Wes Streeting has doubled down on comments that Labour should “get it right the first time” after Kemi used his words to mock Starmer in PMQs yesterday. Thirteen U-turns later…
He told Time Radio:
“…feedback is the breakfast of champions. So if we get something wrong and people tell us that and we think their arguments are convincing, far better that we swallow our pride and get it right and fix it than just soldier on. And, you know, with complete indifference to whether or not we’re making the right decision or the wrong decision. So I don’t have a problem with that. But as I said, in the NHS, we’ve got an initiative called GIRFT, which is Get It Right First Time. And what I said was that ought to be our New Year’s resolution as a government in 2026. Mistakes, we’ve made some. Sure, I dare say we will make some in the future, myself included.”
Not exactly words of confidence in the Labour leadership…
Labour is set to allow at least 23 councils to cancel their local elections this coming May, according the BBC. That’s around 4 million people denied the vote…
Today is the deadline for 63 councils to ‘request’ to delay their elections until next year. So far most of those councils are Labour-led, three are Tory-led and one is LibDem-led. Some of the councils are being delayed for a second year running. Nigel Farage said on X:
“How dare the Tory fraudsters complain about cancelled elections. 7 Conservative councils colluded with Labour to cancel elections last year. Three will repeat it for a second year in a row. Never trust what they say.”
He added that “we will use every means possible, starting with our judicial review.” Seven councils are yet to decide whether they will ask to cancel their elections. Meanwhile, Reform was on track to win all four of the mayoral elections that Labour cancelled at the end of last year. Give the people the vote…
After last night’s U-turn on compulsory Digital ID, it was Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s turn to defend the indefensible on the broadcast round. The latest excuse for hitting 13 U-turns is that “some of those weren’t even in our manifesto”…
She told Sky News:
“I don’t accept that this government has done 13 U-turns. You know, some of those things that people are claiming weren’t even in our manifesto.”
For those keeping score, here’s a list of all 13:
Unlucky for some…
Labour is heading for a showdown with the hospitality sector as Reeves’ business rates changes are set to clobber the industry. There’s still confusion over why pubs will get some form of special treatment after a heavily-trailed U-turn. At today’s Lobby briefing of political journalists Starmer’s spokesman was still unable to explain why hotels, restaurants, and cafes will be shafted…
It hardly reassures the industry that Labour’s engagement with it appears to be shrinking. The number of meetings with the Hospitality Sector Council – which the government says is meant to “build the sector’s longer-term resilience” post-Covid – halved in 2025 compared to the previous year. Their last meeting with industry leaders was before the Budget, so there’s been nothing since Reeves announced she was scrapping the Covid-era 40% business rates relief that will push thousands over the edge…
In 2024 the council met four times, including in December after Reeves’ first Budget. Last year, they only managed two meetings: one with then-hospitality minister Gareth Thomas and one with his successor Kate Dearden. No doubt Labour is dreading the next one. Whenever that happens…
The Department for Work and Pensions has made no assessment of the number of families set to fall into the ‘benefits trap’ set by Reeves’ lifting of the two-child benefit cap. Labour has been accused of creating a “welfare trap” with the move…
Families are subject to a Household Benefit Cap, which limits the total monthly income families can receive from benefits (with exceptions). There is a limit of £1,835 outside of London. Analysis shows that 20% of families set to gain from Reeves’ two-child benefit will now push themselves to the Household cap. Providing two options: start working or start claiming more disability or incapacity benefits, exempt from the cap…
Asked by Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately whether Labour knew how many claimants it predicts will do what, DWP minister Stephen Timms admitted: “No assessment has been made.” The Treasury hasn’t made a calculation either. Labour has a habit of turning a blind eye to the actual impact of its budget policies…
UPDATE: Helen Whately, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said:
“Little does Labour know, their Budget has created a huge incentive for families to escape the Household Benefit Cap. Any exemption could be seen as a golden ticket to much higher incomes, so getting one becomes a rational choice for hard pressed families. Once again, the Government is expecting hard-working families to subsidise those who make different choices. This is not right.”
Ed Miliband wrapped up his speech at the New Statesman Christmas party last night with his best attempt at lifting the spirits of the Labour faithful in attendance:
“Polls are not a forecast, they are a snapshot… if polls were a forecast, I would be currently celebrating my tenth year as Prime Minister. For those of you paying attention, that didn’t happen. I was 15 points ahead of David Cameron… I say this to the Labour people in the room: fatalism, pessimism, never lifted a single child out of poverty, never created a single job, never won a single vote for the Labour Party. We are 18 months into a government. I think Reform are incredibly vulnerable and totally beatable…”
He never quite got over that 2015 drubbing, did he…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”