The row is raging on over Labour’s latest cronyistic appointment of Labour Together Starmtrooper Jess Sargeant to a senior Civil Service role. As revealed by Guido yesterday…
Sue Gray, meanwhile, has been busy over on Downing Street employing her aides as civil servants too. They can’t help themselves…
Gray’s Diary Secretary has been parachuted straight into a plum Civil Service position as her executive assistant, instead of being appointed more appropriately as a SpAd. Mitchell Burns-Jackson held a House of Commons pass from Keir Starmer’s office and was administrative officer for LOTO prior to working for Sue in opposition. Does the Labour Party realise that they can’t replace the entire Civil Service with party hacks?
The appointment is explained away as being according to the rules as it “was made on a fixed-term basis.” Cronies gonna crony…
UPDATE: Lee Anderson MP, Reform UK’s Chief Whip blasted Starmer on the cronyistic appointments:
“Despite having the largest majority in living memory it would appear that Sir Keir Starmer wants to totally stitch up the way he runs our country. Putting his mates into high ranking civil service jobs will ensure there is no push back on Labour’s plans to totally ruin our country. We’ve already seen them reject the idea of having Reform MPs on Select Committees and now we see another assault on our democracy”.
Techne have carried out polling of the public for the Tory leadership campaign. The pollster’s previous survey of Tory Party members had Cleverly ahead on 26% of party support followed by Priti on 20%. Now a 1003-person sample of GB adults from 2-12th August has similar results among voters. Team Cleverly getting its money’s worth…
Cleverly and Priti lead the public both in terms of a simple “I like” question and their first preference for next Tory leader. In head-to-heads Cleverly came out on top – the closest result was against Tugendhat at 19% to 14% in Cleverly’s favour. Over 60% say they don’t know or wouldn’t vote every time. Leg work to be done…
Hilariously the fictional candidate “Tom Evans” was in voters’ third preference more popular than over half of leadership contenders. He’s neck and neck with Mel Stride on first preference too. Some Tories may be brought back to earth with that one…
Former Tory MP and ex-leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt has gone somewhat off-grid (like many other ousted Tory top-dogs) since losing her seat in the election. Aside from a few trips to Washington DC and some speaking events, it looks like she may still be on the job hunt. Though she has shut down her pm4pm.com website, she has yet to come to terms with the fact she is no longer an MP on her all important for job hunters LinkedIn page…
Her first op-ed since July for the Independent, which she posted on LinkedIn, opining that the Autumn Statement will show if “we have our heads in the sand” has a twinge of irony attached to it. Like her former leader that she was rumoured to oust just a few months ago, Penny is still clinging to her old title of MP for Portsmouth and Leader of the Commons. The reality of shock unemployment may be a bit too much for her…
Sadiq Khan has taken the opportunity to deviate from Labour’s position on the US election in a fawning interview for The New Statesman. While Lammy and Starmer have been “studiously neutral” on November’s election Khan has no qualms about his support: “I’ve been so impressed with Tim Walz. It just shows the judgement that Kamala Harris has in relation to her choice for vice-president. Compare and contrast that with the choice made by the other guy, in JD Vance.” No matter – Trump knows what the Labour frontbench thinks of him…
Lammy’s defence is that “you’re going to struggle to find any politician who has not had things to say about Donald Trump in his first term” and that Trump has the “thickest of skins.” Khan is happy to destroy that line as well:
“The last time we had a Trump presidency, as a matter of public record, there was a massive increase in hate crime towards me… I worry about what a second Trump presidency would mean for me and my family, but I’m not going to allow these people to cower me.”
The “matter of public record” is analysis produced by Khan’s own office, now used to claim that Trump was in some way responsible for the targeting of a mayor in another country. The FCDO will be gritting its teeth at this latest breathless bluster…
Khan also claims politicians need to be “braver on immigration” as its problems stem from unfunded public services, and that the UK should have a “conversation” about re-joining the EU in the “medium to long term“. Khan is always ahead of the curve on Labour’s intentions…
Former Tory Deputy Chair Jonathan Gullis has found a new role after losing his seat. His name is now listed on the notice board at Talk towers, where he’ll be hosting Kevin O’Sullivan’s show for the first time this Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. He’s a YouTuber now…
Gullis has been spinning for Tory leadership candidate Priti Patel since the race began. Guido wonders whether he’s eyeing up his options in case he’s made redundant from yet another role…
Yet another politicised civil service appointment appears to be on the cards for the government. Labour Together campaigner Jess Sargeant is rumoured to have been appointed to a top civil service role. Labour is already under serious fire for hiring its own donors and ex-Labour Together staff to top civil service positions in blatant cronyism…
Sargeant, a former constitutional wonk at the Institute for Big Government-turned-Starmerite activist, joined Labour Together to direct its constitutional work programme in December last year and began working closely with shadow ministers. Now she is said to be starting work as the Deputy Director of the Cabinet Office’s Propriety and Constitution Group. Sue Gray’s old team, and the one – Guido kids you not – responsible for “ensuring the highest standards of propriety and ethics across all government departments”…
The group supports departments to uphold standards and, surprise surprise – manages Whitehall’s relations with the Civil Service Commission, which manages, among other things, the impartiality of civil service jobs. Is Labour looking to install a Starmer loyalist at the heart of the civil service machine?
Guido approached the Cabinet Office, who said “We’ll come back to you“. Eight hours later the standard Labour Party line when asked about its cronyistic appointments was issued: “We do not comment on individuals.” Jess’ soon-to-be senior Darren Tierney declined to deny the appointment when asked, directing Guido with a sigh instead to the press office…
A Deputy Director with such a broad scope will have access to reams of sensitive information and will get live updates on ethical breaches throughout government. Sargeant has deleted her LinkedIn profile and taken her Twitter private – a typical sign of an impending slide into government. Has the Civil Service Commission been made aware of Sargeant’s recent Labour Party activism as a Starmtrooper member of the Labour Together cadre?
UPDATE: Hire confirmed. POLITICO is “assured Sargeant was hired to advise on constitutional issues, which is her area of expertise, and not ethics” while a “senior Labour source” says “the idea she is a Starmerite warrior is nonsense.” Uh-huh…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”
