Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during the weekly session of Prime Minster's Questions. AFP
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during the weekly session of Prime Minster's Questions. AFP
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during the weekly session of Prime Minster's Questions. AFP
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during the weekly session of Prime Minster's Questions. AFP

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UK

Labour streets ahead as Starmer requests talks for change of government

Major opinion poll suggests Conservatives are on course for a 1997-style electoral wipeout

Gillian Duncan
Gillian Duncan

January 18, 2024

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Labour leader Keir Starmer has requested talks with the Civil Service to prepare for a potential change in government if the party wins at the next election, as polls show the Conservatives are facing a repeat of the landslide defeat they suffered in 1997.

The letter to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, which was sent on Wednesday, comes days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed off on the discussions, which are routine as an election approaches.

The meetings will be an opportunity for Labour to discuss its plans for government and establish relationships in Whitehall.

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The process, which will be overseen by Mr Case, is expected to begin before the end of the month.

"Keir Starmer has today written to the Cabinet Secretary to begin the access talks process,” a Labour Party spokeswoman said.

It comes following a week of dire polls for the Conservatives, the latest of which, a YouGov survey for The Times released on Thursday, shows support for the party has fallen to just 20 per cent, a level last seen in October 2022, just before Liz Truss was forced out. The result means Labour now has a 27-point lead.

A survey by Savanta published on Tuesday put Labour 17 points ahead of Mr Sunak's Conservatives, while another major opinion poll published this week suggested the Tories are facing a repeat of the 1997 defeat under John Major.

That YouGov survey of 14,00 people, commissioned by Conservative Britain Alliance, indicated that the Conservatives could hold on to as few as 169 seats, with Labour entering Downing Street with 385 seats.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday following the passing of a vote on the government's controversial Rwanda plan, Mr Sunak criticised Mr Starmer for not having a plan to deal with illegal immigration, despite days of rebellions from his own MPs on the issue.

Mr Sunak said the vote showed the Conservative Party was "completely united", suggesting the Labour leader was sniping from the sidelines.

The bill attempts to sidestep that ruling by passing legislation via parliament that states the central African country is safe for deportations.

But some of his hardline Conservative MPs argue the current bill does not go far enough and have tabled amendments to deny asylum seekers the right to appeal.

Mr Sunak said: "The Conservative Party last night demonstrated that they are completely united in wanting to stop the boats. This Bill passed with an overwhelming majority in Parliament."

His comments came as the Home Office said 358 migrants crossed the Channel on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Mr Starmer has said he has "no skeletons in the closet" from his time in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

He told an ITV documentary being broadcast on Thursday that while mistakes were made when he was in charge of the CPS from 2008 to 2013, there is no "smoking gun" for the Tories to use against him as the two major UK parties prepare to embark a general election campaign.

"If they want to attack me for decisions when I was director of public prosecutions, we had 7,000 staff, we made nearly a million decisions a year," he said in an interview for the ITV programme Keir Starmer: Up Close – Tonight, airing on Thursday on ITV.

He added: "Will there be mistakes there? Of course there will, but there'll be no smoking gun, no skeletons in the closet."

Access talks are held in the run-up to a general election, and are the only chance for the opposition and the Civil Service to exchange information before a potential handover date after the election.

The leader of the opposition must write to the prime minister requesting the meetings to initiate the process.

