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WEDNESDAY CHEAT SHEET
— Allies of Conservative MP Simon Clarke were quick to distance themselves from his call for Rishi Sunak to be replaced.
— Keir Starmer flexed his muscles on backbench discipline in his own ranks after a Labour MP saw red over Gaza.
— Michael Gove was forced to inject further funding into cash-strapped councils.
— No, the government won’t be forcing Brits to join the armed forces and fight the Russians.
— SCOOP: Ministers will stick to their gradual approach to shining a light on British-linked tax havens.
TOP OF THE NEWSLIST
SIMON WHO? Even allies of Conservative MP Simon Clarke were quick to distance themselves from him after he called for Rishi Sunak to be ousted.
Yeah, he used to hang around here: The organizers of a so-called “Popular Conservatives” event next week, which has Clarke’s face on the poster, made clear to hacks including Playbook PM he will no longer be appearing.
It seems: Although others on the Conservative backbenchers agree Sunak is going to take the Tories down in a ball of flames at the election, no one wants to be associated with Clarke’s kamikaze mission. (Except Andrea Jenkyns, of course.)
Indeed: Playbook PM hears even among those close to him, there has been lots of sympathy, lots of admiration, but very little desire to follow him over the top.
And of course: Those not close to him have been spitting feathers about the attempt from someone who thought Liz Truss would be a good PM to keep Tory infighting at the top of the news agenda, when there’s stuff like … the growing prospect of world war three to deal with.
Delusional, much? “It’s a good example of people thinking they are more important than they are,” one MP told Playbook PM. “And illustrating why the party has become unleadable when such mediocrities think they can be so self indulgent. Most MPs have had enough of it, just as the public has.”
The best response … was from Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker, who posted this glorious gif to illustrate the backlash against Clarke.
Which just goes to show: How little those in government care about the whole thing. Officials told Playbook PM it was clear Clarke was isolated, and suggested he should reflect on the fact he had his time and made a hash of it. Minister Kevin Hollinrake told Times Radio “some people panic at a difficult time,” which is gloriously patronizing. More Hollinrake on the BBC here.
And from the top: The PM’s press secretary told hacks both Clarke and Jenkyns are known critics and Tories are united on the broad issues. (Clarke didn’t answer when Playbook PM called for a chat about it all.)
It’s generally sad news for … never elected former Remainer and Labour member David Frost and his somewhat questionable polls in the Telegraph. And the campaign manager Clarke hired via a JCB donation.
But it’s excellent news for … Labour, which is being handed endless material to riff on against the Tories. Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Ashworth told GB News the Tories were in a “circular firing squad,” while Keir Starmer quoted from the Clarke article in PMQs and mocked the division on the Conservative benches.
Backbench bullies: “I’ve changed my party. He’s bullied by his party,” Starmer said, while MPs wagged fingers at each other and mouthed insults across the House. Starmer also went for a personal attack in response to charges he defended terrorists while director of public prosecutions, arguing that at the same time, Sunak was “making millions betting on the misery of working people during the financial crisis.” Clip here. Labour said the comment was about this 2020 writeup.
But but but: Sunak managed to get a good hit back at Labour when opposition backbencher Tahir Ali said Sunak had “blood on his hand” over Gaza. “That’s the face of the changed Labour party,” Sunak said, to massive cheers from the Conservative benches. Clip here.
Although … after a talking to from the Labour chief whip, Ali apologized and took the comments back. Which kinda highlights the difference in discipline in both parties after the Clarke outburst.
Also from PMQs: A spokesperson for Starmer accused Sunak of telling “a lie” when he said the £28 billion green investment plan will be funded via higher taxes. And Starmer said the government was a “complete shitshow,” which the Speaker let slide, showing just how sweary the Commons is getting. POLITICO’s Andrew McDonald has a scorecard here.
THOSE BIGGER ISSUES: More important than Simon Clarke and the never-ending Conservative psychodrama, the Commons has just been debating tensions in the Red Sea and increasing dangers in the world that risk tipping over into a much hotter conflict.
