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Labour will pledge to officially recognise the Palestinian state “as part of the peace process” in the party’s upcoming general election manifesto, details leaked to The Independent show.
Taking aim at Israel, Sir Keir Starmer’s party will say that “neighbours should not be able to veto” recognition of Palestine, in a bold new move aimed at resolving deep splits within Labour over its position on the war in the Middle East.
The revelations came as a Tory candidate quit after it emerged he had made lurid sexual comments about women. Magistrate Sam Trask pulled out of the race to stand in Bridgend, Wales, after it was revealed that he once boasted his favourite bra size measuring technique was “hand sizing them by feel”.
Confronted over the remarks, he apologised and said he had “decided to withdraw as a candidate”.
And a fresh row erupted for the Tories after an MP who recently had spinal surgery was deselected from the Scottish Tory party to make way for Douglas Ross, in what was branded by the SNP as a “day of shame for the Tories”.
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”.
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.”
Sunak kept quiet about £5m donation made by race row Tory donor Frank Hester this year
Exclusive: Labour manifesto will include plan to recognise a Palestinian state
Labour’s manifesto will include a plan to officially recognise the Palestinian state “as part of the peace process”, The Independent can reveal.
The bold new move also takes aim at Israel saying that “neighbours should not be able to veto” recognition of Palestine.
The eye catching commitment is aimed at resolving deep differences within Labour which have seen huge splits between the left and centrists, as well Muslim voters punish the party in the local elections last month.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full exclusive report:
General election countdown: What the 1983 and 2017 votes tell us about Starmer’s lead over Sunak
Nationwide Ulez is inevitable, ex-Tory minister says
Former Tory environment secretary John Gummer has said people will have to pay to use roads to cut transport emissions in the next years.
He said government and industry must stop making the concept “terrifying” as he spoke at an event in Westminster for the new independent Council for Net Zero Transport.
Introducing road pricing as a way to tackle air pollution, such as the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in London, has been divisive in recent years, especially amid the cost-of-living crisis.
But discussing the issue at the event on Thursday, industry experts said the next government will have to bring in measures that shift public behaviour alongside the other strategies aimed at decarbonisatiing transport.
Lord Deben, who is the council’s chairman, said: “If there’s one issue that we know is going to happen is there is going to be road pricing so stop making it a terrifying thing and start working out how best to do it.”
Watch: All the Tory campaign gaffes caught on camera so far
Watch: All the Tory campaign gaffes caught on camera so far
The UK general election campaign is now in full swing, with less than one month to go until Britain heads to the polls. Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will have the opportunity to battle for votes over the coming weeks, with plenty of public appearances and a number of head-to-head TV debates planned. Occasionally, though, politicians can make a slip or two and it seems several high-profile gaffes have marred the early days of the Conservative Party’s election campaign.
Lord Frost: ‘Labour just don’t get it’
Former Brexit minister David Frost has slammed the Labour party after claims Rachel Reeves could increase capital gains tax.
Some shadow cabinet ministers are reportedly pushing for the hike to fund public services if Labour gets into Downing Street.
Politics Explained | Will we see calls for electoral reform?
When this election is over, there will be much attention on the new government, the plight of the opposition, and the prospects for the nation.
One of the more important issues that will also inevitably re-emerge is how the British first-past-the-post system can throw up some exaggerated and eccentric outcomes in parliament, and with that will come another great debate on electoral reform.
The performances of the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and Reform UK will present this issue in sharp relief, writes Sean O’Grady.
Source: independent.co.uk
