Conservatives

Victories, setbacks part of journey in democracy: Rahul to Rishi Sunak

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday extended commiserations to the UK's Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak on the party's recent electoral defeat, saying victories and setbacks are inevitable part of democracy and "we must take both in our stride". In his letter to Sunak, Gandhi hailed the former British prime minister's dedication to public service and commitment to the British people. "I would like to extend my commiserations on the recent electoral outcome. Victories and setbacks are both an inevitable part of the journey in a democracy and we must take both in our stride," the Congress leader said. "Your dedication to public service and commitment to your people are commendable. I also deeply value the efforts you made to strengthen the ties between India and the UK during your term in office," he said. Gandhi expressed confidence that Sunak would continue to contribute to public life with his experience. "I wish you all the best for your future ..

UK's newly-elected Parliament most diverse ever except at the top

The Conservatives went from having just two minority MPs in 2005 to 22 in 2019 as well as Britain's first Asian prime minister, who lit Diwali candles outside Downing Street with his family

UK elections: Who is Keir Starmer and what's his vision for UK-India ties?

Keir Starmer, the Centre-Left Labour Party's leader, is the current favourite to win UK's July 4 election and replace Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister

Future of Rishi Sunak as PM hangs in balance as voting begins in UK polls

The future of Rishi Sunak as Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party hangs in the balance as polling booths opened across the UK on Thursday, with millions expected to turn out to cast their votes in the general election. Sunak, 44, is up against voter angst towards the incumbent Tories after 14 years in power and has had to contend with trailing far behind 61-year-old Keir Starmer led Labour Party throughout the six-week campaign. Both leaders wrapped up their poll pitches with contrasting messages Sunak urging voters to not hand tax-raising Labour a supermajority and Starmer playing down the prospect of a landslide win for fear of a low turnout impacting the final outcome. Candidates are being fielded for 650 constituencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with 326 required for a majority in the first past the post system. Besides the two main parties, voters will be choosing from a list of candidates representing the Liberal Democrats,

UK's Jeremy Hunt in knife-edge election battle as Conservatives lose faith

The 57-year-old, appointed in 2022 to stabilise the economy when former premier Liz Truss sparked a bond market rout, has focused as much on the local in his campaign

UK elections: Voters wonder if their votes will make a difference

A lot of politicians have promised change to voters in Hartlepool, a wind-whipped port town in northeast England. For decades, Labour Party representatives said they would fight for working people, even as well-paid industrial jobs disappeared. Later, Conservatives under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to bring new money and opportunities on the back of Brexit. But as British voters prepare to elect a new government Thursday, Hartlepool's many problems persist. It has higher unemployment, lower pay, shorter life expectancy, more drug deaths and higher crime rates than the country as a whole. Opinion polls put centre-left Labour well ahead of the governing Conservatives nationwide, but many voters remain undecided and even more are jaded. To regain power after 14 years, Labour must win back disillusioned voters in Hartlepool and other northern towns where decades of economic decline have spawned health and social problems, and a deep sense of disillusionment. At the last .

Trudeau's party suffers jolt in key byelection to Canadian Parliament

In a stunning blow to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his Liberal Party lost a closely-watched federal by-election on Tuesday to the Conservatives from a longtime Liberal stronghold, prompting the opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to demand a snap election. In a nail-biting finish, Conservative candidate Don Stewart won the Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul's by defeating Liberal Party's Leslie Church by 590 votes. The contest also featured Amrit Parhar, an Indian-origin candidate from the New Democratic Party. Toronto-St. Paul's is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario province. The Liberal Party had held Toronto-St Paul's since 1993. It is one of 338 seats in the House of Commons. Stewart's victory over Church is shocking because the seat has been held by the Liberals for more than 30 years, Canadian media commented. Before Monday, the seat was held by the Liberals for 10 successive elections. Former MP Carolyn Bennett whose appointment as ambassador to

UK economy flatlines in April in blow to Conservatives ahead of elections

The British economy failed to grow in April, official figures showed Wednesday, in a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has made the return of growth and a generally calmer economic backdrop a central pillar of the Conservative Party's election campaign. The Office for National Statistics said wet weather dampened consumer spending and construction during the month. The flat monthly reading came after a 0.6 per cent increase during the first quarter of the year, which Sunak has made much of on the campaign trail following a period of muted growth. Though monthly figures are vulnerable to short-term factors, the flat reading is likely to be used by opponents of the Conservatives in the run-up to the election on July 4. While Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt insisted the economy is turning a corner, his opposite number in the Labour Party Rachel Reeves said the economy has stalled. The latest growth figures come a week before the next round of inflation data and the Bank of England mak

Defeat predicted for Rishi Sunak-led Conservative Party in UK polls: Survey

Public survey conducted by YouGov shows that the Opposition Labour Party is heading towards a landslide victory

