Labour, like the SNP, had promised to work in partnership with the oil and gas sectors. But, despite this, they have since confirmed their plans to bring about a cliff-edge end to North Sea production.
The former has once again been returned to Parliament at the head of a minor party. Yet it was the latter who, despite never entering the Commons, wrought the real, transformative change.
Labour promises to introduce legislation to implement this and other New Deal for Working People pledges within 100 days of taking office. My questions need answers. Now.
The first in my series of regular 2024 focus groups included those who put their chances of repeating their 2019 Conservative vote at 3 to 5 out of 10, on the reasoning that if anyone is going to bolster the party’s poll numbers, it will be them.
Points of parliamentary procedure may seem arcane to journalists and the public, but their fair enforcement is vital to the proper functioning of our democracy.
Each party has savaged the other’s efforts to tackle the problem with the same lazy attacks. Now the only common ground seems to be to kick the problem into more long grass.
They can appeal to two groups: those currently intending to vote for Reform UK, and those who currently “don’t know” who they would vote for if a general election were held tomorrow but who backed the Conservatives in 2019.
Who decides which “ordinary people” get a hearing? Which studies are examined? Without parties or partisanship, what prevents a handful of dominant individuals railroading the others into a false consensus?
How long until Starmer is demanding an immediate ceasefire? How long until another Labour MP or candidate is suspended for saying something appalling? And what will this mean for the party overwhelmingly likely to form the next government?
Party strategists will be concerned that Reform UK managed to post double-digit vote shares in both Kingswood and Wellingborough. But the mortal danger is Labour, and Conservatives cannot afford to forget it.
Does the caginess reveal an opportunist leadership, prepared too launch key policies without working out the details? Or is there in fact a detailed programme in place – but they believe it is either too complicated or too contentious to spell it out?
We asked voters how likely they thought various outcomes were under a Conservative government, and under a Labour government, Only two things were thought more likely to happen than not in both scenarios: ‘higher taxes for people like me’ and ‘a new financial crisis’.
Labour’s campaign co-ordinator says the party’s candidate in Rochdale was right to apologise after claiming Israel allowed the October 7 attacks by Hamas so it could then invade Gaza.
They bear all the hallmarks of irresponsible activism, intent on pushing the expansion of abortion at all costs regardless of the real-world impact.
Amy Lamé has been the subject of several petitions to be sacked – or have the role scrapped entirely – with leading industry groups and businesses describing her as ‘non-existent’.