What's new

UK Election results 2019: Boris Johnson returns to power with big majority [Post#486]

Gabbar Singh

Test Debutant
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Runs
15,550
Here we go.

Let the fun and games begin.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> UK opposition Labour party agrees to early election: leader Corbyn <a href="https://t.co/RNXX904P1S">pic.twitter.com/RNXX904P1S</a></p>— AFP news agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1189133568435523587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
The results last time:

SC514xUU.jpg


8IxP3T8G.jpg
 
You wold expect the Tories to walk this.

A lot depends on how much of the Tory vote is taken out by BXP, who will be cross that the 31/10 deadline was missed.

Also Labour's activist army may close the gap.
 
You wold expect the Tories to walk this.

A lot depends on how much of the Tory vote is taken out by BXP, who will be cross that the 31/10 deadline was missed.

Also Labour's activist army may close the gap.

We could have the ultimate irony of BXP taking enough Tory votes away to let a Labour/LD/SNP coalition into power which will then result in a 2nd referendum which leave will probably lose.
 
Exciting times again! The 3rd General Election in under 5 years! 3 different PMs, with potentially a 4th in December. Here I thought Pakistan politics was unstable! LOL!

In all seriousness, if anything we have learned, that is, we cannot trust the polls.

My prediction is that Tories will have a majority (under 30), and will form an alliance with Brexit Party MPs. SNP and LUDs will be crushed. (More people voted for Brexit in Scotland than they did for the SNP party!).
 
Im predicting a labour win, conservatives with their consistent bull crap will be punished
 
Here we go again. I'm a lot more pessimistic about Labour's chances, can lightning strike twice with Corbyn erasing another massive pre-election polling deficit as he did in 2017 ?
 
Lol, so much material for comedians again.
Whats the cost to tax payers..
 
We could have the ultimate irony of BXP taking enough Tory votes away to let a Labour/LD/SNP coalition into power which will then result in a 2nd referendum which leave will probably lose.

That's the Scot Nat and Lib plan I think.
[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION], Corbyn is the worst Labour leader of all time but comes alive in elections. He is older and more tired this time but will still make a dent in that Tory lead.
 
MPs are debating Boris Johnson's call for a general election on 12 December after Labour threw its weight behind a pre-Christmas poll.

Jeremy Corbyn said he had changed his mind on a snap election after the EU gave the UK another Brexit extension

The Labour leader said this took the risk of a no-deal Brexit off the table - his main objection to the PM's plan.

The prime minister can only hold an election with the support of MPs - who have blocked it three times.

He is currently making a fresh attempt to get their backing in Parliament.

MPs are debating a government bill for an early election on 12 December, which requires only a simple majority of one to pass.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Johnson said it was time to "refresh this Parliament and give the people a choice" about the future of Brexit and the country.

Mr Corbyn said Labour would back any moves by MPs to give 16 and 17-year olds and EU nationals with settled status the right to vote - a move strongly opposed by the government.

"We want the election to involve as many people as possible," he said.

The Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats want a 9 December poll, saying it would prevent the prime minister from pushing his Brexit deal through Parliament.

No 10 sources have told the BBC they would accept 11 December to get opposition parties on-board - and they have agreed to put Brexit legislation on hold, for now.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50221856
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You know that <a href="https://twitter.com/UKLabour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UKLabour</a> supporting a move to allow millions of foreign nationals to vote in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/generalelection2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#generalelection2019</a> is a wrecking amendment right? It’s purpose is to stop the election they (now) say they support. There is no trick too mean they will not support to wreck <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Brexit</a></p>— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) <a href="https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/1189240627403337728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MPs pass early election bill at second reading without need for division - <a href="https://t.co/mosQbuHCLs">https://t.co/mosQbuHCLs</a></p>— AndrewSparrow (@AndrewSparrow) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewSparrow/status/1189237501229174785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Tory Coconut Singh, now that JC has confirmed Labour are in favour of an Election; will you be finding a new hobby to spew vitriol which compels more folk to vote for him :yk fried egg on the face of coconut, the yellow bits mainly :)))
 
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says the party will back plans for a general election in December after the EU agreed to delay Brexit until 31 January
 
[MENTION=56933]ElRaja[/MENTION] didn't you vote for the tories last time, who are you voting for this time
 
Last edited by a moderator:
:)

Shaz bhai the proof will be in the pudding and we’ll see which side has egg on their face come December 13.

Happy to eat some humble pie if Jezza can pull off something special.

If he does lose yet another election let’s just hope his supporters accept the result and not blame it on the Jews and the Zionists.


Tory Coconut Singh, now that JC has confirmed Labour are in favour of an Election; will you be finding a new hobby to spew vitriol which compels more folk to vote for him :yk fried egg on the face of coconut, the yellow bits mainly :)))
 
MPs back 12 December election

The UK is set for a 12 December general election after MPs voted to back it following months of deadlock over Brexit.

By a margin of 438 votes to 20, the Commons approved legislation paving the way for the first December election since 1923.

The bill is still to be approved by the Lords but could become law by the end of the week.

If that happens, there will be a five-week campaign up to polling day.

The prime minister has said the public must be "given a choice" over the future of Brexit and the country.

Mr Johnson hopes the election will give him a fresh mandate for his Brexit deal and break the current parliamentary deadlock, which has led to the UK's exit being further delayed to 31 January.

He is expected to address Conservative MPs shortly.

Before the meeting, No 10 confirmed that half of the 21 Tory MPs thrown out of the party for rebelling over Brexit have had the whip restored. allowing them to stand as Conservative candidates.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "This election is a once-in-a-generation chance to transform our country and take on the vested interests holding people back."

He said his party would "now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change that our country has ever seen".
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50229318
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For 18 months after the 2017 election, politics was incredibly static. Since Feb, when May's lifeless govt finally began to fall apart, it has been in incredible flux. Anything possible in next 6 weeks. Millions will tune in for first time since '17. <a href="https://t.co/Tylo5zwn9J">pic.twitter.com/Tylo5zwn9J</a></p>— Harry Lambert (@harrytlambert) <a href="https://twitter.com/harrytlambert/status/1189175533701128192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Here we go.

MPs have voted to hold an early general election on 12 December.
 
:)

Shaz bhai the proof will be in the pudding and we’ll see which side has egg on their face come December 13.

Happy to eat some humble pie if Jezza can pull off something special.

