Election latest: Nigel Farage criticised for 'disgraceful' comments on Ukraine war - as analysis shows high earners benefit most from Reform plans (2024)

Slashing red tape for Britain's pubs, restaurants and music venues would be the focus of a review launched within the first 100 days of a Tory government, the party has said.

Ministers would look into ways to "crack down" on councils imposing "disproportionate conditions" and restrictions on licences as part of a bid to boost the UK nighttime economy, the Conservatives say.

It comes as Rishi Sunak seeks to shift the focus of the campaign away from the betting scandal that has thrown his party into fresh turmoil in recent days.

The Tories used the announcement to attack Labour's record on nightlife in London and Wales, as polls continue to put the opposition party on course for a historic victory on 4 July.

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said: "The nighttime economy is a vibrant sector that's vital to our economy and our society as a whole.

"We've always supported our nighttime economy, with business rates reliefs, economic support during the pandemic - but wherever Labour have been responsible for the sector, it's suffered.

"We'll continue to back our nighttime economy - Labour would cripple it further with higher taxes and more burdensome regulation."

A betting scandal has engulfed the Tory party in recent days, and Rishi Sunak has been under fire for refusing to suspend candidates under investigation over alleged wagers placed on the date of the 4 July contest.

We asked Tory candidate David Simmonds if he is comfortable with the decision not to suspend these candidates, and he replied that "we need to see the outcome of those investigations".

"If it turns out that they've broken the law, that's a different matter. But at the moment it's speculation."

He said the party needs to know "the facts about any individual before making a decision".

Asked how he felt when he heard about the bets, Mr Simmonds pivoted to attacking Labour, saying: "The key message from this is if you're going to win quite a lot at the bookies as a result of this, you're going to need it if there's a Labour government, because you're going to have to pay for their tax rises."

When pushed by Sky's Anna Jones, he admitted the allegations are "uncomfortable".

Reform UK has surged in the polls over the course of the election campaign, denting the Tories' chances of reducing Labour's poll lead.

We asked Tory candidate David Simmons how worried he is, and he replied: "Reform is the Farage show, and clearly if you've got somebody who's making points like this, who's standing up for Vladimir Putin in our politics, then that's going to have a big impact.

"But the Conservative Party's focus on our positive agenda."

He said the choice on 4 July will be between the "clear plan that's been set out by the Conservatives, and a Labour Party who, to date, have not really been very clear about where they stand on tax and on so many other issues".

Pushed on whether Reform UK and the Tory party should merge - something many supporters of both parties want, according to polls - Mr Simmonds replied: "Nigel Farage is not a Conservative.

"You would not find a Conservative going out and saying that Putin was in any way justified for taking his action with an illegal war in Ukraine, the appalling atrocities that have been committed - that's a deeply unpatriotic thing."

He said the Tory party is proposing increasing defence spending because "we need to protect ourselves for the future from the consequences of the kind of things which Nigel Farage is justifying".

We've just been speaking with Conservative candidate David Simmonds, and we started by asking for his reaction to Nigel Farage's comments that theWest "provoked" Russia's invasion of Ukraine (more here).

Mr Simmonds told Sky news that his grandfather was "conscripted and went to the Normandy landings because of the apologists for Hitler".

"We don't want a Putin apologist in Downing Street or in government today," he declared.

The Tory candidate went on to say that it is "absolutely clear that we need to resist the ambitions of people like Putin", and that it is "absolutely right that NATO, that Europe, our allies in the United States and across the world, support them in the interests of freedom and liberty across the world".

Mr Farage would note that he did say the war in Ukraine was Putin's fault and that he was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, but that the EU was wrong to expand eastwards.

But Mr Simmonds rejected that, saying: "The expansion of the European Union and the inclusion of some of those states into the single market was one of the key Margaret Thatcher policies that was about bringing about the end of the Cold War."

He said there is "absolutely no justifying the act that Putin has taken", which he has also done elsewhere.

"I think Nigel Farage should be ashamed of himself.

"As somebody who claims to be patriotic, to be apologising for Putin and saying that the West's actions justify that - that's simply unacceptable."

By Tim Baker, political reporter

JK Rowling has said she will "struggle to support" Labour if Sir Keir Starmer keeps his current stance on gender recognition.

The Harry Potter author has authored a2,000-word essay in The Timesin which she outlines her dissatisfaction with the Labour Party's current position.

In the piece, she criticises Sir Keir, as well as shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, shadow equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry.

Rowling has been outspoken in her belief that biological women should be able to have separate spaces, and trans women - who were born male - should not be allowed access.

She has been criticised for her position, being widely condemned in recent years for her views on transgender rights, for example claiming that she would rather go to jail than refer to a trans person by their preferred pronouns.

Read more here:

By Gurpreet Narwan, political correspondent

Reform UK bills itself as the party "for the left behind" but its flagship tax policy disproportionately benefits those on higher incomes, analysis for Sky News shows.

