General election 2019 latest: Labour announces cap on school class sizes
The Week’s daily round-up of how the election campaign is unfolding
The general election is a week today, but the new plans and promises from the main contenders are still coming thick and fast.
Labour is pledging to cap school class sizes in England at 30 pupils and to hire 20,000 extra teachers over five years to meet demand. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast that while the changes couldn’t be made “overnight”, a Labour government would immediately start “reversing the trend” of increasing class sizes and lack of spending seen under the Tories.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has outlined his plans for the Conservatives’ first 100 days of new government, promising tax cuts, a funding boost for schools and changes to laws relating to the release of serious offenders from prison. The party would also launch a review of defence, security and foreign policy, change the law to increase the amount that migrants pay to use the NHS, and begin cross-party talks on social care.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A new Deltapoll study has put the Conservatives on course for a “small but workable” majority, City A.M. reports. The poll, commissioned by ToscaFund Asset Management, found that the Tories are set for a Commons majority of between five and 30 seats.
Over in the Liberal Democrats camp, Jo Swinson was grilled last night by the BBC’s Andrew Neil over her support for harsh cuts during her party’s five years in coalition government with the Conservatives up until 2015. The Lib Dem leader apologised for her record on austerity and said she would be continuing as leader even if her party lost seats at the general election.
But, as Isabel Hardman writes in The Spectator, “others in her party might not be so confident of that assertion”.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A monstrous parade, a hungry tortoise, and more
-
The Week Unwrapped: Should we be eating less fat – or more?Podcast Plus who will benefit from the surprise Dutch election result? And how can art improve our health?
-
AI models may be developing a ‘survival drive’Under the radar Chatbots are refusing to shut down
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
The Chinese threat: No. 10’s evidence leads to more questionsTalking Point Keir Starmer is under pressure after collapsed spying trial
-
The new age of book banningThe Explainer How America’s culture wars collided with parents and legislators who want to keep their kids away from ‘dangerous’ ideas
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strongTalking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Five policies from the Tory conferenceIn Depth Party leader Kemi Badenoch has laid out the Conservative plan for a potential future government
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rightsThe Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Charlie Kirk honored as ‘martyr’ at memorial rallySpeed Read At a service for the slain conservative activist, speakers included President Donald Trump and many top administration officials