Police units have their plates full with investigations into politicians right now. Over in Canterbury the City Council has referred two LibDem councillors to Kent Police to be investigated for failing to register their pecuniary interests. Michael Dixey, leader of council’s LibDem group, is being investigated for failing to list his wife’s active involvement in an engineering consultancy or the fact that he owns over 75% of its shares. Cabinet member and fellow LibDem Alex Ricketts is also under the police spotlight for failing to disclose that securities he holds in a company called Alex Ricketts Ltd. The Localism Act has pretty rigorous requirements for disclosing interests where they are based within council boundaries. Got to know the rules if you’re going to play the game…
Lord Cameron is enjoying his whistle-stop tour of central Asia. Is the hot weather making him forget the party line?
Speaking to ITV‘s Anushka Asthana in Uzbekistan, Cameron said when asked if he would have gone for the Rwanda policy if he were PM:
“We had a totally different situation, because we had a situation where you could return people directly to France. Now I’d love that situation to be the case again, that’s the most sensible thing: people land on a beach in Kent you take them straight back to France.“
Asthana asked if that wasn’t possible because of Brexit: “It’s simply not possible because of the situation we’re in because of the attitude of others…” Still feeling the Brexit blues…
The London mayoral race is into its final week and Khan has stepped up his personal attacks on Susan Hall. Speaking during LBC’s debate last night, he said:
“The Tory candidate is the most dangerous candidate I’ve fought against.”
Hall hit back:
“I think that’s an outrageous comment!”
Khan’s remark related to Hall’s social media history, which has dogged her for the campaign. If Khan thinks her tweets are dangerous, wait until he finds out about soaring knife crime…
At Sunak’s joint conference with Jens Stoltenberg The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar asked the NATO chief whether he’d seen the polls over in the UK and, with them in mind, had he had any talks with Labour? Just in line with the “precautionary principle”, promise…
Sunak delivered a long-winded answer for her previous question and prevented any talk of Labour coming into power: “Not right to draw Jens into domestic politics, that wouldn’t be appropriate for him.” Not the smoothest blockade…
Last Friday long-serving Penny Mordaunt SpAd Ed Jankowski left her office. Prompting a flurry of questions in SW1 and more than one raised eyebrow in Downing Street over her high staff turnover…
Jankowski worked alone prior to Hannah Galley joining the team in summer 2023 and leaving a few months later. In late February this year old Penny leadership campaigner Alex Read transferred from communications agency inHouse to Penny’s team – he’s now “spinning all the plates” in an office known to be “difficult” and “very solitary“. Government sources are noting “the gang” is getting back together – though only a gang of two…
Guido hears from sources sympathetic to Mordaunt that a slimmed-down team is fine because she is a “work horse” and that SpAds at her office can “lean on the civil service” if they want to do more politicking. Former Penny SpAd Laura Round is still thought to be busy organising from outside Parliament. Mordaunt, after all, did turn down the “invited to leave” Richard Holden SpAd Robbie Lammas when he came knocking. No room at the inn…
With Mordaunt’s seat at risk a pre-election ascendency would do her well. MPs on Team Penny are highly active in comparison with other leadership hopefuls. It’s the voters that count…
LOTO have clearly taken yesterday’s poll that 1 in 8 Labour voters deem the English flag “racist” to heart, making a salient effort to show their celebration of St George’s Day. Starmer released a touching video on X of his own “personal moments” that he was “proud to be English”– his family holiday to the Lake District, his love of football and of course the Law. Quintessential…
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak shared a modest photo of himself with a St George’s flag mug, and Emily Thornberry has remained noticeably quiet about the Patron Saint Day. Real proof of patriotism would be to make this a national holiday…
UPDATE: Meanwhile on Whitehall…
Maybe that’s Rishi under there…
