Guido exclusively reported in last week’s members-only Labour Wars column that there is real frustration in government levelled at Starmer’s personal SpAd/minister Darren Jones. The ‘Chief Secretary to the PM’ is derided as smug and ineffective – a Downing Street source reports he is “actively harming the business of government”…
Talk around Whitehall is that the chaotic Cabinet Office – now overseen by Jones – is worse than ever. About 80% of government matters that don’t fit neatly into a department is handled by the CO…
Guido hears Whitehall’s chief fixer Louise Casey is intensely frustrated at the situation. Insider sources say the top personnel are to blame: Darren Jones, Permanent Secretary Catherine Little, Second Permanent Secretary Clara Swinson, and Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald. Wormald in particular has been at the end of a barrage of criticism…
Senior government sources bemoan Wormald’s continued presence in the job as well as the departures of ex-Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Black, and ex-Propriety and Constitution Director Darren Tierney, who left last year. Starmer – now gallivanting in China – has so far done nothing…
A Downing Street source tells Guido that Starmer is sleepwalking on the issue because “the foreign policy element works” while the department’s domestic functions get even worse. Things are coming to a head for Wormald – his obvious replacements Home Office permanent secretary Antonia Romeo or the FCDO’s Olly Robbins are circling…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”