Nigel Farage claims that people ‘loathe’ the Tories, as Reform UK is making significant strides in the general election campaign, coming within two points behind the Tories in a shocking YouGov poll. The latest survey shows Labour leading with 40%, the Tories at 19%, Reform UK at 17%, the Liberal Democrats at 10%, and the Greens at 7%. Farage is predicted to potentially win four seats from the Conservatives, with former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries suggesting that Reform UK may overtake the Tories in the upcoming polls. However, the Tories remain unconvinced, with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride dismissing the possibility of Reform winning seats and claiming that a vote for Farage is essentially a vote for Labour. Additionally, Rishi Sunak is under investigation by the UK’s official statistics regulator for his claim that Labour will increase household taxes by £2,000, despite the Conservatives standing by the accusation.
General election 2024 latest: Reform UK two points behind Tories in YouGov poll as Nadine Dorries says party will overtake in days
Nigel Farage claims people ‘loathe’ the Tories and Labour will win election
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Reform UK is shaking up the general election campaign pulling to within two points behind the Tories in a shocking YouGov poll.
The latest survey conducted just before the ITV debate has put Labour leading the race with 40%, the Tories on 19%, Reform UK on 17%, the Liberal Democrats on 10% and the Greens on 7%.
Nigel Farage could snatch as many as four seats from the Conservatives just days after a shocking comeback as candidate for Clacton.
Former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries is convinced Reform will go further than that and overtake the Tories in the polls this weekend.
But the Tories are not so convinced. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride has said Reform winning seats “simply won’t happen” and claimed a vote for Farage is a vote for Labour.
If that wasn’t enough nightmare for Rishi Sunak, he is being investigated by the UK’s official statistics regulator for his claim that Labour will hike household taxes by £2,000. But it appears the Conservatives are stubbornly sticking to the accusations doubling down on the claims.
Key Points
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Nadine Dorries predicts Reform will overtake Tories in days
Former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries has predicted that Reform UK will overtake the Conservatives in the next general election poll this weekend.
The Boris Johnson ally made the prediction after a YouGov shockingly revealed that the Nigel Farage’s party is two points behind the Tories.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I’m guessing that after the appalling events of the past few days over candidate selection, that Reform will have overtaken us in the polls by Saturday evening.”
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 09:29
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Pictured: Rishi Sunak attends D-Day celebrations in Normandy
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak attends the UK Ministry of Defence to commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France (Getty Images)(Getty Images)(Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)(Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 09:26
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Lib Dems sued by ex-candidate ousted ‘because he is a Christian’
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 09:05
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Breaking: Douglas Ross to stand as Tory candidate
The Scottish Conservative leader is replacing former Scotland office minister David Duguid as candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
According to the Scottish Conservatives Mr Duguid was deselected because of health grounds.
Mr Ross was set to stand down from Westminster to focus on the 2026 Holyrood election campaign.
(PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 09:03
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Tories pledge to overhaul homicide laws
The Conservatives will promise to hand tougher sentences to killers and domestic abusers under a proposed overhaul of homicide laws.
The minimum sentence for murders that take place in the home will increase from 15 years to 25 years under the party’s proposals.
The move comes in a bid from Rishi Sunak to change homicide law after the horrible stabbing in Nottingham last June that killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates.
Valdo Calocane’s victims said the proposals for US-style murder classifications would be a “seismic, important change”.
The party’s proposals would result in a US-style tiered system with first and second degree murder.
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:58
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Elections are won from centre ground, Jeremy Hunt warns
Elections are won from the centre ground, Jeremy Hunt has said, amid Tory concerns that Reform UK will take voters from the right of the party.
Mr Hunt’s warning against a move to the right comes after Nigel Farage announced he would be standing as a Reform candidate in the General Election.
In an interview with the Guardian, the Chancellor admitted it would be “very difficult” for the Conservatives to win on July 4.
He told the newspaper: “The evidence of Britain is that elections are always won from the centre ground and I think in a two-party system that will always be the case.”
He added that the Conservative Party will “always be a broad church” which is “a good thing”.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warned against a shift to the right (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:52
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Labour drops lawsuit against five former staff
The party has discontinued a lawsuit against five former employees accused of leaking a report into how antisemitism complaints were handled under Jeremy Corbyn.
They include the former leader’s director of communications Seumas Milne and former chief of staff Karie Murphy.
A statement from their lawyers Carter-Ruck said: “The party is discontinuing its legal claims against Karie Murphy, Seumas Milne, Georgie Robertson, Harry Hayball and Laura Murray on a ‘no order as to costs’ basis.
“The five welcome the resolution of the claims.”
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:34
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Abbott blasts Sunak for accepting £5m donation form Frank Hester
The Tories have accepted a further £5m from Frank Hester, who was involved in a race row over comments he allegedly made about Diane Abbott.
The businessman reportedly told staff in 2019 that Ms Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” and “should be shot”.
In March, Rishi Sunak admitted Mr Hester’s claims were “wrong and racist” but he had shown “remorse” and his apology should be accepted.
But Ms Abbott has now slammed the Prime Minister for accepting the huge sum labelling the move “an insult to me and all black women”.
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:20
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Tories say Reform not winning any seats
Mel Stride has said Reform UK will not win any seats at the general election at it “simply won’t happen”.
The Work and Pensions Secretary told Sky News: “A vote for Reform is a vote for the Labour Party. Any viewer listening needs to know that Reform are not going to be winning seats in the first past the post electoral system.
“It simply won’t happen. This is, I think, the eighth time that Nigel Farage for example has been standing for parliament and each time he has not succeeded.”
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:15
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Tory minister ‘not worried’ about Reform UK threat
Economic secretary to the Treasury Bim Afolami has said he is not worried about the electoral threat posed by Reform UK in the YouGov poll.
Despite being just two points ahead of Nigel Farage’s party, he says they “don’t have a policy” to convince voters.
He told Sky News: “Honestly? I’m not particularly worried about Reform. Should I tell you why? I’m not worried about Reform because they don’t have a plan for reforming anything.”
He added: “It’s easy to shout from the sidelines, if you’re Nigel Farage or anybody else, to shout and say ‘all of the parties, all of the established parties, they’re rubbish’.
“It’s easy to do that. They haven’t put out a plan for anything. Frankly, at least in the days of Ukip, they actually had a policy. These guys don’t even have a policy.”
(Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira6 June 2024 08:09
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-labour-sunak-starmer-tories-poll-tax-b2557714.html