The big picture
Labour has a big policy announcement on Sunday morning: its plan to cap rents in the private sector, which is being described on the front page of the Sunday Times as amounting to the return of rent controls.
SUNDAY TIMES: Labour will bring back rent controls #tomorrowspaperstoday #BBCPapers pic.twitter.com/cluzDy1vK9
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 25, 2015
But on Sunday there might be just as much interest in signs that are emerging suggesting the Tories are starting to panic. They are ahead in two of three of Sunday’s polls, but this may not be enough to make David Cameron confident of remaining prime minister. During elections, reporters are always on the lookout for a “wobbly Thursday”, or its equivalent, and the Sunday Times has decreed this as the “wobbly weekend”. Two Tory donors have complained about the quality of the campaign, and there are signs that Boris Johnson’s supporters are on manoeuvres. There is a story in the paper but, as often happens on a Sunday these days, the jolliest account is in Tim Shipman’s Red Box email briefing briefing. Here’s an excerpt:
It all began with James Kirkup’s piece in Saturday’s Telegraph that senior figures in the Conservative party are already planning for a world after Cameron and were even considering installing Boris Johnson as leader by acclamation after the election. I picked up the same talk early last week with multiple sources talking about mysterious approaches to donors by senior figures in the party about whether Boris might take over, all of which are of course vociferously denied by the powers that be.
Today, Marie Woolf and I report in the Sunday Times [paywall] that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We both received unsolicited phone calls from MPs all week saying that cabinet ministers and their supporters were already phoning around seeking their backing for leadership bids if Cameron fails to get back into government.
Separately, MPs, backed by influential donors, said they are prepared to engineer a coup against Cameron by submitting letters of no-confidence in him after 7 May and planning a ‘mass show of support’ for Johnson if the Tories lose. A major donor, who declined to be named, said: ‘Boris is the only one who can win. Everyone knows what is going to happen in 10 days’ time. If Dave doesn’t make it, we’ll get rid of him.’
What’s in the papers
Labour
Conservatives
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The Tories are having a “wobbly weekend”, the Sunday Times reports [paywall]. Two donors have criticised the campaign.
Peter Hall, an investment manager, who has given almost £600,000 to the Tory party since 2005, criticised Cameron’s “curious lack of energy and belief in his campaign” and called on him to “unleash visceral passion and belief in his vision of the future” and “get down and dirty” if he is to remain prime minister.
He added: “If we don’t have a Conservative government after 7 May, it will be because of David Cameron. I see no powerful vision of the future provided by David Cameron.”
Hugh Osmond, the Pizza Express entrepreneur who gave almost £115,000 to the Tories between 2008 and 2011, said: “What would a Cameron UK really look like? I’ve just no idea. I don’t find either of the campaigns the slightest bit inspiring. They are utterly cynical, trying to woo those few extra electors their way.”
A YouGov poll today shows the Tories would move from two points behind Labour to three points ahead if Johnson were leader. He is judged Cameron’s best successor by 31%, with Theresa May, the home secretary, second on 13%.
MAIL ON SUNDAY: May - SNP/Lab pact 'worst crisis since abdication' #tomorrowspaperstoday #BBCPapers pic.twitter.com/n3mMScNm90
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) April 25, 2015
Lib Dems
- Vince Cable has told the Mail on Sunday that he would be happy to work with the Conservatives again in coalition. Why?
Because I’ve realised it is possible to be businesslike with them. I can envisage a scenario in which I would stomach working with the Tories if the situation required. You have to let your head rule your heart.
The article implies that he would prefer this to a coalition with Labour, although Cable is not quoted saying that directly. But he is quoted saying said a Labour-SNP government would be “very dangerous and completely unacceptable”.
We can’t let small extreme tendencies dominate the country. I speak as someone who has lived in Scotland. I have Scottish children. We could not work with people committed to break[ing] up the UK.
Sunday’s diary
9am: Ed Miliband, Boris Johnson and Leanne Wood, the Plaid Cymru leader, are the guests on the Andrew Marr Show.
10am: David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Alex Salmond and Suzanne Evans, the Ukip deputy chair, are interviewed on Sky’s Dermot Murnaghan show.
1pm: George Osborne is interviewed on The World this Weekend.
2.30pm: Sajid Javid, the Conservative culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, the former Labour culture secretary, and David Laws, the education minister, are the guests on the Sunday Politics. It’s normally at 11am, but today the time has been changed.
3pm: Cameron delivers a campaign speech.
3pm: Miliband gives a speech on international development in London.
If today were a song ...
It’s Queen’s One Vision. According to James Forsyth in in the Mail on Sunday, this is being played in CCHQ as an unofficial campaign theme. “With its lyrics about ‘one voice, one hope, one real decision’, you can see why it appeals to the Tories,” Forsyth writes.
Non-election news story
The Nepal earthquake, where the death toll is heading towards 2,000.
