Politics Archives

Tuesday

18 Apr 2017

Why do voters find it hard to trust politicians? Because of all the broken promises

‘But you promised!’ Anyone who spends much time with children (whether in an Andrea Leadsom-esque capacity as a mother or otherwise) will recognise that phrase. They’re the words of someone disappointed that the grown ups, who are supposed to be sensible, haven’t followed through. Today Theresa May broke her own promise about there being no early general election. Will helpfully reminds you of five of those promises, repeated by both the Prime Minister and her henchmen, in this post. She had been so adamant that even those who thought they knew her best after years of working together in Opposition and government had taken her at her word and were

Ed West

Could a big Tory victory make a soft Brexit more likely?

Whatever happens in the forthcoming general election, no day of social media can ever compete with the dizzying heights of May 2015. I think I laughed more on the day of the result than I had in the previous decade; sure, it was the twisted and cruel laughter of someone whose dreams are slowly fading, but aren’t those the most genuine and heartfelt? This time it won’t be quite as funny because everyone expects Labour to be slaughtered, aside from one or two Comical Ali-like figures who continue to maintain steadfast confidence despite all evidence to the contrary. Political predictions are very hard – the quality is poor because journalism

Steerpike

Banks vs Carswell: this time it’s even more personal

Theresa May’s surprise announcement today has caught hacks and MPs alike off guard. While Labour MPs fret over the prospect of a snap election, is there also reason for a newly independent MP to sweat? Step forward Douglas Carswell. After quitting Ukip last month to stand as an independent, Carswell upset many Kippers by refusing to hold a by-election by which voters could choose between a Ukip candidate and Carswell. None were more bothered than Arron Banks, the Ukip donor, who had hoped to stand against his former foe. Well, Carswell may be able to prevent a by-election, but he cannot stop a general election. Come June, Carswell will need to contest the seat.

James Kirkup

Theresa May will campaign as being tough on Brexit, but soft on society

A Brexit election, then. Theresa May will win and claim that victory is all the mandate she needs for whatever comes from the negotiations in Brussels. The working assumption must be that includes leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union, and, of course, an end to free movement when we leave. And we are leaving. This election should kill stone dead any Remainer dream that Brexit can be stopped. When she takes Britain out of the EU, Mrs May will have both a referendum and a general election win on her side; what will Brexit’s opponents have? The Lib Dems will very likely do well in the election, possibly

Ross Clark

The five manifesto pledges Theresa May is likely to drop

It isn’t clear what changed Theresa May’s mind on calling an early general election, something which, as recently as 20 March, she was adamant would not happen. But could the trigger have been nothing to do with Brexit at all? An interesting date is 16 March, when Phillip Hammond reversed the proposed increase in National Insurance on the self-employed which he had announced in his Budget only the week before. The fuss seemed to catch Hammond – and presumably Theresa May, too – by surprise. It seemed as if it simply hadn’t occurred to them that they ought to feel bound by David Cameron’s 2015 manifesto, which promised no rise

Nick Hilton

Even a crushing election defeat might not spell the end of Jeremy Corbyn

After the referendum, Jeremy Corbyn said that Labour was ‘very, very ready’ to contest a general election. Which is good news, because that’s precisely the task he now faces. In the world of Corbyn’s most ardent supporters, the snap election has been greeted with something like glee. Their greatest fear – that Corbyn may not survive in the leadership long enough to face the public at large – has been alleviated. Momentum’s Michael Chessum tweeted that there ‘absolutely is a path to victory for Labour… We’ll have to be bold, but it’s there’, while Paul Mason said that ‘a progressive alliance can beat the Tory hard Brexit plan’. That jubilation on the

