Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has ruled out a summer budget if she gets into No 11 during a major campaign speech in Derby, attacking the Tories for not learning from Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget and claiming Rishi Sunak is “singing from the same songbook.” Speaking from a Rolls-Royce factory, she emphasized the need for a partnership with business and workers, stating that Labour won’t make unfunded spending commitments. In response to Labour’s promises to bring economic stability, Rishi Sunak claimed it would cost £2,000 to every household to pay for Sir Keir Starmer’s pledges. Addressing voters in Stoke-on-Trent, the prime minister unveiled new plans for pensioners in a bid to boost their incomes with a “triple lock plus” pledge if elected. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage criticized Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, stating that there has never been such a lack of choice and claiming that the Tories have destroyed themselves.
General election 2024: Rachel Reeves rules out summer budget as Farage says Sunak’s Tories ‘destroyed themselves’
Starmer mocks Sunak’s National Service plans
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Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has ruled out a summer budget if she gets into No 11 during a major campaign speech in Derby.
Attacking the Tories, said the Conservatives “haven’t learned their lessons” from Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget and claimed Rishi Sunak is “singing from the same songbook”.
Speaking from a Rolls-Royce factory, she stressed the need for a partnership with business and workers, and said Labour won’t make unfunded spending commitments.
In response to Labour’s promises to bring economic stability, Rishi Sunak claimed it would cost £2,000 to every household to pay for Sir Keir Starmer pledges.
Addressing voters in Stoke-on-Trent, the prime minister unveiled new plans for pensioners in a bid to boost their incomes with a “triple lock plus” pledge if elected.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has slammed Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer and said there has never been such a lack of choice.
During a Reform UK campaign event, he claimed the Tories “have destroyed themselves” and “they don’t need my help”.
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BBC presenter apologizes after accusing Nigel Farage of inflammatory language
Geeta Guru-murthy made the remarks after a video of the Reform UK president aired.
In the clip, Farage said he was quoting the Polish prime minister Donald Tusk when he said “aggressive young males” were coming into Poland.
The TV anchor said saying this “didn’t meet the BBC’s editorial standards on impartiality”.
Live on air, Ms Guru-murthy said: “Earlier today we heard live from Nigel Farage, speaking at that election event we just saw.
“When we came away from his live speech, I used language to describe it which didn’t meet the BBC’s editorial standards on impartiality. I’d like to apologise to Mr Farage and viewers for this.”
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Farage tagged Ms Guru-murthy and asked: “What happened to impartiality?”
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 14:15
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Starmer under fire as Abbott race investigation finished months ago
The programme found Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had written to the Hackney MP in December 2023, to say it had concluded the inquiry over alleged racism affecting Jewish and Traveller communities.
But Sir Keir Starmer has insistently refused to say whether he will allow her back into the party to stand in the July general election.
However, campaign group Momentum has said the Labour whip “should already have been restored”.
(Getty)
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 14:12
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Triple lock plus is U-turn on Tory tax policy, think tank says
Rishi Sunak’s proposed tax break for pensioners is a U-turn on a tax increase introduced by a previous Conservative government, a think tank said.
Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson said the plan is “simply a reversal” of George Osborne’s policy which was introduced in the 2010s.
Under the plans, a pensioner’s income tax allowance would rise in line with either average earnings, inflation or by 2.5 per cent – whichever is higher – from next April.
Mr Johnson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Pensioners used to have a bigger personal allowance than people of working age – it was the Conservatives who got rid of it.
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 14:05
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Opinion | Why are our party leaders refusing to talk about Europe?
Our relationship with the continent is the biggest challenge of our time, writes former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine.
Yet our political leaders are so afraid of the far right’s grip on this country that they refuse to do anything about it.
None of these issues can be honestly addressed in isolation from our relationship with Europe.”
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 14:00
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Rachel Reeves fails to identify as a socialist
The shadow chancellor claimed she is a social democrat during her keynote campaign speech in Derby.
This shifts away from Sir Keir Starmer, who described himself as a socialist who “always puts country firsthand party second”.
Moving little bit further to the right, Ms Reeves said she is pro-worker and pro-business.
She added that people shouldn’t fixate at labels and look at Labour’s accomplishments instead.
Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and Labour MP Rachel Reeves visit the Rolls-Royce Aerospace Campus, during a Labour general election campaign event (REUTERS)
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:50
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Is Labour trying to rig election system with plans for votes at 16?
Keir Starmer says he will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to have the vote, leading to claims by Tory MPs that he wants to ‘rig future elections’.
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:40
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Labour MP mocks Lib Dems leader for lake trip
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:30
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What is the triple lock plus – and what could it mean for pensions?
The Conservatives have unveiled plans to boost pensioners’ incomes with a new ‘triple lock plus’ pledge in a pre-election offer to older voters, Albert Toth reports.
The new plans would raise the tax-free pension allowance every year in line with the triple lock. This means an increase in line with average wages, inflation, or 2.5 per cent – whichever is highest.
The tax-free allowance for both pensions and workers was frozen in 2021 at that year’s level of £12,570, and is not set to rise again until 2028. Before this, it would rise yearly with inflation.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak says the move “demonstrates we are on the side of pensioners”, adding that it aims to give “peace of mind and security in retirement”.
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:20
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Sir Ed Davey makes a splash as he unveils plan to tackle sewage crisis
The Lib Dem leader kickstarted his campaign trail in Lake District paddleboarding.
During his visit, Sir Ed outlined his party’s plan to tackle the national sewage crisis.
He said local environmental experts should be represented on water companies’ boards to ensure sewage spills are taken seriously, as he accused Conservative ministers of “sitting on their hands”.
According to the Environment Agency, sewage spills into England’s waters skyrocketed to 3.6 million hours of spills last year in 2023.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey had a go at paddleboarding as he outlined his party’s plan to tackle the sewage crisis (PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:14
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Labour MP in safe seat steps down
Lyn Brown, who has been in her constituency since 2005. has announced she is stepping down from her seat in West Ham.
She said: “I have loved being the MP for West Ham and I love it still. Standing down will be such a huge wrench.
“But, given the challenges we have in Newham and the health challenges I’ve faced this year, I think we need new Labour MPs to take us forward with a Labour Government.”
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 13:05
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-2024-starmer-labour-sunak-news-b2552377.html