If he does lose yet another election let’s just hope his supporters accept the result and not blame it on the Jews and the Zionists.

Tories have no answer to Corbyn apart from scaring the public with he is an antisemite, extremist sympathiser etc.

Good move by JC, no point trying forever, if the British public are stupid enough to ruin their country , let them.
 
[MENTION=56933]ElRaja[/MENTION] didn't you vote for the tories last time, who are you voting for this time

lord have mercy, i'm so disillusioned with politics and politicians in general i have no idea, and i dont trust any party. all i know is id never vote labour. the rest is in flux lol.
 
:)

Shaz bhai the proof will be in the pudding and we’ll see which side has egg on their face come December 13.

Happy to eat some humble pie if Jezza can pull off something special.

If he does lose yet another election let’s just hope his supporters accept the result and not blame it on the Jews and the Zionists.

The result hardly impacts the tory singhs you have nothing to lose besides a few extra quid you're unwilling to give up out of pure greed so thieve from the many, so you"ll go back to making a big chunk of change for bending over backwards for folk that look like Boris :yk3 am sure the election will keep you entertained this winter after all what else do silver spooned spoilt brats do ? :irfan read dead redemption anyone ? :)))

Anyway you been attacking Jc for the Ge not happening etc what is your new hobby now Sire lmao
 
lord have mercy, i'm so disillusioned with politics and politicians in general i have no idea, and i dont trust any party. all i know is id never vote labour. the rest is in flux lol.

You would rather vote for a racist who hates your skin colour? He doesn't even like black Tory members lol

 
To be fair, Corbyn has more meat on the bone when it comes to local issues (Non-Brexit policies), where as Boris has nothing but Brexit on the agenda, and is wafer thin on local issues.
 
lord have mercy, i'm so disillusioned with politics and politicians in general i have no idea, and i dont trust any party. all i know is id never vote labour. the rest is in flux lol.

You wouldn't vote for Labour ever or this current Labour party
 
Many teachers are sympathetic to Labour but even they think Labour is a total mess. Corbyn is OK for ideological types but offers little to Middle England. All labour have to do is to get Centrist and the election is theirs.
 
Boris Johnson has said he is ready to fight a "tough" general election after MPs voted for a 12 December poll.

The legislation approved by MPs on Tuesday will later begin its passage through the House of Lords, where it is not expected to be opposed.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the snap poll gave a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to transform the country.

Writing in the Daily Mirror, he outlined his party's "ambitious and radical campaign for real change".

Mr Johnson hopes the election will give him a fresh mandate for his Brexit deal and break the current deadlock in Parliament, which has led to the UK's exit from the EU being further delayed to 31 January.

The prime minister told his Conservative Party colleagues it was time for the country to "come together to get Brexit done".

"It'll be a tough election and we are going to do the best we can," he added.

The leaders of the UK's main two political parties will face off for Prime Minister's Questions at midday on Wednesday.

BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley said PMQs gave Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn a chance to rehearse their election messages before MPs officially hit the campaign trail next week.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50230931
 
its obvious boris will walk this election

I disagree. Scot Nats and LDs will take Tory seats. Corbyn is a good campaigner and has 450,000 members. On the other hand Labour is broke at the moment so we may not see busloads of young red-clad activists popping up in shire town squares like in 2017.
 
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have clashed over the NHS, Brexit and leadership at the last Prime Minister's Questions before the general election.

The Labour leader said voters had a "once in a generation" chance to save the NHS, which was in "greater danger" than at any time in its history.

He said voters had the chance to back "real change" and an end to austerity.

But the PM warned of "economic catastrophe" and "political disaster" if Labour got into power.

Political parties are readying themselves for a general election campaign after MPs voted for a 12 December poll.

The legislation approved by MPs on Tuesday is set to begin its passage through the House of Lords, where it is not expected to be opposed.

And the electoral authorities have set a deadline of the end of Tuesday 26 November for people to register to vote. The cut-off point to apply for postal votes is the same day, but at 17:00 GMT.

In their final encounter in Parliament before the election, the two leaders exchanged barbs over their political values and disputed their parties' respective records on the NHS.

Final Commons clash, for now
The Labour leader accused the PM of running down the health service, saying cuts to funding had contributed to rising waiting times for cancer treatment and operations.

He said a Labour government would reverse what he said was the growing privatisation of the NHS, saying it existed to "make people better, not make the wealthy few richer".

"The choice at this election cannot be clearer," he said.

"People have the choice to vote for real change after years of Conservative and Lib Dem cuts, privatisation and tax handouts for the richest."

Mr Johnson said he agreed voters faced a "stark choice" between a government spending "unrivalled" sums on the NHS and a Labour party that would "wreck the economy".

Dismissing the Labour leader as an "Islingtonian protester" rather than a real leader, he said Mr Corbyn's "flip-flopping" over Brexit would lead to more years of "toxic, tedious, torpor".

While 2020 would be a "wonderful year" under a Tory government, he said electing Jeremy Corbyn would result in further referendums on Europe and Scottish independence.

"That is the future. Drift and dither under the Labour Party or taking the country forward to a brighter future under the Conservatives. That is the choice the country faces."

The election comes after the EU extended the UK's exit deadline to 31 January 2020 - although Brexit can happen earlier if a deal is agreed by MPs.

What happens next?

The Early Parliamentary General Election Bill - which prompts the election - will be debated in the House of Lords on Wednesday
If peers make any amendments to the bill, it will head back to the Commons for MPs to approve or reject the changes
Once passed, the bill will receive Royal Assent - when the Queen formally agrees to the bill becoming law
On Monday 4 November, MPs are due to elect a new Speaker to replace John Bercow
Just after midnight on Wednesday 6 November, Parliament will be shut down or "dissolved" - meaning every seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant
Five weeks later, the country will go to the polls for the first December election since 1923

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50230931
 
Tories have no answer to Corbyn apart from scaring the public with he is an antisemite, extremist sympathiser etc.

Good move by JC, no point trying forever, if the British public are stupid enough to ruin their country , let them.

Then why, after three years of incompetence, racism and weapons-grade lying, are the Tories twelve points in the lead?
 
Then why, after three years of incompetence, racism and weapons-grade lying, are the Tories twelve points in the lead?

There are a few reasons but nothing to do with his policies.

