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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 Corbyn | Follow 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 Kuenssberg | From the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg |
From my colleague Peter Walker | From 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. |