Guido understands that the Metropolitan Police have confirmed to the Speaker’s Office they will investigate, despite the passage of time, if a formal complaint is made about Bernard Jenkin following our exclusive report. Guido also understands that Eleanor Laing has changed her story and given conflicting explanations for the events of December 8, 2020. There is a “list of attendees” circulating in Westminster, they are not answering their phones to the media…

UPDATE:  The complaint would have to be from a first person witness, not from a third party based on media reports.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article erroneously reported the Speaker’s Office had been told an investigation was already under way.

Speaking from Essex this morning, ahead of his big speech on NHS waiting times, Keir Starmer made the pointed admission that he had previously been done for speeding. On LBC, Starmer said:

“Look Nick, I haven’t… er-er… I… many years ago I had points for speeding, but not for a very long time”.

As Nick Ferrari points out, Sir Keir is in good company. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Suella Braverman, Andy Burnham and Robert Jenrick have all hit headlines for failing to hit the brakes…

Some braking news has presented a major speedbump to Andy Burnham’s leadership hopes. Over the weekend, the Manchester mayor was fined a whopping £1,984 and issued six penalty points for driving at nearly twice the speed limit. Burnham admitted “I was going too fast”. He was driving at 78 mph in a 40 zone.

Of all people, Guido might ordinarily be able to forgive some indiscretion behind the wheel. However, Andy’s dual carriageway crime comes with dual hypocrisy. Firstly, he has previously been vocal on the dangers of speeding. In a 2020 tweet he urged drivers to “PLEASE, SLOW DOWN”:

A simple message from me to the people still driving around & speeding: PLEASE, SLOW DOWN. There are more people - particularly kids - out & about on the pavements than normal, walking, running & cycling. We can’t take any more unnecessary injury or death. https://t.co/CkrrmWYzL7 pic.twitter.com/62kCxo1oTv

— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) April 8, 2020

His behaviour marks quite the change of pace…

Burnham also previously drove the agenda against law-breaking in office – particularly slamming Boris Johnson. In 2022, he called for Boris to resign, saying his position “indefensible”. He criticised the Prime Minister for undermining trust and integrity in politics – insisting his criticisms weren’t party political. Boris was fined £50. Andy’s criminality merited a fine 40 times more…

Labour’s crime offensive has come across yet another stumbling block. On Newsnight last night, Victoria Derbyshire pressed Shadow Policing Minister, Sarah Jones, for an answer on where the money was coming from. To say Sarah came up short would be an understatement…

VD: I thought the VAT from Private school fees was going to fund breakfast clubs for primary schools?

SJ: So there’s other tax loopholes and there’s there’s there’s the VAT that is erm and there’s the erm er money from the VAT on private schools erm and there’s the non-doms uhm which is also going into…

VD: Which I thought was going into fund breakfast clubs at primary schools?

SJ: and and to fund these so there’s about a billion pounds a year that is the whole package of mental health er support that’s about *checks notes* eight thousand erm five hundred erm new mental health um experts…

Guido has sympathy for Sarah’s confusion. It’s hard to keep track of all Labour’s spending pledges being “funded” by scrapping non-dom status.

Sir Keir Starmer is in Stoke-on-Trent parroting a completely original “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” line.  At the heart of Starmer’s speech was a criticism of the record for prosecutions on rape and a pledge to reform London policing. Starmer seems to think his record, which he “proudly” stands by, backs up his case. Guido isn’t so sure.

As Director of Public Prosecutions, the Crown Prosecution Service – for which he was responsible – was found to have serious failings in London. The report, from the CPS inspectorate, blamed the CPS leadership for “initiative overload”, as, under Keir, rape convictions in London were 8% below the national average. At the time, Sir Keir conceded his service was failing in the capital:

“The inspection report into the Crown Prosecution Service in London makes it clear that our performance must unequivocally, and urgently, improve.”

Keir’s CPS didn’t just fail overall, it also failed individual victims. In 2010 Keir Starmer apologised for a sexual assault case mishandled by the CPS:

“I am extremely disappointed with the way in which this case was dealt with and I am very sorry for the distress these failings have caused the complainant. I am determined this will not happen again.”

Remember, when the CPS made mistakes, Starmer “carried the can“…

A TikTok shared over the weekend has brought attention to some law breaking behaviour from Rishi Sunak. During a leisurely dog walk in Hyde Park, Rishi’s pooch, called Nova, was spotted wandering freely. Despite clear signposting saying dogs must be kept on leads.

It was only after Sunak saw that he was being filmed – signposting in view – that he sought to lead from the front. Section 3(5)(b) of the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997 states:

“No person using a Park shall fail to keep any animal of which he is in charge under control or on a lead – in contravention of a notice exhibited by order of the Secretary of State”

Rishi was clearly out of Paw-der.

The serious problems with off leash dogs mauling and killing wildlife means, according to a spokesperson for the Royal Parks, that owners could face criminal prosecution for failing to control their dogs which can result in fines or community orders. After already receiving fixed penalty notices for coronavirus violations and failing to wear a seatbelt, Rishi is risking his rule breaking rap sheet getting longer…

UPDATE:  The Metropolitan Police tell the Daily Mirror in a statement: “We are aware of a video showing a dog being walked off the lead in Hyde Park. An officer, who was present at the time, spoke to a woman and reminded her of the rules. The dog was put back on the lead.” Downing Street is not commenting. Larry the Cat is purring.

Hat-tip: @lucy.mdc