“The Tories are struggling to convert popular policy pledges into increased support, as Labour maintains its commanding lead over the Conservatives in the polls. The latest YouGov survey of voting intention for The Times shows the Tories are still trailing Labour by 25 points, a week into the campaign. This is despite significant backing for Conservative plans to provide a tax cut for pensioners, scrap so-called “Mickey Mouse” degrees, and to bring in national service for 18-year-olds. Overall YouGov found that just 6 per cent of voters had a better view of the Conservative party as a result of what they had seen and heard during the campaign so far, while 18 per cent had a worse view.” – The Times
“Mark Logan, the Tory MP for Bolton North East for the last five years, has defected to Labour, joining the party and publicly supporting them at the general election. Mr Logan said the Conservative Party was “unrecognisable” from the one he joined a decade ago and revealed on Thursday he was applying to become a Labour member. He holds one of the most marginal seats in the country, winning with a majority of just 378 in 2019. Mr Logan said: “When I look back to my teenage years, in 1997 when Labour came to the fore at that time and we obviously heard the song Things Can Only Get Better, I feel that we’re at that point again in British politics and British history.” – Daily Telegraph
“Fly-tippers will be punished with penalty points on their driving licence under a fresh crackdown on antisocial behaviour being announced by Rishi Sunak. The prime minister said that he will make fly-tipping a specific offence if the Conservatives win the election, with the worst offenders facing the prospect of losing their driving licence entirely. At present fly-tippers can ultimately face prison if they repeatedly refuse to pay the fine. The announcement comes as part of Sunak’s attempts to make antisocial behaviour an election issue as he pitches his party as more hardline on the issue than Labour.” – The Times
“Angela Rayner has called for Diane Abbott to be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate in a direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer, exposing a rift in Labour’s leadership. Starmer’s allies continue to insist that Abbott, who has represented Hackney North & Stoke Newington for nearly 37 years, would not be allowed to stand under Labour’s banner at the general election and on Thursday multiple shadow cabinet members declined to say they would support her doing so. But Rayner, Starmer’s deputy, refused to follow the Labour leader’s official stance that no decision had been made on Abbott’s future. Instead, she suggested that she would use her position to support the former shadow home secretary.” – The Times
“A new poll has handed fresh hope to the SNP to claw back ground on Labour in the general election, suggesting John Swinney’s leadership has “helped to steady the nationalist ship”. But the poll by Savanta for The Scotsman found Labour was still on course for a thumping victory in Scotland, although Sir Keir Starmer’s party has failed to increase its lead over the SNP at Westminster despite Mr Swinney’s party facing severe criticism over the Michael Matheson saga. Polling experts suggested Mr Swinney’s leadership had “managed to stem the SNP’s bleeding” by holding support steady against a resurgent Labour.” – The Scotsman
“Donald Trump has been convicted of fraud by a New York jury that declared he was guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment made to a porn star during his tumultuous 2016 campaign for the White House. The verdict made him the first former president in American history to be convicted in a criminal court. It came in the midst of a presidential campaign, sometimes conducted in a gloomy courthouse corridor, in which Trump, 77, could be returned to the White House months after a judge has decided whether or not to send him to jail. Speaking outside the courtroom, Trump condemned the trial and “corrupt” Judge Juan Merchan. “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” he said.” – The Times