Nigel Farage teases leader of the opposition credentials as he makes Tory party declaration, with Rishi Sunak facing a new blow after a YouGov survey put Reform ahead of the Tories by a point. The prime minister insisted the Conservatives are still fighting hard for every vote, while Mr Sunak warned against voting for Farage’s party as it would hand Sir Keir Starmer a “blank cheque”. Farage claimed the Conservatives are about to implode and declared his party as the opposition to Labour after pushing the Tories to a historic third place in the polls, leading to low morale among panicking Tory members.
General election 2024 live: Rishi Sunak responds to Reform poll lead insisting Tories ‘still fighting hard for votes’
Nigel Farage teases leader of the opposition credentials as he makes Tory party declaration
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Rishi Sunak is facing a new blow after a YouGov survey published last night put Reform ahead of the Tories by a point with 19 per cent.
With only three weeks before election day, the prime minister insisted the Conservatives are “still fighting hard fore every vote”.
Speaking from Italy where is attending the G7 leaders summit, Mr Sunak warned people against voting for Nigel Farage’s party as they will make Labour win and hand Sir Keir Starmer a “blank cheque”.
It comes as Mr Farage claimed the Conservatives are “about to implode” and declared that his party is “now the opposition to Labour” after pushing the Tories to a historic third place in the polls.
Morale is now low among panicking Tory members who described Penny Mordaunt as “a fishwife” as they reacted to the seven way debate last night in despair.
Party leaders took part in a seven-way debate with Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, taking the brunt of the other leaders’ questions.
Key Points
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Sunak responds to Reform poll lead over Tories
Rishi Sunak has responded to last night’s YouGov poll result placing Reform ahead of the Tories for the first time.
The prime minister claimed: “We are only halfway through this election, So I’m still fighting very hard for every vote.
“And what that poll shows is – the only poll that matters is the one on July 4 – but if that poll was replicated on July 4, it would be handing Labour a blank cheque to tax everyone, tax their home, their pension, their car, their family, and I’ll be fighting very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“And actually, when I’ve been out and about talking to people, they do understand that a vote for anyone who is not a Conservative candidate is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in No 10.
“So if you want action on lower taxes, lower migration, protected pensions or a sensible approach to net zero you’re only going to get that by voting Conservative.”
(Christopher Furlong/PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 08:46
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Farage: Hitler was ‘hypnotic in a very dangerous way’
Nigel Farage has described Adolf Hitler as a “hypnotic” public speaker in a “very dangerous way”.
The Reform UK was asked about previous claims he made praising Vladimir Putin being as a “political operator”.
Asked why, Mr Farage replied: “How many years has he been in power? He’s gone from prime minister, to president, he’s a clever political operator. He kills journalists, I don’t like him as a human being in any way at all.
“You can recognise the fact that some people are good at what they do even if they have evil intent.”
Asked if Nazi Germany dictator Hitler was good at what he did, Mr Farage replied: “What, as a public speaker? What do you think? Clearly, hypnotic in a very dangerous way.”
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:44
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Farage faces grilling from voters over his ‘ baby Brexit’
Nigel Farage has been challenged on the impact of Brexit by a caller BBC Radio 5 who asked the Reform leader whether the cost of living is caused by his “baby, Brexit”.
Mr Farage dismissed the criticism and claimed the reason is energy bills that have gone up, workers on low incomes and rents going up.
But the caller points out that Brexit has cost the Uk “billions” and has had an impact of the amount Clacton voters have in their pocket, saying “that is the negative impact of Brexit”.
Farage replies by highlighting migration and says people are getting poorer because of it.
Nigel Farage speaking on BBC Radio 5 (BBC)
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:36
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Streeting defends mandatory retirement age for peers
Wes Streeting has defended a Labour manifesto pledge to force members for the House of Lords to retire at 80.
The shadow health minister told LBC: “I do think it is important given the size of the House of Lords that we try and reduce the size of the House and retirement ages aren’t unusual and I think an 80-year limit is the right balance.”
Asked to explain the reason behind forcing peers to retire at 80, he said: “We have to draw the line somewhere.
