Johnson Aims Not to Be Swept Away By Floods: U.K. Campaign Trail
Johnson Aims Not to Be Swept Away By Floods: U.K. Campaign Trail
For a governing party ahead in the polls, there’s always one big worry in an election: Stuff happening. In Boris Johnson’s case, it’s floods across the North of England that have forced hundreds out of their homes. One of the districts affected is a Conservative target, and the party needs to pick up pro-Brexit seats across the region. Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn argued the government had responded slowly because it doesn’t really care.
At an emergency meeting on Tuesday evening, the prime minister agreed to deploy troops to help the relief efforts. Pictures of soldiers carrying sandbags could help Johnson look like a man of action. But more rain and flooding could underscore the risks of holding an election in the cold, wet months of the year.
Coming up:
- Corbyn campaigns in Scotland, starting in Glasgow at 10.30 a.m.
- Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson talks about youth services in North London at 10.30 a.m.
- Labour Treasury spokesman John McDonnell will promise to increase health spending by an average 4.3% a year, funded by increased taxes on business and the rich, in a speech in London at 11 a.m.
- Johnson will make a speech in the West Midlands around 4.30 p.m., saying a Corbyn government would offer the country “more political self-obsession and onanism.”
- Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage holds a press conference in Hull at 11 a.m., and then speaks in Grimsby at 7 p.m.
The Polls:
- YouGov, taking into account the Brexit Party’s decision not to stand in Tory seats, has the Conservatives on 42%, Labour on 28%, Liberal Democrats on 15% and the Brexit Party on 4%
- Here’s a summary of recent polls.
Catching Up:
- The Conservatives have released their first television ad of the campaign, featuring Johnson answering questions about when he last cooked a meal (steak and chips) and whether he likes Marmite
- The U.K. economy lost jobs in the third quarter and vacancies posted their largest annual decline since the financial crisis
- Former Tory Justice Secretary David Gauke has announced he’ll run as an independent candidate after being thrown out of the Conservatives by Johnson
- Leave donor Arron Banks urged Farage to stand aside in more seats targeted by the Tories or risk losing Brexit, the Telegraph reports
The Markets:
- The pound was little changed Tuesday and early Wednesday, after climbing 0.6% on Monday
- The chances of a Conservative majority remain broadly unchanged according to betting markets, with Ladbrokes seeing a 63% chance of that outcome. The bookmaker’s odds imply a 45% chance that Johnson’s party will win 300 to 349 seats, out of a total of 650.
--With assistance from Peter Flanagan.
To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Emma Ross-Thomas
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