Rumours of hope that Lineker might be booted from his role at the BBC on Match of the Day have been swirling, despite the BBC trying to brush off the move. One hack from the Daily Mail thought they’d hear it from the horse’s mouth, doorstepping the ex-footballer in his cushy south-west London home. True to form, the ex-footballer showed his usual charm, telling the journalist to “f**k off” and “go away.” A bit off-side…
Lineker’s contract with the BBC is due to expire next summer, meaning the show could have a new host within the next 12 months. The BBC released a statement saying: “we have not agreed next steps with regard to his contract. He is under contract until the end of the season.” Not exactly a denial he may be subbed off when the whistle blows…
Ahead of Reeves’ budget this month Labour policies are costing the Treasury before they’ve even come into place. New analysis from the Independent Schools Council, the largest body representing private schools in the UK, has found that 10,540 fewer students than last year were attending private schools in September ahead of the imposition of the tax at the start of 2025. At a cost of £92.8 million to the taxpayer…
The ISC’s chief executive Julie Robinson makes clear this is just the start:
“This is just the tip of the iceberg and the knock-on effect on schools is significant, with many small schools already at risk of closure.”
The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ sham analysis, which Labour has used consistently to defend its policy, claimed that in total only 40,000 children would be pushed into the state system. Other reports find that so many may leave as to make the policy fully cost-negative within a few years. Bridget Phillipson has also hinted that unannounced tax hikes will be needed to hire more teachers on top of the “£1.5 billion” she says will be collected from the VAT. Rayner and Reeves are getting closer to their old proposal of abolishing private schools altogether…
As the Chagos Islands were in the process of being given to Mauritius you might have thought Foreign Secretary Lammy would be focussed on the aftermath of Starmer’s decision to damage UK strategic interests and shrink its territory. Wrong…
Lammy was, as usual, more interested in talking about race. He sent round an internal memo to diplomats in the FCDO as the news was blowing up talking about… slavery:
“Black History Month is a moment to reflect on the impact of black heritage and culture on our country and our place in the world. It’s a chance to celebrate the enormous contribution of black people in Britain, and also to acknowledge some of our country’s most painful history.
This is important to all of us in the FCDO. First, because of this Department’s role in that history. From King Charles Street, British officials administered colonies in which millions were enslaved. My ancestors were among them, taken from Africa across the Atlantic to labour in the Caribbean.
Second, because of this Department’s role today. Our job is to represent the UK, a nation in which black Britons make an astounding contribution in all walks of life.”
Guido hates to point out the Foreign Secretary’s historical innaccuracies, but the Charles Street building was completed as a Foreign Office headquarters in 1868 – 35 years after the complete abolition of slavery across the empire. History’s never been Lammy’s strong suit…
Lammy’s more interested in lecturing his staff about himself than doing his job. No change there…
After the news broke that Guardian Media Group is in talks to sell The Observer to ‘slow news’ outlet Tortoise Media, GMG staff are up in arms, and now have agreed they may strike over the sale. Not surprising they don’t want to join another sinking ship when Tortoise’s traffic dropped by a whopping 41% from July to August alone and boasts a £4.6 million annual operating loss…
Yesterday, 400 staff attended a meeting to voice their grievances over the change of hands, complaining of the utter “betrayal“. Staff harked back to the (clearly failed) “Not For Sale” marketing campaign last year to protect their “independence”, fearing that their readers who donate to their left-wing content will feel let down. Meanwhile, GMG’s CEO is still trying to push the narrative to that this is an “exciting strategic opportunity” for the staff. With GMG operating a £21 million loss, it’s definitely an opportunity to offload at least…
A notice has just gone round from the parliamentary authorities telling staffers and MPs that they should report in if they plan on working on the estate over the weekend:
“As you may already be aware, during water quality checks in early September legionella bacteria was identified in the boiler which provides hot water to the Palace’s taps and showers. The system was treated on 14th September to address this.
Test results for additional samples were received on 30th September which recommend that further mitigation measures were taken forward.
As a result, the House is planning to chemically treat the hot water system in the Palace over the weekend of 5th and 6th October. The chemicals are at a low level and present no health risk. However during this time, it is recommended that hot water taps are not used, unless fitted with a filter.
There will be signage around the Estate and filters fitted where required.”
A bemused staffer tells Guido:
“It’s just more proof how crap Parliament is to actually work in, we have no working air conditioning or heating, the buildings leak when it rains, rats are everywhere and now the water is trying to kill us… again.”
Legionella and other savoury incidents like sewage leaks are no rare thing around Whitehall. Back in 2022 the bacteria hit the fairly new Portcullis House. Now it looks like it’s spread further. It’s not just the politics that’s dirty…
As the fallout continues over Labour’s immediate cession of the Chagos Islands to China-aligned Mauritius, special envoy for the negotiations Jonathan Powell has revealed the depth of the strategic thinking behind the decision on Times Radio this morning:
“These are very tiny islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean where no one actually goes. So I don’t think we should be too worried about losing that bit of territory. We’re probably losing more to tidal erosion in the East Coast than that.”
As everyone on Twitter has pointed out it was Powell who Blair told: “We mustn’t lose any more territory” after the 1997 Hong Kong deal. That agreement also included a “guarantee” over the use of the territory – see how that went…
Meanwhile a spokesman for Liz Truss said bizarrely last night: “It was Boris Johnson who asked Liz to talk to Prime Minister Jugnauth about this at COP26, which she did.” After which came the sheepish addition that “for the avoidance of doubt, Boris was not in favour of ceding the territory either and anyone interpreting what I said as suggesting he was is making mischief…”
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.”