they do change their mind, that s a good thing, they are learning from evidence. i think the better line for the tories is, if things start to get a bit rosier for the economy, if progress is made on immigration, i think what they will want to say is, don t risk this because actually, on things like the environment, immigration, public finances, keir starmer and labour, you can t really trust them, they are a bit more radical. so the tories will really be trying to force that dividing line. but the fact is that keir starmer and labour are playing it so safe, they are hiding very close to the tory line, it s going to be difficult for the tories to do that so i don t think it will be successful. find tories to do that so i don t think it will be successful. . . it will be successful. and keir starmer can t it will be successful. and keir starmer can t take it will be successful. and keir starmer can t take the - it will be successful. and keir starmer can t take the young
everyone agrees as well that it s been like this for a while, that britain needs change, wants change, is crying out for change. and yet trust in politics is now so low, so degraded, that nobody believes you can make a difference any more. well, it turns out there may be a little more time than some thought for political leaders, whoever they are, to take this on. words, crowds, persuasion, promises 2024 will have the lot of them. chris mason, bbc news. there ve been hundreds of flood alerts across england today, as heavy rain continued to batter parts of the country. and there are fears tonight the river trent, could come close to its highest water mark on record this century. a major incident has already been declared in nottinghamshire due to widespread flooding, caused by storm henk. the county council is urging
large you can see they ve taken out a large portion of that inclined there some large portion of that inclined there some point you re live with bbc news. to the uk now and it was a declaration, of sorts, from rishi sunak today, saying the much anticipated general election, is likely to be held in the second half of this year . but he could still call a snap election, after not ruling out going to the country before the autumn, on a visit to nottinghamshire. meanwhile, in a new year speech in bristol, the labour leader, keir starmer, said he hoped 2024 would give the country a chance to vote out the conservatives, accusing mr sunak of squatting in downing street for months on end . here s chris mason. can i welcome to you this morning, rishi sunak, the prime minister? mansfield, in nottinghamshire a town the conservatives want to hold on to at the general election. happy new year! how are you doing? the prime minister taking questions at a youth centre and taking this crucial
yes! so, look, my working assumption is we ll have a general election in the second half of this year, and in the meantime, i ve got lots that i want to get on with. words that grab attention, say something but commit to nothing. 150 miles away, on a visit to bristol at exactly the same time, we tell keir starmer what rishi sunak has just said. the prime minister is now hinting, without setting a date, that it might be later in the year. squatting in downing street for months on end, dithering and delaying, when the country wants change. what s he hiding? the conservatives have a mandate, don t they, to serve in government throughout this year? you can clamourfor an early election, but that s the constitutional truth. but what mandate does the third. well, they won the last general election. ..the third prime minister that they ve had since the one in 2019! and it s notjust keir starmer with a keen eye on when the election is.