As the Corbynistas battle to take control of Labour HQ, this job advert is interesting. Will a moderate be hired to root out entryists and anti-Semites? Or a Jez fan to “resolve disputes” in favour of the left…
The House of Commons was today a green-benched departure lounge; Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were two very different holidaymakers. Wan-faced frequent filer Theresa, slumped closest to the gate, was barely distinguishable from a battered old vending machine in a London Gatwick corner. Equally mechanical, but less full of sweetness, for Theresa it was just a 45 minute wait for her flight-outta-here; if she could have had speedy boarding she would have paid for it gladly. In strolls sombrero-toting ethical-traveller Jeremy Corbyn, with glee only shared by priapic teenage boys awaiting their first flight to Ibiza. He knows his hols will be spent ‘campaigning’ on beaches, surrounded by socialist vixens in hammer and sickle bikinis (basically). Over magazine-tops in air-conditioned lounges we will all observe our fellow travellers this summer. Hopefully we won’t end up on the same plane as these two…
In an unhelpful metaphor for the government, the first question was about driver-less cars. “This country is a world leader in driver-less cars and that’s part of our strong economy“: Theresa May might as well have been reading out a lifeless feature from an in-flight magazine. She sounded as robotic as middle-aged cabin crew member reciting a list of overpriced refreshments over an aeroplane’s PA system: it’s all played back from memory and delivered with the excitement and promise of a moist Ryanair sandwich. Like an unmanned aerial vehicle all she does is drone. Corbyn once again demonstrated his navigational ineptitude by taking off in the direction of public sector pay and only eventually getting round to Cabinet in-fighting. Would you let that man fly your plane? Would you let him sit in the special seat by the emergency exit? It’s not likely to trouble you this summer, but if you do find yourself on the same plane as Jez, remember that he is probably only there to assist in a hijacking. Alert the sky marshal should you see him aboard…
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner is under heavy fire in the Commons over Labour’s student debt u-turn. Sarah Champion threw Corbyn under the bus on the Daily Politics earlier rather than defend the broken promise. Over on Facebook, Tory videos on Jezza’s fantasy policy shambles have now been viewed 1.3 million times in three days, and shared over 50,000 times – more than the vast majority (possibly all) of anti-Labour posts during the election. This is hurting, and deservedly so…
Ultimate Beeb navel-gazing as Jeremy Vine asks BBC radio chief James Purnell:
Vine: “I’m there as having a salary of between £700,000 and £750,000. How do you justify that?”
Purnell: “You’re fantastic…”
£750,000, or three Laura Kuenssbergs…
Shadow Cabinet member Sarah Champion has admitted on the Daily Politics “I don’t think it is going to be possible” to keep Labour’s promise to student voters. Asked why Corbyn made the pledge during the election, Champion told Andrew Neil “you would have to ask him”…
Andrew Neil: Sarah Champion, when Jeremy Corbyn said a week before the election, a week before voting, he told voters that quote ‘he would deal with historic student debt’ what did he mean by that?
Sarah Champion: Well you would have to ask him, I think it’s…
Andrew Neil: Chance would be a fine thing.
Sarah Champion: I’ll ask if he will come on. I don’t think it is going to be possible to be quite honest, how do you square it with people that have already paid off their debt for example, what I do think though is we can’t change the past and I don’t think the Treasury would ever allow us to roll back on something.
Andrew Neil: Because it looks like it would be £100bn is the amount.
Sarah Champion: Yeah…
This is becoming a problem for Jez and his Shadow Cabinet knows it…
Hannah Bardell taking the relaxed Commons dress code a little far. Get a grip Mr Speaker…
Theresa May’s Freudian slip: “As we approach reshuffle – err recess” pic.twitter.com/cX0qW0tXYM
— David Scullion (@DavidScullion) July 19, 2017
Freudian slip?
H/T @DavidScullion
Oral Questions to the Prime Minister
Q1 Mr Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West) If she will list her official engagements for Wednesday 19 July.
