A whopping 55% of voters think Rachel Reeves should be sacked, according to a YouGov poll for The Times. Of more than 2,000 voters surveyed, just 16% think she should stay on as Chancellor…
Among Labour voters, a measly 30% think she should stay on in her role, while 41% think she should be reshuffled out. Meanwhile, 43% of voters said Starmer should carry out a Cabinet reshuffle and 58% said tax rises would not be justified. With the Treasury beefed up with tax-loving Resolution Foundation stooges, the Chancer of the Exchequer shouldn’t expect any popularity bounce come the budget…
Back in July, Wes Streeting launched the ‘NHS 10-Year Plan’, rolling out fat-jabs, a new NHS App and soviet-style public ‘restaurants’. Gathering views from the public on this new plan cost the taxpayer an eye-watering amount…
According to a written parliamentary answer, the cost of a consultation to “engage with the public, NHS staff and leadership and stakeholders to inform” the NHS plan was £3,336,483. That went over the original budget of £2.9 million. For that you could:
- Hire 119 new nurses.
- Buy 2,780 NHS hospital beds.
- Treat 1,495 heart failures.
The taxpayer may have a view on which should be prioritised. UK DOGE recommends costs are cut here…
The out-of-left field decision to appoint Darren Jones as a personal Shadow Chancellor for Starmer is a sign of the malaise in Downing Street. A common answer for which is to claim that No10 lacks “economic clout” et cetera – appointing more Treasury-minded people rarely fixes anything…
Guido exclusively revealed Louise Casey and Jonathan Powell were advising the PM on how he might shake up the personnel arrangements all the way back in June. Casey is credited with organising Jones’ move and the creation of the new “Chief Secretary” ministerial job reporting to Downing Street and technically based in the Cabinet Office. A big shake-up to the Treasury teams right before the budget – it must be a nightmare document already…
Jones is set to take some responsibility for the PM’s “missions” and delivery from the until-now Cabinet Office head honcho Pat McFadden. Jones will have a line to those teams in the Cabinet Office. Downing Street says he “will directly oversee work across Government to support the delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities and the Government’s Plan for Change.” Fluttering over government…
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster may not be so happy in future now he is able to focus more on the Cabinet Office business brief, which an insider source says he “hates that already and doesn’t rate the Cabinet Office teams.” A key question is whether Starmer brings his new personal SpAd minister to the regular “Quad” meetings with Rayner, Reeves, and McFadden. Wouldn’t be a quad any more…
UPDATE: There will be friction over the question of to whom Jones will answer. Starmer’s spokesman said at the Lobby briefing of journalists he would “work closely with” and “report into” the PM as well as McFadden with whom he would be “closely working” all while working “across the missions”…
Reform’s Richard Tice and Zia Yusuf are in Westminster to unveil plans to overhaul council-controlled pension funds in order to slash council tax by up to £350. Expect lots on net zero waste…
LIVE: Reform UK unveils plans to overhaul council-controlled pension funds and save billions for taxpayers. https://t.co/Cl1YZpyEVr
— Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) September 1, 2025
Reports that Olaf Henricson-Bell, the civil servant who led the Downing Street Policy Unit, is leaving his role. Do not ask for whom the bell tolls…
H/t: Dan Bloom
As ministers return to Westminster, 30-year gilt yields are up to 5.64% this morning, the highest level since 1998. That’s up on last Tuesday’s high of 5.62%. Piling pressure on Reeves as borrowing costs soar ahead of the budget…
At the same time, the Confederation of British Industry said bosses are expected to invest and hire less across all industries in the next three months with consumer services seeing the fastest decline. They’re blaming expected further tax rises along with Rayner’s Employment Rights Bill…
Meanwhile a Downing Street reshuffle is underway, filling up the Treasury with tax-happy personnel in a pitch to the Left. Things can only get worse…
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”
