Douglas Ross to resign as leader of Scottish Conservatives - BBC.com

Douglas Ross said it was not feasible for him to continue in three roles - as MSP, MP and party leader

Douglas Ross has announced he will resign as leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

He will carry on in the role until after the election and will also resign as an MSP if he is re-elected to Westminster.

It follows a row over Mr Ross standing as a candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East instead of David Duguid, who has been in hospital and was in effect de-selected.

Mr Ross said he originally thought he could continue to serve as an MSP and MP as well as party leader, but said "on reflection, that is not feasible".

He was the only MSP to also serve as an MP in the current Holyrood session before the UK Parliament dissolved.

A Scottish Conservative source told BBC News that Mr Ross had come to the realisation that the party's MSPs would not "put up" with him serving as both an MP and an MSP.

They added that the reaction to him announcing plans to stand in place of Mr Duguid was another factor.

Mr Ross said he was committed to "fighting and winning" the Westminster seat.

He said: "Should I be given the honour to represent the people and communities of this new seat, they should know being their MP would receive my complete focus and attention.

“I will therefore stand down as leader following the election on 4 July, once a successor is elected. Should I win the seat, I will also stand down as an MSP to make way for another Scottish Conservative representative in Holyrood."

Mr Ross came under pressure at the weekend when the Sunday Mail reported that his own advisers had raised concerns over 28 parliamentary travel claims which may have been combined with his work as a football linesman.

Mr Ross said the expenses claims were approved by the independent parliamentary body IPSA and he would have "no issue" with the expenses being examined for a second time.

When a party leader announces their resignation in the middle of an election campaign, you know something has gone very wrong.

For Douglas Ross, it was replacing the hospitalised David Duguid as his party’s candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray West at the general election.

Some were uneasy about the optics of the party leader swooping in when a colleague was ill.

But what had gone down really badly with Conservative MSPs at Holyrood was the plan to continue to try and carry on as both an MP and an MSP.

Douglas Ross had previously promised he wouldn’t do that.

One of his Scottish Tory colleagues told me last week it had been received "like a bucket of cold sick".

So Mr Ross will leave Holyrood if re-elected to Westminster. Some of his colleagues feel that's where his heart has always really been.

Pressure piled up on him over the weekend and may well have intensified with the newspaper story about his expenses.

His decision will impact on the UK-wide campaign too. Rishi Sunak won’t have factored in his Scottish leader calling it a day in the run-up to polling.

The SNP's candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, Seamus Logan, called on Mr Ross to resign as an MSP.

He said: "It's clear he's been forced out as Scottish Tory leader after his shameful behaviour over David Duguid and his growing expenses scandal. Voters deserve a dedicated MSP - not one who is hedging his bets in case he loses the election."

Alba leader Alex Salmond said it was the "first case of a rat deserting a sinking ship while simultaneously trying to clamber aboard a gravy train".

He called on him to resign as a candidate for the Westminster seat, adding that Mr Ross was "totally devoid of honour."

Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie wished Mr Ross luck in the future, reserving her criticism for the Conservative party and UK government.

She said: "Voters know that this rotten Tory government has nothing to offer Scotland – it’s no wonder Douglas Ross has given up on trying to resuscitate the Scottish Tories’ flailing campaign."

And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said the move was proof the part was in "abject disarray".

“Just like the SNP, the Tories have been in power for too long, breaking rules and taking you for granted," he said.

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2024-06-10 08:53:00Z
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Sunak can recover from ‘disappointing’ D-day blunder, insists minister - The Guardian

Chris Philp, the policing minister, said he was left feeling “surprised and disappointed” on learning Rishi Sunak had left D-day commemorations early, but insisted the prime minister would recover politically from the mistake.

As the row over Sunak’s decision to miss events in Normandy involving other world leaders rumbled into a second week, he is scheduled to resume speaking to journalists in a planned policing-based visit to West Sussex.

Philip, who is a Sunak loyalist, said the prime minister should get some credit for apologising “pretty forcefully” the next morning, saying such immediate and frank contrition was “fairly rare” in politics.

