Latest news with #Hamilton
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Cleverly has delivered a direct challenge to Badenoch on net zero
On the eve of a Holyrood by-election, and with the Tories in fourth in a recent Westminster opinion poll, Kemi Badenoch would dearly love to avoid talk of policy divides within her party or chatter about leadership challenges. Sir James Cleverly has delivered both. The former home secretary will drive a wedge between himself and the Conservative Party leader on Wednesday night by directly challenging her approach to net zero, which will be met with jubilation by Labour, the SNP, and especially Reform UK. Conservatives who have not already switched their allegiance to Nigel Farage's party might be tempted to do so through sheer exasperation with the latest evidence of infighting. Sir James, who was convinced he was on course to become Tory leader last year, before an apparent tactical voting mishap by his supporters ended his chances, has chosen to speak out hours before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, a poll that will provide a snapshot of just how much the Tories are struggling. Mr Farage has said he is 'confident' his candidate will finish third or higher, which would mean the Tories - who have finished third in the last three elections for the seat - being relegated to fourth place or even lower. That would put even more pressure on Mrs Badenoch, who is already struggling to convince some of her MPs that she should stay in the job after a terrible set of local election results last month and a series of defections by local councillors since then. As the Conservatives scrap for every vote on Thursday, Sir James's disloyalty - for that is how it will be seen in Mrs Badenoch's office - can only harm the cause. Sir James, who returned to the backbenches when Mrs Badenoch became leader and has never ruled out another leadership bid, has chosen to present an alternative vision for the Conservatives' green agenda in an apparent attempt to appeal to the moderate wing of the party. Rather than backing his leader's decision to drop support for the UK reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, he will say that: 'Conservative environmentalism doesn't mean a choice between growth and sustainability.' Contrast that with Mrs Badenoch's view that: 'Anyone who has done any serious analysis knows [net zero] can't be achieved without a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us.' Although Sir James will not mention Mrs Badenoch by name, or refer directly to her net-zero policy, his message - that she has got it wrong - could not be clearer. In case anyone doubted his motives, he will make the speech at the Conservative Environment Network, which has described Mrs Badenoch's net-zero policy as a 'mistake'. On one level, Sir James has drawn attention to the deep divide between Mrs Badenoch and environmental hand-wringers in her party, who include Boris Johnson, former COP26 president Lord Sharma and Baroness May, who as prime minister adopted the net zero 2050 target. More broadly, Sir James is presenting an alternative strategy for beating Reform UK: moving to the centre rather than trying to outflank Mr Farage. Moderates believe Mrs Badenoch has been forced to drop support for the net-zero target in order to keep up with Mr Farage, who has called net zero 'lunacy'. There is plenty of evidence that she is being dragged further to the Right on other matters to see off the threat of Reform. Critics believe the Tories can't out-Farage Mr Farage and that the only way to differentiate the Conservatives from Reform is to occupy the centre ground from which elections have traditionally been won in the past. In highlighting a difference over policy, Sir James has presented a separate view on the future direction of the Conservative Party and who should lead it. The odds on Mrs Badenoch uniting her party before the next general election may just have lengthened a little more.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Politicians making final push for votes ahead of Holyrood by-election
Scotland's political leaders will hit the campaign trail for the final time today ahead of a Holyrood by-election. With voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse going to the polls on Thursday June 5, parties are making their final push for votes – with both First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar expected in the constituency on Wednesday. It comes in the wake of a campaign which has been, for the most part, dominated by the rise in support for Reform UK – and a row over one of the party's online adverts. The ad alleged that Mr Sarwar would 'prioritise' the Pakistani community – but it was quickly branded racist by Labour, who together with rivals in the SNP demanded it should be taken down. SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney meanwhile urged voters in the constituency to back his party in a bid to 'stop Nigel Farage'. His plea comes after an opinion poll in Scotland last month indicated Reform could come second in next year's Holyrood elections, ahead of both Labour and the Tories. Speaking ahead of the by-election, which is taking place after the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie, Mr Swinney said that the campaign 'has made it crystal clear that the SNP is the only party listening to people and taking action on what matters to them'. The First Minister claimed: 'The Labour Party has lost its way and Keir Starmer's abject failure to deliver on his promises has led to the concerning rise of Nigel Farage across the UK – something that will worry many across Scotland. 'Farage does not care about Scotland, and he also poses a threat to many of the things that we hold dear – our NHS, our parliament, and transformative policies like free tuition.' Mr Swinney insisted: 'This by-election is an opportunity to reject the politics of Farage and make sure Scotland's interests are front and centre, and only a vote for the SNP will do that.' However, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie insisted: 'The Reform circus is nothing but a convenient distraction for the SNP – this by-election is a direct fight between Scottish Labour and the SNP.' She said that Thursday's poll gives voters 'the chance to put this incompetent SNP government on notice and chart a new direction for the whole of Scotland'. Ms Baillie stated: 'The SNP's woeful record is plain to see here – chaos in local NHS services, high streets in decline, and a generation of young people let down. 'The SNP government has failed this community and Katy Loudon has made it clear she will toe the party line no matter what – but Davy Russell will be a tireless champion for the community he calls home.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Audra McDonald Says She Didn't Know About 'Rift' Between Her and Patti LuPone
