Downing Street is suddenly very coy about supporting the Home Office’s proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain. Speaking at the post-PMQs Lobby huddle of political hacks, Number 10’s political spokesman refused to back Mahmood’s plan to double the time it takes to qualify for permanent residence:
“We’re a proud, tolerant, generous country. Labour has always been the party that celebrates the contribution migrant communities have made to our national story. In the four years before the election we saw record levels of immigration. In the manifesto we promised to deliver a fair and properly managed immigration system. We are considering responses to the Home Office consultation, and will respond in line with our principles and values.”
Just last night Angela Rayner declared the plans “un-British“. No10 also said the PM “would like to see her return to the Cabinet” at some point. Looks like she’s basically the Home Secretary already…
Crispin Blunt has been charged with four drug offences, including the possession of meth and cannabis. The ex-justice minister is due in Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 25th March…
Ed Davey used one of his only two PMQs questions to accuse GB News of being “Reform propaganda“, and called for even more Ofcom censorship to stop GBN somehow “turn[ing] our great country into their vision of Trump’s America“. Just four days ago he gave a long form interview to the channel’s Chief Political Correspondent Katherine Forster, in which he repeatedly attacked Trump, insisted the US president was “out of control“, and claimed the “Liberal Democrats have answers“. This clip aired multiple times and was shared across the channel’s social media platforms to millions of people.
Apparently this is not good enough for Ed. Ofcom or even the Prime Minister needs to get involved. Forster was also the only national broadcaster to bother going to the LibDems’ spring conference. Given how terrible it was, maybe Davey wanted Ofcom to ensure absolutely no one knew it even happened…
Asked again and again, with no answer. Look at the glum faces on the frontbench…
In the FT this morning:
“British officials are concerned that China is exploiting the UK’s freedom of information [FoI] legislation to collate unclassified data that risks revealing sensitive information. Government figures believe they have detected a pattern of requests relating to the UK’s defence and national security, raising suspicions that Beijing may be behind a significant proportion of them, according to people familiar with the matter.”
It is in Labour’s interest to limit FoI responses because they are routinely embarrassing. Guido sends hundreds, and will continue to do so. The idea that China is using them for espionage is laughable…
Kemi Badenoch at the 1922-ConHome bash last night:
“I did praise [Burnham] for his stamina, it was amazing. All I had to do was sit back and lie there. I didn’t have to do anything at all…”