Q2 Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North)
Q3 Mr Paul J Sweeney (Glasgow North East)
Q4 Helen Whately (Faversham and Mid Kent)
Q5 Mike Wood (Dudley South)
Q6 Dan Carden (Liverpool, Walton)
Q7 Ian Murray (Edinburgh South)
Q8 Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)
Q9 Bob Blackman (Harrow East)
Q10 Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South)
Q11 Richard Drax (South Dorset)
Q12 Lucy Allan (Telford)
Q13 Mr Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East)
Q14 Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley)
Q15 Sarah Jones (Croydon Central)
Comments in the comments…
TV NON SCRIPTED (FACTUAL AND ENTERTAINMENT)
£150,000 – £199,999 Darcey Bussell – Contributor Mel Giedroyc – Presenter Craig Horwood – Contributor Paul Martin – Presenter Simon Schama – Presenter
£200,000 – £249,999 Gary Barlow – Contributor Len Goodman – Contributor Danii Minogue – Contributor Bruno Tonioli – Contributor Alan Yentob – Presenter
£300,000 – £349,999 Nick Knowles – Presenter
£350,000 – £399,999 Tess Daly – Presenter
£400,000 – £449,999 Alex Jones Presenter
NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
£150,000 – £199,999 Kamal Ahmed – Correspondent Jeremy Bowen – Correspondent Ben Brown – Presenter Mark Easton – Correspondent Gavin Esler – Presenter James Naughtie – Correspondent John Pienaar – Correspondent Sophie Raworth – Presenter John Simpson – Correspondent Kirsty Wark – Presenter Justin Webb – Presenter
£200,000 – £249,999 Victoria Derbyshire – Presenter Mishal Husain – Presenter Martha Kearney – Presenter Laura Kuenssberg – Correspondent Andrew Neil – Presenter Jonathan Sopel – Correspondent
£250,000 – £299,999 George Alagiah – Presenter Nicholas Robinson – Presenter
£300,000 – £349,999 Eddie Mair – Presenter
TV SCRIPTED (DRAMA AND COMEDY)
£150,000 – £199,999 Laurie Brett – Actor Letitia Dean – Actor Tameka Empson – Actor Guy Henry – Actor Linda Henry – Actor Scott Maslen – Actor Diane Parish – Actor Hugh Quarshie – Actor Jemma Redgrave – Actor Tim Roth – Actor Catherine Shipton – Actor Gillian Taylforth – Actor Lacey Turner – Actor
£200,000 – £249,999 Peter Capaldi – Actor Danny Dyer – Actor Emilia Fox – Actor David Jason – Actor Rosie Marcel – Actor Adam Woodyatt – Actor
£250,000 – £299,999 Amanda Mealing – Actor
£350,000 – £399,999 Derek Thompson – Actor
SPORT
£150,000 – £199,999 Jonathan Agnew – Presenter and commentator Clare Balding – Presenter Jonathan Davies – Presenter John McEnroe – Presenter and commentator
£200,000 – £249,999 John Inverdale – Presenter Gabby Logan – Presenter
£250,000 -£299,999 Jason Mohammad – Presenter
£300,000 – £349,999 Sue Barker – Presenter
£400,000 – £449,999 Alan Shearer – Presenter
£1,750,000 – £1,799,999 Gary Lineker – Presenter
MULTI GENRE
£150,000 – £199,999 Naga Munchetty – Presenter and Contributor
£200,000 – £249,999 Mark Chapman – Presenter Jools Holland – Presenter Dan Walker – Presenter
£250,000 – £299,999 Zoe Ball – Presenter Brian Cox – Presenter Evan Davis – Presenter
£350,000 – £399,999 Fiona Bruce – Presenter
£400,000 – £449,000 Andrew Marr – Presenter Stephen Nolan – Presenter
£450,000 – £499,999 Matt Baker – Presenter Claudia Winkleman – Presenter
£550,000 – £599,999 Huw Edwards
£600,000 – £649,000 John Humphrys – Presenter
£700,000 – £749,999 Jeremy Vine – Presenter
£850,000 – £899,999 Graham Norton – Presenter
£2,200,000 – £2,249,999 Chris Evans – Presenter
RADIO
£150,000 – £199,999 Adrian Chiles – Presenter Greg James – Presenter Shaun Keaveny – Presenter Moira Stuart – Presenter Jo Whiley – Presenter
£200,000 – £249,999 Mark Radcliffe – Presenter
£250,000 – £299,999 Ken Bruce – Presenter Scott Mills – Presenter Trevor Nelson – Presenter
£300,000 – £349,999 Lauren Laverne – Presenter
£350,000 – £399,999 Vanessa Feltz – Presenter Nicholas Grimshaw – Presenter Simon Mayo – Presenter
£400,000 – £449,999 Nicky Campbell – Presenter
£500,000 – £549,999 Steve Wright – Presenter
Specialist Contractors and Writers £150,000 – £199,999 Daryl Bramley – Programme Manager Colin Brown – Identity Architect Roy Clarke – Writer Patrick Foody – Analytics Architect Claire Hetherington – IT Programme Manager James Hewines – Technical Project Manager Daran Little – Writer Ruth Moreland – Project Manager Andy Pryor – Casting Manager Terence Reeves – Service Architect Noel Scotford – Programme Manager Richard Smith – Integration Lead
H/T Piers Morgan
Jeremy Corbyn hastily deleted a tweet about “unfair” car parking charges when he realised his own party is to blame for them. Jez tweeted a link to an Independent article about staff at a Cardiff hospital facing fines for parking in the wrong car park, branding the charges “a burden on families, patients, and NHS staff“. He didn’t seem to realise the NHS in Wales is run by Labour and the charges were introduced under a Labour administration. The tweet has since disappeared…
