Latest news with #RedWall
Evening Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Evening Standard
Is London really a lost cause for the Conservative party?
Today, the electoral path to the next Tory government (if there is one) is narrower than ever. Thanks to the rise of Reform UK and the prospect of a structural split in the right-wing vote. Yet whilst most commentary has focused on Nigel Farage's success in the so-called Red Wall, just as worrying for Conservative strategists is that Reform is now outpolling the Tories in London.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Reeves plans revival of Johnson's levelling up plan to counter Reform
Rachel Reeves is planning to revive Boris Johnson's levelling up agenda to take on Reform. The Chancellor is overseeing changes to Treasury spending rules that prioritise investment in the most productive parts of the UK. A rewriting of the Green Book used by Treasury officials will see more money directed to Red Wall constituencies where Labour has fallen behind Nigel Farage's party. The change could come as soon as next month in the Spending Review, according to The Times. Labour is now in second place in many of the party's former heartland seats in the north of England. After the 2019 election, at which those Red Wall areas fell to the Conservatives, Mr Johnson announced plans for similar changes to Treasury spending rules to send more investment to the north. Many of those constituencies flipped back to Labour at last year's general election but are now at risk of falling to Reform, polling shows. A survey by Merlin Strategy this week found that almost half of voters in those areas disapprove of Labour's benefits reforms, while polling at national level shows Reform is ahead of Labour by 11 points. In Doncaster, previously a safe Labour area, Reform won the most council seats at this month's local elections. The party also picked up the new mayoralties of Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. The Green Book changes could direct tens of billions of investment into infrastructure, energy and regeneration projects in the North of England. The approach is similar to Mr Johnson's attempt to woo Red Wall voters. He renamed the housing department the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and created pots of high street regeneration investment that was allocated to northern constituencies. That name was scrapped by Labour in July and replaced with the previous title, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Ms Reeves is likely to have around £100 billion of investment spending to distribute to projects across the UK in her June 11 announcement, despite a wider departmental spending squeeze. Labour's fiscal rules allow the Chancellor to borrow money if it will be invested, but not if it will be used for day-to-day spending. The projects are likely to focus on Labour's priority areas of economic growth, green energy and healthcare. During last year's election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer promised that he would make life better for voters in all parts of the country. Downing Street has since launched an anti-Reform strategy focused on 'delivery', which includes more action on potholes. But Labour's political team now consider Reform to be the Government's main opposition, while the Conservatives languish in fourth place in some polls. In a speech on Thursday, Sir Keir described Mr Farage as 'Liz Truss all over again' and told workers: 'You cannot trust Farage with your future and your jobs.' 'Unlike Nigel Farage, I know what it's like growing up in a cost of living crisis. I know what it's like when your family can't pay the bills, when you fear the postman, the bills that may be brought.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Nigel Farage's ‘fantasy' promises will trigger Truss-style meltdown, Keir Starmer slams
SIR Keir Starmer will train his guns squarely on Nigel Farage today - accusing the Reform leader of making 'fantasy' spending promises. In his first speech aimed solely at attacking his Brexiteer rival, the PM will claim Reform would make families worse off. 2 2 This week Mr Farage - who is surging ahead in the polls - declared himself the true champion of the "working class". But visiting staff at a manufacturing business in the North West, Sir Keir will accuse Mr Farage of making spending pledges that would send mortgages soaring. He will claim Reform's promise of sweeping tax cuts and welfare pledges would punch an £80billion black hole in the public purse. It comes after Mr Farage this week slammed the PM for being out of touch with working people and too preoccupied with issues that Red Wall communities hate – such as international law and net zero. He has pledged to raise the threshold workers start paying income tax from £12,000 to £20,000 to drive growth. The Reform boss has also vowed to offer tax breaks for married couples, scrap the two-child benefit cap and reverse the winter fuel cut. Sir Keir will today accuse Mr Farage of making promises destined for the same disaster as ex-PM Liz Truss' mini budget. He will say: "Farage is making the exact same bet Liz Truss did. 'That you can spend tens of billions on tax cuts without a proper way of paying for it. And just like Truss, he is using your family finances, your mortgage, your bills as a gambling chip on his mad experiment. The result will be the same. 'Markets reacted, the economy tanked and we're all still paying the price for mortgages, rents and bills that spiralled out of control. 'I won't let that happen.' Reform last night accused Labour of a "desperate attack from a party eight points behind in the polls". It comes after Mr Farage's party stormed to victory in this month's local elections, sweeping almost 600 council seats
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boris is Red Wall poison. The Tories would be mad to bring him back
