Latest news with #Tories
Metro
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Sir Rod Stewart sparks outrage after saying 'give Farage a chance'
Sir Rod Stewart has sparked outrage by speaking out in favour of controversial Reform leader Nigel Farage. Ahead of his imminent slot at this weekend's Glastonbury, the 80-year-old rocker has opened up to The Times about his support of the right-wing politician. In an interview with The Times, the Maggie May singer spoke of his frustration with the state of current politics, suggesting voters should 'give Farage a chance.' 'I've read about (Sir Keir) Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn't made him popular,' he told the publication. He continued: 'We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well. Nigel? What options have we got?' 'I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him,' he added. This has sparked outrage from fans, who have branded him 'out of touch' and motivated – as he admits himself – by his 'great wealth.' 'Rod Stewart [says] It's hard for me because I'm extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn't really touch me. But that doesn't mean I'm out of touch. Yes it f**king does, Rod. Completely out of touch,' wrote blondsteve on X. More Trending 'Sir Rod Stewart is in need of retirement. The very last thing this country needs is @Nigel_Farage anywhere near power,' said PJDawe. 'You mean the ex Tory Rod Stewart wants to pay less tax? How surprising,' said ChrisEmmin56954. This bombshell comes as Sir Rod is preparing to take the stage at Glastonbury today, where he'll perform in the coveted tea-time legends slot. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Holly Valance splits from billionaire husband after 13 years of marriage MORE: Keir Starmer feels pressure after poll shows Reform would win election today MORE: What is Nigel Farage's £250,000 Britannia card and how would it work?
North Wales Live
5 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Starmer to warn of 'backroom stitch-up' in Welsh elections
Sir Keir Starmer will warn of a 'backroom stitch-up' between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru ahead of key elections in Wales next year. In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister is set to say that a coalition of those parties would be a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade'. It would risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make, he will claim. Welsh First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan meanwhile will call next year's polls a 'moment of reckoning' and 'serious threat' as Reform UK is 'rising' and Plaid Cymru 'mobilising'. And Labour will announce funding to help those made redundant by the Tata Steel closure in Port Talbot. Reform UK is eyeing an opportunity to end Labour's 26 years of domination in the Welsh Parliament at the Senedd elections in May next year. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Welsh Labour leader Baroness Morgan will say the election is not going to be a 'routine affair'. She will add: 'It will be a moment of reckoning. Reform are rising. Plaid are mobilising. "And across the country, people are asking big, serious questions about the kind of future they want for Wales. This is not a moment to look away. "This is the moment to look forward - a moment of maximum opportunity and, yes, also of serious threat. It's time to stand up. It's time to get involved.' The conference in Llandudno comes on the heels of Sir Keir's U-turn on welfare policy to avert a major backbench rebellion that will leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves facing a scramble to fill a potential hole in her budget this autumn. Ahead of marking a year in office next week, Sir Keir will point to moves his Government has made since the election that he says bring direct benefits to Wales, including international trade deals that give a boost to brands such as Penderyn whisky and legislation to bolster workers' rights. Wales Secretary Jo Stevens is set to announce a new £11 million fund for businesses offering skilled employment in Port Talbot as it seeks to help those left unemployed by Tata Steel's closure of the steelworks. The fund is made up of £6.78 million from the Government and £5 million from Tata Steel. 'The Tories abandoned our steelworkers. Reform want to cancel the Electric Arc Furnace, throw away 5,000 jobs, and send people back down the mines. 'We have the backs of our steelworkers, their families and local businesses,' Ms Stevens will say. Sir Keir will tout the advantages of having parallel Labour governments in Westminster and Wales, with Baroness Morgan leading the latter as a 'fierce champion'. 'This is the party that has got wages rising faster in the first 10 months than the Tories managed in 10 years. This is the government that is cutting bills and creating jobs. This is the movement that will rebuild Britain and renew Wales,' Sir Keir is expected to say. Labour is the party with the 'interests of working people at their heart' and 'it always will be', he will say. "Or, there's the other option. The risk of rolling back all the progress we're beginning to make. A return to the chaos and division of the last decade. 'A backroom stitch-up between the Tories, Reform and Plaid. And once again, it will be working families left to pick up the bill. "Whether that's with Reform, or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country – with no plan to put Wales back together.' The Conservatives have said that Labour has 'let Wales down for far too long'. Shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: 'Divisions between a complacent Welsh Labour and Starmer's failing UK Government in Westminster have simply not improved Wales's outlook, despite the fabled benefit of two Labour Governments in Wales, which is absolute bunkum.' She also added: 'Labour has let Wales down for too long, taken people for granted and now the PM is making a mess of the entire United Kingdom.'
