Tag: Conservatives

Former senior UK Tory, suspended by PM Sunak, defects to fringe right-wing party

LONDON, March 11, 2024 (AFP) – Embattled UK leader Rishi Sunak suffered a fresh blow Monday when a former ally defected to a right-wing populist party that is worrying the ruling Conservatives ahead of this year’s general election. Lee Anderson announced that he was joining Reform UK, weeks after he was suspended from Sunak’s Conservative party over comments widely condemned as racist and Islamophobic. The 57-year-old former deputy chair of the Tories becomes the first […]

UK PM shows ruthless streak as ally fired over tax scandal

by Jitendra JOSHI Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday dismissed a senior ally whose murky tax dealings have focused anger at the government as a cost-of-living crisis brings misery to millions. An inquiry into the wealthy Conservative party chairman Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs — dating from his founding of the YouGov polling company in 2000 — had found a “serious breach” of ministerial rules, the government said. […]

Boris Johnson comeback bid adds drama to UK political soap opera

London, United Kingdom | AFP | With supporters demanding “bring back Boris” and critics calling it “an insult” to the British people, an anticipated bid by Boris Johnson to once again become UK prime minister has stirred an already boiling political pot. By declaring “hasta la vista baby” during his last question time in parliament on July 20, Johnson had already dropped a heavy hint that he had unfinished business. According to The Times, he […]

Under-fire UK PM Truss fails to calm markets with growth pledge

by Jitendra JOSHI Agence France-Presse BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) — Prime Minister Liz Truss vowed to steer the UK “through the tempest” as she closed her party’s tumultuous annual conference on Wednesday, making an unapologetic pitch for economic “growth, growth, growth”. Since succeeding Boris Johnson, Truss has alienated voters, financial markets and many in the ruling Conservative party with a crash program of debt-fueled tax cuts to boost Britain’s stagnant economy. But she argued in […]

Incoming UK prime minister Truss faces a country in crisis

London, United Kingdom (AFP) by Anna MALPAS The UK’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, takes power following a “summer of discontent” and as Britons tighten their belts in response to double-digit inflation and soaring energy costs. “We have a historically huge shock to the cost of living and incomes,” said James Smith, research director of the Resolution Foundation think-tank. “The next prime minister will have to focus on the current crisis from day one.” Workers […]

Liz Truss named as UK’s third woman prime minister

  London, United Kingdom (AFP) UPDATES throughout with result, quotes by Anna MALPAS / Jitendra JOSHI Britain’s Conservative party Monday announced Liz Truss as its new leader to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson and confront Britain’s deepest economic crisis in decades. The foreign secretary comfortably beat her rival, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, by about 57 to 43 percent after a gruelling summer-long contest decided by just over 170,000 Conservative members — a tiny sliver […]

UK PM rivals spar over tax, China in first head-to-head TV debate

by Joe Jackson Agence France-Presse  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s two prime ministerial contenders clashed fiercely over tax, China and character on Monday night in their first head-to-head televised debate, as Rishi Sunak seeks to peg back the frontrunner Liz Truss. The primetime debate kicked off a crucial 12-day period featuring three such live TV duels and four husting events in front of Conservative party members who will decide the contest and begin receiving […]

UK PM fires ally and digs in despite calls to quit

by Jitendra JOSHI / James PHEBY Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s scandal-hit Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted a rearguard offensive late Wednesday against a cabinet and Conservative party revolt, firing a top ally and vowing to “fight on” despite dozens of government members resigning. The dismissal from the cabinet of Communities Secretary Michael Gove — Johnson’s right-hand-man in Britain’s 2016 Brexit referendum campaign — dramatically showed that the Conservative leader was not […]

UK PM Johnson faces parliamentary inquisition after top ministers quit

by Jitendra Joshi Agence France-Presse  LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces two high-stakes encounters in parliament on Wednesday after his government was rocked by the shock departures of two senior ministers. Rishi Sunak resigned as finance minister, and Sajid Javid as health secretary on Tuesday night. Both said they could no longer tolerate the culture of scandal that has stalked Johnson for months. They will now sit on the Conservative […]

UK Tories mired in new scandal over MP’s drunken behaviour

LONDON, July 1, 2022 (AFP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a fresh political headache Friday following the resignation of the deputy chief whip of his ruling Conservatives over allegations he drunkenly groped two men. In a letter to Johnson sent late Thursday, Tory MP Chris Pincher said he was quitting his post after he drank “far too much” and “embarrassed myself and other people” the previous evening. Numerous reports said he had also […]

COP26 president denies UK rift over climate

by Jitendra JOSHI Agence France-Presse MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pointman for the COP26 climate summit insisted Tuesday that his own Conservative party was on board with the ambition of saving the planet. COP26 president Alok Sharma said that despite grumbling on the party’s right wing at its annual conference, MPs all saw the potential for a green economic revolution. “Sometimes people don’t perceive the Conservatives as leading on this,” […]