Lucy Powell has given a long, meandering interview with British Vogue. Other than talking about “passion and purpose” (huh?) and posing for a few snaps, Labour’s Deputy Leader admits her “friend” Rachel Reeves didn’t exactly handle the budget as well as she could have. Which is putting it mildly…
“There were too many leaks, speculation and briefings but Liz Truss took everyone by surprise with her radical budget and that was worse.”
She also takes aim at Starmer’s leadership:
““We’ve given the sense that we’re not on the side of ordinary working people who are struggling to get by… We’ve got to change how we’re doing things. I’ve called it a course correction. We have to be the leaders of the anti-Farage alliance and we have to show that mainstream progressive politics can deliver change – or what comes after us is pretty horrifying.”
As for her sacking, it was apparently a blessing in disguise. As Deputy Leader, she claims she has “had more influence in the last six weeks than most other members of the cabinet.” Which is probably true, if you count backing Burnham’s plot to return to Westminster…
Reacting to the news of Jenrick’s sacking at a press conference in Fife, Nigel Farage said:
“I’ll give him a ring this afternoon. Might even buy him a pint.”