Latest news with #generalElection
BBC News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Former Kent Conservative MP defects to Reform
A former Conservative MP of nearly 20 years has announced his defection to join Nigel Farage's Reform Holloway represented Gravesham from 2005 to 2024 before losing his seat in last year's general election to Labour's Lauren Sullivan. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Holloway outlined his reasons for joining Reform while stressing he was not solely motivated by ambitions to become an MP again. Conservative Party member and former MP for South Thanet, Lord Craig Mackinlay, said he was "sorry" that Mr Holloway had left, adding his party was best placed to defeat Labour. Mr Holloway admitted he had previously posted on social media "a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour", but said he "no longer believed" in that asked whether his defection was motivated by an opportunity to become MP for Gravesham again, Mr Holloway insisted he was not a "careerist".He added while it was "on his mind" the possibility that Reform would give him a stronger chance of getting back into Parliament, he insisted he "didn't have any expectations" of being Gravesham MP after the next election. "I have joined Reform because I think this is the best chance to recover the country from Labour," he said. Mr Holloway, who was a former British Army officer, said the Conservatives currently "do not provide an effective opposition" and saw joining Reform as a "rescue mission"."The issue is the country has serious social and economic problems, and potentially an economic disaster in the next couple of years during a time of great global insecurity," he said. He added he did not believe Reform was perfect, but stressed it was the "only party to see and feel the extent of the country's problems". Lord Mackinlay said his former colleague was a "talent" in his party and was "upset" that he would not be contesting the next election as a Conservative."We've got a lot of work to do to make sure we've got a Conservative party ready to win elections and form the next government," he former Conservative MPs to have joined Reform since the last election include former party chairperson Sir Jake Berry, former Wales secretary David Jones and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who won the Greater Lincolnshire mayoralty for the party in Farage said he was "delighted" to welcome Mr Holloway to the party, saying his parliamentary and military experience would be "vital" ahead of the next added: "His bold move shows that we are the only serious option in Kent and is testament to the fantastic work our councillors are delivering across the region." Mr Holloway worked as a journalist for ITV and ITN before his election to Parliament in 2005.A strong supporter of Brexit, he was briefly a whip under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and was one of six Tory MPs to vote against censuring Mr Johnson after he was found to have misled the Commons over the Partygate scandal. Additional reporting by PA.
Free Malaysia Today
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Small parties risk being tied to PN in opposition front
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and leaders of six small parties met last week to discuss the formation of a united opposition front. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Small parties invited to join the proposed united opposition front may find it difficult to shake off perceptions that they have become part of Perikatan Nasional itself, a political analyst said. Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said PN, largely made up of PAS and Bersatu, remains the most influential opposition force ahead of the 16th general election due to its strength in the Dewan Rakyat and state assemblies. 'Since PAS is the strongest party in PN (based on seat count and its control of four states), there's a high chance it will drive decisions or plans that may not favour non-Malay parties. 'These smaller parties, which have little to no representation in the Dewan Rakyat or state legislatures, will still be seen as operating under PN's framework,' he told FMT. He was commenting on remarks by Urimai chairman P Ramasamy, who said it was 'misleading' to equate joining the proposed united opposition front mooted by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin with entering a formal coalition. Ramasamy said his party supports Bersatu's call for a united opposition, but has no intention of becoming part of PN. Muhyiddin held talks on July 18 with leaders of several opposition parties, including Muda, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Pejuang, Putra, the Malaysian Advancement Party, and Urimai. Mazlan said it would be a major challenge to balance the Malay-Muslim-centric messaging of PN with the multiracial and equal rights platforms of other parties. 'There could be a clash of narratives, which will create a dilemma about what image PN wants to project. Its success so far was built on Malay support. Now they're cooperating with non-Malay leaders who were previously labelled as hardliners,' he said, referring to Ramasamy and MAP chief P Waytha Moorthy. Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said the grouping must be carefully managed to avoid internal conflicts rooted in race or religion. 'If PN can focus on broader issues like government's performance and public welfare, it could serve as a more cohesive opposition force offering ideas that resonate with voters,' he said. However, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said any party considering joining the 'united opposition front' would weigh PAS's role carefully. 'Ramasamy is right in saying that being invited does not equate to joining PN, even if Bersatu is leading the initiative. But the reality is that, without PAS, there is no real opposition. It remains the dominant force based on the results of the 15th general election,' he said.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
KATIE HIND: Tony Blair grasped that working class families like mine want to work hard and get on. After Starmer's attacks on aspiration, I'll NEVER vote Labour again
The day after my 16th birthday in May 1997, I woke up to the news that Tony Blair had won the general election, ousting the who had been in power since before I was born. My head somewhat hazy from the cheeky teenage drinks I'd had with friends the night before, I remember hearing New Labour's anthem, Things Can Only Get Better by band D:Ream, playing on the TV news as footage was broadcast of victory celebrations across the country. (It was a song I was familiar with, having seen the group as a support act to Take That in a concert a few years before.)