Keir Starmer through the years – in pictures

Keir Starmer has been the Labour party's leader since 2020, and is now the UK's prime minister. Here The National looks back through his political career. Getty Images
Keir Starmer has been the Labour party's leader since 2020, and is now the UK's prime minister. Here The National looks back through his political career. Getty Images
Mr Starmer speaking in Westminster, London, in May after Rishi Sunak announced the general election for July 4. AP
Mr Starmer speaking in Westminster, London, in May after Rishi Sunak announced the general election for July 4. AP
Mr Starmer speaks to Labour supporters at Harlow Town Football Club's stadium in Essex, on the eve of local elections in May. Getty Images
Mr Starmer speaks to Labour supporters at Harlow Town Football Club's stadium in Essex, on the eve of local elections in May. Getty Images
Mr Starmer talks to Dan Poulter at the Francis Crick Institute in London in April, after the MP had defected from the Conservative Party to Labour. Getty Images
Mr Starmer talks to Dan Poulter at the Francis Crick Institute in London in April, after the MP had defected from the Conservative Party to Labour. Getty Images
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Mr Starmer during the launch of Mr Khan's mayoral re-election campaign in March, which proved successful. Getty Images
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Mr Starmer during the launch of Mr Khan's mayoral re-election campaign in March, which proved successful. Getty Images
Mr Starmer addresses the Labour Business Conference in London in February. Getty Images
Mr Starmer addresses the Labour Business Conference in London in February. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and Mr Sunak at the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in November 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and Mr Sunak at the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in November 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer addresses delegates at the National Annual Women's Conference in Liverpool in October 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer addresses delegates at the National Annual Women's Conference in Liverpool in October 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer with his shadow cabinet in London in September 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer with his shadow cabinet in London in September 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer speaks to supporters in Chatham after a Labour win in local elections in May 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer speaks to supporters in Chatham after a Labour win in local elections in May 2023. Getty Images
Joining party activists at a national phone bank on local elections day in London in May 2023. Getty Images
Joining party activists at a national phone bank on local elections day in London in May 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster, London, in February 2023. Getty Images
Mr Starmer meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster, London, in February 2023. Getty Images
The Labour leader and his wife Victoria leave the stage after his speech at the party conference in Liverpool in September 2022. Getty Images
The Labour leader and his wife Victoria leave the stage after his speech at the party conference in Liverpool in September 2022. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-UK prime minister Liz Truss leave the Palace of Westminster in September 2022. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-UK prime minister Liz Truss leave the Palace of Westminster in September 2022. Getty Images
With former Labour prime ministers Tony Blair, centre, and Gordon Brown, right, at St James's Palace, London, where King Charles III was formally proclaimed monarch in September 2022. Getty Images
With former Labour prime ministers Tony Blair, centre, and Gordon Brown, right, at St James's Palace, London, where King Charles III was formally proclaimed monarch in September 2022. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-prime minister Boris Johnson attend the State Opening of Parliament in May 2022. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-prime minister Boris Johnson attend the State Opening of Parliament in May 2022. Getty Images
Mr Starmer makes his keynote speech to the Labour conference for the first time as party leader in September 2021 in Brighton. Getty Images
Mr Starmer makes his keynote speech to the Labour conference for the first time as party leader in September 2021 in Brighton. Getty Images
The gloves are on during a visit to the Vulcan Boxing Club in Hull, East Yorkshire, in April 2021. Getty Images
The gloves are on during a visit to the Vulcan Boxing Club in Hull, East Yorkshire, in April 2021. Getty Images
Mr Starmer in talks with care home workers and family members of residents at Cafe 1899 in Gedling Country Park during the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020. Getty Images
Mr Starmer in talks with care home workers and family members of residents at Cafe 1899 in Gedling Country Park during the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020. Getty Images
Mr Starmer, then-shadow secretary of state for exiting the EU, addresses the audience at a hustings in March 2020 in Dudley. Getty Images
Mr Starmer, then-shadow secretary of state for exiting the EU, addresses the audience at a hustings in March 2020 in Dudley. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters in March 2019 in Brussels. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters in March 2019 in Brussels. Getty Images
Mr Starmer delivers a speech on Labour's Brexit policy at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London in April 2017. Getty Images
Mr Starmer delivers a speech on Labour's Brexit policy at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London in April 2017. Getty Images
Holding a press conference as Director of Public Prosecutions to outline new guidelines on assisted suicide, in London in September 2009. Getty Images
Holding a press conference as Director of Public Prosecutions to outline new guidelines on assisted suicide, in London in September 2009. Getty Images
Human rights advisers Mr Starmer and Jane Gordon with the Northern Ireland Policing Board annual human rights report 2006, at the Dunadry Hotel in Co Antrim. Getty Images
Human rights advisers Mr Starmer and Jane Gordon with the Northern Ireland Policing Board annual human rights report 2006, at the Dunadry Hotel in Co Antrim. Getty Images

By convention, the prime minister is expected to respond by authorising the talks ahead of an election.

Reports had suggested that Mr Sunak had delayed agreeing to the meetings but the Cabinet Office last week confirmed he had given the go-ahead.

In a statement issued on Thursday, a Cabinet Office spokesman said: "In line with the long-standing process set out in the cabinet manual, the Prime Minister has authorised access talks between the official opposition and Civil Service.

"The Cabinet Secretary will oversee and arrange these discussions."

Mr Sunak has said it is his "working assumption" that he will send the nation to the polls to elect a new Westminster government in the second half of 2024, with October or November thought to be most likely.

Make up of the UK Parliament

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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While you're here

Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.

The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.

The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.

The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.

COMPANY PROFILE
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Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

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Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

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The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

THE SPECS

Engine: 4.4-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 523hp

Torque: 750Nm

Price: Dh469,000

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Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Updated: January 18, 2024, 11:27 AM`
Labour PartyConservative PartyKeir StarmerRishi Sunak