David Cameron is upping the ante on the SNP today, warning voters there’s just ‘ten days to save the United Kingdom’ — despite the fact the election is now nine days away. Or maybe he is counting until the coalition negotiations begin? Ed Miliband on the other hand will add some meat to his promise that Labour will put ‘controls on immigration’. To help guide you through the melée of stories and spin, here is a summary of today’s main election stories.
1. The Battle for Britain, cont.
David Cameron is staunchly defending the Union today, warning in an interview with the Times that the SNP is ‘not like another party that you might disagree with’ and that ‘they are not coming to Westminster to make it a success’. He said that Nicola Sturgeon wants the ‘best for Scotland and the rest of the UK can go hang’:
‘Not winning the election outright is obviously not a success…I have a duty to spend the next ten days to win the election outright…ten days to save the United Kingdom.
And case you were in any doubt, the Prime Minister is ‘pumped’ for the last leg of campaigning and thinks this election is ‘bloody important’:
‘I’m feeling pumped up. There’s 10 days to go, it’s a bloody important election and I’m determined to get across the line. The line is victory – and victory is a Conservative majority. I know the polls are tight but victory is doable.’
Although the Conservatives have edged ahead in yesterday’s polls from YouGov, ICM and Ashcroft, it’s hard to think of anyone aside from Cameron who is projecting a Conservative majority. A Tory surge over the next nine days is very possible, but believing that the party can go from its most recent highest polling (36 per cent, according to Ashcroft) into majority territory (40 per cent) is very optimistic. But then, what else can the PM say? That he is aiming to be the biggest party and do another deal with the Liberal Democrats?
2. The happy immigration warrior
Labour tied itself in knots with its mug that pledged ‘controls on immigration’ but we haven’t heard much in the campaign from Ed Miliband about how exactly they would do that. In a speech this morning, the Labour leader will outline his ’10 point action plan’ on immigration. The Guardian and Press Association have reported these nine items on the action plan — the 10th remains a mystery:
- recruit 1,000 extra borders staff
- introduce full exit checks
- stop serious offenders coming to Britain
- ending the indefinite detention of people in the asylum and immigration system
- maintain the cap on workers from outside the EU
- crack down on employers undercutting wages
- ban on overseas-only recruitment
- two-year wait for benefits
- language requirements for state sector workers dealing with the public.
Miliband will challenge Cameron to match this plan and accuse him of failing to deliver on immigration controls. The Tories may have failed but does Labour really have the moral high ground on this topic? Clearly, this speech is an overture to disgruntled ‘old Labour’ voters who are tempted to vote Ukip next week. Miliband will promise that he would never ‘do anything to denigrate or demean the contribution people who have come to this country have made’ but promise to ‘deal with people’s concerns’. Expect to hear the Tories crowing about what Labour didn’t do to tackle immigration during its 13 years in power.
3. The angry banking warrior
David Cameron will pledge today to use money from the Libor fines to create 50,000 new apprenticeships for 20-24 years. The Tories usually leave banker bashing to Labour, but Cameron will say the his party are ‘taking the money off a bank that tried to rig the market and using the money to get young people off the dole.’
On the Today programme this morning, the exchequer secretary Priti Patel pointed out this is a continuation of what the government has done over the last few years to grow the number of apprenticeships. On the Prime Minister’s new ‘pumped’ attitude, Patel said ‘I actually think this is about being passionate about the future of our country.’
4. Ed Balls Day
Today marks the fourth anniversary of Ed Balls Day. On 28 April 2011, the shadow chancellor sent this tweet, which turned into an Internet meme:
Ed Balls
— Ed Balls (@edballsmp) April 28, 2011
The Telegraph has this useful explainer article if you are confused as to why anyone should care about this tweet. Balls will be pleased that next year, he could be celebrating the fifth Ed Balls Day from the comforts of HM Treasury.
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