‘Future of the country is in your hands’: Keir Starmer responds to general election announcement - WATCH IN FULL

The Labour Leader Keir Starmer has responded to the general election announcement that came from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this evening.

The Prime Minister has taken a huge gamble given Labour’s 20-point opinion poll lead.

In his speech in front of 10 Downing Street, Sunak said that "On July 5, either Keir Starmer or I will be Prime Minister."

Keir Starmer has responded: "Tonight the Prime Minister has finally announced the next general election, a moment the country needs and has been waiting for. And where, by the force of our democracy, power returns to you. A chance to change for the better your future, your community and your country.

"Now it will feel like a long campaign, I'm sure of that. But no matter what else is said and done that opportunity for change is what this election is about.

"Over the course of the last four years, we've changed. The Labour Party returned it once more to the service of working people.

"All we ask now, humbly, is to do exactly the same for our country and return Britain to the service of working people. To that purpose we offer.

"Why you should change Britain with Labour? One, because we will stop the chaos. Look around our country. The sewage in our rivers. People waiting on trolleys in A&E. Crime virtually unpunished. Mortgages and food prices through the roof. It's all every bit of it a direct result of the Tory chaos in Westminster."

"Time and again they pursue their own interests rather than tackling the issues that affect your family. And if they get another five years, they will feel entitled to carry on exactly as they are. Nothing will change.

"A vote for Labour is a vote for stability. Both economic and political. A politics that treads more lightly on all our lives. A vote to stop the chaos.

"Two because it's time for change. Our offer is to reset both our economy and our politics, so that they once again serve the interests of working people. We totally reject the Tory view that economic strength is somehow gifted from those at the top.

"Over the past 14 years, through all the crises we've had to face, sticking with that idea has left our country exposed, insecure, and unable to unlock the potential of every community. But a vote for Labour is a vote to turn the page on all that. A vote for change.

"And finally three, because we have a long term plan to rebuild Britain, a plan that is ready to go, fully costed and fully funded. We can deliver economic stability.

"Cut the NHS waiting times. Secure our borders with a new border security command. Harness great British energy to cut your bills for good.

"Tackle anti-social behaviour and get the teachers we need in your children's classroom. But most importantly of all, we do all this with a new spirit of service. Country first. Party second.

"A rejection of the gesture politics you will see in this campaign, I have no doubt, from the Tories and the SNP.

"I'm well aware of the cynicism people hold towards politicians at the moment. But I came into politics late, having served our country as leader of the Crown Prosecution Service, and I help the police service in Northern Ireland to gain the consent of all communities.

"Service of our country is the reason, and the only reason, why I am standing here now asking for your vote.

"And I believe with patience, determination and that commitment to service there is so much pride and potential we can unlock across our country. So here it is.

"The future of the country is in your hands.

"On July4, you have the choice. And together we can stop the chaos. We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain and change our country."

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The key seats to watch out for at the general election

The Conservatives secured an 80 seat majority in the 2019 general election.

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Sunak is upbeat and thinks Britain WILL deport people to Rwanda through the summer despite all those who doubt him, analysis by Katherine Forster

“Stop the boats”. Three little words. But a big problem.

A problem not just for the UK, and a Prime Minister 20 points behind in the polls. But across Europe.

So today Rishi Sunak was in Vienna. Meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Karl Nehammer, he was hailed as a pioneer.

In a remarkable turn of events 15 European countries now believe the use of safe third countries is essential to counter illegal migration. “The current challenges are unsustainable”, they say.

These countries include Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Malta, at the sharp end of the migration crisis. But also countries like Finland and Denmark.

“Where Britain leads, others will follow” the PM told me. He said too, that he still believes regular flights will deport people to Rwanda from July, right through the summer. Time will tell.

I put to him that almost 10,000 people have crossed the channel illegally this year so far, which is up a whopping 35 per cent increase on this time last year. Hardly a measure of success surely. The opposite in fact.

But Sunak stresses progress. He told GB News exclusively that 10,000 people have been returned this year so far, 2,000 more than this time last year. That includes some 1,700 foreign national offenders (up 400).

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What struck me on this trip (aside from his insane schedule, which saw us spend a total of 12 hours in Vienna - we rushed back so the PM could get to the AI summit this afternoon), is how upbeat Sunak is.

He’s expected to lose the election, many people think no-one will go to Rwanda, and even though the government has taken 4p off National Insurance, the polls haven’t shifted an inch.

