As Starmer looks set to grab the keys Downing Street, the level of disingenuousness in his record is becoming clear. In a clear pitch to the left to win the leadership, he pledged to “end indefinite detention” for immigrants, and close Yarl’s Wood detention centre – an obsessive cause of the far left mainly trumpeted by Corbynista John McDonnell. Now Starmer is claiming to be tough on immigration. He may well have cynically changed position, but does Labour ever really change?
Mordaunt changed tack for last night’s seven-way clash on ITV. Last time, for the BBC version, viewers saw half-hearted interjections and self-pitying claims that the Tories have “hated” having to put up taxes to a 70-year record high. For this one Penny went on the full offensive. It seemed like a good idea at the time..
From repeated bickering exchanges with Angela Rayner, which made Mordaunt look like the one in opposition, to being told off by Julie Etchingham and forced to admit she was “agitated“, Mordaunt opened herself up to ridicule from the other panellists who would often say “oh dear” and “it’s just like the Commons” to sympathy from the audience. Penny pointing at all the panelists at the end while repeating “higher taxes higher taxes” put the cherry on top. More than a few people thought she was saying “hire taxis”…
It’s already being compared to her bizarre “stand up and fight” routine at party conference. Tory members are tearing the performance to shreds this morning…
The same roster is back at it again tonight for ITV‘s seven-way debate. The venue is in Salford, Manchester. Julie Etchingham and a live audience will be running affairs. The debate is running for 90 minutes…
Representatives from each party are (like last time):
- Tory: Penny Mordaunt
- Labour: Angela Rayner
- SNP: Stephen Flynn
- LibDem: Daisy Cooper
- Green: Carla Denyer
- Reform: Nigel Farage
- Plaid: Rhun ap Iorweth
Etchingham and co will be thinking of ways to make this one less sullen than its predecessor. Guido will provide live text-based updates below…
UPDATE: Proceedings have finished. Mordaunt and Rayner were the most combative with each other. This one was a little better than the last…
YouGov with The Times has the first Reform/Tory crossover of the election:
LAB: 37 (-1), RFM: 19 (+2), CON: 18 (=), LDM: 14 (-1), Green: 7 (-1), SNP: 3 (+1), Plaid: 1 (=), OTH: 2 (+1).
It was some time coming. Someone will be jubilant heading into the seven-way debate…
Taking part in Question Time tonight is “businessman and adviser” Iain Anderson. Guido wonders if the BBC intends to mention that Anderson, a corporate lobbyist, wrote Labour’s “long term plan for government-business relations” along with a colleague of his who has now alighted to work for Labour. It’s loftily titled “A New Partnership”…
The plan is an official Labour document. It says that the party should ease rules on regulated industries to “fix regulatory bottlenecks” seen since 2016, as well as committing to the “co-creation” of strategy and policy with business. Guido notes that Iain Anderson founded and still runs Cicero, a government lobbying company which currently represents at least 16 clients in those very regulated industries, including abrdn, American Express, BlackRock, and Lloyds of London. The policy document also pushes for “partnership councils” to “co-create strategy and policy” in areas “not currently represented” within government like “financial services and technology.” Funny, then, that most of Cicero’s clients are in that particular sector…
Co-conspirators may remember Anderson (who was also chairman of Stonewall) very publicly switching from his avowed love of the Tories and Liz Truss to back Labour last year. Guido remarked at the time that only a cynic would think it happens to be fortunate for the consummate government lobbyist to ever-so publicly switch his decades-long party affiliation to the party well ahead in the polls ahead of a general election. And only a cynic would think Labour’s business plan is evidence of a strategy working well…