Asked by Sky News how he had personally felt when he learned Sunak had left the events early, Philp replied: “Well, I was surprised and disappointed, but he apologised, and I think if you look at his track record, looking after veterans and funding the armed services, he’s got a good track record.”

Sunak “did obviously attend all the events in the UK with the veterans, and he attended the British-hosted events in Normandy and met British veterans there”, he argued, adding: “But he should have gone to the final one. That’s right. And he’s apologised.”

The sense of chaos around the prime ministerial team has been heightened by his lack of visibility, with Sunak avoiding any media questions since an awkward pooled TV interview on Friday.

But Philip – who said he had not personally talked to Sunak since before parliament was dissolved for the election – said the PM would be “out on the campaign trail today meeting people, no doubt including journalists as well”.

Philp said: “I’m sure he regrets deeply not having attended that event, which is why obviously he rightly apologised. It was a mistake, but he’s recognised that. He’s apologised, and I think we’ll see him bouncing around the campaign trail this week. And I’m sure he’ll be talking to journalists.”

Sunak will be aiming to put the Tories’ campaign back on track after recent days in which there have been other hiccups, including a much-mocked TV interview by the party chair, Richard Holden, who repeatedly refused to answer questions about why he was suddenly parachuted into a safe seat more than 250 miles from his old one.

Philp was sent on the morning broadcast round to discuss the party’s latest policy offering, a pledge for 8,000 extra police officers, paid for in part by a 25% increase in fees for people applying for UK visas.

While Labour remain about 20 points ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, they have also faced some policy controversies, with Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, saying on Monday that it “just wasn’t right” for her frontbench colleague Emily Thornberry to suggest their plan to add VAT to private school fees would lead to larger class sizes in the state sector as children leave private schools.

In an interview on Sunday, Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, said “it would be fine if we have to, in the short term, have larger classes” because of this.

But speaking to Times Radio, Phillipson said: “I am afraid that just wasn’t right. Actually what we are seeing across the state sector is a falling number of pupils in our classrooms because of the falling birthrate, and there are fewer young people arriving at school.

“So actually we are going to be in the position pretty soon, and it is already the case in places like London, where schools are merging and closing because of falling numbers.”

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2024-06-10 07:45:00Z
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Lib Dems to promise overhaul of capital gains tax to raise £5bn for NHS - The Guardian

The Liberal Democrats are to announce plans to overhaul capital gains tax to raise £5bn for the NHS, making them the first party to announce a big tax change as part of their spending plans.

The party’s leader, Ed Davey, said the change was “making tax fairer” and the party said it would hit only the wealthiest. The party will unveil its manifesto on Monday.

The estimated £5bn raised by the tax rise would be directed into plans to recruit 8,000 more GPs in order to meet a target of a guaranteed appointment in seven days. The revenue raised would also be put into cancer treatment, speeding up waiting times for treatment to guarantee care within 62 days.

The party will say that those on lower incomes would be protected by an increase in the annual tax-free CGT allowance to £5,000, up from £3,000 in the current tax year. The proposed new system would be adjusted for inflation and there would be a targeted relief system devised for small businesses.

The policy puts health and social care at the centre of the Lib Dems’ offer at the election – where Davey has put his experience as a carer for his disabled son at the heart of his message to the public.

The Lib Dems have already announced a plan for free personal care including washing and medication for disabled and older people, funded by reversals of tax breaks for banks estimated at £2.7bn – though independent thinktanks have said the cost is likely to be higher.

Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said her party will not make changes to CGT, though some in the party believe there is a case for an overhaul that would be a significant revenue raiser.

Several thinktanks have said that the two main parties are not being honest with the public about the state of the public finances, as Labour and the Tories have ruled out any big tax rises.

Last month the Institute for Fiscal Studies said there was a “conspiracy of silence” over necessary tax and spending choices, with the next government likely to inherit the toughest outlook for the public finances in 80 years.

The Lib Dem proposal would create three bands to be applied to taxable gains at different rates: gains between £5,000 and £50,000 taxed 20%; those between £50,000 and £100,000 taxed at 40% and those over £100,000 at 45%.

Davey said the NHS was in desperate need of a rescue package. “We are putting fixing health and social care at the heart of our party’s plans for the country,” he said. “Under this Conservative government, local health services have been decimated while hospitals crumble.