The rich are getting richer and the working people of this country are suffering. British people should bow their heads in shame having food banks and pensioners struggling to get through each day, amongst many other vital issues when this country is very wealthy. The majority of people are not living as well as they should be, purely due to Tory policies who work for the rich and nobody else.

The reasons include political ignorance/lack of understanding esp by the older generation who are stuck in a time lapse. Those with a racist mentality, who will support the Tories over Labour because they want to work with all and for all people of various backgrounds. Or perhaps an old tribal mentality, because their dad voted for the Tory party so will they even if it means they are worse off.

Pakistanis in Pakistan with less education are smarter than British citizens in politics.
 
With their otherworldly spending pledges and insatiable desire to borrow, people are (understandably) rather worried about Labour increasing the deficit and getting the country into mountains of financial strife all over again.

Johnson is a proven campaigner and will do much better on the doorsteps and in the market squares than the MayBot managed. And even with the closing of a huge polling chasm in 2017, the MayBot still retained her premiership (albeit with a confidence & supply arrangement). Corbyn did much better than expected, but he didn’t win - not even close.

The Lib Dems will collect a lot of Remain votes and do relatively well I think. Certainly better than the last couple of times.

Can’t see anything other than a Conservative victory and another five years of Johnson.
 
Brexit. Democracy is more important to people than political correctness.

Plenty of Tory MPs are for People’s Vote and plenty of Labour MPs are for Leave.

Labour’s problem is Corbyn’s personal lack of credibility. Even Ed Milliband would beat this Tory shower.
 
With their otherworldly spending pledges and insatiable desire to borrow, people are (understandably) rather worried about Labour increasing the deficit and getting the country into mountains of financial strife all over again.

Johnson is a proven campaigner and will do much better on the doorsteps and in the market squares than the MayBot managed. And even with the closing of a huge polling chasm in 2017, the MayBot still retained her premiership (albeit with a confidence & supply arrangement). Corbyn did much better than expected, but he didn’t win - not even close.

The Lib Dems will collect a lot of Remain votes and do relatively well I think. Certainly better than the last couple of times.

Can’t see anything other than a Conservative victory and another five years of Johnson.

Scot Nats will gain, and I expect Tories and possibly Labour to be wiped out in Scotland.

Lib Dems will get forty or so MPs, gaining in SW London, SW England, Oxford and Cambridge.

As things look, Tories are heading for a thirty seat majority. If the tactical voting / stand-down pact plan between Scot Nats, LDs, Green and Plaid operates properly there could be another hung Parliament.

Ken Clarke is standing down after 49 years as a MP.

Nicky Morgan and Heidi Allen are standing down, citing the extreme levels of abuse they are suffering and the impact on their families.
 
Last edited:
Plenty of Tory MPs are for People’s Vote and plenty of Labour MPs are for Leave.

Labour’s problem is Corbyn’s personal lack of credibility. Even Ed Milliband would beat this Tory shower.

When you have the PM gunning for Brexit, it is easy to understand why people will vote for the party.

I think everyone is underestimating Labour. If you look at the manifestos, Labour is way way stronger. Labour cover all 10 pertinent issues currently, From Brexit, to Law & Order, Education, Economy, etc. While Tories, LDs, and Brexit party have Brexit as their main message.
 
Jeremy Corbyn will pledge to take on "vested interests holding people back", as the Labour leader kicks off the party's general election campaign.

In a speech on Thursday, Mr Corbyn will promise to "rebuild" public services and take on "the few who run a corrupt system".

He will say the 12 December poll is a "once-in-a-generation chance to transform our country".

However, Boris Johnson blamed him for refusing to allow Brexit to happen.

The prime minister said the UK's failure to leave the EU by 31 October had been caused by Mr Corbyn "insisting upon more dither, more delay".

Ahead of a series of campaign visits of his own on Thursday, the day Brexit had been scheduled to take place, Mr Johnson said: "I didn't want an election.

"Like the country I wanted to get Brexit done, but it is the only way forward."

"I want next year to be a great year for our country - with more investment in frontline NHS services, the recruitment of thousands more police officers to reduce violent crime and investment in every one of our primary and secondary schools across the country."

Five weeks of official election campaigning are expected to get under way once Parliament is formally shut down next Wednesday, 6 November.

It comes after the House of Lords passed the legislation to authorise the election, which was approved by MPs on Tuesday.

Mr Corbyn is expected to say Labour will take on "tax dodgers, dodgy landlords, bad bosses and big polluters" in "the biggest people-powered campaign in history".

"You know what really scares the elite? What they're actually afraid of is paying their taxes. So in this election they'll fight harder and dirtier than ever before".

"They'll throw everything at us because they know we're not afraid to take them on."

"We will invest in every nation and region, rebuild our public services and give our NHS, schools and police the money they need by taxing those at the top to properly fund services for everyone."

But the Conservatives' campaign chairman James Cleverly said: "A vote for Labour is not a vote for change. It is precisely the opposite."

He said Labour would offer "more delay and uncertainty on Brexit, meaning the government can't focus on people's priorities, like the NHS, schools and crime."

MPs standing down
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan became the latest MP to say they would not be standing in the forthcoming election.

Announcing that she would not contest her Loughborough seat again, she said being an MP had had a "clear impact" on her family.

"The abuse for doing the job of a modern MP can only be justified if, ultimately, Parliament does what it is supposed to do - represent those who serve in all areas of public life, respect votes cast by the electorate and make decisions in the overall national interest," she wrote.

More than 50 incumbents are preparing to stand down - and there may be more announcements in the coming days.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has defended her decision to campaign as a "candidate to be prime minister", denying such an outcome is a fantasy.

Ms Swinson told the BBC's Andrew Neil the UK was in a "very volatile political situation" and anything could happen on 12 December.

"Plenty of people said they did not think Jeremy Corbyn would become Labour leader or Donald Trump would become US president.

"Plenty of people said they did not think Brexit would ever happen," she said.

"We have seen many unprecedented political results in recent years."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50242562.
 
When you have the PM gunning for Brexit, it is easy to understand why people will vote for the party.

I think everyone is underestimating Labour. If you look at the manifestos, Labour is way way stronger. Labour cover all 10 pertinent issues currently, From Brexit, to Law & Order, Education, Economy, etc. While Tories, LDs, and Brexit party have Brexit as their main message.

I think Labour will close the poll gap somewhat but doubt Corbyn will win a majority because... Corbyn.

