(Bloomberg) — Boris Johnson chairs a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee after opposition parties accused him of downplaying the severity of flooding in northern England — a key battleground in the election campaign.
The prime minister will also seek to capitalize on the Brexit Party’s decision to stand aside in Conservative-held seats. Meanwhile Nigel Farage is under pressure to go further by withdrawing in districts that Johnson’s Tories want to take from the main opposition Labour Party.
Key Developments:
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks in Blackpool, northwest England, at 11 a.m. on skills and trainingLiberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson will pledge 5 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) of spending on flood defenses on a visit to inundated areasFarage’s Brexit Party will hold a rally at 11 a.m. in central LondonFormer U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton urges U.K. to publish report on Russian meddlingU.K. economy lost jobs in the third quarter
U.K. Labor Market Weakens (9:30 a.m.)
The U.K. economy lost jobs in the third quarter and vacancies posted their largest annual decline since the financial crisis. The figures from the Office for National Statistics are further evidence that Brexit uncertainty is finally hitting the labor market, which has defied the wider economic troubles since the 2016 Brexit vote and supported consumer spending.
The data, which also show wage growth unexpectedly slowing, add to the fierce debate over the economy as the campaign for the Dec. 12 vote intensifies.
Labour Pledges Free Adult Education (9 a.m.)
The opposition Labour Party is focusing on education and skills, with leader Jeremy Corbyn and education spokeswoman Angela Rayner giving speeches in Blackpool. Announcements will include free education for six years for all adults to “give them opportunities for the future,” Rayner told BBC radio.
A Labour government would also abolish university tuition fees “no ifs, no buts,” Rayner said — a move that will put pressure on both the ruling Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, who have long been tainted with the government’s decision in 2012 to raise the cap on tuition fees in England to 9,000 pounds ($11,600) from 3,000 pounds a year.
The Liberal Democrats, who pledged in the 2010 election campaign not to raise fees, were coalition partners with the Tories at the time. This time around, Jo Swinson’s party has pledged a grant of 10,000 pounds for all adults in England to put toward education and training.
Clinton: U.K. Must Publish Russia Meddling Report (8:20 a.m.)
Former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Johnson should release a report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee into Russia’s alleged involvement in U.K. democracy.
“I’m dumbfounded that this government won’t release the report about Russian influence,” Clinton told BBC radio. “Because every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report before your election happens.”
The report assesses the threat posed to Britain’s democratic processes and stems from an 18-month inquiry into illicit Russian activities. But the government refused to publish it before the general election campaign, and Treasury minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday repeated the government’s position that officials hadn’t had enough time to vet the report.
“There’s a lot of evidence Russia played in the Brexit” referendum, Clinton said, without giving details.
Farage: Trump Involvement Is ‘Conspiracy Theory’ (8 a.m.)
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage dismissed a suggestion put forward by critics that Donald Trump had influenced his decision to withdraw candidates in Conservative-held areas, calling it a “wild conspiracy theory.” He told the BBC he hasn’t spoken to the U.S. president in weeks.
Farage’s decision not to contest 317 seats has left open the possibility his party may still split the vote in areas Johnson’s Conservatives need to gain from Labour to secure a parliamentary majority.
“What is clear is that the Conservative Party care more about themselves than they do about Brexit or the country,” Farage said when asked about the pressure he was facing to withdraw in more areas. He also repeated his claim — denied by the Tories — that “people close” to Johnson’s office had offered him a seat in Parliament’s upper House of Lords.
Earlier:
Farage Won’t Fight Tories in Election Boost for U.K.’s JohnsonFarage Retreat Aids Johnson’s Election Push: U.K. Campaign TrailU.K. Recent Election Polls Summary: Conservative 39%, Labour 28%
–With assistance from Brian Swint.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at [email protected]
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at [email protected], Stuart Biggs, Mark Williams
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