The ‘Save Starmer’ operation is flying kites over what it might do in the wake of the local election bloodbath. Rumours persist of yet another reset speech, coupled with a ludicrous plan to publicly shred the manifesto so Number 10 can “go big” on its fantasy economics. That promise not to raise income tax is really, really inconvenient…
If the speech goes ahead, it would be Starmer’s 30th attempt to reset his leadership:
The man has been in Downing Street for less than two years, even if it feels like a century…
A report released today by the Home Builders Federation shows that the cost of building a house has risen on average by £76,000 since 2020. Taxes and regulation make up almost half of that…
Those price hikes are 20% of the average new home value of £365,000. A one fifth cost increase…
The industry is particularly incensed by the Building Safety Levy proposed by Michael Gove and brought forward by Reeves. HBF says:
“The Building Safety Levy, due to come into force in October 2026, will apply to all new homes and aims to raise £3.4 billion, despite the industry already committing £7 billion to building safety, including a 4% Corporation Tax surcharge and £4.1 billion for voluntary remediation. Notably, the vast majority of home builders who will be subject to the new levy will be SMEs who have never constructed buildings taller than the average family home.”
Bricking it…
S&P Global’s UK Services PMI rose to 52.7 in April, up from 50.5 in March – the lowest reading since April 2025 – and slightly ahead of the 52.0 flash estimate. The bad news for Reeves is in the inflation numbers…
Service providers logged the fastest rise in costs since November 2022, with prices charged jumping to a three-year high.
S&P Global’s Tim Moore said:
“April data signalled a modest recovery in UK service sector output growth after the considerable loss of momentum seen in March. However, this improvement could easily prove short-lived as new business intakes remained subdued in comparison to the start of 2026. Survey respondents widely noted that the Middle East conflict and subsequent global supply chain disruptions had weighed heavily on business and consumer confidence.
“Business activity expectations for the year ahead edged up only slightly from March’s nine-month low, largely reflecting concerns about the broader economic outlook and escalating inflationary pressures.
“Service providers recorded the fastest rise in average cost burdens since November 2022, which was overwhelmingly linked to greater transportation bills and increased salary payments. A number of firms also noted that they had brought in fuel surcharges for their customers, which led to a spike in prices charged inflation across the service economy to its highest for over three years in April.”
Reality is about to bite…
Zack Polanski has admitted he was never a spokesman for Red Cross after the Times revealed he had claimed to be so on campaign websites. It just keeps coming…
Polanski repeatedly referred to himself as a “spokesperson for the British Red Cross.” On the Today Programme he admitted he “used the wrong word” but insisted that he would “go on stage and speak for them about the amazing work they do” and would “essentially take words on stage with me and speak.” Last night he posted pictures of himself speaking at Red Cross fundraisers and said “I’ve always admired the work of the British Red Cross.” Guido happens to be a spokesman for the local Wetherspoon on a similar basis…
Polanski’s new defence for his response to the Golders Green attack is that he was “traumatised to see someone handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head.” He wasn’t handcuffed, he still had a knife in his hands…
Work & Pensions Secretary and Starmer ally Pat McFadden has said that the PM is feeling “surprisingly resolute” before the local elections. McFadden gave a defence of Starmer’s need to serve out his full term:
“I think this country has tested to destruction the idea that the answer to our problems is to swipe left on our prime ministers. We’ve seen too much of that in the past 10 to 15 years. Uh it hasn’t solved our problems. It has added to political chaos and uncertainty. That has economic as well as political consequences and I don’t think that’s the answer to the situation that we’re in at the moment… The prime minister was elected for a 5-year term and uh he should serve out that term.”
Asked if he would face down any challenge, McFadden said:
“Yes, he is feeling that. He’s remarkably resolute and he knows that to turn inward at this moment or to turn turn inward after Thursday would be a mistake.”
See if that convinces any of the backbenchers…
More gold from the Oval Office…
Speaking to Adam Boulton on Times Radio about kicking the Golders Green suspect, Heidi Alexander said:
“I thought that if I was in the shoes of that police officer, then if I’m honest, given the situation, and the fact that he had a backpack on his back, and they were worried about whether that might go off, I could, if I was a police officer, frankly, I could see myself having taken similar action.”