyrood.
Citing the Scottish government’s white paper on independence in 2013, Scotland’s Future, Carlaw said:
In a combative BBC interview on Monday night with Andrew Neil, Sturgeon was pressed on how she would defend staging a second vote if Labour succeeded next year in holding a fresh EU referendum in which the UK voted to stay in the EU.
Neil said that staying in the EU would neutralise Sturgeon’s argument for justifying a second independence vote so soon after 2014 – that Brexit was a substantial change to Scotland’s constitutional position.
Sturgeon, who supports a second EU referendum, said the chaos of the last three years was argument enough. She said:
Ahead of the SNP’s manifesto launch tomorrow, Nicola Sturgeon is visiting a nursery this afternoon to announce a proposal to “transform” parental leave, by extending shared leave to 64 weeks at an increased rate, including 12 weeks’ ringfenced “daddy leave”.
The proposal was welcomed by campaigners; Working Families has been calling for a similar scheme aimed at fathers for a long time, given the uptake of shared parental leave remains low and the evidence suggests that fathers who do have some leave from work with young children are more involved as their families grow up. The Westminster government is currently consulting on parental leave, although neither Tories nor Labour have proposed anything aimed directly at fathers in their manifestos.
This follows a difficult interview for Sturgeon with Andrew Neil on the BBC last night, in which she was pressed hard on her economic plans for independence and the state of the Scottish NHS.
Meanwhile Boris Johnson – writing in this morning’s Scottish Daily Mail ahead of his visit to Fife – has pledged that he would never allow another “chaotic and divisive” independence referendum, his strongest statement yet.
This is what Jeremy Corbyn said in the Q&A (see 1.42pm) about antisemitism, and about what Ephraim Mirvis, the chief rabbi, said about Labour’s record.