Sky News pol ed Beth Rigby attempted to confront minister James Murray with a boom mic only to be blocked by her own wiring set up. At one point Rigby mournfully pointed out that she had spilled two cups of coffee all over the floor. Not to mention the wiring…
Pretty unusual for Cabinet ministers to storm up to the cameras immediately after the meeting. Regurgitating the same language Starmer himself used this morning…
Starmer’s words at the top of today’s Cabinet meeting were, according to the readout:
“As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised.
The past 48 hours have been destabilising for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.
The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered.
The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.”
He’s trying to stay. This is about to get interesting…
Cabinet is ongoing at the time of going to pixel. 81 MPs (and counting) have called for Starmer to go. To be a fly on the wall in Number 10…
Miatta Fahnbulleh, left-wing minister who is friends with Miliband and Rayner, says:
“Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing to tender my resignation as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.
I am proud of the work that I have done in this Government. First as the Minister for Energy Consumers where I secured energy bill discounts for 6 million families and kick started our Warm Homes Plan; and in my current role where I have rolled out our transformational Pride in Place Programme, delivered a generational shift in power through our English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and led our critical work on tackling the rising tide of hate and division in our communities. It has been a privilege to play my part in a government that is working hard at every level to deliver the change that our country needs.
Whilst progress has been made, we have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us. Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions. Mistakes such as the winter fuel payment and cuts to the support provided to disabled people have left too many of my constituents doubting our mission. And the message on the doorstep was clear: you, Prime Minister, have lost the trust and confidence of the public.
Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires. The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I. Therefore, I urge you to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition so that a new team can deliver the change we promised the country.”
Drip drip…
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.”