The Canary also forgot that Wales is run by Labour, claiming Jeremy Hunt “should be ashamed of his despicable attack on NHS staff” – even though he has no control over the policy. Amateur hour…
So many deliciously awkward moments to enjoy as Mishal Hussain grilled Tony Hall on BBC pay equality this morning, with Nick Robinson sitting a few feet away. Full figures for the 96 best paid Beeb stars coming later…
Tim Farron, still the leader of the Liberal Democrats remember, has gone full Westboro Baptist Church and compared himself to a North Korean dissident, mocking other faiths with “funky garb” with “interesting buildings”. He’s basically saying he’s a modern day Jesus, the victim of religious persecution. Get out the tiny violin…
“Christians do feel marginalised, and they are meant to… the Bible tells us regularly that our faith will go against the grain, that we’ll suffer for being a Christian. Being Christian is not meant to be easy. The writer of Philippians says “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him”.
Now, being harangued by journalists or slagged off by political opponents for my faith, hardly compares with the struggles of being a Christian in North Korea, where you have a one in four chance of being imprisoned for your faith. But the point is that Christian faith will go against the grain, if you aren’t struggling at least a bit against the expectations and assumptions of the world- then well, you should be!…
My own experience during the election tells me that people don’t mind people of faith in politics – so long as their faith is only of the cultural variety. So, if you wear funky garb, have nice colourful festivals, have interesting buildings and ceremonies, then we are absolutely fine about your faith – in fact your religious culture makes us more diverse and allows me to define myself as very liberal and tolerant by demonstrating how cool I am with your religion. However the moment you show any signs of actually believing in this creed, of thinking that this stuff about Jesus might even be true or that this faith might in any way impact on your conscience or your life choices… well, we don’t like that one bit.”
Tim, you had to deal with a few questions about thinking gays are sinners, not Judas and Pontius Pilate. If your faith and politics are incompatible you are not a persecuted Christian. You are in the wrong party.
All smiles, sort of…
Hero Tory backbencher Philip Hollobone – Parliament’s most frugal MP and all-round man of the people – kept an election campaign promise by meeting senior members of his local UKIP branch recently. UKIP agreed not to field a candidate against Hollobone in Kettering; he met Kipper grandees from the party’s local branch to discuss the progress of Brexit and his support for outlawing face coverings in public, reducing overseas aid and opposition to HS2. UKIP’s Jonathan Bullock said:
“Philip gave a detailed briefing as to how he saw the Brexit negotiations progressing and also confirmed his support on various other issues upon which UKIP has campaigned. We saw eye to eye. Whilst there is still a wide gulf between UKIP and the Conservative Government on many policies, we are delighted that our local MP is in tune with us and the electorate on so many issues.
Hollobone is a politician who keeps his word. Does he know UKIP are looking for a new leader…
Since the election there has been much talk of the need for a “Tory Momentum”, a grassroots, youth-based movement to hit the streets and take the fight to the Corbynista hordes. The problems with this are numerous. The Tories are not in vogue. There is no young, modern leader and the boring old grey hairs are in charge. Labour has the marketing advantage: it is much easier to capture youthful imagination with idealistic fantasies about writing off student debts, than honest and uninspiring messages pointing out the other lot would ruin the country. And there is also another issue which Tory MPs have identified…
There was a Tory Momentum in 2015. It was called RoadTrip, organised by Tatler Tory Mark Clarke. With the promise of free booze and getting laid, it inspired hundreds of young Tories to sign up. Like Momentum it aroused media attention and controversy: bullying, factionalism, rule-breaking, lines crossed, wrong ‘uns misbehaving. Yet it was punchy, aggressive, ideologically committed, hugely successful and played a significant role in the 2015 election victory, managing to get large numbers of activists to travel across the country and help Tory candidates. It then became mired in scandal – battle bus expenses and the death of Elliot Johnson – so was shut down and not replaced at the 2017 election.