Luxon sworn in as New Zealand prime minister, says economy is top priority

Christopher Luxon was sworn in as New Zealand's prime minister on Monday and said his top priority was to improve the economy. The 53-year-old former businessman leads a conservative coalition after his National Party struck a deal on Friday with two smaller parties following a general election last month. After the swearing-in ceremony, which was presided over by Governor-General Cindy Kiro, Luxon told reporters the job was an awesome responsibility". He said he would hold his first Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and look to quickly finalise a 100-day plan. He said he also planned a visit to Australia before Christmas Day. Luxon said he needed to get a Treasury briefing on the state of the government's finances. We are concerned and worried that it's been a deteriorating picture for a number of months now, Luxon said. Under the coalition agreement, Luxon has promised to deliver tax cuts and train 500 more police officers within two years. He has also promised less government bureau

Rishi Sunak gets small bump in opinion polls after crowd-pleasing tax cuts

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the governing Conservatives are enjoying a small bump in the opinion polls after some crowd-pleasing tax cuts were announced in the Autumn Statement budget this week, it emerged on Friday. According to a YouGov survey for The Times' conducted after the budget was tabled by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Parliament on Wednesday, the popularity rating for the Sunak-led Tories rose to 25 per cent which is four points up from the previous week, the party's highest rating in recent weeks. The Opposition Labour continues to hold on to their firm lead, with no change to their 44 per cent rating. It is the highest rating since mid-September and only three points below Sunak's highest-ever rating last April, the newspaper analysis notes. "Labour still holds a commanding 19-point lead over the government, however, with the poll suggesting that most voters do not believe the measures announced by Hunt will make either themselves or the country materially

UK approves new North Sea drilling, delights industry but angers critics

British regulators on Wednesday approved new oil and gas drilling at a site in the North Sea, a move environmentalists say will hurt the country's attempt to meet its climate goals. The UK's North Sea Transition Authority said it had approved the Rosebank Field Development Plan, which allows the owners to proceed with their project. Britain's Conservative government argues that drilling in the Rosebank field, northwest of the Shetland Islands, will create jobs and bolster the UK's energy security. One of the largest untapped deposits in UK waters, Rosebank holds an estimated 350 million barrels of oil. The field is operated by Norway's Equinor and the UK firm Ithaca Energy, which say they plan to invest $3.8 billion in the first phase of the project. The field is expected to start producing in 2026-2027. Green Party lawmaker Caroline Lucas called the decision to approve drilling morally obscene. Energy security and cheaper bills aren't delivered by allowing highly subsidized, ...

Conservative groups look beyond ex-President Trump for 2024 GOP nominee

Two major conservative groups have signalled they are open to supporting someone other than Donald Trump in the 2024 race for the White House, the latest sign from an increasingly vocal segment of the Republican Party that it's time to move on from the former president. David McIntosh, the president of the influential Club For Growth group, said Tuesday that the group has invited a half dozen potential Republican candidates to its donor summit in Florida next month, but Trump the only declared major candidate in the race so far is not among them. Instead, the group has invited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is viewed as Trump's most formidable likely challenger, along with Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador; former Vice President Mike Pence; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. "We think it would be great for our members to hear them, see what they have to say, where th

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni reaffirms commitment to EU recovery plan

The top EU official is holding a series of bilateral discussions with leaders of the 27-member bloc ahead of the February 9-10 meeting of the European Council

UK PM insists of leading Conservatives into next general election

Despite the ongoing political upheaval, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has insisted of leading the ruling Conservative Party into the next general election

UK PM Liz Truss faces pressure from Conservatives over tax cuts policies

The Cabinet is attempting to rally behind embattled British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday as her Conservative Party backbenchers are up in arms against her tax-cutting economic policies, which they see as favouring the rich amid a cost-of-living crisis and giving the Opposition Labour Party a lead in opinion polls. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned that it would be a disastrously bad idea to think about replacing Truss as the Tory leader, just over a month after she was elected by the party membership in a leadership battle with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak on September 6. Since then the government's mini-budget tabled at the end of last month has unleashed turmoil in the financial markets due to fears of unfunded tax cuts introduced by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, despite a forced U-turn on abolishing the top rate for the wealthiest in the country. We have got to recognise that we do need to bring certainty to the markets, Cleverly told the BBC with reference to the ...

Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss? Tories shouldn't write off 'Trussonomics' yet

According to a recent YouGov poll, 62% of them want Truss for leader, giving her a colossal 24-point advantage over Sunak

The making of BJP's social rules

From conservative to radical, the party's stand on marriage and population control has evolved in two distinct phases: One when it was in power, another when it was not

Twitter adds fact-check label to Donald Trump tweets for first time

In a pair of tweets issued Wednesday morning from his iPhone, Trump said that social media sites are trying to silence conservative voices, and need to change course or face action.

How the Conservatives stole the British Indian vote from Labour

The Conservatives have 49% popularity among both ethno-religious groups, to Labour's 41%