Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge went for the single-issue approach at DPMQs. After forcing David Lammy to apologise again to Hadush Kebatu’s victim’s family, Cartlidge asked five times in a row whether any other aylum seeker offenders have been accidentally let out since. To a furious response…
The angry Justice Secretary could not answer and at one point shouted “get a grip man” while attacking Tories for the “spectacle” of the justice system after fourteen years in power. A justice system which Shabana Mahmood – sitting next to Lammy – also failed to improve, as some Labourites have pointed out…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”