Senior Jenrick backer Chris Chope has told ITV Meridian that Badenoch is currently too “preoccupied with her children” and that “you can’t spend all your time with your family at the same time as being leader of the opposition.” A misstep…
In a drawn out argument with two female guests Chope says that Jenrick’s kids are older and therefore not a problem because he spends no time with them. Breaking the golden rule of leadership contests: Leave the kids out of it…
UPDATE: The inevitable comment comes: “Rob doesn’t agree with this. He’s raising three young daughters himself.”
It’s a rude awakening for French President Macron. He’s had to admit that the EU is “over-regulating and under-investing”. Coming round to the UK’s realisation 8 years later…
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, the ‘Macaron’ said:
“We are over-regulating and under-investing. So just if in the 2 to 3 years to come, if we follow our classical agenda, we will be out of the market, I have no doubt…I think the simplification agenda and the let’s say pause in terms of regulation, but even deregulation in some issues, it’s absolutely critical.”
Not the best advertisement for the Bloc coming from the EU’s Champion-in-Chief. Meanwhile, the UK – now free from the shackles of the EU’s red tape – is the top destination for investment in financial services and has the highest GDP growth in 2024 than any other European country in the G7. Condoléances, Monsieur President…
Paul Johnson has just announced he is stepping down as Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He’s been in post since 2011…
Johnson says “after 14 years at the helm, it feels like the right time to move on and start a new chapter in my life.” He will become Provost of Queen’s College, Oxford. The IFS says the search for his replacement will “take place over the next few months.” Plenty of tax fans circling around SW1 to choose from…
Labour’s favourite think tank The Resolution Foundation has hosted a panel event this morning on how to “fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport.” Translation: how to make taxpayers cough up for gratuitous green projects…
Senior Labour MP and recently elected chairman of the Transport Select Committee Ruth Cadbury praised the think tank’s new report on travel, which calls for tax hikes on car travel and a massive expansion of carbon pricing on flights. The former shadow minister managed to blame the aviation sector for her husband getting cheap business class tickets:
“The other thing I always thought about was loyalty schemes. It cost my husband £25 for a business class return to Lisbon a couple of weeks ago because he’d built up enough Avios points, and he’s not even what I would call a frequent flyer. There’s further private sector disincentives and of course if you get paid for your flight by your employer, you personally gain the loyalty points which you can then use for you and your family to go to an nice holiday down the Maldives while it’s still above water.”
God forbid an average family gets cheap flights for a holiday. The Resolution Foundation is clear that “prices will need to rise” on plane travel to “make sure flyers pay their way.” Easy for Labour to say when the entire Cabinet’s jetting around on the taxpayer’s dime…
As Tory members start casting their ballots, Jenrick and Kemi continue to bicker about the future of…leadership debates. Last week, Guido reported that The Sun’s “Never Mind the Ballots” debate was scrapped, with both leadership camps spinning their own tales about why. Now Jenrick is demanding a debate on BBC Question Time, saying he was “delighted to accept” their invitation. Though CCHQ’s rules, laid out back in July, are clear: “all candidates must agree not to participate in any televised hustings unless arranged by the Party Chairman.” Jenrick might be jumping the gun there…
Now it’s reported that Team Jenrick is alleging CCHQ is blocking further leadership debates because Party Chairman Richard Fuller—who’s meant to keep neutral—is secretly backing Badenoch. Worth remembering Fuller did vote in the final two round of MP votes, despite claiming he wouldn’t….
Meanwhile, Jenrick effectively sacked Fuller over the weekend, announcing he’d be bringing Jacob Rees-Mogg in as Chairman, a move that Guido hears didn’t go down too well at CCHQ. Now, Team Jenrick is going on the offensive. Yellow cards, anyone?
UPDATE: A spokesperson for Richard Fuller said: “The chairman is and has remained neutral throughout the contest. TV debates and hustings are to be agreed by the party board and are for the campaign teams to decide to commit to.”
Labour is set to announce the re-extension of HS2 to Crewe. There goes another Sunak legacy…
The West Midlands to Crewe route was “part A” of HS2’s Phase 2, which Sunak scrapped at Tory Party Conference in 2023. Will Labour cancel the £36 billion of extra transport investment that Sunak initiated in its place?
Labour ministers have “re-evaluated the cost-benefit of HS2” and come to the decision that it should go past Birmingham after all. A formal announcement is pencilled in for the New Year. Phase 2a already has parliamentary approval – LBC says construction will be handed over to a private consortium. Another black hole has just opened up…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”