John Bercow is leafletting for the Burnham campaign up in Makerfield today, despite his ongoing suspension from the Labour Party pending an internal investigation into bullying claims. This must be the most forensic investigation in British history, because it has been ongoing for 1,564 days (over 4 years in old money). Even though a parliamentary probe already upheld the claims several years ago…
Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan have also caught the train up to Wigan in recent days, as if the people of Makerfield haven’t suffered enough. There’s a lot at stake for Bercow. ‘Please Andy, please. Gis a peerage…’
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”