Co-conspirators will remember Guido’s reporting on the launch of Angela Rayner’s ‘Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.’ A power base she fought for since the election and whose official public launch was ultimately blocked by Downing Street…
Now that Rayner is gone David Lammy has no equivalent base. The staff working in the ODPM were MHCLG staff paid for by the housing department and have since been redeployed. Labour said in a written answer that they “continue to be employed by MHCLG, working on the priorities of the new Secretary of State.” Reed isn’t sparing them for his mate David…
A government source tells Guido: “Lammy doesn’t have a proper ODPM as he hasn’t taken any of the additional responsibilities Rayner had… he doesn’t actually have the staff to fill it.” Another source said: “He has no reach into the Cabinet Office.“ Sad!
Lammy does have an office in his DPM capacity in the Cabinet Office building. No staff, though. Maybe he’ll try to bring some in from the MoJ once he’s finished sulking about his demotion…
Former Treasury minister and adviser to Burnham in the Makerfield campaign Lord Jim O’Neill, who has turned down a role in his government, said Burnham’s first statement Commons was:
“The last thing investors wanted to hear… gilt yields have risen by a 0.25% in one day, which is a lot. We’ve not had that since Liz Truss days… If your country is under the focus of ‘can they come up with a sensible fiscal strategy’ on a day when the markets think ‘well no, you’re not showing any sign of it’ you’re going to have a tough day…if it stays like this your mortgage rate is going up.”