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Reform UK Tones Down Culture War Rhetoric And Targets Tory Voters

Reform UK

Reform UK tones down culture war rhetoric and targets Tory voters

Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit party, plans to focus less on culture war issues and instead try to attract disenchanted Conservatives with more weighty policy offerings based on the cost of living and healthcare, its leader has said.

Richard Tice, a property developer and Brexit campaigner who took over from Nigel Farage as leader in March, promised to field at least 600 candidates in the next general election, saying half had already been chosen.

In the 2019 election the then Brexit party stood down in hundreds of Tory-held seats, but under Tice it will very clearly target what he now calls “the party of high taxes and high regulation”.

Speaking to the Guardian before the party’s conference on Sunday, Tice said it would not be unfair even to argue he has more in common with Keir Starmer than Boris Johnson. “I don’t think it is, actually. I’ve never met Keir, but I think you can tell we both care about people. Boris only cares about Boris.”

The Reform UK conference, while low in profile, carries potentially significant political resonance for several reasons, not least in shaping the future of a party that won the 2019 European elections but then slipped into near obscurity.

In this year’s council elections, the party won two seats. “Knocking on doors, the majority of people hadn’t heard of us,” Tice admitted, but polls now put Reform UK at up to 5%.

The conference will hear policy announcements in areas including healthcare, tax and the environment, plus one that Tice promised would have “a big, unexpected wow factor”.

He said this would mark the end of a period in which his party has often gained attention by focusing on the culture wars and associated issues, including opposition to lockdown and a semi-alliance with Laurence Fox, the outspoken actor turned London mayoral candidate.

“Yes, we get irritated by what we call the woke stuff, and I think it does irritate millions of people,” Tice said. “But what affects people’s daily lives are the policies I’ve talked about, and the election will be fought on those things. We are deadly serious about this.”

Also significant is Reform UK’s resolute opposition to Johnson’s Conservatives, to the extent of holding its conference in Manchester on the same day that the Tory conference opens in the same city. “That was my idea, to really wind them up, which I think it has successfully done,” Tice said. “We’re starting to get abused by Conservatives, which is always a good sign.”

Another notable element of the post-Farage Reform UK is that while critical of Johnsonism, it mimics his pick-and-mix approach to policies from the left and right. Thus, while Tice would propose significant cuts to income and business taxes, these would be aimed only at lower-paid people and smaller firms. Any revenue gap, which Tice argues would be temporary, would be plugged not by spending cuts but by increased borrowing.

“Everybody’s got their knickers in a twist about the national debt,” he said. “There’s no reason to be so worried about it.”

Similarly, while Tice is critical of the government’s net-zero plans, he does not overtly deny the climate science and would like to see the government offer 100% loans for people to fit domestic solar panels.

While Tice is careful to not dismiss Farage, to whom he still regularly speaks, it is clear this is a changed approach from a leader now best known for making videos about refugees landing in Dover. “Correct,” Tice said when asked if it was a new era for the party. “This is Reform UK under my leadership, and these policies are driven by my focus.”

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Lagos arrests 94 during midnight raid on rail track squatters

The Lagos State Government has arrested 94 persons during a midnight operation on rail track squatters.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab announced the operation on X.com on Wednesday.

According to him, the arrest followed complaints from citizens about illegal squatters, miscreants, and suspected criminal activities along rail track corridors.

Wahad said a locally fabricated short gun, several wraps of illicit substances suspected to be Indian hemp, charms, and a jackknife were recovered from the suspects.

He wrote, “In response to complaints from residents, commuters, and concerned citizens about the nefarious activities of illegal squatters, miscreants, and suspected criminal elements along rail track corridors, the agency conducted a midnight raid along the rail track from Pen-Cinema under the bridge up to Fagba Junction.

“Ninety-four suspects were arrested during the operation, and a locally fabricated short gun, several wraps of illicit substances suspected to be Indian hemp, charms, and a jackknife were recovered.

“The suspects will be charged in court accordingly.”

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Okpebholo suspends revenue collection in Edo State

Edo Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of collection of all revenues in in the state, with particular attention on motor parks and others, until further notice.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Okpebholo also ordered the State Police Commissioner to arrest anyone who flouts the order.

The Governor said he will review the issues surrounding the collections soon and decide on the way forward.

“The collection of revenues in the State has been suspended indefinitely. Anyone seen collecting revenues on behalf of the State Government will be arrested.

“The Commissioner of Police is hereby ordered to arrest anyone who flouts the order and collects any kind of revenues on behalf of the State Government.

“The Governor will soon address the issues and concerns raised. He will issue new directives soon. Until then, no one is authorised to collect revenues on behalf of the State Government,” the statement noted.

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FG to begin payment of pension backlog – Edun

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, says the Federal Government will soon begin payment of pension backlog.

Edun said this during a peaceful rally by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners Contributory Pension Scheme Sector (NUPCPS) at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Tuesday.

“We will start next week to pay everything that we can under the current budget as approved by the National Assembly. What has happened now is that there is backlog in terms of contributions and there is a solution.

“There has been a committee under the Office of the Head Of Service which has met the minister of budget, and I. We have a plan for dealing with the backlog under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

“We are committed to paying it. It has to be paid this year. We are committed to doing that starting from next week,” Edun said.

“We have to have a solution that takes care of everybody, and that is being worked on. Its going to be a question of going to the capital market and raising an instrument that allows that backlog to be cleared once and for all.

“We are going to present to the president, a viable solution using the financial market taking care of the huge backlog under the CPS,” Edun said

He reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to pensioners welfare.

“I am not happy that you have had to take this step and I assure you that any time that you or your leaders seek audience with me, I will be available in the office.

“I was not aware of the Nov. 11 deadline, otherwise I will never have allowed a situation like this. In spite of your age, your situation in terms of cost of living, it costs money to come here. I would have avoided that as much as I could,” Edun said.

Speaking earlier during the protest, the National Chairman of NUPCPS, Mr Sylva Nwaiwu, said CPS had never benefited from any increment of the National Minimum Wage Act.

Nwaiwu said that the Federal Government had not released accrued rights for pensioners for over 20 months (since March 2023 till date).

“Our senior citizens are suffering, after using our youthful years to serve our father land and we get this in return. Please use your good office to help us. Some of our members are bedridden and some have died in the struggle. We cannot feed ourselves, take care of our family or take care of our medical bills anymore,” he said.

The chairman said that they had dropped several letters for the minister but none was acknowledged which made the union members to stage this peaceful rally. Nwaiwu, however, commended the president for raising minimum wage.

Mrs Christiana Ubah, a pensioner, said that she retired in 2015 from the budget office of the federation, and could no longer feed herself. ” See how my face is, it is hunger.”

She complained that for six months, her pension had not been paid by African Alliance, saying that the government needs to come to our aid.

“Among us here are people that retired since march last year and have not been paid a kobo. look at how harsh the economy is because of our leaders.

“We do not have anything to live on now, every year they will tell us in the media that pension fund asset has increased, so why are pensioners not paid.

“We have a constitution in the country that every five years salaries will increase and pension will increase too. We want this reflected,” Ubah said.

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