'A week is a long time in politics', said Harold Wilson. How about six years? An eternity? Cast your mind back to Boris Johnson's glorious 2019 victory, his demolition of Labour's famous heartland vote and his audacious grab of 33 Red Wall seats, some of which were held not long before by Labour figures as notable as Tony Blair and Dennis Skinner. The realignment of politics was upon us, with Boris the beneficiary and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour floundering. How sobering then for Boris and his supporters that new Red Wall polling by research company Merlin shows he is now unpopular. So much so that his famed ability to reach those parts of the electorate that other Tories repulse appears no more than a curious historical quirk. Yet the Red Wall is as keen as ever for a conservative Brexiteer to demolish the status-quo and give the flabby progressiveness of Keir Starmer a darn good kicking. But it's not Boris they turn to. It's Nigel Farage. He's the name on everyone's lips. He's the saviour. He leads Boris by a massive 15 points (27 per cent to 12 per cent) as a first choice preference among Red Wall voters. Even the hapless Starmer (on 24 per cent) outshines Boris, and that really is saying something. How the mighty has fallen. How the once all-singing, all-dancing portly blond one – hero-worshipped during the Hartlepool by-election of 2021 to the extent that Starmer seriously considered resigning – has sunk so far. What happened? Well, like many of us, Red Wall voters were appalled by Partygate. Whether that was fair on Boris is irrelevant. The accepted narrative was that he imposed rules (which I continue to believe were absurd overkill) on the rest of us, then failed to obey them himself. He also presided over ballooning net migration so obscene that the country's public services are now creaking and cracking, and pursued net zero with a zealotry that leaves most Conservative wondering what on earth he's on. Boris, for all his communications and campaigning abilities, upset too many voters. There is one saving grace, though it will be small comfort. Yes, Boris languishes behind both Starmer and Farage by a large margin. But he is ahead of any other Conservative. Kemi Badenoch is failing to break through. She gets a paltry 8 per cent of support in the Red Wall. Robert Jenrick, despite his energetic and effective campaigns, barely registers (just 3 per cent). So, Boris might still be the best bet to re-establish Tory fortunes, at least in the Red Wall, but he's still a long shot for Downing Street. The horrifying truth is that where once the Tories were the party of Leavers, the party that respected Brexit, the party that took on woke absurdities and the party that stood up for British interests and strong borders, every single one of those mantles has now passed to Farage. Tory support in the Red Wall has collapsed from 47 per cent in the heady days of 2019 to only 22 per cent now. It is tough to see any hope in the medium term. Already it looks fanciful – even with Boris as leader – that the Tories could win next time. The 2029 election looks like a shoot-out between Farage and whoever is Labour leader by then (probably Angela Rayner, despite her protestations). The Tories are in desperate straits. Their best hope might be a junior partner in a coalition. In fact, I now believe that the next Tory Prime Minister won't enter Downing Street until 2034 at the earliest, two elections from now. By which time Boris will be 70. It's not impossible. But his triumphant return as Prime Minister is looking far less likely. What a waste. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Boris is Red Wall poison. The Tories would be mad to bring him back
'A week is a long time in politics', said Harold Wilson. How about six years? An eternity? Cast your mind back to Boris Johnson's glorious 2019 victory, his demolition of Labour's famous heartland vote and his audacious grab of 33 Red Wall seats, some of which were held not long before by Labour figures as notable as Tony Blair and Dennis Skinner. The realignment of politics was upon us, with Boris the beneficiary and Jeremy Corbyn's Labour floundering. How sobering then for Boris and his supporters that new Red Wall polling by research company Merlin shows he is now unpopular. So much so that his famed ability to reach those parts of the electorate that other Tories repulse appears no more than a curious historical quirk. Yet the Red Wall is as keen as ever for a conservative Brexiteer to demolish the status-quo and give the flabby progressiveness of Keir Starmer a darn good kicking. But it's not Boris they turn to. It's Nigel Farage. He's the name on everyone's lips. He's the saviour. He leads Boris by a massive 15 points (27 per cent to 12 per cent) as a first choice preference among Red Wall voters. Even the hapless Starmer (on 24 per cent) outshines Boris, and that really is saying something. How the mighty has fallen. How the once all-singing, all-dancing portly blond one – hero-worshipped during the Hartlepool by-election of 2021 to the extent that Starmer seriously considered resigning – has sunk so far. What happened? Well, like many of us, Red Wall voters were appalled by Partygate. Whether that was fair on Boris is irrelevant. The accepted narrative was that he imposed rules (which I continue to believe were absurd overkill) on the rest of us, then failed to obey them himself. He also presided over ballooning net migration so obscene that the country's public services are now creaking and cracking, and pursued net zero with a zealotry that leaves most Conservative wondering what on earth he's on. Boris, for all his communications and campaigning abilities, upset too many voters. There is one saving grace, though it will be small comfort. Yes, Boris languishes behind both Starmer and Farage by a large margin. But he is ahead of any other Conservative. Kemi Badenoch is failing to break through. She gets a paltry 8 per cent of support in the Red Wall. Robert Jenrick, despite his energetic and effective campaigns, barely registers (just 3 per cent). So, Boris might still be the best bet to re-establish Tory fortunes, at least in the Red Wall, but he's still a long shot for Downing Street. The horrifying truth is that where once the Tories were the party of Leavers, the party that respected Brexit, the party that took on woke absurdities and the party that stood up for British interests and strong borders, every single one of those mantles has now passed to Farage. Tory support in the Red Wall has collapsed from 47 per cent in the heady days of 2019 to only 22 per cent now. It is tough to see any hope in the medium term. Already it looks fanciful – even with Boris as leader – that the Tories could win next time. The 2029 election looks like a shoot-out between Farage and whoever is Labour leader by then (probably Angela Rayner, despite her protestations). The Tories are in desperate straits. Their best hope might be a junior partner in a coalition. In fact, I now believe that the next Tory Prime Minister won't enter Downing Street until 2034 at the earliest, two elections from now. By which time Boris will be 70. It's not impossible. But his triumphant return as Prime Minister is looking far less likely. What a waste.
