A LibDem voter appeared on Sky News last night to chat to Ali Fortescue about how bad the situation is for the Tories and that what Ed Davey’s party really needs to do to earn his enthusiasm is “to be a little bit more open about the need for a close a relationship with the European Union“. Guido is glad to see David Gauke has found a new home five years since he was last a Tory MP…
Gauke has written a smug piece in ConHome to lecture the Tories on why it’s actually the right’s fault (which includes Rishi Sunak) that this election is lost for them:
“Whether through political expediency or conviction, his policies have been right-wing, even if his manner often makes him appear to be a moderate. The ill-judged Rwanda policy has been maintained, and he flirts with leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. He prioritises tax cuts over credible spending plans.”
Is this the same tax-cutting Sunak who hiked corporation tax by a third, froze personal income tax thresholds, hiked National Insurance contributions, reduced exemptions for capital gains tax, reduced the additional rate income tax threshold, and froze the National Insurance, inheritance tax, and VAT registration thresholds? Are Sunak’s “right-wing” migration policies the reason why a party which is pledging to reduce migration to net zero has now polled above the Tories?
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”