Yet talking to him on the plane last night and today, and in Vienna, he seems energetic, driven and positive.

I said it was impossible to stop the boats before the next election.

But he insisted: “I won’t stop until we have stopped the boats”.

Unfortunately for him it may very well be taken out of his hands come the general election. And Sir Keir Starmer has said he’ll ditch the Rwanda plan straight away.

Former ministers Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick believe the government’s Rwanda plan will fail. So do many, many others.

And they could be right. But the PM seems to believe he can pull this off. We will soon see...

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Sunak bows to cabinet pressure over graduate visa scheme

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has bowed to pressure from some of his senior cabinet colleagues over proposed changes to the graduate visa scheme.

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Shadow foreign secretary's speech interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters have interrupted a speech by Labour's shadow foreign secretary, accusing him of being "complicit in genocide".

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UK sovereignty over Gibraltar 'won't change' says Cameron as he warns the EU that 'every inch of the Rock remains British'

Lord David Cameron has warned that "every inch" of Gibraltar remains part of Britain amid new EU border rules.

The Foreign Secretary said the UK’s sovereignty over Gibraltar "won’t change."

It comes as talks about the territory’s relationship with Brussels are ongoing between the EU, Britain and Spain.

A final agreement is expected to be announced within the coming weeks.

Speaking to the European Scrutiny Committee, Lord Cameron said: "I think I understand the meaning of sovereignty which is Gibraltar is a sovereign UK territory and that shouldn’t and won’t change and in our negotiations there are three things that are absolutely paramount.

"One is the sovereignty of Gibraltar, the second is the operation of the defence facility and the third is trying to achieve a deal which is good for the people of Gibraltar and crucially backed by the government of Gibraltar.

"So those are our aims but we don’t want to see anything that diminishes in any way UK sovereignty over Gibraltar.

He added that "every inch of the Rock remains British."

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Gibraltar has been a British territory since it was handed to the UK as part of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

There have been concerns that under a treaty, EU Frontex border guards decide who can enter the British overseas territory – and will give them the power to turn away British citizens.

Any potential treaty with the EU could cause further concerns because of implications of a dilution of British sovereignty in areas such as Northern Ireland.

Pro-Brexit DUP committee member Sammy Wilson told The Independent: "Brexit was supposed to be about taking back control. It is proving to be the opposite."

Lord Cameron confused some MPs by saying he supports the Gibraltar government’s push for a "fluid border" which would have it operate as an adjunct to the Schengen area under free movement rules.

He insisted that this meant EU checks "will need to take place" in Gibraltar but likened it to Eurostar border checks by the French at St Pancras station in London.

Conservative MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow said: "You would accept that a crucial difference is that while the Spanish claim sovereignty over Gibraltar the French do not claim sovereignty over St Pancras yet."

The foreign secretary was also unable to rule out access to Gibraltar by Spanish police "in hot pursuit" or for surveillance purposes which are part of the Schengen accords. He added: "These are all part of the discussions."

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Infected blood scandal: Rishi Sunak makes ‘whole-hearted and unequivocal apology’ to victims

Rishi Sunak has issued a “wholehearted and unequivocal” apology to the victims of the biggest treatment disaster in the NHS, vowing that “comprehensive” compensation will be delivered “whatever it costs”.

The Prime Minister said it was “a day of shame for the British state” after the Infected Blood Inquiry identified a “catalogue of systemic, collective and individual failures” that amounted to a “calamity”.

WATCH THE MOMENT ABOVE

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The people and organisations criticised in Infected Blood Inquiry report

An inquiry into the infected blood scandal has pointed the finger at several people and organisations after more than 30,000 patients were "knowingly" infected with HIV or Hepatitis C.

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Fleet of 'London's toxic air' vehicles arrives in Ukraine after Sadiq Khan's Ulez scrappage scheme update

A fleet of non-Ulez compliant vehicles has arrived in Ukraine after being donated by Britons in the latest scrappage scheme change.

The scheme, which is funded by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, offers drivers money in exchange for donating their non-Ulez-compliant vehicle to Ukraine, rather than scrapping or retrofitting it.

The vehicles were sent over through British-Ukrainian Aid, a charity which helps distribute them for humanitarian and medical purposes.

In total, more than 100 vehicles have been donated to Ukraine through the programme since from March 15.

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Later this month, a further 13 vehicles are expected to arrive in the Eastern European country.