In Beaconsfield, the LD PPC stands down to allow Indy Dominic Grieve a better chance against the leaver Tory candidate.
 
I think Labour will close the poll gap somewhat but doubt Corbyn will win a majority because... Corbyn.

In Beaconsfield, the LD PPC stands down to allow Indy Dominic Grieve a better chance against the leaver Tory candidate.

Labour will undoubtedly poll higher as the campaign progresses. A lot of remainers who switched to the Libdems will return for the election. And those (like myself) who cannot stand JC/Momentum will put aside personal feelings and campaign for labour in order to remove this over-privileged, narcissistic, compulsive liar and charlatan from Downing street. Unfortunately, that will not be enough. How I wish Sadiq Khan was leading the party.
The only real hope is that enough people in marginals put aside party affiliations and vote tactically for the best placed anti-conservative candidate. We may then arrive at a situation where Labour, SNP & LDs plus independents can form a progressive coalition.
 
A Government report determines it was "appropriate" to give £100k in public money to an American businesswoman who was just so happening to be bonking Boris Johnson.

You couldn't make this up. This is textbook corruption that Labour should slap on every election billboard.
 
Nigel Farage has called on Boris Johnson to ditch his Brexit deal and "build a Leave alliance".

At the launch of the Brexit Party's election campaign, the leader said bringing the parties together was "the only way" forward.

But he warned Mr Johnson that if he turned down his offer, the party would field candidates in "every single seat" in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Conservatives have consistently ruled out a formal pact with the party.

A Tory source told the BBC: "A vote for Farage risks letting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street via the back door. It will not get Brexit done and it will create another gridlocked Parliament that doesn't work."

It comes after President Donald Trump said Mr Farage and Boris Johnson should team up as "an unstoppable force".

Recent opinion polls have shown the Conservatives with a double-digit lead over Labour.

Polling expert Sir John Curtice said Boris Johnson had received a boost after he negotiated a deal with the EU and brought the deal back to Parliament before 31 October deadline.

However, MPs turned down his plan to pass the deal in three days, leading to a three month extension to the deadline - something vocal Brexiteers, including Mr Farage, have criticised the PM for.

Having not got Brexit through by Halloween, some Tories fear that Mr Farage's candidates could split the pro-Brexit vote and prevent their party from winning a majority in 12 December poll.


Media captionTen moments that led to an(other) election
Mr Farage used the launch to condemn the PM's deal, urging him to "drop [it] because it is not Brexit".

Instead, Mr Farage urged him to pursue a free trade agreement with the EU - similar to the deal the bloc has with Canada - and to impose a new deadline of 1 July 2020 to get it signed off.

If an agreement was not done by then, the UK should leave the EU without a deal and move to World Trade Organisation trading rules.

"I would view that as totally reasonable," he said. "That really would be Brexit."

But Mr Farage said if Mr Johnson did not pursue the route, the Brexit Party would contest every seat in the country - with 500 candidates ready to sign the forms to stand on Monday.

"The Brexit Party would be the only party standing at these elections that actually represents Brexit," he said.

Nigel Farage has, in effect, given Boris Johnson an ultimatum - abandon your central Brexit policy or the Brexit Party will challenge your deal at every opportunity across the country.

With the prime minister highly likely to refuse, it seems Mr Farage will have to live up to his promise of fielding 500 or more candidates in this election by Monday - and his claim that he has the resources to do so.

That's a tall order for a party that only launched in April.

He's no doubt buoyed by the Brexit Party's success in the European elections earlier this year.

But in the past, when at the helm of UKIP, Mr Farage has struggled to turn popular support into Westminster seats.

He has been targeting Labour leave areas in Wales, the Midlands and the North of England - the very seats Mr Johnson has in his sights.

But the risk for both parties is by splitting the Leave vote they give Jeremy Corbyn an unintended boost.

Mr Farage also attacked Labour for a "complete and utter betrayal on Brexit" - and said his party would target Labour seats in the Midlands and North of England.

He said Labour's plan to renegotiate a deal then put it to a referendum was offering a choice of "remain or effectively remain".

Mr Farage said there were five million Labour voters who had supported Leave in the 2016 EU referendum - although that is likely to be an overestimate - meaning his party "posed a very major problem" for Jeremy Corbyn.

"So many Labour Leave seats are represented by Remain members of Parliament," he said. "We view those constituencies around the country among our top targets."

He ridiculed the reported Conservative plan to target "Workington man" - Leave-supporting traditional Labour voters in northern towns - saying Tories needed to get out of London more.

On the other side of the Brexit debate, Remain-supporting parties have been negotiating electoral pacts in certain constituencies.

The potential agreements would see the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru stand aside for each other to ensure the election of as many MPs who back a second Brexit referendum as possible.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said it was "no secret" that the his party was "talking to the Lib Dems and Plaid" but "nothing has been finalised".

Elsewhere on the election trail:

Both the Tories and Labour are fighting off criticisms from US President Donald Trump
No 10 has defended the PM's Brexit deal - which Mr Trump said would hamper any deal with the US - saying it would allow the UK "strike free trade deals around the world"
Jeremy Corbyn accused the president of trying to "interfere" in the election after he said the Labour leader would be "so bad" as PM
The SNP's leader and First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has been campaigning in Leith
She said the upcoming election was a chance for Scotland to "escape the Brexit chaos" and become an independent EU country
Meanwhile, a poll by Teacher Tapp found one in 12 primary school teachers say nativity plays and Christmas concerts will be disrupted by the election

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50261647
 
A Government report determines it was "appropriate" to give £100k in public money to an American businesswoman who was just so happening to be bonking Boris Johnson.

You couldn't make this up. This is textbook corruption that Labour should slap on every election billboard.

Maybe 20 years ago this £100K story would be detrimental but these days its a given that powerful politicians and favours go hand in hand. In other words, it's not really news which is why Labour is not slapping this on every election billboard.
 
Boris Johnson has rejected the suggestion from Nigel Farage and Donald Trump that he should work with the Brexit Party during the election.

The Tory leader told the BBC he was "always grateful for advice" but he would not enter into election pacts.

His comments come after the US president said Mr Farage and Mr Johnson would be "an unstoppable force".

Downing Street sources say there are no circumstances in which the Tories would work with the Brexit Party.

