Brexit Party announces 'contract with the British people'

The Brexit Party, headed by Nigel Farage, has released a "contract with the British people" instead of a manifesto. In an article in The  Daily Telegraph, Farage said the Brexit Party decided to release a "contract," because people have lost faith in the word manifesto. 

Two policies in the contract are that the UK will leave the EU, and that the party will limit net migration to 50,000 people a year. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Farage said his cap on immigration would revert the UK to its pre-World War Two demographics.

He added that the party would limit temporary work permits to industries that have "genuine shortages." The party also called for a limit on postal voting in the UK, arguing that it should be limited to the elderly, citizens abroad and people with mobility issues.

The party is also at odds with an online group called 'Led By Donkeys,' which recently bought the website 'thebrexitparty.com' and have offered to sell it to Farage for $1.3 million. 

 

What's in a name?

 

Plaid Cymru takes a stand against Brexit in new manifesto 

Plaid Cymru, a Welsh party seeking independence for the country, launched its manifesto entitled Wales, It's Us. In it, Plaid called for a fresh referendum to cancel Brexit and a "green plan" to combat climate change.

In September this year, Adam Price, Plaid Cymru's leader, said the UK should cancel Brexit without a new referendum. However, the party's new manifesto calls for a "people's vote" on Brexit, and a campaign to stay in the EU. 

Plaid Cymru has also outlined how Wales will transition to self-sufficient energy by 2030. This plan includes an investment in Welsh transportation and thousands of new climate-friendly jobs, which the party has called the "green jobs revolution." 

The party also wants Westminster to invest 1 percent of the UK's GDP (gross domestic product), in green infrastructure. This could give Wales $19 billion to invest in its current environmental plan. 

 

Twitter launches ban on political advertisements 

Twitter has launched a new policy to ban all political advertisements ahead of the UK election. The policy, which was announced on 30 October, will ban all political advertisements globally.  

Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's legal lead, added on Twitter that this policy would also stop "ads that advocate for or against legislative issues of national importance," not just election campaigns. US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren criticized this new policy on 5 November, arguing it may silence climate change activists. 

Google followed with a similar policy that would ban advertisers from targeting users based on their data and political affiliation. 

 

UK election jargon buster: Postal votes 

Postal votes means people who vote by filling in their ballot paper, popping it into an envelope and posting it in rather than turning up in person on election day.

In the UK in recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people casting their votes by post. And it has become a source of controversy as the figure has approached one in five of all votes in recent polls.

Until 2001, anyone wanting to vote by post, rather than in person, had to supply a reason, or get a doctor or their employer to back their case. But now, no reason is required.

The argument for postal voting is that it helps give more people the chance to vote as it is not restricted just to those people who can physically get to a polling station on election day. It is, for instance, very useful for people who are abroad.

However, there have been numerous allegations of fraud and questions over how to ensure that people who vote by post have made their choice without coercion.