The £160million scheme sees drivers in London receive a grant of up to £2,000 in compensation for sending a car or up to £1,000 for a motorcycle that doesn't comply with Ulez rules to Ukraine.

As for wheelchair accessible vehicles, there is a payment of £10,000 available to scrap or £6,000 to retrofit to the Ulez standards.

However, the scheme has been criticised by Londoners who accused the Mayor of sending “dirty” cars to Ukraine.

One user shared on Facebook: “So these cars aren’t environmentally fit for British roads and air.

“But they’re perfectly good enough to pollute the air in Ukraine. Either these cars are unfit for use or they’re not.

“You can spew your environmental crap Britain and not bother with it anywhere else.”

The Ulez area was expanded across London to include the whole of the capital in August last year, cracking down heavily on making it pollution-free.

Currently, people who drive in the Ultra Low Emission Zone with a non-compliant vehicle must pay the standard £12.50 daily fee.

A BUAID spokesperson said: “We remain enormously grateful for the support given to us by the Mayors of London and Kyiv, and by our many partners, supporters and donors.

“Vehicles that would have gone to scrap are saving lives in Ukraine, and we know that every one of them is valued and valuable.

“It is great to see people showing the Dunkirk spirit that Churchill talked about in World War Two, making transport available to those under threat from a ruthless enemy.”

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Lucy Hayward-Speight, TfL’s head of transport strategy and planning, added that the scrappage scheme has provided support for people to make the green transition alongside the London-wide Ulez being introduced.

As well as helping to clean up the “capital’s toxic air”, Hayward-Speight explained how Londoners are also demonstrating their concern for others by “choosing to provide vital aid for those in the most unimaginable circumstances in Ukraine”.

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'We have no choice but to leave ECHR - judgements on illegal migrants are an abuse of our democractic system,' writes Jack Brereton

The Safety of Rwanda Act becoming law is an important step forward in delivering the proper deterrence that's needed to stop those attempting to enter the UK illegally. But this was despite continual efforts by Labour and the Lib Dems to torpedo the whole policy.

Sir Keir Starmer has been very open that he will scrap the whole policy immediately even if it is delivering and deterring people crossing the Channel.

Following their latest photoshoot, the only thing we have learnt is that they would rather have open borders, give an amnesty to illegal migrants, and ignore genuine concerns from the British people.

It is essential we now see the full operationalisation of the Rwanda policy and those flights taking off.

It is very positive to see the deterrence already starting to have an effect with Dublin fuming from the challenges we have been having to confront for years.

The Republic of Ireland cannot expect us to take back asylum seekers if France will not agree to the same in return.

​We all know France has no real interest in doing so, despite the fallacies of some who suggest this is the magical solution.

Both British and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have increasingly made judgments on cases of illegal migrants, prisoners, or terrorists, who claim their human rights are being infringed.

This is an abuse of our democratic system and the sovereignty of our elected House of Commons to deliver on the will of the British people.

We must ensure that any further attempts to thwart us in delivering proper deterrence, by lefty lawyers who profiteer out of human misery, must be resisted.

The urgency for greater deterrence cannot be underestimated to avoid further loss of life in the Channel.

But this is not only about the immediate issue of illegal migration, we are also seeing increasing frictions in the fundamental functioning of our democracy and the future direction of our country. The ability to secure our borders and for the Government to deliver on a democratic mandate is increasingly under question.

People, in areas like Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, continue to raise justifiable concerns about the tensions in communities whether through pressures on services, on housing or on the culture of their area.

This is why it is so vital that every option must remain on the table. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been robust in his stance on any further attempts by the ECHR to intervene, saying he is prepared to ignore further such rulings aimed at preventing deportation to Rwanda.

Whilst it has always been my hope that we do not have to leave the ECHR, events this year have driven me to the conclusion it is likely we have little other option.

It would be difficult to disagree with many of the aims ECHR stand for, but so critical are the challenges faced, we are left with no other choice, and the UK should be prepared to leave ECHR.

Since the UK left the EU in January 2020, we have been taking advantage of our Brexit freedoms, whether this be forming new trade deals or taking back control of our own laws to ensure they serve the British people.

Despite those constantly talking down an independent UK, we have proved them wrong at every stage and will continue to do so.

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As we did in voting to leave the EU in 2016, we should take our next brave step in our efforts for an independent Kingdom from foreign powers.

