Latest news with #UKGeneralElection
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Kemi Badenoch labels Labour policy a 'disaster' for farming in Wales
Kemi Badenoch has said Labour policies have been a disaster for farming in Wales. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has said that Labour governments in Cardiff and London have been 'a disaster for farming' here in Wales. Speaking at the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, she said a Conservative UK Government would 'reverse' Labour UK Government plans to change inheritance tax, which she called 'the immoral family farm tax'. She told ITV Cymru Wales: 'We are promising to back farmers. Farming is a way of life. Standing up for farmers is standing up for Britain. And one of the things that Labour did when it first came into office was bring in the immoral family farm tax. It is going to destroy farming across our country. And I have said that once Conservatives get back into government we will reverse it.' As well as still reeling from a massive defeat in last year's UK General Election, which saw not a single Conservative MP elected for Wales, the party is also looking at losses ahead of next year's Senedd election. The most recent Barn Cymru poll for ITV Wales and Cardiff University suggested the Conservatives could end up in fourth place with as few as nine Senedd Members. In her interview, Kemi Badenoch acknowledged that her party faces an uphill struggle. 'Well, we know that we suffered a historic defeat last year," she said. "It's not going to be easy to get back on track, but that's the work that I'm doing. It's one of the reasons why I'm here, getting all across the country, trying to rebuild trust with the public, acknowledging where we made mistakes and showing that Wales has not thrived under Labour. It certainly won't under Plaid. It most definitely will not under Reform.' She was asked, too, if she has confidence in Darren Millar's leadership of the Welsh Conservatives in Wales. She said. 'Absolutely. Darren is here with me. We get on famously. We speak all the time. He is absolutely the right person to be First Minister.' And she was asked, too, about the status of his leadership. When Andrew RT Davies was first in charge of the Welsh Tories, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, said publicly that Mr Davies was considered the leader of the wider party in Wales. Since then, other leaders have held varying views. I asked her: 'Who is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives? Not just the group in the Senedd: who leads the Welsh Conservatives?' KB: 'I do.' 'And where does Darren Millar sit in that?' KB: 'Darren is the leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd but this is not what the public are asking about. They want to know who's going to deliver for the people of Wales and that is the Conservatives.' 'The only reason I ask is because different Conservative leaders have given different answers.' KB: 'Well you've asked me the question. We are a united party. We are the Unionist party. We're not interested in carving ourselves up and having lots of little, you know, different groups and factions. We are the Conservative and Unionist Party. We believe in the United Kingdom. We want Wales to be very much a part of the United Kingdom, not what Plaid Cymru is offering. Labour will end up sectioning Wales off the way they're going.' And she backed the decision to insist that Conservative candidates in next year's Senedd election should not be opposed to devolution, saying: 'That is the settlement that we have now. Devolution is a process. What we need to make sure is we have the best people. It's the people that matter.' Asked if she was sceptical about devolution, she said: 'Well, yes, because people think devolution is a solution in and of itself. It's not. It's how you use it. And that's why you have to look at the people. If you put bad people in, then it doesn't matter whether you're devolved or not, if you have great people then yes, devolution would work.' The Conservative leader said: 'That's that, honestly, in terms of the top 100 things that this country needs, that's not one of them.'
