New figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK GDP in the first quarter grew by 0.6%. In line with expectations following growth in Q4 2024 of 0.2%…
The largest growth came from services on 0.8%. The ONS says: “Real GDP per head is estimated to have increased by 0.6% in Quarter 1 2026 and is up 0.9% compared with the same quarter a year ago.” Reeves, who has been keeping quiet during the Rickety Coup, has said the figures show a leadership contest would be dangerous:
“Today’s figures show the Government has the right economic plan. The choices I have made as Chancellor mean our economy is in a stronger position as we deal with the costs of the war in Iran.
Now is not the time to put our economic stability at risk. To do so would leave families and business worse off. Instead, this Government is getting on with the job of building an economy that is stronger, more resilient, and prepared for the future.”
Won’t stop the tide against Starmer but it may convince a leadership rival to keep her in the job…
Angela Rayner has entered the leadership conflict this morning. With a bang…
Rayner has spoken to ITV to say she has no deal with Andy Burnham and that she would not trigger a leadership contest:
“I’ve made it clear that I wasn’t going to trigger the prime minister – and that I want to see change.”
She has also given an interview to the Guardian in which she says she has been cleared by HMRC and will not pay a fine. She also said Starmer should consider stepping aside and that she wants to “play my part“: “Keir will have to reflect on that.” Rayner will run to stop Streeting…
DHSC staff are economising on hotels while their health ministers are spending more per night spent in hotels. Wes…
Guido’s FOI Unit has found that health ministers nearly doubled their per-night hotel spending in a single year, from £139 to £261. That is an 87% increase from the financial year starting in 2024 to the next one. Ministers stayed fewer nights (down from 13 to 9) but somehow spent more in total: up from £1,812 to £2,348. Penthouse rooms all round?
Meanwhile, departmental staff cut their hotel nights by 30% and their total bill by 25%. Staff per-night costs rose 7% (£120 to £129). The ministerial increase is 12 times that rate – the gravy train keeps rolling…
Jolyon Maugham has quietly shuffled the ownership of his crowd-funded litigation-losing vehicle the Good Law Project into a Jersey purpose trust. Jersey…
Good Law Project insists it will remain UK resident for tax purposes and there will be no change to how its income is taxed. Nothing to see here…
But what is actually going on? The stated reason for the offshore move is to replicate the characteristics of charity status without being bound by the “moving political guardrails policed by the Charity Commission.“ Maugham wants all the credibility of being a charity, with none of the oversight. The Charity Commission getting in the way of your political activism? Pop offshore and set up a purpose trust instead…
And who controls this Jersey vehicle? In the short term, the only trustee will be a company owned by Jolyon himself, and he will remain the “person with significant control.“ So after all the fanfare about handing over ownership, Jolyon is still, in every meaningful sense, in charge…
The next time Maugham appears on the Today programme to demand that some government contractor be hauled over the coals for its corporate structure, perhaps the interviewer could ask him a simple question. Why Jersey, Jolyon?
Some real zingers from Badenoch in this debate. Tory MPs enjoying themselves…
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.”