Bridget Phillipson: ‘She’s got this completely wrong’
Thursday’s local election results were dismal for the government, and have plunged Labour into deep crisis. The party is now intensely divided over whether Keir Starmer can continue to lead, although the prime minister himself has insisted he will not stand down, telling the Observer he wants to take the country through a ‘10-year project of renewal’. Catherine West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, has announced that she intends to trigger a leadership contest if no one else comes forward to challenge Starmer. On Sky News this morning, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Trevor Phillips that all her colleagues are ‘really hurting’, but West is ‘completely wrong’ to seek a leadership change. Phillips asked if Phillipson is confident that West would be unable to get support from the 81 MPs required to trigger a leadership contest herself. Phillipson said she didn’t think that would happen, and instead called for the government to demonstrate to the party and the nation that ‘this country is moving in the right direction’.
Catherine West: Cabinet inertia is a ‘disgrace’
Trevor Phillips spoke to Catherine West herself, asking her what she planned to do, given the Cabinet had no intention of gathering around a new leader. West said the lack of action is a ‘disgrace’, and that working people had delivered the message that Labour ‘have to change, and… have to do it quickly’. West said Labour need to be ready to take Reform on, and prove that they deserve to lead the country. She called for more ‘grit’ from the Cabinet, but said she would wait to hear if the prime minister’s speech on Monday is ‘up to scratch’ before deciding whether to take action herself.
Richard Tice: ‘No one can buy Nigel’
Last week, the Guardian revealed Nigel Farage had not disclosed a personal gift of £5m he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne in 2024, just before announcing he would stand in the 2024 general election. Reform UK have said the sum was intended to pay for Farage’s security. On GB News this morning, Camilla Tominey asked Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice if Harborne was paying Farage’s security bills directly. Tice said the money was a ‘personal gift’ which makes Farage feel safe ‘under a media that has smeared and libelled and attacked Nigel for decades’. He suggested that ‘millions of voters’ have just expressed their gratitude to Harborne in the local elections. Tominey noted that Reform would have to be careful with their crypto policy moving forward. Tice said Farage had not decided to come back to politics when he received the gift, and argued that being pro-crypto was part of Reform’s strategy to get the country back to ‘4% growth every year’.
James Cleverly: ‘Nigel is not a policy, being angry at stuff is not a policy’
The Conservatives also had a difficult day on Thursday, retaking Westminster but losing over 500 councillors overall. On the BBC, Laura Kuenssberg asked Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly which party is now the biggest on the right. Cleverly claimed it is still the Conservatives, because Reform don’t have a legitimate right wing agenda. He argued that Reform have a ‘pick and mix of populist policies’, are inconsistent on cutting the welfare bill, and do not have a defence spokesperson. Kuenssberg pointed out that Reform are miles ahead in the polls, and are ‘full of former Conservatives’. Cleverly claimed Reform do not have a philosophy, and are a ‘cult of personality’. He said that when they get elected they will ‘let voters down’.
Labour dominance in Wales is over
Plaid Cymru has won the Welsh Senedd elections, and leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has said he wants to form the next Welsh government. Labour have dominated Welsh politics for 100 years, but finished third in these elections, behind Reform UK. On the BBC, Laura Kuenssberg asked ap Iorwerth if he was confident he could become First Minister, given Plaid Cymru do not have a majority. ap Iorwerth said there had never been an overall majority, and he would use a ‘cooperative’ spirit to work with other parties for the people of Wales. Kuenssberg asked if the party might have to give up on its plan to have a commission to look at Welsh independence. ap Iorwerth said that commission was part of how they planned to move Wales forwards, and he expected other parties to choose ‘progress’ over ‘stagnation’.
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