The Tories are expected to lose around half their councillors in the upcoming local elections on 4 May. Trevor Phillips interviewed the prime minister on Sky News, asking him whether a general election could take place as early as July. A frustrated and bullish Sunak claimed he did not get distracted by his diminished approval ratings, and repeatedly refused to confirm or deny the possibility of a July general election, telling Phillips: ‘you’re going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say’.
Conservative defector Dan Poulter: Tories now resemble a ‘nationalist party’
The Conservatives suffered another humiliation this week after MP Dr Dan Poulter quit his party to join Labour. In an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Poulter, who continues to work in the NHS, explained that he had been finding it ‘difficult to look (his) patients in the eye’. Poulter claimed that the Conservative government is to blame for making the NHS ‘unrecognisable’ from what it was before he became an MP, and that Labour could be trusted to ‘do better for patients’. Poulter argued that the Tories have become more of a nationalist party than one of the centre-right.
Did Labour offer Poulter anything in return for his defection?
Wes Streeting told Laura Kuenssberg that he was ‘not aware’ of any offers made to defector Dan Poulter by Labour, although he did not strictly rule it out. Streeting claimed that Poulter had left the Conservatives because he wanted to ‘save the NHS’, and said Labour would be drawing on his expertise as a clinician with experience in mental health once Poulter returned to working for the NHS full-time. Streeting also told Kuenssberg that Labour ‘want to build a big tent’, and any disaffected Conservatives were welcome to join.
Chris Philp: ‘Tens of thousands of people each year are fleeing the Labour run Welsh NHS’
On GB News, Minister of Crime Chris Philp defended the Conservatives’ record on the NHS, saying there were record levels of spending, staff numbers were growing, and the waiting lists were falling. Camilla Tominey pointed out that Philp was painting a very different picture to Dan Poulter, who is a doctor. Philp claimed that Poulter is wrong to think Labour would perform better with the NHS, and that they are doing ‘an appalling job’ in Wales.
Alex Salmond: ‘these are very reasonable proposals’
Humza Yousaf is in a very precarious position, with two votes of no-confidence tabled by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives following the collapse of the SNP’s power-sharing agreement with the Greens. Yousaf has insisted he has no intention of resigning, and asked for ‘construction contribution’ from the other parties. However, he may need support from the Alba party to survive the no-confidence votes. Alex Salmond told Kuenssberg that Alba’s Ash Regan had gone to Yousaf with ‘reasonable, positive proposals’ about reemphasising Scottish independence and moving away from the ‘identity agenda’. Salmond claimed Alba were ‘not bothered’ by the idea of an electoral pact.
Are Labour choosing to support older rich people over younger people?
Finally, Labour have given a guarantee that they will keep the pensions triple lock in place for the duration of the next parliament if they win the general election. Speaking to Wes Streeting, Trevor Phillips pointed out that people in the UK in the their early sixties have a median wealth almost nine times higher than those in their early thirties. Phillips asked if that meant Labour were prioritising older wealthier people over those who can’t afford homes. Streeting claimed he doesn’t ‘buy into that intergenerational conflict argument’, and said pensioners needed reassurance. Phillips suggested Labour were only doing it for votes.
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