Mr Streeting was remided of Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election as US president, is 81. But Ms Streeting said: “And he is not a member of the House of Lords.”
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:29
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Farage: ‘Sunak has no connection to working people in this country’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Rishi Sunak has “no connection to working people in this country at all”.
Former City trader Mr Farage, who was a schoolboy at fee-paying Dulwich College, told BBC Breakfast: “He doesn’t know where the centre-ground of opinion in this country is. Rishi is Winchester College, Oxford University, Goldman Sachs – he has no connection to working people in this country at all.”
His remarks came after he was challenged to explain what he meant when he said Mr Sunak does not understand “our culture”, in the wake of the Prime Minister leaving the D-Day commemorations early.
Reminded of his previous employment, Mr Farage replied he “wasn’t at Goldman Sachs” before adding: “I get on with people of all backgrounds, all classes, Rishi Sunak lives in this very, very narrow little world, like so many politicians.”
Told he was wealthy compared with the average worker, Mr Farage replied: “Yes I am. But I am able to connect.”
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:22
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Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:18
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Farage taunts Sunak: ‘Guess who’s back?’
Nigel Farage has taunted Rishi Sunak this morning after a crashing opinion poll result.
The Reform leader posted a video signing along Eminem’s song “Without Me” featuring the lyrics “guess who’s back”.
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:15
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Watch: Reform party unveils five-minute political broadcast and it has no sound
Reform UK’s party election broadcast: Six words on a screen for four minutes
Reform UK unveiled their party political broadcast on Thursday night (13 June) with no audio and the same six words on-screen for four minutes. The text read: “Britain is Broken. Britain Needs Reform.” Reform leader Nigel Farage tweeted the same video, reassuring those who watched the broadcast that their “TV isn’t broken”. The message aired on the same evening that a new YouGov poll suggested the party has overtaken the Conservatives for the first time ahead of next month’s general election. In the survey, Reform were put on 19 per cent, ahead of the Tories on 18 per cent. Labour remained top on 37 per cent.
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:10
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Exclusive: Tory members despair over ‘fishwife’ Penny Mordaunt and declare Farage debate winner
Panicking Tory members described Penny Mordaunt as “a fishwife” as they reacted to the seven way debate last night in despair, our Political editor David Maddox reports.
With the debate on ITV starting just hours after a YouGov poll put Nigel Farage’s Reform UK ahead of the Tories, morale was low among Conservative activists.
Leaked messages from a Conservative members only Facebook group showed that activists took out their frustration on Ms Mordaunt as she battled with Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, Mr Farage, Daisy Cooper from the Lib Dems and representatives of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
The Conservative Party Members Group, a private group for verified members, has over 3,000 Conservative members including MPs such as Andrew Rosindell, Joy Morrisey, John Penrose and Virginia Crosby.
In posts during the seven-way party leader debate on Thursday evening, Conservative members were dismissive of Ms Mordaunt’s performance against Mr Farage.
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 09:05
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Streeting: Reform is part of Tory psychodrama
The shadow health secretary has reacted to the news that Reform Uk has overtaking the Tories in the polls.
Mr Streeting has been asked on Sky News Breakfast whether Reform could become their new opposition if they win the election.
The Labour candidate said: “Reform is very much part of the Tory party psychodrama. We’ve seen Conservative candidates like Andrea Jenkyns putting Nigel Farage positively on her leaflets instead of her own leader.
“We have to bear in mind if we have another Conservative government that is the kind of chaos and division we are going to have for another five years. The country can’t afford that.”
But he vowed to “take Reform on in the battle of ideas and the battle of arguments”.
He added: “I urge people to bear in mind that Nigel Farage is a formidable campaigner, I don’t doubt that, don’t underestimate him.
“But he has never had to deliver the change that he always says he is calling for. He has never been tested as a politician and he is never been elected for Parliament.”
Wes Streeting speaking on Sky News Breakfast (Sky News)
Salma Ouaguira14 June 2024 08:35
Read the full story on www.independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-2024-debate-sunak-farage-starmer-latest-news-b2562524.html