Demoted Health Secretary Yvette Cooper is trying to get in on the devolution action with this story:
“Andy Burnham is to set up a ‘Department for Health and Social Care North’ to be based in Leeds, LBC can reveal.”
Cooper’s SpAd briefed that the move “will help bring decision-making closer to the communities we serve and strengthen our ability to improve health outcomes across the country.” Guido hates to pop her bubble, but this is worse than a gimmick…
‘DHSC North’ will work from the department’s existing offices in Leeds. They are in a building called Quarry House -sometimes call ‘the Kremlin’ by insiders – which first opened in 1993. It’s the same office they’ve had for years…
A government source tells Guido that staff attendance there is abysmal. Another SpAd quote:
“She has asked the Department to draw up plans that would complement the plans for Number 10 North on the other side of the Pennines, allowing Ministers to work from Quarry House in the North, and strengthening DHSC operations in other parts of the country.”
Ministers can of course work from there if they want already. What this probably means is spending hundreds of thousands on a rebrand and a new private office in the building for Cooper and other ministers to hide from staff in. Pop that in the bin…
It’s time to put hope in every heart, and put Guido in every postcode. Definitely not a gimmick and Guido will be appalled if anyone thinks it is…
Andy Burnham told broadcasters this afternoon that he won’t be replacing Stamp Duty… at least at this year’s Budget:
“Yes, I can say that quite clearly. That won’t be happening. It’s just not the case that we are bringing forward plans, on that scale, at this moment in time…
Obviously, what we’re trying to do, though, is to make taxation fairer. I removed VAT off electricity bills. I said we would do that, and that will come through later in the year.
“We are looking at how we take that little bit of pressure off people’s shoulders, reduce the cost of living. These are priorities, and we obviously will keep working towards them…”
‘At this moment in time’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting…
The regulator responsible for regulating all health and social care services in England is gaming rolling blackouts as part of its training for staff. Don’t worry, be happy…
The Care Quality Commission is running training with a series of case studies for what could affect its Business Continuity Plan. After one which models a cyber attack, staff explored what would happen in this scenario:
“We have received news of rolling power outages in England, Scotland and Wales. These outages are due to global uncertainties and energy supply shortages. They will be staggered across the working day to minimise the impact.
Each region will have a rolling programme of outages from 9am to 12pm, 12pm to 3pm and 3pm to 6pm. These outages will last for 2 months and will be intermittent, lasting up to three hours.
The full schedule of times and affected regions will be published shortly via nationals news outlets. These outages could cause severe disruptions to the services we regulate or disrupt our core business function.”
A secret report leaked from the National Energy System Operator over the weekend showed that the acceleration of Net Zero energy sources has rendered its modelling systems highly unreliable, which risks blackouts and much higher electricity bills. A whistleblower said it was “flying blind” and that the executives are too scared to criticise Net Zero policies. Civil servants in other parts of government are getting ready…
New research from the Adam Smith Institute shows the number of millionaires residing in the UK is at its lowest level since the global financial crisis. Labour policies having their intended effect then…
The think tank’s Millionaire Tracker now shows that there are 442,000 sterling millionaires in Britain, down by 7% since 2024. It says:
“This is driven by falling real asset prices, a low household savings rate and the emigration of high net-worth individuals (HNWIs). Millionaires are leaving the UK for a number of reasons, including high levels of current taxation, threats of further increases (including a wealth tax), the abolition of the non-dom regime, and a culture which is hostile to wealth-creators.”
Visualised:
The ASI has some prescriptions to keep wealth creators in country, including the abolition of inheritance tax, removal of Capital Gains Tax, and reform of the non-dom tax regime. Or you could wang on about wanting “good growth” and get booted out of office…
Chief Whip Anneliese Midgley has written to Labour MPs this afternoon following the appointment of ministers’ Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPSs). She is promising “greater opportunities to undertake media and parliamentary activity, including on national policy”:
“Dear Colleague,
During his first week in office, the Prime Minister has been clear about his determination to change the culture of our politics and the way we work together in Westminster.
He has been clear that he wants us to build, relentlessly, a genuine culture of one Labour team. Every member of the Parliamentary Labour Party is part of that team, whether serving in Government or on the backbenches. Every colleague has a role to play, every voice should be heard, every experience valued, and everyone treated with respect.
In return, we ask every colleague to bring their ideas, energy and engagement as we work together to deliver for the British people and champion the work of this Government in communities across the country.
A key part of that approach is the role of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS). Serving as a PPS is one of the most important roles for parliamentarians and they are vitally important to the functioning of effective government.
The Prime Minister and I have therefore reviewed how we can strengthen and elevate the role so that it better reflects the way we want the Government to operate. In doing so, we have drawn on the advice of Lord David Hanson and the experience of Lord Bruce Grocott and Baroness Angela Smith, whose insights, including from serving as the PM’s PPSs themselves, have helped shape our thinking.
Over recent days, the Prime Minister and I have consulted with every Secretary of State to agree the appointments of PPSs in their teams. Our aim has been to assemble a diverse and talented group of PPSs, bringing together a broad range of experience, expertise and perspectives to support ministers and help deliver the Prime Minister’s agenda.
The appointment of Sir Nic Dakin MP as the Prime Minister’s senior PPS is a clear signal of that change we are trying to achieve. The reforms are part of the wider culture change we are determined to embed across the Government. They will include greater opportunities to undertake media and parliamentary activity, including on national policy, with the agreement of departmental media advisers, Number 10 and in line with Government policy. Sir Nic and the Whips Office will host a discussion on the updated role and expectations of Parliamentary Private Secretaries.
We want to better recognise the contribution PPSs make to their departments, to the Parliamentary Labour Party and to the success of the Government as a whole.
Thank you again for your support in recent days.”
So more bag-carriers on the media round when it’s time to bat on a sticky wicket…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”
