Yahoo News Andrew Sparrow's election briefing: A&E wait times a headache for the Tories
The European commission is launching legal action after UK fails to nominate candidate
The European commission has said it is launching “infringement proceedings” against the UK after the government refused to nominate a new British EU commissioner. The practical impact will probably turn out to be minimal or non-existent, but in symbolic or headline terms, this is probably a gift to Boris Johnson. For Tory leaders (and some Labour ones too) it has for years been taken as axiomatic that voters like to see their PM in a wrangle with Brussels (a flawed mindset that ultimately contributed to the Brexit vote) and now at last Johnson will be able to perform this role. Being in breach of EU treaties will go down better with his Brexiter base than sending the letter requesting an article 50 extension, something he did last month after promising he never would.
Conservatives under pressure over worst A&E waiting times in 15 years
The Tories have sought to brush aside new figures showing that A&E waiting times are at their worst level for 15 years. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, claimed this was a byproduct of increased demand, and that the NHS is in some ways “performing better than it ever has”, but for Labour this was essentially a free hit.
Labour on defensive after Tories attack its immigration policy
CCHQ issued a press notice claiming that Labour is committed to an open border policy, or “free movement” for the whole world, and that as a result 840,000 people could come to the UK every year. CCHQ also said that, if Labour just maintained EU free movement, average net migration might be 260,000 every year for the next 10 years, or 2.6 million in total over the next decade. Interestingly the press notice includes an implicit admission of the Tories’ failure to meet their own immigration target (getting annual net migration below 100,000), because it says 260,000 per year would be a “slight increase” on current immigration levels. The claim that Labour would operate an open border policy is untrue and ludicrous, but Labour has not yet finalised its immigration policy and there is a tension between those in the party who backed a conference “free movement” motion (the Momentum wing, crudely) and those who back immigration controls (the Unite wing, crudely). Jeremy Corbyn has said that he wants an immigration system that is “fair”.
Boris Johnson said that he favoured “controlled immigration” and that in some circumstances this would mean net migration levels falling. He said: “We want to have a controlled system ... And yes, that may mean in some sectors immigration comes down.”
Meanwhile
Johnson has been accused of refusing to meet members of the public and running scared of protests during a visit to Somerset.
The Tories have denied a claim from Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, that one of Johnson’s most senior aides has been offering jobs to his candidates to get them to stand down in Tory target seats. Farage made his allegation as nominations closed, meaning it is now too late for parties to replace candidates who are standing down. After the 4pm deadline, one Brexit party candidate in a ultra-marginal seat announced he would not contest the election because he wanted to help the Tories take it off Labour.
Jeremy Corbyn has ruled out agreeing to a second Scottish independence referendum in the first two years of a Labour government.
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