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Young People to get a vote: Sixteen and seventeen year olds to vote in UK elections following major democratic reform
Livingston constituency MP Gregor Poynton has welcomed the announcement that 16 and 17 year olds across the UK will be given the right to vote in UK general elections, as part of sweeping new reforms to modernise British democracy. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The changes, published today in a new government strategy paper, will bring Westminster elections into line with Holyrood and local elections in Scotland, where young people have had the vote since 2014. The reforms are being hailed as the most significant democratic update in a generation. The new rules will allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in the next UK General Election, alongside other reforms aimed at boosting participation and protecting elections from interference and abuse. Welcoming the move, Livingston MP Gregor Poynton said: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For the first time 16 and 17 year olds will be able to vote in UK General elections having already been able to vote in Holyrood and local authority elections in Scotland for nearly a decade. 'It's absolutely right that 16 and 17 year olds will now have a voice in UK elections. "In Scotland, young people have been voting in Holyrood and council elections for over a decade and they've brought energy and ideas to our democracy. Young people already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military. "They've got a stake in the future, so it's only right they should have a say in it.' The changes are part of a wider Elections Bill, which will also introduce: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Livingston constituency MP Gregor Poynton has welcomed the move to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote at UK General Elections - An expansion of accepted forms of voter ID to include UK bank cards and digital ID formats. - Tougher rules to block foreign interference in UK politics and close loopholes around political donations from 'shell companies'. - Stronger protections for candidates and campaigners, including action against harassment and abuse. - Steps toward an automated registration system to make voting more accessible and secure. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The government says the reforms will ensure UK democracy is 'fit for the 21st century' and restore trust in a system that has been undermined by low participation and concerns about abuse and foreign influence.
Scotsman
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Gregor Poynton MP marks first year representing Livingston with community engagements
Friday 4th July marks one year since the 2024 UK General Election and Gregor Poynton's election as Scottish Labour's MP for the Livingston constituency. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Friday 4th July marks one year since the 2024 UK General Election and Gregor Poynton's election as Scottish Labour's MP for the Livingston constituency. Elected with 18,324 votes (40.9% of the vote) and a swing of +18.9% to Labour, Mr Poynton will mark his first year in Parliament with a day of community-focused activity across West Lothian – including street surgeries with Labour members and a special 'Ask Me Anything' public advice surgery from his Craigshill constituency office. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The event – taking place in person and online between 4–6pm – will offer constituents a chance to raise questions on any topic, from local issues to UK-wide policy. Gregor Poynton MP campaigning with activists in the Livingston constituency. To coincide with the anniversary, Mr Poynton is also launching a short social media video reflecting on his first year in office, highlighting his team's support for over 3,500 constituents and his ongoing campaigns for a new East Calder Medical Centre, improved local bus services, and investment in West Lothian's infrastructure and public services. Reflecting on his first year, Mr Poynton said: 'In just one year, I've helped over 3,500 constituents, secured action on antisocial behaviour and fly-tipping, overturned unfair parking charges, and driven forward campaigns for a new East Calder Medical Centre, better bus services, and greater investment across West Lothian – and this is only just the beginning.' Since entering Parliament, Mr Poynton has been elected to the influential Business and Trade Select Committee and now chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Online Child Safety. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He has used his platform in Parliament to raise issues affecting Livingston and the wider region, and to support the delivery of Labour's national agenda to grow the economy, raise living standards, and invest in public services. Gregor Poynton MP with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour Leader, Anas Sarwar. In a message to constituents, Mr Poynton said: 'It's been the greatest privilege of my life to represent the Livingston constituency – and I haven't wasted a single day in getting to work. 'From helping people with housing, benefits, antisocial behaviour, education issues and more, to fighting for investment in our NHS, transport, and town centres – I've worked flat-out to deliver the change we promised. 'This UK Labour government is already getting on with fixing the broken systems left behind by the Tories – and here in Livingston, I'll keep rolling up my sleeves and making sure we're not left behind."