If Audra McDonald and Patti LuPone have beef, McDonald wasn't aware. The actress-singer has responded to Patti LuPone's recent New Yorker interview, where she seemingly dissed McDonald and claimed the two were no longer friends after a falling out. More from The Hollywood Reporter Leslie Odom Jr. on Becoming a SCAD Professor and His Return to 'Hamilton' This Fall Lin-Manuel Miranda and Original 'Hamilton' Cast Performing at Tony Awards Sadie Sink on Her First Tony Nomination, Shaking Off 'Stranger Things' Expectations When McDonald was asked by Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Thursday if she was 'surprised' by LuPone's remarks, she responded, 'I mean, if there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is. That's something you'd have to ask Patti about.' 'I haven't seen her in about 11 years because I've been busy with life and stuff,' McDonald added. 'So, I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her.' Earlier this week, when McDonald's name was mentioned during LuPone's interview with The New Yorker's Michael Schulman, she said, 'She's not a friend.' LuPone didn't elaborate but noted that they'd had a rift years ago. McDonald was just nominated for a Tony for playing Rose in Gypsy, a role for which LuPone previously won a Tony. When the latter was also asked about McDonald's current production of Gypsy, Schulman wrote that LuPone stared at him for 15 seconds in silence, before turning to look out the window and sighing, 'What a beautiful day.' The two stars have previously worked together, including in the 2007 Los Angeles Opera production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, as well as co-starring in the 2000 New York Philharmonic's concert version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. McDonald wasn't the only person LuPone called out during her interview. She also recalled an incident that happened last fall when she was starring in the Broadway production The Roommate, involving fellow Tony winner Kecia Lewis. After LuPone filed a noise complaint from the musical next door, Hell's Kitchen, Lewis took to Instagram to call out LuPone, saying her actions were 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive' and 'rooted in privilege,' because she had labeled 'a Black show loud.' McDonald reportedly liked the video. 'Here's the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about,' LuPone told The New Yorker in response. 'Don't call yourself a vet, bitch.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Trump's tariff hike could be ‘catastrophic' for Hamilton, mayor warns
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath speaks about the impact U.S. President Donald Trump's doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs will have on her city's economy.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kennedy Center Revenue Crashes After Trump Hijacks Program
President Donald Trump's MAGA makeover of D.C.'s Kennedy Center is sputtering amid plunging sales. Revenue from subscriptions for the upcoming season of programming is down 36 percent from last year—dropping from $4.4 million in 2024 to just $2.8 million so far this year, The Washington Post reported, citing data shared by former Kennedy Center employees and confirmed by a current staff member. Single-ticket sales also dropped 50 percent in April and May, compared with the same period last year, according to The New York Times. The plummeting sales suggest Trump—despite boasting at a recent board dinner that he had 'eliminated DEI initiatives' and 'brought back family-friendly programming that will attract large audiences once again'—may have pushed an already struggling institution deeper into financial trouble. Revenue from theater performances, which Trump vowed to make 'non-woke,' took the hardest hit, dropping 82 percent in the first two weeks of the subscription campaign compared to last year. More than a dozen acts canceled their planned runs in the wake of Trump's takeover, including the wildly popular musical Hamilton—with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda stating, 'The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we're not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center.' Trump, who in his youth dreamed of becoming a theater producer, has suggested bringing in musicals like Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Fiddler on the Roof to replace 'woke' programming. One former Kennedy Center staffer who spoke to the Post said, 'If I am the new administration, I am certainly worried by these numbers, especially the theater dollars,' noting that theater is 'by far the largest driver of revenue for the center for ticket sales.' Richard Grennell, the MAGA firebrand whom Trump appointed as president of the center, has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the institution's financial health, accusing previous leaders of mismanaging its finances. In an effort to improve the center's finances, Trump will attend a gala fundraiser for the center next week. Invitations offer a gold sponsorship for $2 million and silver for $100,000 the Times said, and both include photo opportunities with the president. Following the fundraiser, Trump is set to watch a performance of Les Misérables—one of his longtime favorites, per the Times. However, at least 10 cast members are reportedly planning to boycott his attendance.
