Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
At a time when Britain faces serious questions about how we fund our armed forces, how we cut welfare, and how we get the economy growing, the Labour Party is getting a new leader whose first priority is to have a summer holiday, while Nigel Farage has thrown a massive hissy fit to fight an election against a man dressed as a bin. When the Conservatives fought and won the by-election in Aberdeen South last month – our first by-election win in Scotland in 60 years – it was about tens of thousands of people’s jobs across the country who work in oil and gas and associated industries.
By contrast, The Makerfield by-election was about one man’s job and one man’s ego – Andy Burnham’s. Now we have a by-election in Clacton about one man’s job and one man’s ego – Nigel Farage’s. The truth is that all of this is a huge waste of everyone’s time and money. Nigel Farage has only triggered this fake by-election because he can’t take the pressure of scrutiny over his dodgy donations. Every MP has to play by the rules and declare the money and gifts we’re given. This includes donations in the year before we become MPs. We all know the rules, and we all abide by the rules, because that’s an important part of the job of being an MP.
Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage seems to think he’s above the rules. He didn’t want anyone knowing he’d been given a fishy £5 million personal ‘gift’, and he didn’t want anyone knowing he stays in the house of a convicted criminal, so he didn’t declare them.
Farage won’t face questions, he won’t say sorry. Instead, he will spend the next month fighting it out with Count Binface to regain the job he just quit.
The Conservatives are ready to fight the second by-election that will be triggered when the judgement about his dodgy donations comes back.
The real issue is that all of this nonsense is happening at a pivotal moment in Britain’s history.
It’s barely been a month since the defence secretary quit the government saying that Keir Starmer’s failure to find enough money for our armed forces would leave our troops and our country “less safe”.
Russia continues to threaten NATO. Iran is attacking our allies in the Gulf. The era of peace is over and Britain urgently needs to rearm to protect ourselves. Yet the next Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, hasn’t even said if he will find more money for defence.
Meanwhile the economy continues to stutter, choking on Rachel Reeves’ toxic combination of higher taxes and more borrowing. Businesses are closing, unemployment is rising and the only thing Burnham has said about the economy is “there’s room for movement on tax.”
We all know that means yet more tax increases that will hit the pockets of hard-working people.
Britain’s national security should be Burnham’s number one priority. If we are to ensure the armed forces get the backing they need, we need a growing economy. More tax rises will further kill off any chance of growth.
I have a plan to get Britain working again. Cutting the ballooning welfare bill to fund defence. Scrapping stamp duty to get our housing market moving.
Scrapping business rates to help firms on the high street. Serious policies for serious times. That is what the Conservative Party offers.