A number of MPs believe the RoadTrip scandals and ensuing collapse of a pugnacious Tory youth movement cost them the election. MPs felt outnumbered and outgunned by Labour’s highly organised young activists, yet there was no Tory equivalent because replicating RoadTrip had become politically impossible. Flashy Twitter graphics and videos produced centrally from CCHQ are one thing, they don’t compare to an organic, genuine youth movement which can push the boundaries with a degree of plausible deniability for HQ. If RoadTrip 2015 hadn’t ended in disgrace, RoadTrip 2017 might just have tipped the Tories towards a majority…
A member of Rebecca Long-Bailey’s parliamentary staff proudly sports a Stalinist badge as he embraces his communist pal at a hard-left rally. Alex Halligan (pictured right), a senior Momentum activist and employee of the Labour frontbencher, wore the badge which reads “Good Night Trotskyite” at last weekend’s Durham Miners’ Gala. The badge design shows a man threatening another with an ice pick, a reference to the assassination of Leon Trotsky, who was murdered with the implement in 1940. Halligan has his arm around George Waterhouse (pictured right), a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain. A long-standing and vicious split exists on the far left between Trotskyites and Stalinists. Seems it also exists at the top of today’s Labour Party…
The government is feeling superstar songstress Ellie Goulding’s remarkable Burn today as she brands the HS2 rail project “ridiculous“. It’s the First Time that Ellie has spoken out on infrastructure spending; she suggested Starry Eyed ministers should spend the money “elsewhere“, if not it will be Your Biggest Mistake. Ellie’s intervention is a Goodness Gracious moment for HS2 supporters: it puts the issue of public spending up in Lights for her Army of 6.83 million Twitter followers. With Ellie’s fans mobilised against the project, Anything Could Happen. Sadly it’s not Dead In The Water yet. How Long Will I Love You? As long as you oppose HS2, and longer if I can…
Angela Rayner sets the record straight. Cancelling existing student debt wasn’t a pledge, wasn’t in the manifesto. Couldn’t be any clearer. pic.twitter.com/4HGWM2myDf
— EL4C (@EL4JC) July 17, 2017
“I don’t see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the £9,000 period should be burdened excessively compared to those that went before or those that come after. I will deal with it.” That was Jeremy Corbyn’s crystal clear pledge to students at the election: “I will deal with” your student debt. It was written up by all media outlets as a pledge to write off debts. Not once during the election did Labour contest that interpretation of Corbyn’s words. Thousands of young people will have voted Labour believing this to be a cast iron guarantee.
Last week Angela Rayner confirmed the policy would cost £100 billion but defended it on Marr: “I like a challenge, Andrew, but we’ve got to start dealing with this debt crisis that we’re foisting on our young people. It’s not acceptable”. Last night Rayner confirmed the pledge had been downgraded to an “ambition” and not a “promise“. Take note students, they were having you on…
More than three quarters of Labour Party members are now drawn from the most affluent social classes in Britain, making somewhat of a mockery of Jezza’s claim to be leading a workers’ movement. Professor Tim Bale’s Party Members Project finds that 77% of surveyed Labour members are in the ABC1 social group. ABC1s are Britain’s richest and most-educated, working in professional or managerial jobs. The proportion of ABC1 Labour members has also increased since the last survey (and since Corbyn became leader): ABC1 members are up 7% from from 70% in 2015. The C2DE classes – who work in manual jobs, and whom Labour traditionally represents – now account for just 23% of the party’s membership. Naturally, in its exclusive write-up of the findings, the Guardian buried this demographic info in the second-to-last paragraph. Up the ABC1s!
Institute of Directors campaign chief Andy Silvester is joining The Sun as their new head of PR. A former pub manager who is already well-known in Westminster and among the Lobby, Silvester will also being turning his hand to the occasional Sun leader so his quick wit will be put to good use.[…] Read the rest