Wales Online
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK
We asked people in two communities in Wales why they voted Reform UK Lliedi resident Neil Thomas says he'll never vote Labour again (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Neil Thomas from Llanelli voted Labour at the UK General Election in 2024. "Never again," he said. He's one of the many converts to Reform UK who helped the party win a seat in Llanelli just over a fortnight ago and gain its first Carmarthenshire councillor. The 62-year-old had a few gripes to mention. He said he didn't expect to receive winter fuel allowance when he was eligible in a few years' time. Labour just this week did a u-turn on the payment, making millions more people on lower incomes eligible after previously restricting it to pensioners on certain benefits. He also felt aggrieved that he was turned down for a benefit he had been receiving called the personal independence payment following a medical assessment. Happily for him, he said his cousin appealed on his behalf and it was reinstated. But it seems like it's Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that's made the difference for him. "I voted Labour at the last general election and always voted Labour locally - never again," said Mr Thomas. "Next election I will be voting for Reform." Article continues below He said he liked what he'd seen of Reform UK and Nigel Farage on television. "He's straight-talking. He speaks his mind," he said. "He would be a good Prime Minister. The one we've got now, we don't know what the hell he's doing." Would the Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton have Wales' interests at heart, we asked? "We've got to wait and see," said Mr Thomas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Two years ago Reform was bumping along the bottom of the UK polls, trading blows with the Greens to be one of the least popular national political parties in the country. Labour was at its zenith, tracking in the mid 40 per cents with the Tories stumbling along in the mid-20s. Then, towards the end of 2023, something changed. Reform began picking up support, soaring above the Greens and Lib Dems and slowly eating into the Tories' lack of popularity relative to Labour. Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, speaking in Port Talbot (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) There were no great gains for Reform at the 2024 General Election which was won decisively by Labour, with Mr Farage's party picking up five seats, but the party won sweeping gains at the local elections in England earlier this year, taking 677 of the 1,600 seats and is now leading in the polls, with Politico's most recent poll of polls putting Reform on 30%, Labour on 23% and the Conservatives on 17% The Senedd elections take place on May 7, 2026, the next big electoral test for all political parties in Wales. A poll in May this year suggested Labour could lose control of the Welsh Government and drop to third, with Plaid Cymru taking the most seats, followed by Reform in third. In the meantime, the only clue we get as to what might be happening on the ground in Wales is by-elections. Just over a fortnight ago Reform UK's Michelle Beer won a vacant Lliedi seat by a stretch, defeating Welsh Labour in what has been solid Labour territory going by the 2022, 2017 and 2012 council elections. She is Reform UK's first Carmarthenshire councillor. Michelle Beer (centre), who is Reform UK's first county councillor in Carmarthenshire (Image: courtesy of Michelle Beer ) At last summer's general election Labour incumbent Nia Griffith held onto the Llanelli seat with 31.3% of the vote but Reform UK's Gareth Beer - Michelle's husband - wasn't a million miles away in second place with a 27.6% share. Reform UK, it seems, aren't going anywhere. When WalesOnline went to Lliedi to speak to voters, we caught up with Neil Thomas, mentioned earlier, and bellwether voter Stella Bartlett, who voted for Labour's Ms Griffith last July and for Reform UK's Mrs Beer on May 29. A residential street in Lliedi (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked about the switch, she said: "It was because of what's happening with Labour - they say one thing and do another. It was the way they took off money for winter fuel, and now they're going to put it back, but not all of it. "It's the cuts and putting National Insurance up for the workers which they shouldn't be doing. My granddaughter is a care worker and does a lot of overtime. When it comes to her pay, the tax is unbelievable." The 76-year-old added: "I met the Reform candidate (Mrs Beer) when she came to my door, and she was lovely. I also just happen to like Nigel Farage and what he is for. He seems down to earth, no airs and graces, like a normal person." Stella Bartlett with her rescue dog Buck (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Last autumn Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a rise in the level of National Insurance contributions paid by employers rather than employees to help plug what Labour claimed was a £22 billion black hole left by the previous Conservative Government. It came into effect in April this year, as did inflation-busting increases in the national living wage and minimum wage. However, more people are slipping into the income tax bracket because of a freeze on the amount you can earn - known as the personal allowance - before the 20% basic rate applies. All political decisions are trade-offs and the winter fuel hokey cokey seems to have left its mark on some voters. Craig Morgan, of Llanelli, voted for Reform UK last July after previously voting Conservative. He said he didn't feel the two traditionally strongest parties were "doing anything good" for people. "They're trying to do up Llanelli but it's taking years," said the 43-year-old. "I felt like a change was needed." He said people needed better access to housing. Mr Morgan added: "Nigel Farage is a character. He says things how they are, but thank God he's not like Donald Trump, yet." Craig Morgan (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Asked if he'd had any reservations about voting for Reform UK, he didn't say no but added that he