Whilst we shouldn’t see this alone as the silver bullet, as we know those attempting to resist Rwanda will use any means necessary, we must also continue to take on those frictions within our own domestic legal system which the new Act seeks to address.

As I’ve called for, we must also take further steps to strengthen deterrence over and above Rwanda.

This includes further boosting detention capacity as well as developing additional schemes with other third countries.

Only once the risks of detention and deportation are higher will we properly be able to deter illegal migration.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe scolds Tories over handling of economy and immigration after Brexit

Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Sky News that Britain is ready for a change of government after scolding the Conservatives over their handling of the economy and immigration after Brexit.

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‘Britain should not leave the ECHR – it protects people not Governments,’ writes Bill Rammell

Tory right-wingers, increasingly detached from the historic position of the Conservatives as defenders of institutions and the rule of law, clammer for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

And in lobbying for us to leave, they are driven by their fury that some ECHR rulings make the implementation of their Rwanda scheme-a gimmick by any other name which will not stop the boats-more difficult.

Are they right in wanting us to leave the ECHR? In my view and indeed the view of most Tory MPs and Ministers emphatically not.

And a clear majority of the public does not want us to leave the ECHR. According to polling, 57 per cent say the UK should remain part of the ECHR, and even more than 80 per cent of people who voted Tory in 2019 don’t think leaving the ECHR should be a Top 5 priority for a Tory Government. So, in their frenetic urgency to leave the ECHR, the Bravermans, the Jenricks, the Nick Timothys, the Dominic Cummings all come across as a wee bit whacky and extreme, and they further alienate the Tories from the centre ground of British politics, which you need at least to be on speaking terms with to have any hope of winning a General Election.

The ECHR was drafted in the aftermath of the Second World War and the Holocaust, to protect people from the State, making sure the atrocities committed would never be repeated, and to safeguard fundamental rights. That was a justified and justifiable view then and now it's about protecting people from an overbearing and abusive State.

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Our country was instrumental in drafting and creating the ECHR, with drafting being largely under the Supervision of Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, we were the first country to ratify the convention in 1951, and Lord McNair, a British legal scholar, became the first President of the European Court of Human Rights in 1959. Winston Churchill was an early advocate. So rather than being a foreign-imposed convention, we the UK shaped and drove it.

The ECHR mandates protection for the Right to Life, the Prohibition of Torture, of slavery, the right to liberty and security, the right to a fair trial, the right to participate in free elections, the right to freedom of expression - which of these do the Tory ultras have a problem with?

The ECHR protects British Citizens but also helps promote international standards of equality, fairness, and justice. A good thing. Just think back to our recent history, with the Berlin Wall dividing democracies from the tyranny of the Eastern bloc, to realise how important the ECHR is.

The ECHR is also embedded in the Good Friday Agreement. Leaving would risk shattering the agreement which has brought peace to Northern Ireland.

I said that Tory anger with the ECHR which fuels the desire to leave has been driven by what the ECHR and the Court do with regard to Rwanda. Yet remember the Supreme Court ruling that Rwanda was an unsafe destination for asylum seekers, declared this breached UK domestic law as well as the ECHR. Do these right-wing Tories want our country to be one where there is no rule of law? It sometimes seems so.

And look which countries have left the ECHR - Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and Greece under the dictatorship of the Generals (Greece of course subsequently rejoined). Is that really the company - contemptuous of democracy and human rights as it is - we want to keep?

And if they succeeded in getting the UK to leave the ECHR, where next for the Tory extremists? The WTO, NATO, the UN? All bodies which constrain our theoretical but not practical sovereignty. It’s a Tory version of “Stop the world, I want to get off”.

The ECHR protects people, British people, not Governments. We should not leave.

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Caring 'unsung heroes' being chased for £251m by DWP

A total of £251m is being clawed back from unpaid carers after many unwittingly went over the benefit earnings threshold.

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Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will not stand at next election

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said he won't be standing at the next general election but will keep campaigning for the Conservative Party.

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Sadiq Khan admits he's a huge 'Taylor Swift fan' in bizarre tweet

Sadiq Khan has admitted he is a huge fan of Taylor Swift as the American singer looks set to return to London next month for her record-breaking Eras Tour.

The London Mayor, who won re-election earlier this month, welcomed Swift’s stop-off in the UK capital during her 36-part tour.

Swift, 34, will visit the home of English football Wembley Stadium for a series of concerts between June 21 and August 20.