The Spectator

Nicola Sturgeon’s election response: full text

Nicola Sturgeon says that Theresa May has called an early general election in order to ‘force through a hard Brexit’. The Scottish First Minister also accused the Prime Minister of attempting to ‘to move the UK to the right’. Here’s Sturgeon’s full statement on a snap election: This announcement is one of the most extraordinary U-turns in recent political history, and it shows that Theresa May is once again putting the interests of her party ahead of those of the country She is clearly betting that the Tories can win a bigger majority in England given the utter disarray in the Labour Party. That makes it all the important that Scotland

Alex Massie

The general election will be a vote on Scottish independence

‘Now is not the time’ except, apparently, when now is the time. The reasons for engineering a general election are many and obvious. The current government is tolerated, not welcomed. Theresa May needs a mandate of her own. A thumping Tory majority – the only conceivable outcome of any dash to the country – will not hugely strengthen her position with Britain’s erstwhile european friends and partners, but it will secure her position on the domestic front. For Labour, too, this is an opportunity to lance a boil: it will, or should at any rate, end the Jeremy Corbyn era. For their part, the Liberal Democrats should welcome the opportunity

The Spectator

Jeremy Corbyn backs Theresa May’s plan for a snap election: full text

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will support Theresa May’s decision to hold an early election. Here’s his full statement: I welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first. Labour will be offering the country an effective alternative to a government that has failed to rebuild the economy, delivered falling living standards and damaging cuts to our schools and NHS. In the last couple of weeks, Labour has set out policies that offer a clear and credible choice for the country. We look forward to showing how Labour will stand up for the

Will Heaven

Five times Theresa May ruled out a snap general election

Theresa May’s snap election, scheduled for 8 June, was unlikely for three big reasons. Holding off until 2020 would allow the Tories to take advantage of boundary changes that come into force in 2018. There’s a fixed-term parliament act, which is a major complicating factor (Labour will probably have to back a vote in the Commons to allow this election to take place at all). Most of all, she staked a large chunk of her credibility on not U-turning on her decision that there wouldn’t be one. Until this morning, her reputation for unwavering unflappability looked justified. Here are five occasions on which the Prime Minister personally, or her staff, denied

John O'Neill

Theresa May is heading for a general election landslide

Recent opinion polls have given the Conservatives bigger leads than they’ve had in years. So what if today’s polls were June’s General Election results? According to Electoral Calculus, Labour would lose 47 seats and the Conservatives would gain 51. The SNP may have a clean sweep in Scotland – and it still looks too early for a Lib Dem recovery. The net result? The Conservative majority would rise from 13 to 112 – plunging Labour into another leadership crisis.

James Forsyth

Theresa May shows she is prepared to play political games

Theresa May has just announced that she’ll move a motion in the Commons tomorrow calling for a general election on 8 June. This is despite May and her team having repeatedly ruled out going to the country early. Much of the May brand, and her appeal, is built on the idea that she is a grown-up who gets on with the job and doesn’t play political games. By going for an election, and especially when the Tories have a record poll lead over Labour, she endangers that. May is clearly aware of this danger. In her statement outside Downing Street, May tried to pitch herself against Westminster. She said that while

Katy Balls

What a snap election means for Labour

Theresa May has taken Westminster by surprise this morning by saying she wants an early election. Tomorrow she will ask MPs to support a motion for a poll on June 8. It is pretty much certain that this will pass — any opposition MP who rejects the motion is effectively saying they want another three years of Tory rule. Tim Farron has been the first out of the starting blocks to say that his party welcomes an early election — heralding the Liberal Democrats as the only party that will fight for Britain to remain in the single market. So, what of Labour? Well, after a sluggish start Her Majesty’s Opposition have issued

The Spectator

Theresa May calls an early general election for 8 June: full speech

Theresa May has called a general election for June 8th. Making the announcement on the steps of Downing Street, the PM said that an early election is the ‘right approach’ and ‘in the national interest’. Here’s her full statement: ‘I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet where we agreed that the government should call a general election to be held on the 8th June. I want to explain the reasons for that decision, what will happen next, and the choice facing the British people when you come to vote in this election. Last summer, after the country voted to leave the European Union, Britain needed certainty, stability and strong leadership.