Stand up and fight: Opening the debate, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said about Iran and other aggressors: “These nations need to be stood up to, and nations must stand up to them.” Although he also said “Houthi buggery” by accident rather than “Houthi thuggery” … so there was a bit of light with the shade.
Speaking of Shapps: He wrote for POLITICO overnight urging European allies to contribute to the fight against Ukraine. “The message couldn’t be clearer: The U.K. is in this for the long haul,” he wrote. “But the message I’m sending my counterparts on the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group is that they too must take action.” Read it here.
DRIVETIME DEBRIEF
COUNCIL COUGHERS: The government coughed up more funding for local councils in England via another £500 million for social care — on top of the £4 billion uplift announced just last month. The December announcement went out to consultation, during which councils managed to convince the government just how up the spout things are, in particular amid rising social care demand. So another £600 million (when a few other measures are taken into account) has been thrown in. ITV’s Anushka Asthana got the scoop this morning. `
Alarm bells … have been ringing since a number of councils declared themselves bankrupt, with several others on the brink. The consensus is that those which have gone over the cliff so far are due to financial mismanagement, but there’s another, less feckless cohort that could also end up in difficulty without a bit more help. The funding announced in a written statement this afternoon means the increase in baseline funding for all councils rises from 3 percent to 4 percent. But the Local Government Association told the World at One it still won’t be enough. Clip here.
Nevertheless: It’s something. “We have listened to councils across England about the pressures they’re facing and have always stood ready to help those in need,” Communities Secretary Michael Gove said in the press release.
NORTHERN IRELAND UPDATE: The bill to extend the deadline for reviving Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government passed its second reading and committee stage without dissent, POLITICO’S Ireland supremo Shawn Pogatchnik messages to say, paving the way for it to pass all stages tonight and create a new February 8 target for a deal. The debate featured an impassioned speech from the figure pivotal to resolving the impasse, Democratic Unionist Leader Jeffrey Donaldson, who signaled his desire to achieve a breakthrough soon despite rising opposition from unionist die-hards.
Cowards and idiots: Donaldson said he’d been threatened that morning by loyalists who believe he’s about to resume government at Stormont without achieving his long held demand — an end to EU-required checks on goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris praised Donaldson’s speech and called the threats “a disgrace.” “These people are cowards and idiots,” he added. SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood told Donaldson: “The people who threatened him today couldn’t lace his boots.”
HERE WE GO: Start girding your loins — the Lords will get an opportunity to vote on the Rwanda bill as a whole on Monday. The Lib Dems have put down a motion to decline second reading, my colleague Esther Webber writes in, which is unlikely to succeed without Labour backing but will test the strength of feeling among maverick Labour and Tory peers. A Lib Dem spokesperson says: “We have opposed the bill every step of the way, voting against it at every stage in the Commons. It should be no surprise that our strategy will be the same in the Lords.”
Roll up, roll up: It looks set to be a bumper day of debate, with 63 peers down to speak so far.
WONKS AT WAR: The top civil servant at the Treasury kept it polite but outright rejected the claim from OBR boss Richard Hughes that government spending forecasts from November were a “work of fiction.” Treasury Perm Sec James Bowler told the Treasury committee this afternoon he did not agree “with what the excellent head of the OBR said and I don’t agree with the language he used.”
OPEN TO IT: Labour is taking a much softer line on possible Royal Mail delivery cutbacks than the Tories. A spokesperson for Keir Starmer said the opposition will look at proposals from the firm and from Ofcom. It’s a marked contrast to Postal Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake, who told Times Radio this morning a six day delivery schedule is “really important for many people in this country, many of our citizens, but also for many of our businesses.”
