Downing Street refused to say whether Lord Mandelson will get a six-figure compensation package after he was sacked. At the Lobby briefing of political journalists this morning, Starmer’s spokesman insisted it was “a matter for the Foreign Office”. Seeing as Mandy didn’t resign the government’s HR personnel are scrambling to come up with a legal justification for his dismissal. Otherwise it’s quids in for the ex-ambassador…
Meanwhile, the PM’s spokesman stressed Starmer has “full confidence” in Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, despite his Labour Together donations scandal roaring back to life in the upcoming book ‘The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy’. As Guido noted, it’s panic stations in No10 ahead of it hitting the shelves…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”