“After years of devastating tax hikes from Rishi Sunak, it would be grossly unfair to force hard-working families and pensioners to pick up the tab for Conservative failings on the NHS. That is why the Liberal Democrats will rescue health and social care services by making tax fairer, with billionaires and big banks asked to pay their fair share.”

Other big offers in the Lib Dem manifesto would be a pledge for an EU-wide scheme to allow under-35s to live and work in Europe, new paternity leave rights and a crackdown on sewage pollution.

The party is heavily targeting seats in the south-west and London commuter belt, the so-called “blue wall”, where it hopes to take votes from liberal voters disillusions with the Conservatives. Almost all the party’s target seats were held by the Conservatives, including some by senior cabinet ministers such as the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in Godalming and Ash, and the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, in Chichester.

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2024-06-10 06:15:00Z
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Election news – live: Tories face wipeout in poll as minister condemns D-Day blunder - The Independent

Minister denies Rishi Sunak will quit before general election after D-Day blunder

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The Conservative Party is facing electoral wipeout, the latest poll has revealed, as a close ally of Rishi Sunak was forced to deny speculation that the prime minister could quit before the general election on 4 July.

Labour is set for a majority of 416 at the upcoming general election, leaving the Tories at just 37 seats, according to the new Deltapoll survey, which puts Sir Keir Starmer’s party on 46 per cent compared to the Conservatives on 21 per cent – with even the prime minister set to lose his Yorkshire seat.

Mr Sunak is claimed to be despondent over the furious backlash to his decision to skip a D-Day memorial attended by other world leaders, and he appeared to dodge questioning on Saturday after a scheduled press event was cancelled during a campaign visit to a walled garden at Auckland Castle.

With fierce critic Nadine Dorries claiming to have heard rumours on Saturday “that Sunak’s about to fall on his sword”, cabinet minister Mel Stride was forced to insist there was “no question” whether or not Mr Sunak would lead the Tories into polling day.

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Like him or not, there’s a reason voters keep coming back to Nigel Farage

To what may we attribute the current success of Nigel Farage and his latest vehicle, Reform UK? Without exaggerating their strength – Reform UK is not about to win the general election and Farage is not going to be asked by the King to form an administration in his name – their rise is undeniable and, for the Tories, terrifying.

Quite a lot of that is down to one man and, whether you think him evil or not, the political gifts he undoubtedly possesses. He is, to many of us, a fascistic demagogue; but not every wannabe authoritarian leader gets very far, and it still takes skill, as well as luck and some judgement, to get as far as he has for as long as he has. After all, he first emerged as leader of Ukip in 2006 and has been part of the national scene, from Brussels to I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, ever since. Whether we like it nor not, he is a force in British politics.

Sean O’Grady writes:

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 04:00

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Sunak sets out plan for 8,000 more ‘bobbies on the beat’

Rishi Sunak has promised to recruit 8,000 more neighbourhood police officers, paid for by hiking the cost of visas if the Conservatives win the General Election.

The prime minister said “more bobbies on the beat” with greater powers would help drive down crime.

The Tories said the plan would be funded in part by increasing visa fees by 25 per cent and making overseas students pay a higher level of immigration health surcharge.

The prime minister highlighted the Tory record of recruiting 20,000 officers since 2019, although this matched the number of officers lost during the years of austerity after 2010.

Mr Sunak said: “Our new 20,000 new police officers since 2019 have made a huge difference, with neighbourhood crime down 48% as a result.

“We will now go further by hiring 8,000 more police officers, each one dedicated to their local community.

“People deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood.

“More bobbies on the beat and increased powers will give police forces the tools they need to drive down neighbourhood crime even further.”

The Tories plan to press ahead with extra powers for officers to crack down on so-called zombie knives and use GPS tracking technology to search for stolen phones without a warrant which were included in the Criminal Justice Bill which was halted when Mr Sunak called the General Election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the campaign trail (PA Wire)

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 03:00

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Mapped: Tactical voting poses threat to half of projected Tory election wins

More than a hundred seats across the UK could be ripe for tactical voting at the general election, according to a new analysis by The Independent.