In an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, the prime minister said the "difficulty" of doing deals with "any other party" was that it "simply risks putting Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10".

"The problem with that is that his [Mr Corbyn's] plan for Brexit is basically yet more dither and delay," Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson also said there was "no question of negotiating on the NHS" as part of any future trade deal with the US, but he did not rule out expanding the amount of private provision in the health service in the future.

But Labour's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said the public "can't trust the Tories on the NHS", saying they would "increase privatisation even further and do a deal with Donald Trump".

When pushed on whether he would rule out a deal with Mr Farage, Mr Johnson replied: "I want to be very, very clear that voting for any other party than this government, this Conservative government… is basically tantamount to putting Jeremy Corbyn in."

The UK is going to the polls on 12 December following a further delay to the UK's departure from the EU, to 31 January 2020.

The BBC will be talking to other party leaders during the course of the campaign.

US president Donald Trump told Nigel Farage's LBC show on Thursday that the Brexit Party leader should team up with Mr Johnson to do "something terrific" and he also criticised the prime minister's EU withdrawal agreement.

Meanwhile, Mr Farage has called on the prime minister to drop his Brexit deal, unite in a "Leave alliance" or face a Brexit Party candidate in every seat in the election.

Mr Johnson said there were "lots of reasons" why he thought a Labour government would be a "disaster".

He said he Labour government would lead to a renegotiation with Brussels on a Brexit deal, then another referendum.

"Why go through that nightmare again?" he said.

'Great relations'
The prime minister also suggested that the US president was wrong to believe a trade deal would be impossible with the UK after Brexit.

Mr Johnson said his "proper Brexit" deal "enables us to do proper all-singing, all-dancing free-trade deals".

"It delivers exactly what we wanted, what I wanted, when I campaigned in 2016 to come out the European Union," Mr Johnson said.

When asked about the criticism from Mr Trump, Mr Johnson said: "I am always grateful for advice from wherever it comes and we have great relations as you know with the US and many many other countries.

"But on the technicalities of the deal anybody who looks at it can see that the UK has full control."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50264395.
 
The super-rich are preparing to immediately leave the UK if Jeremy Corbyn becomes prime minister, fearing they will lose billions of pounds if the Labour leader does “go after” the wealthy elite with new taxes, possible capital controls and a clampdown on private schools.

Lawyers and accountants for the UK’s richest families said they had been deluged with calls from millionaire and billionaire clients asking for help and advice on moving countries, shifting their fortunes offshore and making early gifts to their children to avoid the Labour leader’s threat to tax all inheritances above £125,000.

The advisers said a Corbyn-led government was viewed as a far greater threat to the wealth and quality of life of the richest 1% than a hard Brexit.

Geoffrey Todd, a partner at the law firm Boodle Hatfield, said many of his clients had already put plans in place to transfer their wealth out of the country within minutes if Corbyn is elected.

“Lots of high-net worth individuals are worried about having to pay much higher taxes on their wealth and have already prepared for the possibility of a Corbyn government,” he said. “Transfers of wealth are already arranged – in many cases, all that is missing is a signature on the contract.

“There will be plenty of people on the phone to their lawyers in the early hours of 13 December if Labour wins. Movements of capital to new owners and different locations are already prepared, and they are just awaiting final approval.”

Dominic Samuelson, the chief executive of Campden Wealth, which advises more than 3,500 rich families, said: “From the ultra-high net worth perspective, a Labour government under Corbyn is a much greater threat to them and their businesses and their wealth than Brexit.”

On Thursday, Corbyn singled out five members of “the elite” that a Labour government would go after in order to rebalance the country.

He claimed Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner of Sports Direct and Newcastle United, was a “bad boss” who exploited his workers through zero-hours contracts. Ashley hit back, telling the Financial Times: “Corbyn’s not only a liar but clueless.”

The Labour leader also named the “greedy banker” Crispin Odey, the hedge fund manager who made £220m betting against the pound in the run-up to the EU referendum. Odey responded by telling the Daily Telegraph: “Luckily they [Labour] can’t even run a campaign, let alone the country.”

The others singled out by Corbyn were: Jim Ratcliffe, the chemicals billionaire who has left the UK for tax-free Monaco; the Sun and Sunday Times owner, Rupert Murdoch; and the Duke of Westminster, who has a large central London property empire.

The shadow Treasury minister Clive Lewis went further than the Labour leader, telling the BBC’s Newsnight programme: “Billionaires shouldn’t exist. It’s a travesty that there are people on this planet living on less than a dollar a day.

“There are people, when I walk into parliament, who are sleeping rough on the streets of this country – the sixth-wealthiest in this world.” He also described private schools as “engines of inequality”.

Josie Hills, a senior tax manager at Pinsent Masons, said not being able to educate their children at Eton, Harrow or Winchester was a key worry for many of the law firm’s rich clients, who were considering moving to Switzerland and other low-tax countries with well-regarded private schools.

“I would say 80% of our clients have thought about the implications of a Corbyn government,” she said. “They tend to say they sincerely hope it won’t happen but they want to be ready if it does. If that means uprooting themselves and their families then so be it.”

John Caudwell, the billionaire founder of Phones4u, has already vowed to leave the country if Corbyn becomes prime minister. Caudwell, who has an estimated £1.6bn fortune, said a Corbyn-led government would be “a complete fiasco” and he would “just go and live in the south of France or Monaco”.

Corbyn has not set out precisely how he would target the rich, but Labour’s 2017 manifesto pledged to impose a 45p tax rate on those earning more than £80,000 and a 50% rate above £123,000. At present, the highest income tax rate is 45% for those earning more than £150,000.

Labour would also significantly increase capital gains tax and replace inheritance tax with a “lifetime gifts” levy, with a tax-free allowance of £125,000 – less than half the current £325,000. There are also plans to increase the corporation tax rate to 26%, up from the current rate of 19%.

Corbyn’s plans for workers’ rights, with ideas floated including a four-day working week and giving employees 10% of the shares of big firms, are also of concern to the wealthy.

Peter Hargreaves, who has an estimated fortune of £3bn and co-founded the stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown, warned Corbyn’s plans would be an “own goal and leave the country much worse off”.

He added: “It has been proven time and time again: there is only so much you can tax a nation before the tax take starts to go down because people will leave. My family will not be leaving, I love this country and I have always been enormously patriotic.

Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
“But certainly the very, very wealthy people will consider leaving if you make it intolerable. People are petrified of him [Corbyn], and what he might do.”

Hargreaves said the stockbroker employed about 1,700 people and had “created a vast amount of wealth for this country”.

He added: “If you create a tax regime that is not going to welcome and support people like me who create wealth then you are going to rapidly reduce the health of your economy.”

Hargreaves said he paid about £40m in tax last year, and “if 50 of us [the biggest taxpayers] got on a plane and left, that would put a big hole in the chancellor’s budget”.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...n-jeremy-corbyn-wealth-taxes?CMP=share_btn_wa.
 
A Government report determines it was "appropriate" to give £100k in public money to an American businesswoman who was just so happening to be bonking Boris Johnson.

You couldn't make this up. This is textbook corruption that Labour should slap on every election billboard.

Probably better to focus on a positive message to win centre voters. People who hate the Tories won’t hate them any more because of attack ads on billboards.
 
Nigel Farage has said he will not stand as an MP in the upcoming election.

The Brexit Party leader, who has said he will field 600 candidates in seats across the UK, told Sky News that he believed his cause was better served by travelling around the country.

Mr Farage was unsuccessful in each of his seven attempts to run for parliament as a UKIP candidate.

He said: "I've thought hard about it. How do I best serve the Brexit cause? Is it by finding a seat or is it by supporting 600 men and women who are going to fight seats?

"And as importantly, I want to get out round the country and remind people that the Labour Party have completely broken the promises they made to the British people.

"Secondly, I want people to understand fully that when Boris Johnson says he was delivering Brexit, what he is putting on the table is not Brexit and I'm going to tell them why."

Responding, Conservative Party arty chairman James Cleverly said: "Nigel Farage has already admitted that a vote for the Brexit Party risks letting (Jeremy) Corbyn in through the backdoor creating another gridlocked hung Parliament that doesn't work.

"Scores of his supporters have already called for him to back Boris' great new deal as, just like us, they want to get Brexit done and let the country move on.

"We can then focus on the people's priorities - investing in our NHS, tackling violent crime, and cutting the cost of living"

Mr Farage has been an member of European Parliament since 1999, representing South East England.

After quitting as leader of UKIP in 2016 following the EU referendum, he left the party in 2018 and went on to form the Brexit Party.

Speculation about whether Mr Farage would commit to a full field of candidates or announce a more targeted push in Leave-leaning seats was rife in Westminster before the launch of his party's campaign on Friday.

During the launch, he issued an ultimatum to the prime minister - that the Brexit Party would stand across Britain unless Boris Johnson scraps the withdrawal agreement he secured with Brussels, giving him two weeks to decide.

In an interview with Sky's Sophy Ridge, the prime minister rejected the offer outright.

A confidential Tory election dossier obtained by Sky News detailing the "attack messages" candidates are expected to use aims to counter the electoral threat posed by Mr Farage acknowledging people "might like what the Brexit Party say", but warning a vote for them will "let Labour and the Lib Dems in".

https://news.sky.com/story/general-election-2019-nigel-farage-says-he-will-not-stand-as-mp-11852868
 
Last edited:
Interesting poll - a constituency where Farage’s lot would cost the Tories a seat.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Portsmouth South, constituency voting intention:<br><br>LDEM: 30% (+13)<br>CON: 27% (-14)<br>LAB: 24% (-17)<br>BREX: 14% (+14)<br><br>via <a href="https://twitter.com/Survation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Survation</a>, 28 - 29 Oct <a href="https://t.co/RhZXx8cKqt">pic.twitter.com/RhZXx8cKqt</a></p>— Britain Elects (@britainelects) <a href="https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/1191341879599734784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Interesting poll - a constituency where Farage’s lot would cost the Tories a seat.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Portsmouth South, constituency voting intention:<br><br>LDEM: 30% (+13)<br>CON: 27% (-14)<br>LAB: 24% (-17)<br>BREX: 14% (+14)<br><br>via <a href="https://twitter.com/Survation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Survation</a>, 28 - 29 Oct <a href="https://t.co/RhZXx8cKqt">pic.twitter.com/RhZXx8cKqt</a></p>— Britain Elects (@britainelects) <a href="https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/1191341879599734784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

They will cost Tories in the South and Labour in the North.
 
Poor LUDs, raising an official complaint because their leader, Jo Swinson, was snubbed at the ITV debate. !

She even went on to claim it is because she is a woman. That didn't go down too well, LDs slipping big time.
 
DT0TJM9XkAUYjA5


Borrowed from Twitter:

“in 2015, labour won over 60 seats where the ukip vote cost the tories the win. Now had ukip not stood the tories may not have garnered all those votes, but it would still have won many of them.”


Farage not standing will help the Tories to a certain degree however he’s still campaigning and telling his voters not to vote Tory.
 
They will not. Farage is not standing, so BXP votes, will go to Tories.

He isn’t standing because he won’t want to face the humiliation of being beaten by a dolphin again.

They are polling at around 10% and putting up 600 candidates. BXP won’t get any seats but will act as disrupters in a lot of constituencies. Where the votes go depends on the constituency. There are Labour leave voters in the north who will switch to BXP, and some Tories in the south who want No Deal will desert Johnson. So I foresee some sears changing hands in unpredictable ways. My own constituency looks like a four horse race.
 
Stopping Brexit will deliver a £50bn "Remain bonus" for public services over the next five years, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50297164

She really is not smart. Boris' soundbite is £1 Billion saved a month once out of the EU. Almost £50B in 5 years! Where are the LUDs going to find £50B?

The party said the £50bn figure - the amount that it has calculated will be saved over the next five years by staying in the EU - is based on the UK economy being 1.9% larger in 2024-25.

It reflects the extra tax income over the next five years and is based on a 0.4% average annual boost to GDP if the UK stays in the EU.

Someone nees to remind her that the largest single market and custom's Union is broke. Germany is in recession, and you have negative rates galore in the EU/EZ.
 
He isn’t standing because he won’t want to face the humiliation of being beaten by a dolphin again.

They are polling at around 10% and putting up 600 candidates. BXP won’t get any seats but will act as disrupters in a lot of constituencies. Where the votes go depends on the constituency. There are Labour leave voters in the north who will switch to BXP, and some Tories in the south who want No Deal will desert Johnson. So I foresee some sears changing hands in unpredictable ways. My own constituency looks like a four horse race.

