General election - latest: Second Reform candidate defects to Tories as postal vote delay sparks urgent probe
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Sunak on Farage
Parties have begun a 48-hour blitz in constituencies across the country as they make their final appeals to voters ahead of polling day.
Rishi Sunak began Tuesday visiting businesses in Oxfordshire, insisting predictions of a heavy Tory defeat were not going to stop him from continuing his fight to remain in No 10.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is campaigning across the Midlands. The Labour leader argued a big majority for Labour predicted by many polls would be “better for the country”, after the prime minister repeatedly warned voters against giving the party a “supermajority” in recent days.
Reform UK’s has been struck by yet more accusations of racism and misogyny, as a second candidate announced she is defecting to the Tories.
Georgie David, who was due to stand for the party in West Ham and Beckton, claimed the “vast majority” of Reform candidates are “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.
With only two days to go until polling day, an investigation has also been launched into reports of delays in the delivery of thousands of postal ballots.
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Breaking: Another Reform candidate defects to the Tories on dark day for Farage
Another one of Nigel Farage’s general election candidates has defected to the Conservatives after a series of Reform supporters were exposed as having racist and sexist views, Archie Mitchell reports.
Georgie David has suspended her support for Mr Farage’s Reform and stood down as the party’s candidate in West Ham and Beckton.
In another blow for the Reform leader, after a car-crash BBC interview by party chairman Richard Tice, Ms David attacked her fellow candidates as “racist, misogynistic, and bigoted”.
She said: “I do not wish to be directly associated with people who hold such views that are so vastly opposed to my own and what I stand for.
“I also have been significantly frustrated and dismayed by the failure of the Reform Party’s leadership to tackle this issue in any meaningful way, and their attempts to instead try to brush it under the carpet or cry foul play.”
She endorsed the Conservative Party and urged “all of my fellow patriots” to do the same.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:16
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Antisemitism tsar condemns ‘dangerous’ Tory attack on Starmer’s Friday family time
The Government’s antisemitism adviser has condemned “dangerous” attacks on Sir Keir Starmer over his desire to keep Friday nights free from work.
The Labour leader, whose wife is Jewish, has come under fire from senior Tories after saying he wanted to avoid work after 6pm on a Friday to spend time with his family – although he acknowledged that would not always be possible.
The Tories said that would make him a “part-time” prime minister while Cabinet ministers mocked him, suggesting he would refuse to go to work if there was an international crisis on a Friday evening.
Friday night Shabbat dinners are important in the Jewish faith and Sir Keir has talked about making sure his children are aware of their heritage.
Lord Mann, a Labour peer who was appointed as antisemitism adviser by Theresa May, said: “The attack on Keir Starmer for asserting his right to family time on a Friday night, as he has done for many, many years, is so dangerous.”
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 11:14
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Sunak warns tax on businesses and families at risk if not re-elected
Rishi Sunak has claimed tax cuts for businesses and families will be put at risk if he is no longer Prime Minister.
Asked how he would restore economic growth, Mr Sunak told an event at a business in Banbury: “Tax cuts, because I believe if we have a lower tax economy, that is a higher growth economy.”
Mr Sunak highlighted cutting taxes for businesses which are investing and expanding, citing the full expensing policy.
He added tax cuts for people are also important, noting: “When people are working hard, if we can cut their taxes and they’ve got more money of their own, they’re going to spend it, and they’re going to spend it on things you supply, and that’s how we can also grow our economy.
“So, tax cuts for businesses that are investing and doing the right thing, and tax cuts for every family at every stage of their life so they can spend more of their money on the things they want – that ultimately also helps.
“So, those two things are really important and again there’s a choice for you in this election. If I’m not standing here next week, you won’t get those tax cuts. And not only that, (Labour deputy leader) Angela Rayner is going to introduce French-style union laws into this country.”
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 11:09
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Starmer reveals the first thing he would do as prime minister
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has revealed the first thing he would do as prime minister.
He told a campaign event in Nottinghamshire: “The very first thing I do is change the mindset of politics, and the mindset needs to be politicsof service.
“We’ve had 14 years of self-entitlement under the Tories, 14 years of seeing ‘partygate’, the breaking of the rules that everybody else was following, the PPE contracts in Covid, the gambling that we’ve seen in this campaign.
“Politics needs to be returned to service and that is the first thing we have to do on day one.
“We’ve got our first steps – we will start our work on the waiting lists, on the police we need, on the teachers we need, on the border security we desperately need, but returning politics to service where we can – as we’ve campaigned – say it is always country first, party second.”
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 11:08
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Starmer hits out at 'desperate’ Tory campaign
Sir Keir Starmer has labelled the Tories’ election campaign “desperate”.
The Labour leader contrasted the party’s “positive” campaign with the Conservatives’ “negative” approach.
Speaking at a football stadium in Nottingham, he said: “What a contrast to the increasingly desperate, negative campaign that the Tories are running.
“They have literally got nothing to say to the electorate.”
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:59
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Starmer ‘concerned’ about postal ballots
Sir Keir Starmer is delivering a speech as part of Labour’s campaign trail in Nottingham.
The Labour leader has said he is “concerned” about postal ballots not being delivered on time.
It comes an investigation has also been launched into reports of delays in the delivery of thousands of postal ballots.
Asked about whether he is worried about the issue, Sir Keir said: “It is important that every single person has the ability to vote, and vote for change.”
He added that “we must do everything we collectively can” to make sure those ballots can be delivered before 4 July.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:55
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Pictured: Sunak collects McDonald’s for journalists on the battle bus
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:45
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Sunak makes last pitch to voters in Oxfordshire
Rishi Sunak has made his last pitch to voters in Oxfordshire today from a staff warehouse.
The prime minister repeated attacks on Labour over a “supermajority” and said the Tories would cut taxes if re-elected.
He told supporters: “There is an important choice, and a vote for the Conservatives is a vote to lower your taxes and continue the progress [we’ve made],” he says.
“Don’t sleepwalk into something you haven’t thought properly about every vote matters, you can make the difference.”
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:41
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Flynn jokes about Swiss chocolate ahead of England vs Switzerland Euros match
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:36
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Who is the other Reform defector?
A second Reform candidate has dropped her support from Nigel Farage’s party and switched to the Tories.
But just two days ago, Liam Booth-Isherwood, who is running in Erewash, also left the party.
He said his decision for leaving was based on “reports of widespread racism and sexism” among Reform candidates.
The former Reform candidate said it was a “significant moral issue” in parts of Mr Farage’s party.
But Richard Tice dismissed the accusations of racism within the party and claimed candidates were offered jobs “to persuade them to talk badly of Reform, stand down and then endorse the Tory candidate”.
Salma Ouaguira2 July 2024 10:34
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