Monday

17 Apr 2017

Steerpike

Andy Burnham and ‘posh coffee’ – a brief history

This evening, Andy Burnham has whipped social media into a frenzy after the Labour MP decided to wade into ‘barista-gate’. Following reports that the Home Secretary is considering plans for ‘barista visas’ — which would allow young Europeans to work in the hospitality industry after Brexit — Burnham has taken to Twitter to let it be known that he is unimpressed. The former shadow home secretary says the ‘right-wing’ policy is bizarre as ‘God forbid the idea of waiting longer in the morning for their posh coffee’. Bit bizarre hearing these right-wing calls for a "Barista Visa". God forbid the idea of waiting longer in the morning for their posh coffee.

Sunday

16 Apr 2017

Theo Hobson

Christianity is at the heart of Britain’s shared values

Theresa May does a decent job of saying that Christianity is at the heart of our shared values. It’s a difficult thing to say without sounding disparaging of non-Christians, but I think it’s something worth saying. Some will say that the Prime Minister should stick to politics, especially when there’s so much politics to do, and stay away from religion. If she wants to give us a headmistressy pep-talk, fine, but keep it strictly secular. I don’t agree. It’s for each prime minister to decide whether to veer into religious territory. (There’s no constitutional bar to him or her getting all happy-clappy – not a danger with this glumly cautious

Saturday

15 Apr 2017

Rose Asani

Will Turkey dare to vote ‘No’ in Erdogan’s referendum?

Istanbul The Istanbul skyline is famous for being punctuated by mosques. Great domes of worship, with minarets reaching towards the heavens. The most famous is the mesmerising Blue Mosque. Built under the reign of Sultan Ahmet I, it was used as a symbol to reassert Ottoman power. Most people gasp in awe at its ornate ceiling, but I’ve always been fascinated by another feature; its minarets. There are six in total and in Turkey that’s unique, or at least it was. A few miles up the milky blue waters of the Bosphorus, another now stands to equal it. On the hills of Camlica on the Asian side, President Erdogan has

James Forsyth

Boris was right on sanctions

Boris Johnson has received a bit of a kicking this week. There have been no shortage of people wanting to say he has been humiliated by the G7’s refusal to back his call for further sanctions on Russia and Syria after the chemical weapons attack. But I argue in The Sun today, that the real story is the weakness of the EU members of the G7. To be sure, Boris got too far forward on his skis on sanctions. But the bigger issue, by far, is the weakness of those members of the G7 who wouldn’t back them: principally, Italy and Germany. Lenin used to say “Probe with a bayonet;

Charlotte Gill

Forget the ‘nasty party’, Theresa May has turned the Tories into the zombie party

Watching Education Secretary Justine Greening discuss grammar schools this week, I felt exasperated and in desperate need of a cognac. And it wasn’t because I’m opposed to grammar schools. No, there was something else bothering me: the cold air as Greening stared into the camera. It was the sort of look that could kill you slowly over time, especially when paired with such mechanical, uninspiring words. It left me as cold as Paul Nuttall’s head. And it was then I realised something: this is all Theresa May’s fault. She might have worried about the Tories being seen as the ‘nasty party’. She need not have done. Instead, she’s in danger of turning them

Friday

14 Apr 2017

Steerpike

Former Bush aide: Corbyn is Trump’s secret weapon

As if Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t already getting it from all sides on the home front, the beleaguered Labour leader has come under a fresh line of an attack from a former Bush aide: propping up Donald Trump. Yes, speaking on The Spectator Podcast, David Frum – senior editor at The Atlantic and former Bush administration staffer – accused the 21st century socialist of aiding Trump’s influence on the UK government… by failing to provide an adequate opposition. He said that ‘if Britain had a functioning opposition party… a Leader of the Opposition would be slamming the Prime Minister every day in the House of Commons’ for failing to condemn Sean Spicer’s accusations of British collaboration in