Labour Party Chairman Ellie Reeves was questioned by Kay Burley on Waheed Alli’s Downing Street pass. Reeves’ scattered defence lines contradicted themselves:
- He only had a pass for a few weeks.
- He’s a well-respected peer.
- He wasn’t involved in policy decisions.
- It’s “not unusual for a political figure to have a pass.“ It is if they’re a donor without a job…
- He worked on the election campaign.
- “I can’t comment on individuals.“
- There are no rules preventing donors “having a role.” What role did he have?
Reeves refused to say who authorised the pass. Meanwhile Shadow DSIT Secretary Andrew Griffith is calling for an investigation by Laurie Magnus, No 10’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, into the cronyism scandal. Maybe the Propriety Group’s Jess Sargeant should look into it?
Rayner proudly declared that Labour wouldn’t be running a government of “gimmicks or slogans“. A pledge broken instantly by Louse Haigh’s insufferable new transport motto…
It looks like Haigh isn’t the only one who disagrees with Rayner. The Government Communication Service has launched major hiring putsch for 42 roles across government and its agencies. Some of the roles advertised include:
- No 10 Senior Photographer.
- Campaign Manager and Speechwriter for DSIT.
- Senior Communications Officer for the Home Office.
- ‘Insight Manager’ for the Treasury.
Downing Street’s new senior photographer will pocket £48,000 to play “a critical role in capturing the daily activities of the Prime Minister.” The Cabinet Office claims: “Your work will be seen by millions of people and has the potential to make a huge impact on their lives.” Guido has yet to see a photo of Starmer that has impacted his life…
The salary costs for all 42 roles add up to a whopping £1,991,800. How’s that black hole looking, Rachel?
Starmer is putting together Downing Street’s policy unit this week. Two recent hires caught Guido’s eye: the executive and associate directors of the left-wing IPPR think tank. Executive Director Carys Roberts’ personal mission is to increase taxes on employees and on wealth. She co-wrote a report which advocated for a radical proposal to combine employee NICs and income tax, apply them to all incomes on an annual basis, and apply a gradually rising marginal tax rate as income rises. A massive radical increase on “working people”…
Roberts’ passion is taxation of savers through the abolition of capital gains and dividend taxes in order to tax them as highly as income. Her report also called for the replacement of inheritance tax with a whole-life gift tax – effectively a gargantuan enlargement of confiscation of family inheritance. She personally supported John McDonnell’s plans to hike wealth taxes as well as to mandatorily reduce working hours. Savers won’t be happy, they’re also “working people” according to Reeves…
Associate Director Rachel Statham, meanwhile, has consistently advocated for large increases in benefits, wage controls, and higher taxes. A redistributionist who thinks that benefits “fall far short of what’s needed to meet an acceptable basic standard of living“, she said exactly a month ago that “to keep the 2-child limit is to plan for substantial increases in child poverty over the next parliament.” Labour is actively filling the heart of government policy with high-tax high-benefit fanatics. Good luck to people who expect “fiscal responsibility” to last…
This barbed briefing from a Labour voice in Andrew Pierce’s read today caught Guido’s eye:
Another senior figure told me: ‘If it goes wrong for Starmer, he will find out how ruthless McSweeney is. Just as Boris found with [ex-adviser] Dominic Cummings.’
McSweeney – or ‘McIavelli’ as he has been christened by the Labour high command – takes the helm in Downing Street this week titled ‘Head of Political Strategy’, reporting directly to Starmer. It appears some are content to deliver an account of his influence with just a hint of menace – quite possibly a threat made on his behalf. One to bookmark…
Keir Starmer is making his first speech as Prime Minister, surrounded by Labourites.
WATCH LIVE: Keir Starmer’s first speech as Prime Minister. https://t.co/GuYVhkcCxt
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 5, 2024
He better rush through things to get it all done before that 6 p.m. clock off point…
Read the full speech below:
Two months ago Simon Enright, one-time press adviser to the King and Queen, was being tipped to become “Sir Keir Starmer’s king of spin in 10 Downing Street“. According to The Sun’s Harry Cole, Sue Gray was “keen to bring in Simon Enright”, which seemed plausible given he had been providing training and advice to the shadow cabinet.
That didn’t play out, Simon Enright last week left spin-shop Freuds to become the new director of communications for Grant Shapps at the Ministry of Defence. Which means Sue Gray is still looking for a new “king of spin” for Number 10…
She could of course choose a queen, Beth Rigby’s online analysis in what is the unregulated-by-Ofcom “Sky Analysis” (formerly “Sky Views”) section of the channel’s website already reads like she is writing press releases for the Labour Party:
Perhaps the Parliamentary Lobby’s only openly known Labour Party member, Paul Waugh, might get the job assuming he doesn’t want instead to have a second go at becoming the MP for Rochdale.
Could Tom Baldwin reprise the role he did for Miliband? His hagiography of Keir shows his closeness to the principal. They say everyone has a third act in them…
