Campaign highlights: Farage pledges ‘political revolution’
Nigel Farage called for a cap on immigration as he set out the Brexit Party’s policy platform on Friday.
Launching the party’s “Contract With The People”, Mr Farage said all the party’s demands were underpinned by the need to secure a “clean-break Brexit” with the European Union.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn pledged to renounce British sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands and Boris Johnson said foreign individuals wanting to buy property in England will be forced to pay more in stamp duty than UK residents.
Here are some of the highlights of Friday’s campaign trail:
– The Brexit Party launched its ‘Contract With The People’
Nigel Farage unveiled the Brexit Party’s General Election policies, promising a “political revolution”.
The party’s pledges include halving the foreign aid budget, capping permanent immigration at 50,000 a year and scrapping VAT on fuel bills.
Also included were a promise to stop companies earning less than £10,000 a year paying corporation tax, a commitment to abolish the House of Lords, and a pledge to plant millions of trees to absorb carbon emissions.
"We are sickened by the system of political patronage. The House of Lords is no longer fit for purpose." pic.twitter.com/2FXX75xJoi
— The Brexit Party (@brexitparty_uk) November 22, 2019
– Jeremy Corbyn said he would return the Chagos Islands
The Labour leader pledged to renounce British sovereignty of the remote Chagos Islands after Mauritius’s prime minister called the UK “an illegal colonial occupier” for refusing to return them by the United Nations-backed deadline.
Mr Corbyn vowed to “end colonial rule” and return the islands if he wins the December 12 election, and accused the Conservatives of “shamefully” considering themselves above international law.
The deadline to return control of the overseas territory came and was set to pass on Friday, with the UK refusing to recognise Mauritius’s claim of sovereignty over the islands.
– The Tories announced plans for a stamp duty hike on non-UK residents
Boris Johnson announced that foreign individuals wanting to buy property in England will be forced to pay 3% more in stamp duty than UK residents under a Conservative government.
The Conservatives said the surcharge would be levied on top of all other stamp duty payable and charged at 3%.
The party estimated the measure would raise up to £120 million a year, which would be directed at programmes to tackle rough sleeping.
– John McDonnell said the Institute for Fiscal Studies was ‘wrong’ on Labour’s tax plans
The shadow chancellor said the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) “got it wrong” when it described Labour’s tax plans as “not credible”.
Mr McDonnell rejected the analysis by the IFS that said broader tax increases were needed than the ones proposed in the Labour Party’s manifesto.
He added that 95% of people would not pay any more tax than they do now, and denied raising corporation tax would mean bosses would cut wages and raise prices.
– Plaid Cymru called for a ‘green jobs revolution’
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price called for a £20 billion “green jobs revolution” as the party unveiled its election manifesto.
Mr Price said Plaid would invest £20 billion over the next 10 years from a national reconstruction fund, which would include the electrification of all mainline rail lines.
He added the plans would see the creation of tens of thousands of “green collar” jobs which would help tackle the climate emergency.
Tweet of the day
A Labour candidate got into the festive election spirit by invoking a famous scene from Love Actually in an appeal for votes.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who is looking to be re-elected as MP for Tooting, parodied the scene from the 2003 movie in which Mark, played by Andrew Lincoln, declares his love for Keira Knightley’s Juliet by holding up a series of cards on her doorstep.
The choice at this election… #LoveActually#MerryXmas#Tootingpic.twitter.com/laP589NlMm
— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) November 22, 2019
Picture of the day
Video of the day
Nigel Farage unveils Brexit Party election pitch
What’s next?
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will launch the party's youth manifesto in Loughborough and is also expected to visit Yorkshire
Jo Swinson to campaign in London
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage to attend a campaign event in the North East