didn't want to get into a discussion about immigration. Would he vote for Reform UK at next year's Senedd elections? "I will see at the time," he said. Richard Thomas, 73, is a Reform UK convert and said levels of legal and illegal immigration concerned him. However he said he didn't blame people for coming to the UK to seek work in the health and care sectors. "If we didn't have them our hospitals would be knackered," he said. "There are also a lot of them at my mother's care home - they're better than our own people." Many years ago Mr Thomas, of Pontyates, a few miles north-west of Llanelli, worked at the nearby Cynheidre colliery. He liked what he heard from the Reform UK leader when he visited Port Talbot on June 9, such as bringing blast furnaces back to the steelworks and allowing coal to be mined to power them. "He spoke well at Port Talbot," said Mr Thomas, who previously tended to vote for Plaid Cymru. "What's wrong with burning coal? It's the best heat we ever had in our house." Was he worried that Reform UK might over-promise and, if it were to hold sway in the Senedd or House of Commons one day, under-deliver? "It depends on how much money there is in the kitty then," he replied. But Lliedi is not the only community in Wales to turn to Nigel Farage's party. The drive through the village of Cefn Cribwr down to Kenfig Hill and Pyle is a roughly two mile stretch of road that shows Wales at its finest on a clear day. The View From Cefn Cribwr (Image: Copyright Unknown ) With scenic views of Bridgend county borough to the south, and a snap-shot of the coast to the west, with Port Talbot steelworks framed between rows of houses in the distance, it is one that almost seems to encapsulate this part of the world at a glance. However, while these views have become a soothing and consistent sight to many in the Bridgend communities over the years, in recent months the political outlook for the area has become slightly less clear. This was evident at a council by-election held in May, 2025, which saw a seat in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr won by the authority's first Reform UK councillor, Owain Clatworthy. Successful Refoirm UK Candidate Owain Clatworthy celebrates his win in Pyle with supporters after beating Labour into second place. (Image: Copyright Unknown ) He took his seat after edging out the second placed Labour candidate Gary Chappell by only 30 votes, to join two sitting Labour members for the area- current deputy leader, Cllr Jane Gebbie, and Mayor for Bridgend, Cllr Huw David. It came just weeks before the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, visited the nearby town of Port Talbot to kick-start the party's Senedd election campaign, claiming they expected to not only win seats, but to also win enough to govern Wales. Speaking to locals in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, known historically as a Labour area, some feel a sense of anxiety over potential changes to the political status-quo, though for others they feel this small part of Bridgend has sent out a big message in the build up to 2026. Pyle Road in Bridgend (Image: Copyright Unknown ) Nigel Harris lives in the village of Kenfig Hill and said that when it came to politics, many people were frustrated with what they considered to be a lack of action in the area, with more needing to be done to help its communities. He said: "The problem with a lot of politicians is that they promise you everything, then when it actually comes down to it they don't do anything at all. "You only have to look outside at the grass in Kenfig Hill. It hasn't been cut for ages and it's coming to the point where its up to your knees in some places. "The roads are really bad with pot holes, there's a general lack of public toilets, and a lot of people are starting to get annoyed because, despite giving more, we seem to be going backwards. "The local high streets are dying in front of us, and everything you hear is just negative, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that people are looking for something different." Brian Smith said he felt that the latest by-election had also reflected frustrations with national problems, such as the cost-of-living crisis and the closure of the blast furnaces at the nearby Port Talbot steelworks site. He said: "People want change and I think there's going to be a big shock with how the votes go next year at the Senedd, with some moving away from the more traditional Labour or Conservative votes that we've seen in the past. "Of course, some of that will be because of local matters, but wider issues like the winter fuel allowance and the closure of the blast furnaces in Port Talbot will also play a big part in places like this. "The steelworks is a big one for me, as it always employed a lot of people in and around this area and they all saw the decision to save the Scunthorpe site while letting this one go." One resident who did not wish to be named said other national issues like securing the future of the NHS and tackling illegal immigration were also factors that would influence voters, stating: "Somebody's got to stop all these boats coming in. The National Health Service is on its knees at the moment and something has got to be done." For Ahmed Tezgel however, he felt that politicians across all parties needed to do more to engage with residents and live up to promises, adding: "I don't mind any party just as long as they are going to help the community." Speaking after his shock election win in May, 2025, which made him only the second Reform Councillor in Wales at the time, Cllr Owain Clatworthy, 20, said: "I'm incredibly humbled and it's a true honour to have been elected. "I ran a campaign based on people because many are fed up of being ignored and want to see change. The work begins now to build a better future for everyone in the ward and I will stand up for the community and put people first." Article continues below His work begins in that ward in one part of Wales, but the work of Reform and other parties is already well underway to convince people in wards and constituencies across the country to vote for them at the Senedd election next year. The future of Wales is at stake.
