There is only one place a review of September can start. On the afternoon of the 8th, the world was shaken by news of the passing of Britain’s longest serving monarch. Political big beasts led the country with heartfelt tributes, as Theresa May’s light relief proved the highlight. The following weeks saw the country grind to a halt over the period of mourning. Guido was keen to report on Westminster’s excesses during this period, ranging from Anneliese Dodds’ illicit corporate schmoozing to the IPSA and MPs alike taking mourning off. Guido also revealed the hypocrisy of one monarchy-hating Hansard staffer. A bad week for Queens…
This obviously marked a difficult start to the Liz Truss premiership, as she had come to power just two days prior. Yet things didn’t get much better for the new Prime Minister. After getting underway with her first reshuffle, Kwasi Kwarteng delivered the ill-fated mini-budget. Despite the ringing endorsement of some Westminster wonks, its lasting result was sterling falling to an all-time low against the dollar.
Labour’s conference was, much like their leader, subdued and unremarkable. Despite Labour’s best efforts – a barrage of handouts funded by “fully-costed” borrowing – the most memorable story was a Guido scoop sharing remarks made by Rupa Huq, where she called Kwasi Kwarteng “superficially” black. This was rightly met with condemnation from Labour figures, with the whips having her scalp within the afternoon. Huq off.
Co-conspirators were also enthusiastic to read the inside scoop on James O’Brien’s true nature, as the radio presenter engaged in a sweary tirade in a Soho champagne bar. A new prime Minister also meant a revised SpAd list, as September also saw the debut of the PAd list. A quiet month all round, then…
Honourable Mentions:
Headline of the Month: Rishi Refuses to Rule Out Second Leadership Bid in Future