It's bizarre he is not standing, after 7 failed attempts, I'd have though this was his best shot to get into the Houses of Parliament.

Then again, he might be toying with the idea of working with Trump, or he is ill.

I think Boris will win a landslide victory now. LDs are dropping in the polls, and the Green party are not going to make the same mistake they did with the LDs last time.
 
Poor LUDs, raising an official complaint because their leader, Jo Swinson, was snubbed at the ITV debate. !

She even went on to claim it is because she is a woman. That didn't go down too well, LDs slipping big time.

She’s in the debate now. ITV has succumbed to pressure.
 
I think Boris will win a landslide victory now. LDs are dropping in the polls, and the Green party are not going to make the same mistake they did with the LDs last time.

There was a mistake? Nine LDs and six Greens have stood down to support each other already. The idea is get more Remain MPs.
 
It's bizarre he is not standing, after 7 failed attempts, I'd have though this was his best shot to get into the Houses of Parliament.

Then again, he might be toying with the idea of working with Trump, or he is ill.

Or he’s a coward and doesn’t want to be humiliated at the ballot box yet again.
 
Exactly, stood down.

You want more remain MPs, head over to Labour.

A lot of them are Lexiteers though.

Some Labour activists down my way are campaigning in neighbouring constituencies where their PCC has more chance.

LDs are standing down on the Isle of Wight to help the Green beat the Tory. Also in Dominic Grieve’s constituency, and I think Anna Soubry’s too. Plaid and Greens are standing down to help Lib Dems in some places.
 
A FB rumour which hasn’t checked out. LDs are mounting a legal challenge to ITV, having been represented at the 2010, 2015 and 2017 debates.

ITV are well within their rights. I do not see the other parties such as BXP or Greens mounting a legal challenge because they were not invited.

Seems like her accusation of misogyny has completely backfired.
 
Or he’s a coward and doesn’t want to be humiliated at the ballot box yet again.

Call him a coward what not, he remains the biggest threat. Those 4 Million UKIP votes were the difference between the Tories having a slim majority and a large majority in 2015. He left UKIP, and those 4 Million dispersed. He starts a BX Party, and the GE election is a 3 way horse.

He is accredited for influencing and changing British politics like no other leader has in the past 10 years.

Coward, arguable, humiliated, absolutely not.
 
Exactly so. He will lose respect from buddies Trump and Putin if he gets dolphined again.

Trying 7 times, and failing, doesn't sound like a coward to me.

I know of a few Councillors who failed once and gave up.
 
Phillip Hammond stands down as MP. Yes!

Deselected by his own party.

Remain days are numbered.
 
ITV are well within their rights. I do not see the other parties such as BXP or Greens mounting a legal challenge because they were not invited.

Seems like her accusation of misogyny has completely backfired.

Greens, UKIP etc came to the last one so I am surprised they were not invited this time.

Sky intend to host a debate featuring Johnson, Corbyn and Swinson on 28 November. That was the rumour.

This will add pressure to ITV to include Swinson in their debate.
 
Is there anything labour don’t want to ban?


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Labour's private jet ban plan makes 'little sense,' says industry <a href="https://t.co/1W2VWN5ydb">https://t.co/1W2VWN5ydb</a> <a href="https://t.co/vbTz0uWzK9">pic.twitter.com/vbTz0uWzK9</a></p>— City A.M. (@CityAM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityAM/status/1191426272104050692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
General election 2019: Official campaign begins after PM meets Queen

Boris Johnson will launch the Conservative election campaign later, promising to "get Brexit done".

The prime minister has met the Queen at Buckingham Palace, marking the official start of the election period in the run-up to the 12 December poll.

He will make a statement before addressing his first rally of the five-week campaign.

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour is "well prepared and utterly determined" to win power to "transform" the country.

In a speech in Telford, he said recent comments by Tory candidates about the Grenfell tragedy were "shameful" and suggested his opponents felt there were "above us all".

Elsewhere, as the starting pistol is fired on five weeks of official campaigning:

The Green Party has launched its campaign with a promise to invest £100bn a year on climate action
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to spend £2.2bn a year on mental health services, funded by a 1% rise to income tax
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has apologised "unreservedly" for comments about the Grenfell Fire Tragedy
A senior Welsh Conservative says it looks "very difficult" for Alun Cairns to lead the party's election campaign in Wales after his former aide "sabotaged" a rape trial.
Labour's ruling body meets to discuss whether Chris Williamson and Keith Vaz can stand as candidates
Tory Party chairman James Cleverly has defended the conduct of the party's campaign so far after two Conservatives were forced to apologise for comments about the Grenfell tragedy and the party was accused of "doctoring" a video of Labour's Sir Keir Starmer talking about Brexit.

Mr Cleverly said Jacob Rees Mogg and Andrew Bridgen's remarks about the actions of Grenfell victims had "caused hurt and distress", telling BBC Breakfast "we don't always get things right and when we get it wrong we apologise".

However, he insisted the Starmer video - which has been described as "inexplicable" by one of his own MPs Johnny Mercer - was "obviously light-hearted" and would not be removed.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph to mark the start of the Conservative campaign, Mr Johnson likened the UK to a "supercar blocked in the traffic" by Brexit, adding: "If we can get Brexit done, there are hundreds of billions of pounds of investment that are just waiting to flood into this country."

He said those in Labour "point their fingers" at the rich "with a relish and a vindictiveness not seen since Stalin persecuted the kulaks" - wealthier peasants during the Russian Revolution, many of whom were murdered or starved to death.

And he repeated his claim that as well as another referendum on Brexit, a Labour government would also lead to a second vote on Scottish independence.
bbc.com/news/election-2019-50311003
 
Boris Johnson says the Tories will get Brexit "over the line" if they win the general election and "unleash the country's potential".

In a statement outside No 10 marking the start of his campaign, Mr Johnson said if returned to power he would end the "paralysis" in Parliament and take the UK out of the EU in January.

A Labour victory would mean a "horror show" of further Brexit delay, he said.

But in a blow to the PM, Alun Cairns has resigned as Welsh secretary.

Mr Cairns quit the cabinet after claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial.

The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said while Mr Cairns was not a "big name" outside of Wales, his exit was a "major disruption" and Mr Johnson clearly "needed to get a grip" of a campaign that was "on the brink of disarray".

