The state of play currently:
Starmer has trailed his speech in the Observer by claiming he will be PM for ten years. This has gone down like a cup of cold sick with the PLP. All to play for…
Angela Rayner has deleted a campaign video from a school after concerns were raised about impartiality requirements. Took long enough…
The former Deputy PM lectured a child in uniform who said that Farage was better than Starmer by repeating Labour attack lines on Farage’s previous statements on the NHS. At the end of which she implied her son would not be alive under a Reform-run health service – chilling…
The video was filmed at Audenshaw School, Tameside. Concerns were raised online that the video could breach impartiality requirements, for example Part V of the Education Act 1996 which states that the local authority, governing body and headteacher must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views. That duty also applies while pupils are at school or taking part in school-organised extra-curricular activities. Rayner has deleted the egregious video…
The third in Guido’s horror series. Read the previous entries by clicking here…
Today it’s Rayner’s turn. This one is particularly easy to pull together, given Rayner herself sent a wish list of tax hikes to Rachel Reeves last year. Which very quickly appeared in the media…
If this looks disastrous, don’t worry. There’s always Miliband…
Housing Secretary Steve Reed on Sky News this morning, asked if Angela Rayner should return to the Cabinet:
“I think in time. I think she did a great job, I’m a big fan and friend of Angela Rayner. She’s really good at communicating, can cut through to voters, she has a role to play.”
The Times reported last night that Labour MPs are plotting a Brownite-style ‘putsch’ after Thursdays local elections, with demands for Starmer to set a date for his resignation. Rayner’s allies insist she has the 81 MPs needed to launch a challenge. But no one wants to make the first move, yet…
The Rainbow Coalition communications operation taking shape. Should focus minds on Labour’s right flank…
Ambitious Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham is campaigning in London with allies of Angela Rayner.
Politics Home reports that Burnham is to head to Islington and Lewisham to do some door-to-door campaigning. Curiously Guido can report that three days after Angela Rayner went door-knocking in Peckham with leftist housing minister Miatta Fahbulleh, Burnham is doing exactly the same tomorrow afternoon. The Mayor of Manchester is free to discuss matters with Fahnbulleh in the streets of Camberwell…
Over the weekend Team Burnham’s briefers revived an idea from pre-Labour Conference that if Starmer’s personal poll ratings remain low he could hand over the reigns to Burnham after wrapping up sufficient foreign policy matters. More important for Burnham is wrestling control of Labour’s National Executive Committee from Starmer loyalists who blocked his attempt for a seat – circa 16 of the 40 NEC places are up for election in July…
Fahnbulleh served as a senior adviser to Rayner before entering the Commons. Burnham held talks with Rayner over the weekend. Both with their own weaknesses, the two teams could consider it in their interests to hammer out a leadership deal…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”