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Hammond Quits Parliament After Expulsion by Johnson: U.K. Votes

Sturgeon Hints SNP Would Help Put Corbyn in Power: U.K. Votes

(Bloomberg) --

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg was forced to apologize after saying some of the 72 people killed in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London might have survived if they’d shown “common sense.’’ The comments angered victims’ families and stoked criticism from opposition parties that the ruling Conservatives are out of touch.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson of seeking a hard-right agenda under the banner of Brexit while former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond quit parliament with a swipe at the prime minister for not allowing a wide range of views in his Tory party.

Key Developments:

Former Chancellor Hammond Quits Parliament (3:30 p.m.)

Philip Hammond, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer less than four months ago, has announced he’s quitting Parliament after his expulsion from the Parliamentary Conservative Party.

In a letter to constituents posted on Twitter, Hammond, who was thrown out of the party for opposing Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy, said he couldn’t run in the coming election as a Conservative and wouldn’t run as an independent against the party he joined 45 years ago.

He said the situation left him “saddened,” and that in the past, the Conservative Party had “always had room for a wide variety of opinions and been tolerant of measured dissent.”

London Poll Shows Corbyn Lead Halved (3:15 p.m.)

Labour’s lead over the Conservatives in London has halved since 2017, according to a YouGov poll, potentially putting six of the opposition party’s seats at risk.

The survey -- commissioned by Queen Mary University of London’s Mile End Institute -- shows both the Tories and Labour have lost ground to the Liberal Democrats since the 2017 general election, but Labour more so. Labour did particularly poorly in polling in inner London, where they were on 38% -- down from 65% at the last general election.

“Compared to the position in 2017, these figures mean a fall of 16 points in the Labour share of the vote and just a four point drop in the Conservative share,” said Philip Cowley, the institute’s director. “In practice, assuming no change by polling day, this would almost certainly mean seats being lost by Labour and gained by the Conservatives.”

However, he warned against making firm constituency-by-constituency predictions based on the poll. “Seat projections are a tricky business at the best of times -- and these aren’t the best of times,” he said.

Rees-Mogg Apologizes for Grenfell Fire Comments (2:25 p.m.)

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg was forced to apologize after saying some of the 72 people killed in the Grenfell Tower might have survived if they’d shown “common sense’’ and ignored fire service instructions to stay in their apartments when the tower block in West London caught fire.

Rees-Mogg made the comment on LBC radio on Monday, sparking anger from groups representing the families of those who died in the disaster in 2017.

“I profoundly apologize. What I meant to say is that I would have also listened to the fire brigade’s advice to stay and wait at the time,” Rees-Mogg said in a statement to the Evening Standard newspaper. “However, with what we know now and with hindsight, I wouldn’t and I don’t think anyone else would.’’

There was anger in Downing Street at the comments by Rees-Mogg, who revels in his image as a member of the English upper class. The Conservative Party is keen not to give any ammunition to Labour claims that its MPs are out of touch with ordinary people.

Corbyn Aiming for All-Out Victory (12:50 p.m.)

While the smaller opposition parties squabble over who night or might not prop up a minority Labour government, Jeremy Corbyn refused to entertain anything but victory as he campaigned in Harlow, north of London.

“We are campaigning to win,” the Labour leader said when asked if he would accept the Liberal Democrat policy of blocking Brexit if it was a condition for the party propping up a Labour government. “We are not campaigning to form a coalition with anybody.”

Corbyn said he is proud that Labour’s policy straddles the Brexit divide. “Why would I only want to talk to one half of the country?” he asked.

But in a YouGov poll published Tuesday, 65% of respondents said they are unclear about Labour’s position on Brexit, whereas the majority said they do understand the policies of the Conservatives, the Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats. YouGov polled 1,606 adults on Oct. 30-31.

Barnier Warns Cliff-Edge Risk Remains (12:30 p.m.)

Away from the election campaign, Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, issued a warning to Downing Street over its ambition of striking a trade deal by the time the transition period expires at the end of 2020.

