Criminal barristers have finally voted to end their strike action after voting 57% in favour of accepting the government’s originally proposed 15% pay rise. The Criminal Bar Association today announced the result after balloting took place last week, having backed down on their previous demands for a 25% bump. A big win for Brandon Lewis just a month into the job…

Following the result, Lewis said:

“My priority in these first few weeks as Lord Chancellor has been to end CBA strike action and reduce delays for victims, and I’m glad that barristers have now agreed to return to work. This breakthrough is a result of coming together and restarting what I hope to be a constructive relationship as we work to drive down the backlog and ensure victims see justice done sooner.”

Nick Robinson obviously had his Weetabix today. Speaking to Truss ally Brandon Lewis this morning, Robinson repeatedly grilled the former Northern Ireland Secretary over Truss’s economic plans, with Lewis refusing nine times to confirm if Truss will give cost of living “handouts” to households this winter.

“She also said we will look to do whatever we can to help people – that’s what an emergency budget is about. She’s willing to do more to help people but her focus is around doing it in a way that puts more money in people’s pockets, creates a high-growth economy with higher wages, more people in work. So rather than having handouts, what we do is have a low-tax economy that’s driving growth.”

That wasn’t enough for Robinson, who kept going and going until Lewis eventually said “that would be pre-judging a budget we’ve not had yet.” 

The problem, as Guido pointed out in this morning’s campaign round-up, is Liz never rejected handouts. Her FT interview, from which this row stemmed, saw her state “tax cuts and supply side reforms” are her primary objective, however “Of course I will look at what more can be done”. It seems Brandon forgot to make this point…