Discussion around Burnham’s team is ramping up since Guido revealed a possible No10 staffing structure in an Andy premiership. It’s not just going to be him you know…
Some Labour sources speculate that Sue Gray, the erstwhile No10 Chief of Staff, could take up a role in a Burnham government. Gray and the Manchester mayor worked closely together and Burnham was full of praise for her long after she left government:
Burnham recently went campaigning with Gray’s son, the Labour MP Liam Conlon, in London. Conlon, while serving as a PPS, said he supported Burnham’s return to Westminster. He was seen canvassing with Burnham and Lucy Powell on 17th May, three days ago. Curious…
The Manchester mayor has kept up his strong focus on maximum devolution during this by-election so far. Sue, now Baroness Gray of Tottenham, could enjoy an advising or even ministerial role in a new administration looking to drive this and other more radical changes through. After all there is revenge to extract. Make sure you pay her enough, though…
Flanked by a few allies, and speaking to a depleted chamber, Wes Streeting declared he resigned because “we are in the fight of our lives against nationalism“. And the crowd goes mild…
Scottish tycoon Duncan Bannatyne has withdrawn his support for Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election and endorsed Restore Britain. Burnham’s previous calls to allow trans men into women’s spaces really, really didn’t sit well…
Bannatyne tweeted this morning:
“Last week I decided to throw my support behind @AndyBurnhamGM for leadership of the Labour Party and on to PM. But I cannot do that now that I find out he says Transwomen. IE men. Should be allowed to use the ladies toilets. I can never support anyone that does this.
Biological Women must have single sex spaces.”
Rupert Lowe immediately jumped in…
Lowe: “A local businesswoman, Rebecca, is our candidate . We’d love to have your support Duncan. She is very passionate about small business and rejuvenating our high streets. Just what Makerfield needs.”
Bannatyne: “She has my support for the bye election [sic] now.”
“With regret, I’m out…”
New polling from More in Common shows some evidence of an immediate ‘Burnham bounce’ for Labour if the Manchester mayor enters No10:
For those who think an early election is off the cards…
Punchy. Read Guido’s fact check of Starmer’s farcical claims here…
Guido Verify has analysed Starmer’s three defences in PMQs after lifting sanctions on processed Russian diesel and jet fuel supply. Starmer has tried to issue defensive claims in the Commons…
CLAIM 1: “this government has phased in sanctions in this way before, and the last government used the same technique”
A refining loophole of a kind existed under the Tories: Global Witness calculated that in 2023, the UK imported some 5.2 million barrels of petroleum products made from Russian oil, indirectly providing the Kremlin with around £123 million in tax revenue. But the Conservatives never issued a formal General Trade Licence explicitly authorising these imports…
CLAIM 2: “we also issued two short term licences to phase the new sanctions in”
Paragraph 10 of the licence states: “This licence comes into force on 20 May 2026. It is of indefinite duration and shall be periodically reviewed by the Secretary of State.” The general licence took effect Wednesday and didn’t set a time limit. The only commitment is that the Secretary of State “will endeavour to provide 4 months’ notice” before revocation. The opposite of short term…
By contrast, a separate licence covering maritime transportation of Russian LNG was genuinely time-limited, running until January 1 next year so the government knows how to issue short-term licences when it wants to. It chose not to for diesel and jet fuel..
Starmer said: “this is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever.” Panic across Whitehall would disagree…
UPDATE: The government claims it will review this licence every three months and that new sanctions are being phased in in order to not upset the market. The announcement of the intention to put measures in place was in October. The government claims that the situation since then has changed and there is a bigger risk of instability which is why the temporary licence has been issued. So new tough sanctions are delayed by the UK…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”