Based on a major poll from YouGov, published on Monday, almost half of the Conservatives’ projected wins come with a margin under 5 points.

The Tories themselves may have an eye on 50 seats Labour and the Liberal Democrats are projected to win, if they can persuade Reform UK voters to back them.

Data Correspondent Alicja Hagopian reports:

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 02:00

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Labour promises school breakfast clubs will save parents £400 a year

Labour has said its commitment to delivering free breakfast clubs in primary schools will save parents more than £400 a year and cut almost half a million days of school absence.

In the first phase of the party’s childcare plan, it promises to slash absence and save primary school parents hundreds of pounds a year.

By Labour’s estimates, for parents who already pay for alternative before-school childcare such as childminders, funded breakfast clubs could cut the cost by up to £50 a week, delivering savings of almost £2,000 across a school year.

Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the breakfast clubs plan is the first step towards delivering a transformation in childcare which supports families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school.

Ms Phillipson said: “Families’ childcare needs don’t end when their kids leave nursery, that’s why we’ll put free breakfast clubs in every English primary school.

“We’ll fund our clubs by clamping down on tax dodgers and save hardworking parents over £400 every year.

“Breakfast clubs are proven to improve kids’ behaviour and grades, and get those regularly missing class back into school – giving them a great start to their day and getting them ready to learn.”

Labour has said it will roll out the fully funded breakfast clubs across all primary schools in England, expanding significantly from the Conservatives’ plans which it claims reach just one in every seven primary schools.

In addition to providing vital childcare for parents, Labour analysis claims breakfast clubs could also cut 450,000 days of school absence among primary school pupils.

School attendance has been described as a national crisis as the number of children not attending school has risen in recent years.

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 01:00

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Tory party must embrace Farage to ‘unite the right’, says Braverman

The Conservative Party must embrace Nigel Farage to “unite the right”, Suella Braverman has urged, following a disastrous few days for Rishi Sunak.

The former home secretary told The Times there was “not much difference” between the new Reform UK leader’s policies and those of the Tories, as senior Conservatives start debating the future of the party.

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 00:11

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Tories embroiled in hypocrisy row over anti-Ulez pledge

But Mr Sunak was accused of hypocrisy after it emerged his own ministers had supported many of the measures he is now railing against.

Archie Mitchell and David Maddox report:

Tara Cobham10 June 2024 00:00

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Watch: Labour candidate parachutes into Normandy to raise money for British Legion

Labour candidate parachutes into Normandy to raise money for British Legion

Tara Cobham9 June 2024 23:00

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Lord Heseltine warns spiralling Tory party is ‘fighting for its life’

Lord Heseltine has issued a rallying cry to the Conservative Party warning it is in the “fight for its life” and needs to focus on attacking the enemy.

The dramatic intervention by a former deputy prime minister who was at the heart of grasping the Tories’ most unlikely victory in 1992 comes as the polls are predicting a Canadian style wipeout of the party.

Political editor David Maddox reports:

Tara Cobham9 June 2024 22:00

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Labour pledges to create 100,000 extra childcare places in schools

Labour has set out plans to turn primary school classrooms into 3,300 new nurseries to create an extra 100,000 childcare places.

Sir Keir Starmer said a shortage of childcare meant parents were being held back in their careers and children were “starting school already behind”.

Under Labour’s plan, empty or under-used classrooms in England’s primary schools could be converted to nurseries.

The spare capacity in schools has been caused by declining birth rates and under the plan some 3,334 classrooms would be converted at an average cost of £40,000.

The nurseries could be run by the schools themselves or local private or voluntary-sector providers.

Funding for the scheme would come from imposing VAT on private schools.

Labour said it would target its new school nursery places at areas of highest need, where parents are struggling to find childcare.

Sir Keir said: “Childcare is critical infrastructure. It’s vital for children’s opportunities, and essential for a stable economy.

“After 14 years of Conservative government, too many children are starting school already behind, and too many parents are being held back from fulfilling their career ambitions.

“This election is about change. Labour will roll up our sleeves and take the tough decisions needed to support parents’ progression, improve kids’ life chances and ultimately, drive growth. We will create the childcare places needed to turn the page, and rebuild Britain.”