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nigel Farage 'in touching distance' of being PM as new mega-poll puts Reform UK on course for 290 seats in the Commons... as Keir Starmer's ratings slump to an all-time low
Nigel Farage is on course to become PM with his Reform UK party within 'touching distance' of forming a majority government, a new mega-poll has suggested. The More In Common survey found, if a general election was held today, Reform would become the largest party in the House of Commons with 290 seats. Although this is below the number of MPs needed for an outright majority, meaning a hung parliament, it was more than twice as many as any other party. And the pollster said Reform is now 'close to the level where they could command an outright majority'. More In Common's new MRP (Multilevel Regression and Post-stratification) model, based on polling of more than 10,000 Britons, put Labour on 126 seats. This is a loss of 285 seats from Sir Keir Starmer 's general election landslide just a year ago, and leaves them with fewer than half as many seats as Reform. The research put the Tories on 81 seats, down 40 seats from last year, with the Liberal Democrats on 73 seats (up one seat) and the SNP on 42 seats (up 33 seats). Meanwhile, as Sir Keir marks one year in Downing Street this weekend, the poll found the Prime Minister's personal approval rating had slumped to an all-time low of -43. More In Common's projection showed a majority of Cabinet ministers would lose their seats in the face of a Reform surge. This includes Deputy PM Angela Rayner, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Labour's main losses were found to be to Reform, with 223 seats directly flipping from Sir Keir's party to Mr Farage's outfit. This includes many long-standing Labour constituencies in the North of England and in Wales. Reform was also shown to be growing support in Conservative areas, with the MRP projecting they would win 59 seats that the Tories held in 2024. The main reason that voters gave for turning away from Labour - regardless of who they would vote for instead - is broken promises and U-turns on previous pledges. More than a third (36 per cent) selected this as a reason, while also high on the list was failing to deliver on the cost of living (31 per cent), and Labour's changes to the wiinter fuel payments (27 per cent). Luke Tryl, UK director of More in Common, said: 'It is an unhappy birthday for the Prime Minister. 'His personal approval has hit an all-time low, while Britons blame him rather than his Chancellor for the welfare mess and think he has lost control of his party. 'Meanwhile our new MRP shows Reform UK as the big winners from the Government's failures. 'Although we are a long way from an election and much will change between, Nigel Farage's party are demonstrating that they are now close to the level where they could command an outright majority. 'Britain's political landscape has transformed entirely from just a year ago.'
Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Keir Starmer's Labour as chaotic as Tories, voters say
M inutes after Rishi Sunak stood in the pouring rain outside Downing Street in May last year and announced a general election, Sir Keir Starmer urged the public to vote Labour to 'stop the chaos'. Less than 14 months later, and a year after winning a landslide victory, the vast majority of the public (72 per cent) think his government is at least as chaotic as the previous Conservative one. This includes more than a third (37 per cent) who think it is more chaotic. The damning indictment for the administration, which was supposed to see 'no drama Starmer' put the grown-ups back in charge, caps off a terrible anniversary week for the prime minister. And things, according to an exclusive Sunday Times poll by the think tank More in Common, seem likely to get only worse.
