Election latest: Tory party must embrace Farage to ‘unite the right’, says Braverman

Political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

To what may we attribute the current success of Nigel Farage and his latest vehicle, Reform UK? Without exaggerating their strength – Reform UK is not about to win the general election and Farage is not going to be asked by the King to form an administration in his name – their rise is undeniable and, for the Tories, terrifying.

Quite a lot of that is down to one man and, whether you think him evil or not, the political gifts he undoubtedly possesses. He is, to many of us, a fascistic demagogue; but not every wannabe authoritarian leader gets very far, and it still takes skill, as well as luck and some judgement, to get as far as he has for as long as he has. After all, he first emerged as leader of Ukip in 2006 and has been part of the national scene, from Brussels to I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, ever since. Whether we like it nor not, he is a force in British politics.

Rishi Sunak has promised to recruit 8,000 more neighbourhood police officers, paid for by hiking the cost of visas if the Conservatives win the General Election.

The prime minister said “more bobbies on the beat” with greater powers would help drive down crime.

The Tories said the plan would be funded in part by increasing visa fees by 25 per cent and making overseas students pay a higher level of immigration health surcharge.

The prime minister highlighted the Tory record of recruiting 20,000 officers since 2019, although this matched the number of officers lost during the years of austerity after 2010.

Mr Sunak said: “Our new 20,000 new police officers since 2019 have made a huge difference, with neighbourhood crime down 48% as a result.

“We will now go further by hiring 8,000 more police officers, each one dedicated to their local community.

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“People deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood.

“More bobbies on the beat and increased powers will give police forces the tools they need to drive down neighbourhood crime even further.”

The Tories plan to press ahead with extra powers for officers to crack down on so-called zombie knives and use GPS tracking technology to search for stolen phones without a warrant which were included in the Criminal Justice Bill which was halted when Mr Sunak called the General Election.

More than a hundred seats across the UK could be ripe for tactical voting at the general election, according to a new analysis by The Independent.

Based on a major poll from YouGov, published on Monday, almost half of the Conservatives’ projected wins come with a margin under 5 points.

The Tories themselves may have an eye on 50 seats Labour and the Liberal Democrats are projected to win, if they can persuade Reform UK voters to back them.

Data Correspondent Alicja Hagopian reports:

Labour has said its commitment to delivering free breakfast clubs in primary schools will save parents more than £400 a year and cut almost half a million days of school absence.

In the first phase of the party’s childcare plan, it promises to slash absence and save primary school parents hundreds of pounds a year.

By Labour’s estimates, for parents who already pay for alternative before-school childcare such as childminders, funded breakfast clubs could cut the cost by up to £50 a week, delivering savings of almost £2,000 across a school year.

Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the breakfast clubs plan is the first step towards delivering a transformation in childcare which supports families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school.

Ms Phillipson said: “Families’ childcare needs don’t end when their kids leave nursery, that’s why we’ll put free breakfast clubs in every English primary school.

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“We’ll fund our clubs by clamping down on tax dodgers and save hardworking parents over £400 every year.

“Breakfast clubs are proven to improve kids’ behaviour and grades, and get those regularly missing class back into school – giving them a great start to their day and getting them ready to learn.”

Labour has said it will roll out the fully funded breakfast clubs across all primary schools in England, expanding significantly from the Conservatives’ plans which it claims reach just one in every seven primary schools.

In addition to providing vital childcare for parents, Labour analysis claims breakfast clubs could also cut 450,000 days of school absence among primary school pupils.

School attendance has been described as a national crisis as the number of children not attending school has risen in recent years.

The Conservative Party must embrace Nigel Farage to “unite the right”, Suella Braverman has urged, following a disastrous few days for Rishi Sunak.

The former home secretary told The Times there was “not much difference” between the new Reform UK leader’s policies and those of the Tories, as senior Conservatives start debating the future of the party.

But Mr Sunak was accused of hypocrisy after it emerged his own ministers had supported many of the measures he is now railing against.

Archie Mitchell and David Maddox report: