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☆ UK PM Sunak promises tax cuts after meeting his inflation pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Under pressure from within his traditionally low-tax Conservative Party, Sunak said his government needed to prioritise lowering the tax burden but stressed he would not repeat the unfunded tax cut plan that his predecessor Liz Truss announced last year, triggering turmoil in bond markets. Sunak said the government would cut taxes over time and would not do anything that added to inflation. "You can trust me when I say we can responsibly start to cut taxes," he said. Conservative lawmakers have long called on Sunak to cut taxes to help reduce the gap in the opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party before an election expected next year. Blowing tens of billions of pounds on unfunded spending is just as dangerous as blowing tens of billions of pounds on unfunded tax cuts," he said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Sunak, Liz Truss, Hunt, Sarah Young, Alistair Smout, William Schomberg, Kylie MacLellan, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: British, Conservative Party, Data, Conservative, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Rwanda

"We do want to bring down the tax burden but we will only do so responsibly," Hunt told Sky News. "The one thing we won't do is any kind of tax cut that fuels inflation." OPTIONS LIMITED AFTER HEAVY SPENDINGLabour's finance spokesperson Rachel Reeves said cutting inheritance tax would be the wrong priority in a cost-of-living crisis. "Lower taxes on working people - if the government can explain where the money is coming from - is something I would support," Reeves told Sky News. "We want to show people there is a path to lower taxes but we also want to be honest with people this is not going to happen overnight."

Persons: Hunt, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Reeves, Kylie MacLellan, Andy Bruce, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Sunday Times, Labour, Sky News, Times Radio, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Britain, Thomson Locations: British

☆ UK's Hunt offers incentives, penalties to get more people into work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt during Britain's Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2023. The "Back to Work" plan, billed as a way to help people "stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work", will form part of the Autumn Statement that Hunt will present next Wednesday. Anyone choosing to coast on the hard work of taxpayers will lose their benefits," Hunt said of the "Back to Work" plan. "This sort of language just pushes people away – alienating those who could benefit from support, alienating employers and alienating partners like GPs and voluntary services," Wilson said. Labour said Hunt's plan was "more of the same".

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Toby Melville, Hunt, Tony Wilson, Wilson, Hunt's, Liz Kendall, Andy Bruce, Susan Fenton Organizations: Britain's Conservative, REUTERS, Institute for Employment Studies, Labour Party, Conservative, IES, Labour, Tories, Confederation, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, British

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 15, 2023. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict. Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand," Starmer said after the vote. A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Maria Unger, Handout, Rishi Sunak, Jess Phillips, Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan, Deepa Babington Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Scottish National Party, European Union, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Israel, United States, Gaza, Britain's, Palestine

☆ Cameron returns to UK government as foreign secretary, Braverman sacked
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It was the latest reset for a prime minister whose party is badly lagging the Labour Party before an election expected next year. The return of Cameron suggested Sunak wanted to bring in a more centrist, experienced hand rather than appease the right of his party which supported Braverman. It also reawakens divisive debate over Brexit: Cameron held the referendum on European Union membership in 2016 and was hated by many on the right of the party after he campaigned to remain. BREXIT RETURNS[1/5]Britain's former Prime Minister and newly appointed Foreign Secretary David Cameron walks outside 10 Downing Street in London, Britain November 13, 2023. Now, opposition lawmakers said his decision to appoint Cameron was an act of desperation.

Persons: Braverman, Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Suella Braverman, Cameron, Sunak, BREXIT, Suzanne Plunkett, Theresa May, James, Pat McFadden, Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Kate Holton, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: London, British, Labour Party, European Union, Britain, Conservative Party, REUTERS, Conservative, Conservatives, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, England, Labour's

☆ UK Labour's Starmer seeks to reunite party over Israel/Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kier Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks as he attends a by-election victory event for Sarah Edwards, newly elected MP for Tamworth, at Tamworth football stadium, Tamworth in central Britain, October 20, 2023. In a hastily arranged speech, Starmer was keen to restore unity to the party after senior figures, such as its London and Manchester mayors and the Scottish Labour leader, called for a ceasefire to ease Gaza's growing humanitarian crisis. He said what was needed now was an immediate pause to allow aid to be delivered and for people to seek safety, but that nations should be pushing for a resumption of peace and renewed talks for a two-state solution. "My Labour Party will fight for that cause, we will work with international partners towards the recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated just and lasting peace," he said. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kier Starmer, Sarah Edwards, Toby Melville, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Elizabeth Piper, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, Tamworth, REUTERS, British Labour, Palestinian, Labour, Chatham House, Scottish Labour, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: Tamworth, Britain, Israel, Gaza, London, Manchester

☆ The UK Labour Party has a Biden-esque economic plan — but it's very different to Bidenomics
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

LIVERPOOL, U.K. - Oct. 11, 2023: Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer applauds a speaker the final day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on October 11, 2023. Paul Ellis | Afp | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K.'s main opposition Labour Party last week set out the economic platform it hopes will propel it to power at next year's general election, and the transatlantic parallels were clear. Reeves promised last week to "rebuild Britain" as the party seeks to de-risk business investment in emerging technologies with a new national wealth fund, maintaining an active state while harnessing private investment to drive economic growth. Labour's desired parallels to "Bidenomics" were discussed at a host of fringe events throughout the conference in Liverpool, particularly with regards to the "crowding in" of private investment — a Keynesian economic theory that suggests increased government spending can spur increased private investment. Just because the policies may be oriented towards boosting infrastructure and investment, unless they have that debt finance component, it's not Bidenomics."

Persons: Keir Starmer applauds, Paul Ellis, Keir Starmer, Starmer, they're, Rachel Reeves, Joe Biden's, Reeves, Britain —, Biden, Kallum Pickering, Liz Truss, Truss, Rishi Sunak, Pickering, it's Organizations: LIVERPOOL, Labour Party, Afp, Getty, Labour, U.S, Biden administration's, U.S . Treasury, CNBC, Bank of England, Conservative Party, U.S ., University of Pennsylvania Locations: Liverpool, England, America, Britain, Germany, France

☆ Voting closes in New Zealand election, counting set to begin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People head to the polls to vote in the general election in Auckland, New Zealand October 14, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Voting closed in New Zealand’s general election at 7:00 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Saturday and counting was set to start, with provisional results due later this evening. Polls predict that the nationalist New Zealand First Party will hold the balance of power. The party was Labour's coalition partner in 2017 but has said it will not work with Labour again. In the 2023 election a party or coalition needs 61 of Parliament's 120 seats to form a government.

Persons: David Rowland, Lucy Craymer, John Mair Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ACT Party, New Zealand First Party, Labour, New, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, New, New Zealand

☆ New Zealand National Party's Luxon to lead new government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party waves to supporters at his election party after winning the general election to become New Zealand’s next prime minister in Auckland, New Zealand, October 14, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - New Zealand's centre-right National Party led by Christopher Luxon will form a new government with its preferred coalition party ACT, as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins conceded his Labour Party could not form a government after Saturday's general election. The National Party, now in opposition, had 39% of the votes with 92% counted, while the ACT party had 9%. "On the numbers tonight National will be in the position to lead the next government," Luxon, a former executive who once ran Air New Zealand and entered politics just three years ago, told supporters in Auckland. The National-ACT majority is slim and the two parties may need support from the populist New Zealand First Party to form a government.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, David Rowland, Chris Hipkins, Ben Thomas, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Maori's, Gareth Hughes, Nanaia Mahuta, Lucy Craymer, Edmund Klamann Organizations: National Party, New, REUTERS, Rights, ACT, Labour Party, Electoral, Air New, National, Zealanders, Labour, New Zealand First Party, Coalition, Green Party, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand, New Zealanders

☆ London's financial heart is sizing up a win for center-left Labour party at next year's UK election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLIVERPOOL, England — The U.K.'s main opposition Labour party is seeking to woo London's powerful financial center as it sets its sights on winning power at next year's General Election. At the party's conference this week, lawmakers were unanimous in emphasizing Labour's renewed focus under leader Keir Starmer on spurring economic growth as its number one priority. Speaking at a fringe event on Sunday, Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray reiterated the party's mission of achieving the highest growth in the G7 and engaging the private sector. It really is crucial to underpin the encouragement of businesses to invest, to underpin everyone working together for economic growth," Murray added. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a host of new economic pledges aimed at stimulating growth, vowing to "rebuild Britain" if Labour wins the 2024 General Election.

Persons: Keir Starmer, James Murray, Murray, Rishi, Liz Truss's, Kwasi Kwarteng, Rachel Reeves, Reeves, Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer, Emma Reynolds Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Labour, Shadow, Conservative Party, Treasury Locations: Canary, London, LIVERPOOL, England, Britain, Liverpool

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer addresses the start of the National Annual Women's Conference, ahead of the start of Britain's Labour Party annual conference, in Liverpool, Britain, October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble Acquire Licensing RightsLIVERPOOL, England, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Labour leader Keir Starmer will appeal directly to British voters on Tuesday, saying his revamped opposition party is best placed to boost economic growth and offer the country the hope that "things will be better for your children". Aides say Starmer knows he must try to convey a sense of reassurance that Labour can get to work on fixing a multitude of problems from poor public services to sluggish growth. "What is broken can be repaired, what is ruined can be rebuilt," he will tell hundreds of the party faithful at the conference in the northern English city of Liverpool. "We have to be a government that takes care of the big questions so working people have the freedom to enjoy what they love," he will say.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Phil Noble, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Elizabeth Piper, Gareth Jones 私 Organizations: Britain's Labour, Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Rights, Labour, Health Service Locations: Liverpool, Britain, Rights LIVERPOOL, England, English, Scotland

☆ Take Five: Volatile start to busy week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 9 (Reuters) - Financial markets have got off to a volatile start to the week, after Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel at the weekend, triggering violent conflict that left hundreds dead. A bond market rout last week and currency gyrations already had financial markets on edge ahead of U.S. inflation numbers and the start of earnings season. Here's your week ahead in markets from Kevin Buckland in Tokyo, Lewis Krauskopf in New York, Rachel Savage in Johannesburg, and Naomi Rovnick and Dhara Ranasinghe in London. Amid these tensions, the IMF and World Bank are trying to boost their lending.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, gyrations, Kevin Buckland, Lewis Krauskopf, Rachel Savage, Naomi Rovnick, Wells, LSEG IBES, Rishi Sunak's, Sumanta Sen, Pasit, Vineet, Karin Strohecker, Kim Coghill Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Financial, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Labour, JPMorgan, Citigroup, PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, UnitedHealth, Reuters, LABOUR, Conservative, Labour Party, MOROCCO Finance, Monetary Fund, U.S, Bretton Woods, IMF, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Israel, Tokyo, New York, Johannesburg, London, Central, Morrocan, Marrakech, China

☆ Britain's Labour plans to 'rewire' the country, ease grid delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIVERPOOL, England Oct 8 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party on Sunday said it would speed up connections to the country's National Grid network as part of investment in clean energy infrastructure and to ease delays electricity companies face. Labour said that its plans "to rewire" Britain would remove barriers to connections and "facilitate the largest upgrade to national transmission infrastructure in a generation". "Labour will turbocharge our growth, get Britain building and unlock private sector investment by speeding up the grid." Labour said the plans would contribute to its overall target to cut 93 billion pounds from UK energy bills by 2030. Under the plans, GB Energy will also coordinate the launch of tenders for the supply chain that the revamped grid system will need.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Rachel Reeves, Alistair Smout, Barbara Lewis Organizations: LIVERPOOL, Labour Party, Labour, GB Energy, Conservative, Energy, Thomson Locations: England, Liverpool, Britain

☆ Britain's Keir Starmer plots painstaking path to power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/2] British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain, May 24, 2023. Hours later, those from the opposition Labour party were summoned by senior members in charge of discipline and ordered to delete the posts and apologise. Welcome to Keir Starmer's Labour Party. "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, voters see a changed Labour Party that is ready to change the country with a mission-driven government," a Labour spokesperson said when asked to comment for this story. 'CORBYN WITHOUT THE MADNESS'Named after the founder of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer was brought up in a staunchly left-wing household.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Gene Simmons, Simmons, Islam, Keir Starmer's, Jeremy Corbyn, we've, Starmer, Tony Blair, Rishi Sunak, Keir Hardie, Charlie Falconer, Claire Ainsley, Olaf Scholz, Australia's Anthony Albanese, Ainsley, Falconer, COVID, Keir, Mark Stephens, Blair, Starmer's, Andrew Cooper, David Cameron, Cooper, David Clarke Organizations: British Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour, Reuters, Keir Starmer's Labour Party, Conservatives, Conservative, Labour Party, Policy Institute, Labor Party, Public Prosecutions, Critics, Board, Police Service, Northern, Human, OF, DPP, of Human, Reigate Grammar, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, Germany, U.S, Caribbean, Uganda, Reigate

☆ New Zealand PM tests COVID-positive two weeks before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Prime Minister and Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins speaks at the New Zealand Labour Party's election campaign launch event in Auckland, New Zealand, September 2, 2023. REUTERS/David Rowland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely while isolating, his office said on Sunday, just two weeks before a general election in which his Labour party is struggling. The positive test will temporarily sideline Hipkins in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election. Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni would stand in for Hipkins at a Samoan church service in Auckland on Sunday, a spokesperson said. The prime minister's office said further updates on his schedule "will be provided in due course".

Persons: Chris Hipkins, David Rowland, Carmel Sepuloni, Hipkins, Sam McKeith, Nick Zieminski, William Mallard Organizations: Labour Party, New Zealand Labour, REUTERS, Rights, Zealand, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: Auckland , New Zealand, Hipkins, Auckland, Sydney

"The discussion about where the tax burden should fall I think is one that we need to take, not now, but in a little bit (of) time," Gove told Sky News. "I would like to see the tax burden reduced before the next election," he said, adding that workers should be the focus of any such reductions. "Rishi Sunak is desperate for people to think he’s in charge," said Jon Ashworth, a member of leader Keir Starmer's team. Liz Truss, Sunak's predecessor, and other senior Conservative lawmakers signed a letter on Saturday saying they would not support "any new taxes that increase the overall tax burden". "We're not in a position to talk about tax cuts at all."

Persons: Michael Gove, Phil Noble, Gove, Sunak, Rishi Sunak, Opinium, Labour's, Jon Ashworth, Keir Starmer's, Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, We're, Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout, Andrew MacAskill, Kirsten Donovan, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Britain’s, REUTERS, Conservatives, Labour Party, Sky News, Conservative, Labour, for Fiscal Studies, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, MANCHESTER, England

☆ New Zealand PM Tests COVID-Positive Two Weeks Before Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) -New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has tested positive for COVID-19 and will work remotely while isolating, his office said on Sunday, just two weeks before a general election in which his Labour party is struggling. The positive test will temporarily sideline Hipkins in the campaign for the Oct. 14 election. Labour has been sliding in the opinion polls, with the centre-right National party leading by 31.9% to 26.5% in a recent survey. The prime minister's office said further updates on his schedule "will be provided in due course". The government removed its last COVID restrictions in August, but health authorities still recommend that people stay home for five days if feeling unwell or if they have tested positive.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Carmel Sepuloni, Hipkins, Sam McKeith, Nick Zieminski, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Zealand, Labour, National Locations: Hipkins, Auckland, Sydney

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Election Shapes up as a Race of Many Parties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Here are the key parties and potential combinations that may emerge from the Oct. 14 general election. LIKELY BEDFELLOWS: LABOUR AND GREENSPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has headed the Labour Party since Jacinda Ardern abruptly resigned in January. But with Labour trailing the centre-right National Party 28%-39% in the latest opinion poll, it looks unlikely Hipkins can hold onto power alone. POTENTIAL KINGMAKERSWinston Peters and his populist New Zealand First party are campaigning with slogans such as "Let’s take the country back." In the past it supported a National government, but Luxon has said he would not work with the Maori party.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Christopher Luxon, KINGMAKERS Winston Peters, Pati, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Zealanders, LABOUR, GREENS, Labour Party, Labour, National, Green Party, Greens, ACT, ZEALAND, ACT New Zealand, Air New Zealand, New Zealand

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Voters' Top Issues in October General Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Chris Hipkins, who took the prime minister's post in January after Jacinda Ardern stepped down, has nudged his Labour Party towards the centre, focusing on what he terms "bread and butter issues". The opposition National Party has blamed Labour for rising costs and is promising, if elected, to cut taxes and bring inflation under control. Given New Zealand's ever-increasing building costs, poor housing stock and overcrowding, however, supply continues to fall short of demand. The National Party has proposed unlocking more land for housing, providing incentives for councils to build more houses and creating new infrastructure financing tools. The National Party says it will encourage trade and investment, increase the skilled labour force and cut red tape.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, New Zealanders, Labour, National, Labour Party, National Party, Zealand's Labour Locations: New, New Zealand, China, Pacific, Solomon, South Pacific, Britain

☆ Britain's Labour party would repeal strike laws in first 100 days in power
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party would repeal recently-introduced legislation that limits workers' rights to strike if it wins an election expected next year, deputy leader Angela Rayner said on Tuesday, pledging to enhance employee protection. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the new legislation was a "spiteful and bitter attack" on trade unions. "The next Labour Government will ask Parliament to repeal these anti-trade union laws within our first 100 days," she said in a speech at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual conference in Liverpool. She said that Labour would also bring forward an Employment Rights Bill in its first 100 days in office. Labour has said that such a bill will legislate for fairer pay, strengthen rights and protections for workers and bolster trade unions' rights.

Persons: Angela Rayner, Alistair Smout, William James Our Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative, Labour Government, Trades Union Congress, TUC, Labour, Thomson Locations: Liverpool

☆ Norway's Labour loses regional vote after a century on top
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store receives the election day forecasts at the Labor Party's election vigil during the municipal election 2023, in Oslo, Norway September 11, 2023. Terje Pedersen/NTB/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOSLO, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Norway's governing Labour Party fell to second place behind the Conservatives in Monday's regional and municipal election, a preliminary count showed, the first time since 1924 that the leftwing group failed to finish first in a nationwide vote. With 60% of ballots counted, Labour had won 21.8% of the vote, official data showed, down from 24.8% in 2019, while the Conservative Party stood at 25.8%, up from 20.1% four years ago. While the setback deepens Labour's woes, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has said he will continue to lead his minority coalition government regardless of the regional vote's outcome, which does not affect the composition of parliament. Labour and the rural-oriented Centre Party, in government since 2021 following a landslide for leftwing parties, next face an election for parliament in 2025.

Persons: Jonas Gahr, Terje Pedersen, Jonas Gahr Stoere, Erna Solberg, Terje Solsvik, Gwladys Organizations: Norwegian, Labor, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative Party, Soaring, Party, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Rights OSLO, Monday's

☆ Britain has a new big problem: crumbling concrete in schools, hospitals, airports, and theaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The "crumbly concrete" was used in hundreds of schools and some have been shut over fears of collapses. The UK government said more than 100 schools faced closure because they contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a material typically used in roof planks and wall panels. AdvertisementAdvertisementOther structures such as hospitals, theaters, universities and some apartment buildings are also being checked for the concrete. Why was the concrete used? According to the think-tank the Institute for Government, those cuts are linked with schools' RAAC closures.

Persons: Matthew Byatt, RAAC, –, Chris Goodier, What's, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, NAO, Gareth Davies, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Service, Health, Safety, National Audit Office, Guardian, Financial Times, of Structural Engineers, Labour, Loughborough University, Department for Education, Institute for Government, The Times, National Health Service, European Union Locations: Wall, Silicon, Heathrow, Gatwick, Kent, Sweden, London, he's, India

☆ New Zealand election campaign steps up with cost of living in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Opinion polls show a coalition of conservative parties is favoured to govern after the election. That would put National in the stronger position to form a coalition government with one or more smaller parties. Labour's popularity has steadily declined this term and Ardern stepped down in January, saying she had "no more in the tank". National leader Christopher Luxon, a political newcomer and former CEO of Air New Zealand (AIR.NZ), told Reuters last month that he aimed to focus on containing inflation. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Lucy Craymer, Hipkins, Ardern, Christopher Luxon, Renju Jose, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Labour Party, REUTERS, Rights, Zealand, Labour, Talbot, National Party, Air New Zealand, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Zealand's, Wellington , New Zealand, Sydney

☆ In New Zealand, defence and security become election issues amid China’s Pacific push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“Foreign policy, defence, our relationship with the Pacific - all of that will be far more relevant and the public will be more conscious of it compared to other elections, where it's been pretty much non-existent,” said Josie Pagani, a political commentator and host of the pre-election foreign policy debate. Sixty-three percent of voters say inflation and the cost of living are a most important issues of the election, a poll by the Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor released in June said. A second survey released last week by the country’s national intelligence and security board found increasing levels of concern about defence, security and foreign policy. Foreign policy doesn't usually play in New Zealand elections, said Jason Young, an associate professor of international relations and politics at Victoria University. The opposition National party, which polls indicate will win control of the government, hasn’t released its defence policy and said it needs more detail about AUKUS.

Persons: it's, ”, Josie Pagani, Andrew Little, “, Chris Seed, Jason Young, Helen Clark, Nanaia Mahuta, hasn’t, Gerry Brownlee, Lucy Craymer, Gerry Doyle Organizations: WELLINGTON, ”, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Victoria University, Washington, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Solomon, Ukraine, Pacific, Zealand, United States, Australia, Britain, “, AUKUS, Zealanders

☆ British Prime Minister Sunak avoids wipeout in key elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservatives lost two strategically important parliamentary seats on Friday but unexpectedly retained Boris Johnson's old constituency in a setback for the main opposition Labour Party. The Conservatives retained Johnson's former seat by fewer than 500 votes in a huge relief for Sunak who narrowly avoided becoming the first British leader to lose three by-elections on a single day in more than half a century ago. Labour won the constituency of Selby and Ainsty from the Conservatives by 4,000 votes after an ally of Johnson resigned in solidarity. The party said overturning the majority of 20,137 from the last general election marks the biggest majority the party has overturned at a by-election since World War Two. The two main "political party leaders have been left with something to think about in the wake of these results", he said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak's, Boris Johnson's, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Steve Tuckwell, Johnson, John Curtice, Britain's, Curtice, Andrew MacAskill, Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel Organizations: British, Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Uxbridge, South Ruislip, Downing, England, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

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