Nigel Farage hailed the plan to raise the threshold at which workers start paying tax to from £12,571 to £20,000, saying it would lift millions of low-paid workers out of paying tax altogether.

However, Reform's plan to raise the higher rate threshold from £50,271 to £70,000 would amount to a tax cut worth almost £6,000 for the top 10% of earners, vastly overshadowing the benefit to the lowest earners.

The top 10% of households, by disposable income, have £3,000 a month to spend after housing costs, council tax and direct taxes. A couple in this category would have £5,290 to spend.

These people would gain almost £5,983 in disposable income each year as a result of the changes.

The bottom 10% of households have less than £693 to spend on things such as heating and food each month. The figure rises to £1,195 for a couple. These households would gain an extra £221 per year.

Despite the vast discrepancy, Reform UK has repeatedly framed this as a policy for the lowest paid.

At the party's manifesto launch in South Wales, Mr Farage said: "I think the most innovative policy that we've put out in here is to raise the level at which people start paying tax to £20,000 a year.

"Why? Well, number one, it would take seven million people out of the tax system altogether, a devilishly complicated tax system. That would be a good thing, of course, for those on low pay."

Read the full analysis here:

Has Nigel Farage made his first blunder of the election campaign?

His incendiary claim that the West provoked the war in Ukraine will be offensive to many people.

It may make some of those Conservative supporters considering switching to Reform UK on 4 July think again.

And a clarification in a late-night tweet appearing to row back from his earlier claims in a TV interview suggests he may have realised he went too far.

"I am one of the few figures that have been consistent and honest about the war with Russia," he posted on X.

"Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.

"The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace."

His earlier comments were straight out of the playbook of his friend Donald Trump.

But if it was his intention to provoke a row and gain him publicity, it may have backfired this time.

Read Jon's full analysis here:

Nigel Farage has reiterated that he blames the West and NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine - as he confirmed that he previously said he "admired" Vladimir Putin as a statesman.

Speaking to the BBC, the Reform UK leader was asked about his previous comments on Russia and Ukraine.

Asked about Russia's 2022 invasion, Mr Farage told Nick Robinson that he had been saying since the fall of the Berlin Wall that there would be a war in Ukraine due to the "ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union".

He said this was giving Mr Putin a reason to tell the Russian people "they're coming for us again" and go to war.

The Reform leader confirmed his belief the West "provoked" the conflict - but said it was "of course" the Russian president's "fault".

Home Secretary James Cleverly said Mr Farage was "echoing Putin's vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine".

Deputy Conservative Party chair Jonathan Gullis added that Putin is "certainly not someone who should be admired" - adding that he "unleashed chemical warfare on the streets of our country to commit murder, which endangered further innocent British lives".

Labour's shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: "These are disgraceful comments, which reveal the true face of Nigel Farage: a Putin apologist who should never be trusted with our nation's security."

Read more here:

Good morning!

Welcome back to the Politics Hub on this Saturday, 22 June.

There are 12 days to go until polls open in the general election across the country, and we expect all parties to be out and about trying to convince voters to back them.

Here's what's happening today:

• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is under fire after reiterating in an interview that he blames the West and NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine;
• He also confirmed that he previously said he "admired" Vladimir Putin as a statesman - and has been roundly condemned by senior politicians in both main parties;
• Mr Farage's party is also facing questions as analysis for Sky News reveals itsflagship tax policy disproportionately benefits those on higher incomes;
• The party is proposing raising income tax thresholds, which would see the top 10% of earners receive a tax cuts of almost £6,000, while the poorest 10% would gain justan extra £221 per year;
• After his "swift pitstop" at the opening night of Taylor Swift's Era's Tour show at Wembley last night, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to be out and about promoting his pledge to deliver a "fundamental reset" for the Windrush generation and deliver proper compensation;
• His shadow environment secretary will also be discussing sewage, and Labour's plan to clean up Britain's waterways;
• But the Labour leader is under fire from none other than JK Rowling, whohas said she will "struggle to support" Labour if Sir Keir Starmer keeps his current stance on gender recognition;
• Rishi Sunak is also expected to be out on the campaign trail today as his party desperately tries to make a dent in Labour's poll lead with less than two weeks to go until polling day;
• The Tory party are pledging to revitalise the nighttime economy, and have hit out at Labour for their "failure" to support it in London and in Wales;
• Sir Ed Davey of the Lib Dems is also talking sewage today, reiterating his party's pledge to give rivers a new protected status to prevent sewage dumping;
• The leaders of the SNP, Green Party, and Plaid Cymru are all expected to be out on the campaign trail as election day approaches.

We'll be discussing all of that and more with:

• David Simmonds, Conservative candidate, at 7.15am;
• Steve Reed, shadow environment secretary, at 8.15am.

Follow along for the very latest from the campaign trail.

We'll be back from 6am with all the latest from the general election campaign, with a little under two weeks to go until polling day.

You can scroll back through the page to catch up on what you've missed, or check out our 10pm round-up for a brief look at the day.

Join us on Saturday for another day of live updates.