Tara Cobham9 June 2024 21:20

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Tory candidate defends renting Airbnb property in prospective constituency

A Conservative Party candidate has defended renting an Airbnb property in his prospective constituency after a social media post about becoming a “resident” of the area prompted criticism online.

Candidate for Surrey Heath Ed McGuinness posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday that he was “now a resident of St Paul’s ward” as constituents “rightly expect their MP to be a part of their community”.

He shared photos of himself holding keys in front of a front door and standing in a kitchen.

However, social media users claimed the home was listed on property rental site Airbnb and a Community Note was subsequently added to the bottom of the post.

Mr McGuinness told the PA news agency the property was a former Airbnb he was renting and that it had not yet been removed from the site.

He said: “It’s a former Airbnb that I’m now renting while I look to buy.

“To get a place within 100 hours of being selected is a great achievement (if you know an estate agent who can work it out sooner please let me know!) and demonstrates my commitment to Surrey Heath.

“Presumably the landlord had it listed on Airbnb and didn’t immediately remove it as soon as I moved in.”

The listing has since been removed from Airbnb.

Tara Cobham9 June 2024 21:00

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2024-06-10 03:43:39Z
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Labour pledges to create more than 100,000 new nursery places - The Guardian

Labour has pledged to create more than 100,000 new nursery places for children from nine months old, helping to both drive up standards and meet demand, as a key manifesto offer for working parents.

The party plans to set up more than 3,300 new nurseries in existing primary schools in England to support a major expansion of childcare.

The existing childcare system is widely regarded as expensive and underfunded, and many parents are forced to drop out of the workforce to look after their children.

The plan for near-universal provision, available from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school, is one of a series of eye-catching policies expected to be unveiled this Thursday, as Keir Starmer publishes Labour’s manifesto.

Labour has already pledged to stick to government plans for a staged expansion of childcare, with working parents of all two-year olds able to claim 15 hours a week of free childcare during term time since April. This will apply to parents with children over the age of nine months from September 2024, and increase to 30 hours a week from September 2025.

But experts have warned that it is a sticking-plaster solution, pumping money into a system already struggling to cope with demand. Nurseries said they did not have the capacity to deliver the extra spaces needed.

Under Labour’s plan, 3,334 classrooms in existing primary schools will be converted to accommodate 100,000 extra childcare places. Spare capacity is growing in primaries due to falling birth rates. The Department for Education estimates that about 85,000 places are needed for current plans.

Labour said that refurbishing classrooms, which they hope will start within weeks of entering government and be complete well before the end of a first term, would cost an average £40,000 each. The total, £140m, would be funded by the party’s plans to levy VAT on private school fees.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, told the Guardian: “It’s very good for children to be at nursery, particularly our plan to have them in a school environment. Many schools will say when they get to reception many children don’t have the skills that they need to start learning straight away.”

Local growth plans would consider whether low recruitment of nursery staff was inhibiting parents and carers from returning to work, while councils would be given more of a role in shaping nursery provision in their areas.

Around 85% of mothers struggle to find childcare that fits around their work, while one in 10 have quit jobs due to childcare pressures, according to the Fawcett Society. In England, there are currently two children for every available place.

“It’s hugely important for parents and carers, predominantly women, to get back into the working environment … It’s not just about being back in the labour force, but progressing,” Starmer said.

“There are many bits of our plan to grow the economy, but one of them is making sure we can get as many people into the labour market as possible. So this is a big lever to pull.”

Labour will target its new nursery places – to be run by schools themselves or local private or voluntary providers – in “childcare deserts”, areas with severe shortages, enabling more parents to work. As well as high-quality education, nurseries in schools see lower staff turnover.

Starmer indicated that the plans would go a significant way towards providing universal childcare, which his shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, who has visited Estonia, Australia and other countries for inspiration, said last year would compare with the creation of the NHS.

“Yes, once you’ve gone to 30 hours from nine months to four years, with a plan to deliver it, which is the difference between us and the government … it’s pretty bold stuff,” said Starmer, adding that Labour, which has already pledged breakfast clubs for every primary school, would encourage more schools to open during the holidays.