The government has ruled out taking up the option of extending that deadline beyond the year-end. Johnson has been clear that he expects the talks to be “extremely simple.”

Speaking in Lisbon, Barnier pointed out that the 11 months left to negotiate a trade deal after Brexit on Jan. 31 would be “extremely short” and that the talks would be “difficult and demanding” because the U.K. would probably want to diverge from EU rules. He described the summer of 2020, the last point at which the U.K. could request an extension, as “the moment of truth.”

Earlier, Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, said the government won’t give MPs a vote on extending the transition period -- a position that apparently contradicts Justice Secretary Robert Buckland’s commitment on Oct. 22 to give Parliament a say “on the merits of an extension.”

A U.K. official said that commitment from the government was no longer applicable given the Brexit bill was not passed.

Swinson Leaves Door Open to Supporting Labour (12:15 p.m.)

It’s worth noting that Liberal democrat Leader Jo Swinson used very specific language in ruling out helping Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn into power (See 11:10 a.m.). That leaves open the door to Liberal Democrat support for Labour under a different leader in the event no party secures a majority.

The Liberal Democrats have repeatedly fielded questions about who they might support in a hung Parliament, but they’re wary of forming a coalition after their 5-year stint in government with the Conservatives ended in electoral disaster in 2015.

Nevertheless, after the last three elections yielded two hung Parliaments and a narrow Tory win, questions about cross-party cooperation aren’t going away.

Raab Mocks Question on Cummings and Russia (12 p.m.)

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab mocked Labour’s Emily Thornberry after she asked whether Boris Johnson’s adviser Dominic Cummings has connections with Russian intelligence. Thornberry questioned Cummings’ level of security vetting after the Sunday Times reported that a whistleblower had raised concerns.

“I think the insinuation in her letter that Number 10 is in the grip of a Kremlin mole is frankly ridiculous even by the standards of the loony left,” Raab said. He added that the Intelligence and Security Committee Report into alleged Russian electoral interference (see 10:55 a.m.) had not had the necessary time to be processed by officials.

Social Media Companies Told to Block Abuse (11:40 a.m.)

Social media companies must work together to protect candidates in the run-up to the Dec. 12 general election, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman James Slack told reporters.

The use of internet platforms for the abuse of rivals in the vote was discussed at cabinet on Tuesday morning after Home Secretary Priti Patel briefed ministers on steps being taken to block threatening behavior.

The U.K. wants a single standard agreed by social media companies and for them to co-operate over the issue, Slack said. “This is not a new issue. This is not a surprise. This is something we believe - and the country believes - the companies should take seriously,” Slack said.

Corbyn: Johnson Brexit Deal Means Thatcherism (11:30 a.m.)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attacked Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal as a hard-right, Thatcherite plot to sell the National Health Service to U.S. companies.

“Johnson is trying to hijack Brexit to sell out our NHS and working people,” Corbyn said in a speech in Harlow, north of London. He is trying to cash in the votes of millions who voted to leave the EU, to buy political power for himself and then sell them out.”

Harlow, in Essex, is seen as a bellwether seat because the government of the day has won it in every election since 1983. Labour is now trying to win back this marginal Brexit-backing seat after it swung to the Tories in 2010.

Health service chiefs have tried to dissuade parties from using the state-funded health service as a battleground but, with the election taking place in winter when hospitals are under strain, it’s unlikely those warnings will be heeded.

Swinson Rules Out Helping Corbyn (11:10 a.m.)

Jo Swinson said she would “categorically” rule out any pact that put Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street in the event no party secures a majority at next month’s general election.

Swinson said she didn’t trust Corbyn on Brexit -- she previously said the Labour leader wants to take the U.K. out of the European Union -- and also pointed to the atmosphere in Labour that had led to MPs including Luciana Berger (see 10:50 a.m.) quitting the party due to antisemitism.

Don’t Abuse Statistics, Watchdog Warns Parties (11 a.m.)