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Rod Stewart comes out in support of Reform UK
Rocker Rod Stewart has publicly endorsed Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party, urging his fans to give Farage a chance. Stewart expressed dissatisfaction with the current government and criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer 's new Brexit deal, stating he is also 'fed up with the Tories'. He said Farage is coming across well as a political option for the UK. Stewart's current support for Farage contrasts with his 2024 criticism of the politician for blaming the West for the war in Ukraine. Stewart has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the conflict began, even renting out a home for a refugee family.
Spectator
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Tom Skinner and the triumph of Essex Man
As a teenager, my first husband was an Essex Man. It ended badly – all my fault – but I still retain a fondness for the breed, who I associate with self-made can-do stoicism and optimism; the opposite of, say, Islington Man. An Essex Man is being spoken of as the one to give the ghastly 'Sir' Sadiq Khan a run for his money In recent decades, the county has become known as a glitzy, new-money Cheshire-on-Colne, due to the popular television show The Only Way Is Essex, a 'scripted reality' show in which a mutating cast of likely lads and luscious-lipped ladies make out and break up at bars and barbecues. The girls boast of a taste for Bad Boys with whom they have Steamy Romps, followed by Love Splits and Lonely Hells before Bouncing Back to Show Him What He's Missing while Flaunting Her Curves on a Sunshine Break To Dubai. They never saw a drink that wouldn't look better in a frenemy's face, or a swimming pool that couldn't be improved by pushing a love rat into; they backbite and backstab the way others say 'please' and 'thank you'. Of course I love it! Towie has recently, and rather dismayingly, made a show of talking about Mental Elf issues, much to the detriment of the drama. But these kids aren't really snowflakes. They're the descendants of the actual Cockneys who were resettled in Essex after the destruction of the East End by the Luftwaffe. They inhabit the first hardcore working-class Conservative stronghold of post-war England; in the 2019 election, all 18 seats in the county were held by the Tories with absolute majorities. In the EU referendum, every one of Essex's 14 district councils voted Leave. During the previous century, Essex Man was shorthand for a disillusioned, working-class, traditionally Labour voter who switched to Mrs Thatcher's Conservatives. They did so because they felt that Labour had moved to the Loony Left and cared more about Gaza than Grays. Of course Reform were always going to go big there. Nigel Farage himself has his constituency in Clacton-on-Sea. During his visits, he is mobbed by teenagers for selfies. A year after winning his seat, he remains wildly popular with constituents. You can't say that about many MPs. Reform's success in Essex isn't just about Farage: last month in council by-elections, the party took a seat in Harlow and a couple more in Thurrock. But the hold of the Tories on Essex should not be underestimated; no less than Kemi Badenoch has her throne in North West Essex. It would make the heart of this blue-collar county swell to have an MP of their own become PM. To make matters more interesting, an Essex Man is being spoken of as the one who might give the ghastly 'Sir' Sadiq Khan a run for his money, a phrase which conjures up for me the rampant fare-dodging which is one of the hallmarks of the ruined London Khan has presided over. Tom Skinner was one of the hopefuls in series 15 of The Apprentice; I don't recall him, but that's probably because I'm always too busy drooling unattractively over my pin-up, Lord Sugar. Recently Skinner has taken to X bemoaning the state of the capital: 'Colder…more hostile. It's tense…London don't feel like London no more. The police ain't on the beat. The people are scared. I'm not giving up on it…I still believe in this gaff…but we need change…we need safety.' Anyone can go on social media and moan that fings ain't what they used to be. But what makes this different is that Dominic Cummings reposted the above. He urged the 34-year-old Skinner to run against Khan in 2028 and offered the muscle of the old Vote Leave brigade as back-up. This week, Kennedy went down a storm at a conference in Westminster when he spoke of his love for his country. Asked about whether he would run for London mayor, he told the Now & England conference: 'Anyone could do a better job that Sadiq Khan…we'll see what happens'. The rapturous applause – and the fact that hatred of orthodox politicians in Britain is stronger than it's ever been – means he should certainly consider it. He's definitely got a little something going on that might well appeal to the thoroughly cheesed-off man in the London street. As Niall Gooch wrote in UnHerd: 'Skinner represents a clear contrast to the collapsing post-1997 consensus. He is not a graduate; he has not been formed in or by progressive institutions; he has no interest in the shibboleths of managed decline or conventional Blob thought. His is a commonsensical, man-of-the-people approach — in some respects he resembles Nigel Farage'. Skinner might do well if he ran for mayor, for the simple reason that what public life lacks is Straightforward Men. Everywhere you look you can see male creatures slithering and sliding, obfuscating