Sharing his delight about Swift’s Wembley appearance next month, Khan said: “As a proud Swiftie, I’m very excited that Taylor Swift and her record-breaking Eras Tour will be in London next month.

“Her eight gigs will bring more than half a million music fans together, providing a more than one billion pound boost to our hospitality sector and the wider economy.”

Khan, 53, defeated Susan Hall to secure his third term as London Mayor after May 2’s local elections.

He vowed to support young Londoners “from birth to feeling safe, to securing a job and finding an affordable home”.

Khan also promised to build on pledges in his manifesto, including funding for youth clubs and mental health support to ensure young Londoners have “the best start in life”.

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However, Khan is not the only prominent politician to confess their Swiftie status.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed he was a fan of Swift after reportedly attending a concert in the US last month.

Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss even managed to snap a photo with the music star at the BAFTA after-party at London's Grosvenor House in February 2019.

However, not all politicians have fared well when revealing their favourite musicians.

Panic hit Downing Street when David Cameron received a backlash for voicing his support for The Smiths.

The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr slammed Cameron, who picked This Charming Man as a desert island disc, by saying: “Stop saying that you like The Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you to like it.”

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair also suffered a setback from the UK’s Britpop starts in the late-1990s by hosting a glitzy party in Downing Street.

Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher confessed he was high when he attended as he thought he would receive a knighthood.

Pulp superstar Jarvis Cocker later wrote a song about how much he hated the Labour leader, handing Cool Britannia a depressing death.

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‘End of state pension as we know it!’ Hunt slammed over ‘unfunded’ National Insurance proposal

The Labour Party is hitting back at Chancellor Jeremy Hunt over the Tories’s record in Government when it comes to pensioners.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party claims the Conservatives' rumoured plans to scrap National Insurance could see the “end of the state pension as we know it”.

Earlier today, Hunt slammed Labour for “scaring pensioners” and questioned the legitimacy of the Official Opposition’s fiscal policies in a speech at Westminster.

Describing the party’s plan for the economy as a “myth”, the Chancellor went on to claim Labour’s tax proposals as a “lie”.

Hunt claimed: “I don’t make any bones about it. It is fake news and it is an absolute disgrace to try and win this election by scaring pensioners about a policy that is not true.

“And when it comes to taxes on pensioners, I would just say to every pensioner in the country - which is the party in British politics that wants to bring down the taxes that you and everyone else pays, and which is the party we know will increase them?”

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During this year’s Spring Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer cited his long-term ambition to scrap National Insurance altogether.

Money from the levy and general taxation is used to pay for state pension payments once Britons reach retirement age.

Furthermore, taxpayers need 35 years of National Insurance contributions under their belt to qualify for the full new state pension.

According to the Labour Party, such an endeavour would amount to a “£45billion underfunded tax cut”.

After Hunt’s speech, a Labour spokesperson said: “This is another desperate attempt by the Tories to deflect from their £46billion unfunded tax plan that could lead to higher borrowing, higher taxes on pensioners or the end of the state pension as we know it.

“All of Labour’s policies are fully costed and fully funded. Unlike the Conservatives, who crashed the economy, Labour will never play fast and loose with the public finances.

“Jeremy Hunt would be better spent getting Rishi Sunak to confirm the date of the election, rather than putting out any more of these dodgy dossiers.”

Earlier this week, Starmer unveiled his six pledges to voters ahead of the yet-to-be-announced General Election.

Among these “first steps” to returning to office, Labour has promised to enforce tougher spending rules to ensure the economy remains stable.

Despite promising to keep the triple and not raise the state pension age, the opposition party’s pensioner policies have yet to be rolled out.

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In December 2023, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlighted the challenges facing the state pension in the years to come.

These included a rising ageing population and the long-term viability of keeping the triple lock on the public purse.

The think tank noted that raising the state pension age to offset costs will likely hit lower-income households the most.

As well as this, the IFS cited the growing pessimism around the state pension among the population.

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Universal Credit claims soar but Sunak’s DWP benefits ‘crackdown’ could raise £69m for economy

Universal Credit claims continue to rise but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposed “crackdown” on the benefits system could generate close to £69million for the UK economy, according to experts.

Analysis of figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by RIFT found that claims for the means-tested benefit payment have increased by 14.3 per cent across the country in the last year.

This comes after Sunak’s pledge to accelerate the transition of those on legacy benefits, such as Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA), onto Universal Credit which will be the primary payment for those looking for work.

