Election

On Saturday night, Labour announced its plans to ‘fix the prison crisis and keep criminals behind bars’. If this announcement is the full extent of Labour’s prison policy, then disaster awaits them in government. At least Labour seems to recognise some of the problems. They point out that as a result of overcrowding our prisons are a ‘powder keg waiting to explode’, and that the early release scheme, under which prisoners are being released up to 70 days early, is ‘creating a potential risk to the public’. They point out that one inmate was freed early despite being ‘a risk to children’. Labour is also right that the Tories’ mismanagement

Just when you thought this election campaign couldn’t get any more tumultuous, Douglas Ross has announced he will resign as Scottish Conservative leader. He had lost the support of his colleagues – particularly those in Holyrood – following his decision to effectively take over a Westminster colleague’s constituency when that MP was seriously ill in hospital.  In a statement released this morning, Ross said he had come to the conclusion was no longer ‘feasible’ to be both an MP, MSP and party leader (something he had previously stated, but changed his mind on), but that he will continue to hold the role until after the election. He will also resign

As a general rule, you know your election campaign has gone off track when politicians are being asked on the broadcast round whether their leader will quit before polling day. This is what Tory minister Mel Stride encountered over the weekend on Sky News following the backlash over Rishi Sunak’s decision to miss part of the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations on Thursday, instead returning to the UK. Stride insisted that Sunak would ‘absolutely’ lead the party until polling day – and said how sorry the ‘patriotic’ Prime Minister was for misjudging the situation. It’s hard to find a Tory MP who believes Sunak will be leader for long after the

It’s three days since Rishi Sunak’s Normandy gaffe but there’s no sign of the row going away anytime soon. The Sunday Times reports that Lord Cameron was ‘apoplectic’ about the Prime Minister’s decision to leave the D-Day commemorations early but, when asked why he had not ‘picked Sunak up by his lapels’, replied ‘There is only so much I can do.’ The papers adds that there is also ‘fury at Buckingham Palace’ as ‘the King, who is being treated for cancer, was advised not to travel but was determined to do so, despite being in pain.’ Talk about getting a full house on the outrage front… It was left to

I’ve always loved voting. No matter how many times I’ve been disappointed, I’ll be out there next time round getting all misty-eyed as I put my X on the ballot paper and embarrassing the poor people running the show by blurting ‘Thank you for everything you do for democracy!’ before bolting for the door. It’s something to do with feeling connected with history and the bravery of people before me – the Suffragettes getting force-fed – but also feeling linked to the people fighting and dying for the right to vote all around the world. As Peter Robins wrote in The Spectator back in 2014: ‘If you want to see

The party is floundering. Its leaders are at odds with their activists about what are their core beliefs. It is in danger of being relegated to third place in the popular vote by an organisation whose prominent figures are former members. And many commentators wonder whether the party has any kind of future. No, this is not a description of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party in the 2024 campaign but of Michael Foot’s Labour party as it faced disbelieving voters in 1983. Opinion polls since Nigel Farage’s restoration as leader of Reform have provoked feverish speculation about what might happen after the polls close on 4 July. Will Reform and the