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Conservative Candidates Pledge to Back Brexit Deal: U.K. Votes

Conservative Candidates Pledge to Back Brexit Deal: U.K. Votes

(Bloomberg) -- Prince Andrew’s interview about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is dominating the news, but British politicians are avoiding the subject. From a political perspective the most interesting news is Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that every Conservative candidate has promised to back his Brexit deal.

The Conservatives are also giving an outline of their plans for a post-Brexit immigration system, and Labour is talking about the National Health Service.

For more on the U.K. election, click on ELEC

Key Developments:

  • Conservatives drop fixed immigration target
  • Labour signs off its election manifesto
  • Labour promises free dental care for all

Labour Promises Free Dental Care for All (9 a.m.)

Labour is continuing its approach of eye-catching offers for voters. After free broadband on Friday, Sunday’s was free dental care. Health spokesman Jon Ashworth told Sky News that people unable to afford to visit dentists were treating themselves using kits from budget shops.

Conservatives Drop Fixed Immigration Target (8:45 a.m.)

Security Minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News that after Brexit the Conservatives want to treat migrants from the European Union the same way as those from the rest of the world. He promised a five-year wait before people can claim welfare payments. But he backed away from the promise the Conservatives have been making -- and failing to keep -- for a decade, to reduce net immigration below 100,000 a year.

“We’ll not set arbitrary targets,” he said. “I’m not getting into those kind of issues that we’ve had before. We will reduce immigration because when we leave the EU we will pass an immigration act that brings in a points-based system.”

All Conservative Candidates Pledge to Back Brexit Deal (Overnight)

If Prime Minister Boris Johnson wins a majority on Dec. 12, his chances of swiftly passing his Brexit deal are increased by his announcement that all his candidates have promised to back it. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said: “All 635 Conservative candidates standing at this election -- every single one of them -- has pledged to me that if elected they will vote in Parliament to pass my Brexit deal so we can end the uncertainty and finally leave the EU. I am offering a pact with the people: if you vote Conservative you can be 100% sure a majority Conservative government will unblock Parliament and get Brexit done.”

It’s a significant pledge because the biggest obstacle to getting Brexit deals through Parliament has been the inability of Conservatives to agree about what kind of Brexit they want. But what it probably doesn’t cover is the next stage of Brexit, which is likely to revive arguments about how close the U.K. wants to be to the EU.

Labour Agrees on Election Manifesto (Overnight)

The opposition Labour Party signed off its policy platform for the election. It won’t be unveiled until Thursday, but some leaks include:

  • A “Right to Food Act” introducing price controls, according to the Mail
  • A windfall tax on oil companies, according to the Mail
  • An expansion of the sugar tax, according to the Mail
  • Dropping a plan to allow private tenants to buy their homes, according to the FT

Earlier:

To contact the reporters on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net;Lucy Meakin in London at lmeakin1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Sara Marley

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