and liberty-taking, lying and why-o-why-ing; the resurgence of Alastair Campbell sums it up best, but you're spoilt for choice. In 2022, I wrote in this very magazine an essay called In Praise Of Straightforward Men in which I eulogised the I'm A Celebrity… contestant Mike Tindall: 'Tindall's air of calmness is so attractive that it seems neither here nor there that he looks quite like a potato.' It's this quality of good-humoured resilience that we associate with Essex Man. But Tindall, who hails from Yorkshire, proves that you don't have to be born east of the capital to qualify; while the ghastly Jamie Oliver, with his ceaseless posturing and preening, proves that you can be born there and not necessarily be an Essex Man. Tom Skinner recently made a video for X with Robert Jenrick, standing outside a pub talking about 'tool theft'. Apparently this is not as much fun as it sounds, but something which afflicts Ordinary Working People a great deal. The opportunistic air of the pairing would have once irritated me. But because the ghastly Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan are in charge at the moment, I felt warmly towards Skinner. Could he do worse than those two bozos? It's unlikely. Even if he doesn't, at least ordinary folk can recognise something of themselves in a man like Skinner. Skinner even reminds me of my first husband a little, when he was in his robust and roseate youth. So yes, I'm all for Essex Man bringing his admirable qualities to our lawless and loveless capital. Vote Skinner!
Powys County Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Starmer to warn of ‘backroom stitch-up' in Welsh elections
Sir Keir Starmer will warn of a 'backroom stitch-up' between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru ahead of key elections in Wales next year. In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference, the Prime Minister is set to say that a coalition of those parties would be a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make. Welsh First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan meanwhile will call next year's polls a 'moment of reckoning' and 'serious threat' as Reform UK is 'rising' and Plaid Cymru 'mobilising'. And Labour will announce funding to help those made redundant by the Tata Steel closure in Port Talbot. Reform UK is eyeing an opportunity to end Labour's 26 years of domination in the Welsh Parliament at the Senedd elections in May next year. Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Welsh Labour leader Baroness Morgan will say the election is not going to be a 'routine affair'. She will add: 'It will be a moment of reckoning. Reform are rising. Plaid are mobilising. And across the country, people are asking big, serious questions about the kind of future they want for Wales. 'This is not a moment to look away. This is the moment to look forward – a moment of maximum opportunity and, yes, also of serious threat. It's time to stand up. It's time to get involved.' The conference in Llandudno comes on the heels of Sir Keir's U-turn on welfare policy to avert a major backbench rebellion that will leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves facing a scramble to fill a potential hole in her budget this autumn. Ahead of marking a year in office next week, Sir Keir will point to moves his Government has made since the election that he says bring direct benefits to Wales, including international trade deals that give a boost to brands such as Penderyn whisky and legislation to bolster workers' rights. Wales Secretary Jo Stevens is set to announce a new £11 million fund for businesses offering skilled employment in Port Talbot as it seeks to help those left unemployed by Tata Steel's closure of the steelworks. The fund is made up of £6.78 million from the Government and £5 million from Tata Steel. 'The Tories abandoned our steelworkers. Reform want to cancel the Electric Arc Furnace, throw away 5,000 jobs, and send people back down the mines. 'We have the backs of our steelworkers, their families and local businesses,' Ms Stevens will say. Sir Keir will tout the advantages of having parallel Labour governments in Westminster and Wales, with Baroness Morgan leading the latter as a 'fierce champion'. 'This is the party that has got wages rising faster in the first 10 months than the Tories managed in 10 years. This is the government that is cutting bills and creating jobs. This is the movement that will rebuild Britain and renew Wales,' Sir Keir is expected to say. Labour is the party with the 'interests of working people at their heart' and 'it always will be', he will say. 'Or, there's the other option. The risk of rolling back all the progress we're beginning to make. A return to the chaos and division of the last decade. 'A backroom stitch-up between the Tories, Reform and Plaid. And once again, it will be working families left to pick up the bill. 'Whether that's with Reform, or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country – with no plan to put Wales back together.' The Conservatives have said that Labour has 'let Wales down for far too long'. Shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: 'Divisions between a complacent Welsh Labour and Starmer's failing UK Government in Westminster have simply not improved Wales's outlook, despite the fabled benefit of two Labour Governments in Wales, which is absolute bunkum.' She also added: 'Labour has let Wales down for too long, taken people for granted and now the PM is making a mess of the entire United Kingdom.'