The party has already commissioned Sir David Bell, a former chief inspector of schools and permanent secretary at the DfE, to draw up detailed plans to deliver the expansion as part of a wider review of early years provision.

Jemima Olchawski, the chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said it was about time childcare became an election priority. “There are many things wrong with our childcare system, and so Labour’s announcement that they will undertake a wide review of the sector involving all stakeholders is important,” she said.

“We welcome Labour’s focus on increasing places, especially in childcare deserts – this is particularly important in terms of getting women back into work, as well as supporting early education for the most disadvantaged.

“We are also pleased that they have heeded our calls for more of a market-shaping role for local government, and more financial transparency for the big providers.

“We need to see childcare given the prominence it deserves in every party’s manifesto and we need to see genuine, long-term commitments that last beyond this election. If we don’t, women will lose out and parties will lose votes.”

Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, a charity for single-parent families, said they welcomed the creation of more childcare places, particularly in childcare deserts, but that the problems ran deeper.

“Currently, single parents who are training, retraining or studying aren’t entitled to the same childcare support as those in work. This must change to allow single parents to reach their full potential,” she said.

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2024-06-10 01:30:00Z
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Live: Crime scene in place after incident in Bristol - Bristol Live

A crime scene is in place in Bristol this morning (Sunday, June 9) following a knife attack. Avon and Somerset Police said nine people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the assault during the early hours of this morning.

The reported attack took place near Rawnsley Park, in Easton, at around 4.40am. Two men in their 20s have been taken to hospital with knife wounds, one of whom is in serious condition.

Easton Way is closed between the junction with Stapleton Road and Pennywell Road. There is also no access to Easton Way from Old Market.

This is a live blog. Scroll down for updates.

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2024-06-09 10:35:00Z
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Sunak will ‘absolutely’ remain Tory leader despite D-day blunder, ally says - The Guardian

An ally of Rishi Sunak has said the prime minister will “absolutely” continue to lead the Conservative election campaign after his D-day ceremony blunder, which triggered fury within the party.

The prime minister was campaigning in Yorkshire on Sunday without media appearances, after cutting short his attendance at the 80th anniversary of D-day in France with other world leaders.

Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said Sunak would not resign over the move in the middle of an election campaign.

Asked whether Sunak might hand over the Conservative leadership before the 4 July election, Stride dismissed the idea.

“There should be no question of anything other than [Sunak continuing to lead the party],” he told Sky News.

Stride said Sunak “deeply regrets” his decision to leave the D-day events early, calling the prime minister “deeply patriotic” and committed to supporting veterans.

“He has recognised that he made a mistake. He deeply regrets that. He has apologised unequivocally for that,” Stride said.

“And I think he will be feeling this personally, very deeply because he’s a deeply patriotic person. He will be deeply uncomfortable with what has happened.”

Sunak has been criticised by politicians across the spectrum for his decision, and caused outrage in his party. The choice to return to the UK early to resume campaigning left Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, to occupy his space on the world stage in France.

However, Farage has also been criticised for claiming Sunak’s early exit demonstrated the prime minister did not understand “our culture”.

Asked if he was trying to highlight Sunak’s British-Asian background, Farage pointed to the contribution made by Commonwealth troops and suggested he was talking about the prime minister’s “class” and “privilege”.

The Reform UK leader told BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I know what your question is leading at – 40% of our contribution in world war one and world war two came from the Commonwealth.

“He is utterly disconnected by class, by privilege, from how the ordinary folk in this country feel. He revealed that, I think spectacularly, when he left Normandy early.”

However, Stride said Farage’s remarks were “uncomfortable”, while Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said the suggestion that the prime minister was not part of “our” culture was “dog-whistle” code.

“I think this is a classic Nigel Farage trick: lean just enough to signal a bit of a dog-whistle and then lean straight back and sound perfectly reasonable and say something good about the contribution that Commonwealth soldiers, ethnic minorities made towards the war effort,” she said.

“We can all see exactly what Nigel Farage is doing. He’s got form; it is completely unacceptable. This is a man that has a track record of seeking to divide communities, who just wants to do it with a veneer of respectability whilst he’s at it.”

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2024-06-09 11:13:00Z
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