Despite this transition between payments, new evidence suggests recently introduced reforms will bolster the country’s economic prospects and keep Britons from relying on the welfare state.

The recent jump in Universal Credit claims could be partially attributed to this move away from legacy benefits.

Recently, the Government has promised to clamp down on benefit fraud among DWP claimants with figures from the National Audit Office (NAO) highlighting that a quarter of JSA claimants had been caught abusing the system.

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As well as this, Sunak has confirmed the Government will stop awarding benefit payments to jobseekers who fail to secure employment within 12 months of receiving support from the DWP.

Experts are highlighting how much money can be raised for Britain’s economy if the Prime Minister follows through with his tougher stance on the existing benefits system.

RIFT’s analysis of DWP figures reveals that if more JSA claimants are pushed into employment, the UK’s economy will benefit from a sizable hike in tax contributions.

Taking into account the current minimum wage for over 21s and a 40-hour work week, claimants making the move from JSA to employment could make a gross average salary of £23,795.

From this amount, former DWP claimants would make an annual tax contribution of £3,143 which comes to £2,245 in income tax and £898 in National Insurance.

Based on the tax specialists’ research, if a quarter of the current 87,631 JSA claimants were to make this tax contribution on a yearly basis, the UK economy would be bolstered by £68.9million.

Some £11.4million of this amount in Jobseekers Allowance would come from claimants based in London alone.

Bradley Post, the managing director of RIFT, outlined why following through with a crackdown on DWP claimants is in Rishi Sunak’s favour.

He said: “Britain’s benefit system plays a vital role in supporting those most in need and Jobseekers’ Allowance makes a valuable contribution in this respect.

“However, as in all areas of life, there are unfortunately those who game the system for their own individual gain and it’s these people who the prime minister has pledged to crack down on should the Conservatives win the next general election.

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“Should just a quarter of JSA claimants be encouraged into employment, it would bring a sizable boost to the British economy at a time when it is arguably well needed.

“Although we must appreciate that for many, this transition is easier said than done when you take their wider financial situation into account and the fact that they may be worse off in employment compared to the cumulative level of benefits they receive.”

According to analysis of DWP figures, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands saw the biggest increase in new claims for Universal Credit between April 2023 and April 2024.

It should be noted that these figures are provisional and will be finalised at a later date. However, it is expected provisional statistics will be within two percentage points of the final figure.

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Boss of Liz Truss's PopCon group backs Rishi Sunak to lead Tories into general election

The head of Popular Conservativism - a new movement launched by Liz Truss to push Rishi Sunak's Government in a right-wing direction has backed - Rishi Sunak to take the Tories into the next election.

'PopCon' was launched in March by Truss and other well-known figures on the right of the party, former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Reform UK honorary president Nigel Farage was in the audience.

The group wants to give people freedom over their lives and take back control from unaccountable bureaucracies and quangos.

Since then the movement has attracted 10,000 supporters - many of whom are Conservative party members - and is now developing a right-wing policy platform to try to influence the Tory election manifesto.

In an interview with Chopper's Political Podcast, out on Friday, Mark Littlewood, PopCon's chief executive, said that Sunak will lead the party into the next election - and he will back the Prime Minister.

He said: "There's been all of these rumours about some cohort that was trying to get rid of Rishi Sunak meeting in some office, and I genuinely don't have a candidate."

Littlewood said that Sunak was now safe to lead the party into the election.

"I think it was ludicrous to suggest we should remove the Prime Minister. I genuinely, genuinely did," he said.

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"I could not believe that would be in the best party's interest. And I wish him well at the election. Right? I mean, he might be 25 per cent behind, but he'll definitely be getting my vote.

"And I think that manoeuvring against him was mad. So I don't have a candidate in mind. We can talk about a range of personalities.

"But I want a candidate who will pick up the philosophy and platform of what PopCon are saying."

Littlewood said PopCon would now be trying to meet senior Tory figures to try to ensure that some of its policy platform forms part of the Conservative election manifesto.

He said: "Rather than working with the grain of a lot of the institutions in the UK, we've got to tear up a lot of institutions in the UK.

"The typical conservative mindset is always, well, if it's here and it exists, and that's probably the wisdom of the ages ... we think in Popcon that the institutional infrastructure is enormously geared against Conservative ends."

Listen to Christopher Hope's interview with Robert Halfon and Popular Conservativism chief executive Mark Littlewood on Chopper's Political Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the interview at GBNews.com or on YouTube.

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