The resignation has compounded an already problematic start to the campaign for the party, which has seen two Tory candidates apologise for comments about victims of the Grenfell tragedy.

Party chairman James Cleverly said Jacob Rees-Mogg and Andrew Bridgen's remarks about the actions of Grenfell victims had "caused hurt and distress", telling BBC Breakfast: "We don't always get things right and when we get it wrong we apologise."

Elsewhere, as the starting pistol is fired on five weeks of official campaigning:

The Green Party has launched its campaign with a promise to invest £100bn a year on climate action for a decade
The Liberal Democrats have pledged to spend £2.2bn a year on mental health services, funded by a 1% rise to income tax
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has apologised "unreservedly" for comments about the Grenfell Fire Tragedy
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns resigned over claims he knew about a former aide's role in the "sabotage" of a rape trial
Labour's ruling body have not endorsed Chris Williamson, Stephen Hepburn and Roger Godsiff as candidates for the party
The prime minister met the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday morning, marking the official start of the election period in the run-up to the 12 December poll.

Speaking later outside Downing Street, Mr Johnson said he did not want to call the election but had been forced to act in the face of Parliament's efforts to block his "great Brexit deal".

If his "modern and compassionate" party won the election, he said he would take the UK out of the EU within six weeks, a move which would release a "flood of pent-up investment" in the economy.

In contrast, he said a Labour victory would result in another referendum and a second vote on Scottish independence.

"If I come back with a working majority, I will get Parliament working again," he said.

"Come with us and get Brexit done and take the country forward or spend the whole of 2020 in a horror show of dither and delay."

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50311003
 
Tom Watson quits. Rats fleeing a sinking ship?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With his typical consummate timing, Labour deputy leader Tom Watson quits parliament mid way through <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BorisJohnson</a> launch speech. <a href="https://t.co/Ev5inyyDG3">https://t.co/Ev5inyyDG3</a></p>— Robert Peston (@Peston) <a href="https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1192170770161684481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
no great loss, he was an obstacle anyway & totally discredited re paedophile scandal, a blairite remainer representing a leave constituency
 
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson is stepping down from his role and will not run as an MP in the December election.

He says he will continue to campaign for the party, and the decision was "personal, not political".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanked Mr Watson for his service, adding: "This is not the end of our work together."

Mr Watson has often been at odds with the leadership and faced an attempt to oust him at Labour's conference.

As an ardent Remainer, Mr Watson was also at odds with his own constituency, which voted 66% in favour of Leave at the 2016 referendum.

In his letter to Mr Corbyn, the former MP for West Bromwich East thanked the leader "for the decency and courtesy you have shown me over the last four years, even in difficult times".

He added: "Our many shared interests are less well known than our political differences, but I will continue to devote myself to the things we often talk about" - including gambling regulation, stopping press intrusion and campaigns on public health.

He also said that after the election, he "won't be leaving politics altogether" - with plans to work on public health campaigns and release a book about his own struggle with type 2 diabetes.

He told the BBC that after 35 years in front-line politics, he wanted to "take a leap and do something new", but he said he would be out campaigning for the Labour Party to make sure a Labour government is elected.

"In politics you have got to know when to step away and for me this is a personal decision. There's lots I have got going on in the future. I just think I need a complete change after a long period of frontline politics and I am rather looking forward to it," he said.

Tom Watson and Jeremy Corbyn seem keen to part on good terms but their supporters were often at loggerheads.

Mr Watson was at the head of a group of around 100 moderate or centrist Labour MPs which called itself the Future Britain group.

Labour's deputy set the group up in March and it was widely assumed it was a means of keeping critics of Jeremy Corbyn inside the party following the inauguration of the ill-fated Independent Group of MPs.

It was more than a mutual support group - it also intended to develop social democratic policies rather than simply cede the agenda to the left.

But it has lost its well-known figurehead tonight and the question now is whether some of its members will follow Tom Watson out of Westminster, convinced that dragging Labour back to the pre-Corbyn era is a lost cause.

That answer may come in the election of Mr Watson's successor - or successors as Jeremy Corbyn apparently favours not two gender-balanced deputies.

A Blairite or Brownite candidate is unlikely to succeed.

But whether an MP on the soft left - beyond Mr Corbyn's circle - succeeds him, could determine whether the party remains a broad church.

In his reply, Mr Corbyn said: "Few people have given as much to the Labour movement as you have and I know that many thousands of members and trade unionists you have inspired and worked with over the years will be very sorry to see you go."

Mr Watson was elected deputy leader in 2015 on the same day that Mr Corbyn won his own ballot to run the party.

But the pair come from different political wings of Labour.

Mr Watson was a close ally of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and worked in the top team of previous party leader Ed Miliband.

But Mr Corbyn was on the backbenches during this period and further left on the political spectrum than his deputy.

Brexit battles
Since the pair have been running Labour, there have been a number of public disagreements, including most recently over the party's Brexit position.

While Mr Corbyn has refused to say how he would campaign in a further referendum - as promised by the leader if Labour wins the election - Mr Watson has called for the party to "unequivocally back Remain".

The day before the party's conference in September, there was also an attempt to kick Mr Watson out of his post by the chief of the left wing campaign group Momentum, Jon Lansman.

However, the motion Mr Lansman tabled at a meeting of the National Executive Committee was dropped after Mr Corbyn intervened.

In recent months, Mr Watson has also faced criticism for meeting Carl Beech, the paedophile fantasist who falsely accused VIPs of sexually abusing him.

He was accused of giving "oxygen" to Beech's claims, but Mr Watson said he met Beech to offer him reassurance on behalf of the police.

Daniel Janner, the son of the late MP Lord Janner who was falsely accused by Beech, said Mr Watson's position had become "untenable" and he "has stood down because he would have been defeated".

A number of former Labour MPs have paid tribute to Mr Watson.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said his "energy, passion for politics and commitment to campaigning - whether fighting against Tory austerity or for better regulation of the gambling industry - will be much missed".

Jess Phillips, who also represented a seat in the West Midlands before Parliament dissolved for the election, told the BBC: "It's so very, very sad. I feel genuinely sad.

"I think the Labour Party needs to fight the election hard and then do some serious work to make sure we are the best we can be."

The Jewish Labour Movement also called the decision "shocking and saddening", saying he had been a "strong ally in the fight against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party".

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50325666.
 
Back
Top