Connect with us

Published

on

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has vowed to steal votes from Labour and the Conservatives at the local elections – as he launched his campaign by driving a tractor through blue hay bales.

Sir Ed made his entrance on a farm in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire on a yellow tractor while wearing a wax jacket as he made his party’s intentions clear – they want to smash the Conservative ‘blue wall’.

He was then driven down the high street to a group of Lib Dem supporters, where he promised to fight for people struggling with the cost of living, to reverse cuts to essential public services and to reform the NHS.

“We’re finding that lifelong Conservatives are saying they’ve had enough, that they’re never going to vote Conservative again and they’re switching to the Liberal Democrats,” he said.

He accused the Conservatives of being “out of touch, out of ideas and out of excuses”.

“Let’s all send a message to these Conservatives. It’s time that they were out of government,” he added.

“And that’s why so many people across the country are turning to the Liberal Democrats.

More on Liberal Democrats

“They know that the Liberal Democrats work hard for their communities here, their concerns, and never take them for granted.”

Sir Ed also said those who normally vote Labour are switching to the Lib Dems and he believes his party is going to make “many, many more gains”.

Politics latest:
‘Nothing off table’ as two RAF bases selected to house asylum seekers

Sir Ed Davey
Image:
Sir Ed Davey

Speaking to Sky News moments after the launch, Sir Ed said he had been speaking to lifelong Conservatives “who are pretty angry” with the party, which makes him believe the Lib Dems stand a good chance of local election gains.

And he claimed voters would not simply choose the Lib Dems because they’re disheartened with the Tories or Labour, saying their policies are “very popular” and they have proven they stand up for their local communities.

Sir Ed added recent Lib Dem wins at byelections show they do not just do well at local elections but can do so in general elections as well.

“People are seeing the Liberal Democrat vote is a powerful vote in many parts of the country,” he said.

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands hit back at the Lib Dems as he said they are “charging more for council tax, band for band, than the Conservatives while delivering worse local services”.

“The Liberal Democrats should focus on local people’s priorities instead of waging war on motorists, cutting weekly bin services, and wasting taxpayers’ money on vanity projects,” he said.

“Only the Conservatives can be trusted to deliver for your local area. Filling potholes. Cutting crime. Collecting your bins on time. All while keeping your council tax low.”

In June last year, Lib Dem Richard Foord won the Tiverton and Honiton by-election, overturning a 24,000 Tory majority.

This followed Conservative MP Neil Parish’s resignation after he admitted twice watching pornography on his mobile phone while in parliament.

The Conservatives also lost their majority in December 2021, when Lib Dem Helen Morgan was elected in North Shropshire. The by-election here was caused by the resignation of Owen Paterson amid a lobbying scandal.

And in June 2021, Lib Dem Sarah Green secured an historic win in Chesham and Amersham, previously a Conservative stronghold since its creation in 1974. The by-election was triggered by the death of former Tory cabinet minister dame Cheryl Gillan.

Continue Reading

World

Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs – in worst day for indexes since COVID

Published

on

By

Stock markets slump for second day running after Trump announces tariffs - in worst day for indexes since COVID

Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.

While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As it happened: Worst week’s trading in five years

All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.

The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.

Read more: What’s a bear market?

Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.

More on Donald Trump

Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.

The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.

And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.

Pic: Reuters
Image:
US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters

Trump holds trade deal talks – reports

It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indian and Israeli representatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.

The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.

Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Do Trump’s tariffs add up?

Read more:
Markets gave Trump a clear no-confidence vote
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow

China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.

Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.

Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump

He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’

“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”

Continue Reading

World

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

Published

on

By

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

Read more:
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow
Trade war sparks ‘$2.2trn’ global market sell-off

These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

Continue Reading

World

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

Published

on

By

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
Image:
Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

Read more from Sky News:
Highs and lows of Five-Year Keir
MP tells Sky News she was targeted online by Tate brothers

More on South Korea

The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
Image:
The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

Continue Reading

Trending