Home Office minister Chris Philp had a cringeworthy moment on Question Time last night. When an audience member asked him whether people coming from Congo – a country that’s at war with Rwanda – would be sent on flights to Rwanda, Philp floundered. He said: “there’s an exclusion on people from Rwanda being sent to Rwanda.” The audience member reminded him that he was talking about Congo…

To which Philp questioned whether the two were different countries: “From Congo? well… Rwanda is a different country from Congo isn’t it?”. If ministers don’t understand the basics…

Labour are trying their best to capitalise on Tory grumblings over Braverman’s late-night Times op-ed in which she hit out at the police over the weekend’s march. Yvette Cooper has sprung to the Commons with urgent question to “ask the Home Secretary to make a statement on the operational independence of the Metropolitan Police“. Cooper got to attack Braverman for running “an endless Tory leadership campaign“, ask if Number 10 approved the op-ed and attack Rishi for being “too weak to sack her“. Policing minister Chris Philp said he didn’t have “any visibility” on whether Sunak approved the piece…

It’s nice to see Cooper taking such an interest in “respect for police at a sensitive time“. Guido doesn’t remember her having such scruples over their conduct at Sarah Everard’s vigil…

Hat-Tip: Christian Calgie

Knowing what’s really happening with HS2 is near impossible with Downing Street’s current comms strategy.  Especially when Grant Shapps and Jeremy Hunt were allowed to drop hints in recent days essentially confirming the Northern leg of HS2 is about to be derailed. All before the Tories head off to conference in… Manchester.

Number 10 are spinning the constant umming and ahhing over HS2 as a consequence of Rishi’s “alarm” at the cost surpassing £100 billion. Guido has taken a look back at the confusion in just the last few months:

• March 26^th: Michael Gove insisted HS2 would arrive in Manchester. Though perhaps not Euston…
• July 30^th: Government ‘committed‘ to HS2 after watchdog rates project as ‘unachievable‘. Strong start…
• September 14^th: Downing Street refused to guarantee the HS2 will run to Manchester as planned. Change of tune…
• September 15^th: Chris Philp said he didn’t know whether the line would go to Manchester as planned but that trains would go “very fast from London“.
• September 17^th: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wouldn’t confirm HS2 link to Manchester despite PM’s ‘absolute‘ levelling up commitment.
• September 18^th: Richard Holden refused to confirm HS2 will run to Manchester but added in the Commons “we remain focused on its delivery.” One-way ticket to uncertainty there…
• September 18^th: Pensions Minister Laura Trott told Sky News  “The government looks at every single penny it is spending to make sure that we’re getting the value for money.” Avoiding the question again… 
• September 21^st: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the costs of HS2 were “getting totally out of control” as he refused to commit to building the Manchester leg.
• September 24^th: Transport Minister Grant Shapps let the cat out the bag, responding to whether HS2 will run to Manchester that, “it’s not my area these days” adding that the PM is “prepared to do long-term difficult things.” 
• September 25^th: Rishi refused to comment on the speculation of scrapping northern leg of HS2, though claimed he is “still committed to levelling up“.
• September 26^th: Policing Minister Chris Philp said he “wants to see tax payers money spent prudently” and that “the chancellor and the PM are trying to control the costs”. 
• September 26^th: The Times reported Rishi Sunak is to delay or even scrap the leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, citing runaway costs.

Are we derailing HS2 or not?

Whilst Sunak’s off tripping in Tokyo, Crispin Blunt has been making a powerful case for the government to deregulate psilocybin for use as mental health treatment. Crispin used a passionate Commons speech to attack the government’s approach to drugs – first charging at the fact the minister responsible for drugs, Chris Philp, had “so little regard” for the debate that he couldn’t appear in the chamber to respond. Crispin broadened his criticisms to drug policy more generally:

“It should be the minister for medicine that is replying to this debate. But the Health Department doesn’t own this policy. The Home Office does. And that’s part of the reason our drugs policy is in such an unforgivable mess”.

It’s no truffling matter…

Crispin’s scathing attacks didn’t end there. He pointed to the fact that 125 people kill themselves every week, and said “knowing what they know [about psilocybin treatments], that now makes the government guilty of joint enterprise in those decisions”. Crispin’s powerful argument doesn’t leave mush-room to disagree…

Chris Philp speaking on Question Time about Matt Hancock’s escapades:

“Going on this programme appears to involve doing embarrassing things on CCTV, so I can’t imagine why they chose him…”