The National
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
The Yes movement itself has dreamed up barriers to independence
His perceived problem with the direct route to independence (briefly, making a UK General Election a plebiscite by a simple manifesto seeking a majority of Scottish votes for Scotland to become independent, and undertaking to implement it on such a majority, if necessary by declaration of the Scottish MPs) is that 'Westminster doesn't have to accept our legal argument in that vote, as the election is for a UK Parliament and Scotland would not be able to generate a majority of votes in Scotland alone ... Westminster can in theory prevent us from leaving ... the majority of English MPs have a veto on what Scotland does or doesn't do.' He simply fails to grasp what the direct route is all about, in viewing it as a procedure of the Union parliament and attributing to England a role and a power which it does not have. READ MORE: The lesson for the SNP as new poll puts independence support at 54% Given that a referendum is prohibited, the one and only way which actually exists for the people of Scotland to vote for the country to become independent is by plebiscitary election. If the Scottish MPs, the highest representatives of the people, are elected as indy members by the majority of votes of the people of Scotland, they will occupy virtually all the Scottish seats, mandated by those votes to take Scotland out of the Union. Legal argument does not come into it. It is an election. The purpose and result of an election is the filling of seats. English votes and English seats do not come into it, since their make-up is neither here nor there for Scottish independence, and they have no part to play. The Scottish members would have the legal, constitutional and democratic right and authority (and indeed the duty?) to fulfil the democratic imperative and carry out their mandate irrespective of other parts of the UK (reversing, this time democratically, the step into union taken three centuries ago by their predecessors). There is no prohibition of such a course. If Mr Potts or anyone else can find one, I would be interested to know. In those circumstances, the declaration of Scottish independence by its MPs cannot properly be viewed as occurring either while Scotland is part of the Union or while it is independent. It is rather the deed of an instant marking the transition from one status to the other, a normal operation in steps of great legal effect. READ MORE: Tommy Sheppard: Why I stand by my claim after fierce debate that followed it I imagine that London will actually negotiate the mechanism and details of independence with Edinburgh, but only after Scotland has voted for it and our representatives plainly demonstrate their resolve to carry it through at their own hand if necessary. Mr Potts' position is far from unique in the independence movement, most of which may indeed be with him. Heaven help us, but the fixation with English omnipotence and the barriers it can place in Scotland's way is a concoction of the movement itself, as if we were determined not to succeed. No such claim has ever emerged from London, where any rare UK Government statement on the issue has been to the effect that Scotland may go if it no longer consents to the Union. Alan Crocket Motherwell AMIDST the ongoing chaos, let it be known that Scotland's hydro, wind and other renewable energy sources are helping to keep this broken UK afloat. Yet in return, energy-rich Scotland, pays among the highest bills in the UK and indeed Europe. The SNP and all independence campaigners cannot remain silent about this grossly unfair situation. It's time for the people of Scotland to take back control, believe, stand up and deliver independence. Grant Frazer Newtonmore