David Norgrove, chairman of the U.K. Statistics Authority, warned politicians campaigning for the Dec. 12 election not to abuse data in their attempts to win votes.

Sources of statistics should be clear and accessible, Norgrove said in a letter to party leaders as he called on them to avoid selectively using numbers to back their positions.

“Statistics can be a powerful support for an argument, but misuse damages their integrity, causes confusion and undermines trust,’’ Norgrove said in a statement. “This is particularly important during the intense public scrutiny of an election campaign, where misinformation can spread quickly.’’

Grieve: Time Running Out for Russia Report (10:55 a.m.)

Dominic Grieve, chairman of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, said time is running out for the publication of a report into alleged Russian activity in the U.K. -- including claims of espionage, subversion and interference in elections.

Even though the report was finalized in March and given to Boris Johnson’s office on Oct. 17, the government has yet to publish it. Grieve, who was expelled from the Tory party for opposing the prime minister’s Brexit strategy, says ministers are attempting to bury its findings.

He will question the government on the issue in the House of Commons at about 12:30 p.m. As it’s Parliament’s last sitting day before the election, “time is running out” as the report must be made available while MPs are in session, he said in an interview.

Lib Dems Pledge to Beat ‘Old Tired Parties’ (10:50 a.m.)

Liberal Democrat Leader Jo Swinson launched her party’s general election campaign on Tuesday with a pledge to stop Brexit and plow billions of pounds into public services.

“Any form of Brexit will damage our jobs, our economy and our public services, starving them of vital cash as the economy struggles along,” Swinson said in a speech in London. Canceling Britain’s departure from the European Union, she said, would yield a 50 billion-pound ($65 billion) dividend that her party would plow into public services over the next five years.

Swinson was introduced by Luciana Berger, a former Labour MP who’s one of eight defectors from other parties to swell the ranks of the Lib Dems. She called Swinson the party’s candidate for prime minister, showing the grand ambitions of a party that won just 12 seats in 2012.

Swinson said it was time to break away from the “big old tired parties,” and that change is possible. “When I look at Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, I am absolutely certain I could do a better job than either of them.”

New Speaker Concerned About Candidate Safety (8:30 a.m.)

Lindsay Hoyle, the new House of Commons speaker, said he’s concerned about the security of candidates on the campaign trail. He said the police are working on a letter of advice about personal security.

“I do worry about the abuse and level of threat,” Hoyle told BBC radio. His comments come after several MPs said they are stepping down at the election due to online and personal abuse.

Labour, Tories Dispute Timescale for New Deal (8:15 a.m.)

Labour’s Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said that if his party wins next month’s election, he could renegotiate a Brexit deal with the European Union within three months, judging by discussions he has already had.

But in an open letter to Corbyn, Prime Minister Boris Johnson accused Labour of offering nothing but uncertainty and delay, and on Tuesday, Cabinet minister Michael Gove stuck to that line of attack. Corbyn “would go back to Brussels, he would re-negotiate the whole deal -- that would take months, possibly years,” Gove told the BBC.

SNP Hints at Backing for Corbyn (7:40 a.m.)

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon hinted her party could support Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour if no one wins an outright majority at the election. Another so-called hung Parliament would put the SNP in a strong position to hold the balance of power, she said.

Hammond Quits Parliament After Expulsion by Johnson: U.K. Votes

Sturgeon told the BBC her party will not enter into formal coalition with any party, and ruled out backing the Conservatives under any circumstances.

“We could be facing a hung Parliament,” Sturgeon said. “If the SNP is holding the balance of power after that, then that’s an incredibly powerful and influential position for Scotland to be in.”

She added that while Corbyn is guilty of “prevarication” and “lack of leadership” if he were in government it would be better to have “strong SNP voices in there, making sure that Scotland’s interests are protected.”

Earlier:

--With assistance from Thomas Penny and Jessica Shankleman.

To contact the reporters on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Robert Hutton in London at rhutton1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny

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