STATS DEBUNK: Labour’s Rachel Reeves got the More or Less treatment this morning over her claims a week’s shop is up £110 — based on prices being up 20 percent since 2019. The show pointed out that Labour was conflating the ONS “basket of goods,” which includes food products but also fuel, holidays, TV subscriptions and more, with the weekly supermarket shop. In reality, the weekly shop is on average £75, according to the ONS. The show concluded Labour would have been fine to argue the overall cost of living is up £110 on average since 2019, but to cast that as the “weekly shop” is misleading. And Labour could also have pointed out that average wages are up by the same amount. More or Less will be vital listening in election year (and all other years.)
DON’T WORRY, LADS: Neither the government nor Labour is planning to force people to join the armed forces in readiness for a war with Russia, after Chief of the Defense Staff Patrick Sanders suggested Brits should prepare for war. Downing Street said it wasn’t helpful to be talking up the prospect of conflict, and said the U.K. has a proud tradition of opting in for service. Labour pointed out that the Tories have cut the armed forces after promising not to.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL ROW: The Holocaust Memorial Bill Committee heard from a number of Holocaust survivors this afternoon who object to plans for a memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens. There were some emotional testimonies, including from Auschwitz survivor Lydia Tischler, who said: “Please don’t erect this memorial in my name.”
LEE WAY: Downing Street did not dismiss suggestions Lee Anderson could be re-appointed to the Conservative frontbench. “We have a lot of time for Lee,” the PM’s press secretary said.
RUH ROH: Bullying complaints by civilian workers in the MoD have surged over the past four years, according to Tom Scotson at PolHome.
STILL TO COME: Foreign Secretary David Cameron continues his Middle East tour, and is in the West Bank this evening for talks with Palestinian Leader Mahmoud Abbas. He’s off to Qatar tomorrow.
MORE STILL TO COME: Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper head to the South East this evening for the second “missions” tour, this time about crime. Starmer will be on Peston at 9 p.m. on ITV, and will want to talk about knife crime, after Labour announced its plan to ban zombie knives (which the Tories are bringing forward legislation on tomorrow.)
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DRIVETIME DEBRIEF
SCOOP — SAFE HAVENS: No, the U.K. won’t be forcing its tax haven siblings to fess up about which wrong’uns are using their secret structures to hide wealth, dodge taxes and engage in other illicit financial activities. But ministers insist progress is being made. The British Overseas Territories were meant to publish databases of firms registered with them before the end of 2023, but Gibraltar alone met the deadline. Fellow Crown Dependencies promised Labour MP Margaret Hodge in 2019 to do the same but, surprise surprise, nothing has appeared half a decade on.
Still waiting: The Foreign Office told Playbook PM there had been substantial progress but that resolution is best achieved through working together … i.e. chatting it all through over coffee and biscuits without being too forceful. Ministers reckon another four overseas territories will join Gibraltar during 2024 in producing full public registers, while others want to produce registers with limited “legitimate interest” access. Ministers argue the latter is a stepping stone to full public registers but campaigners are skeptical both about that and all the timelines. Hodge called last month for the government to force territories to act via an “order in council.”
Trust me, Dave: Cameron, who as prime minister in 2013 promised to “break down the walls of corporate secrecy,” insisted in a letter to Hodge this month (seen by Playbook PM) that the government “remains committed to securing publicly accessible registers of beneficial ownership as the global norm, including in the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.” He insisted Britain is standing firm against legal attempts from some Overseas Territories to frustrate the process, and noted that a meeting in March will take stock of progress. A written ministerial statement in December listed where each of the Overseas Territories is up to, plus new deadlines, all of them in 2024, which Cameron hailed at the time as “a major step forward.”
Getting there … just not in a rush: Cameron added a hand-written note to Hodge at the bottom of the letter: “Thanks you for your work on this — as you know it is an agenda I am right behind. We are getting there!”
Indeed: Playbook PM hears ministers are confident the registers will be implemented — albeit to the new timetables. It’s an open secret in the Foreign Office that Development Minister Andrew Mitchell (who campaigned on the issue with Hodge in the past) was horrified about the previous measures not being implemented as agreed when he took the job in October 2022, but is confident since Cameron was appointed that no further timeline extensions will be granted. Tom Tugendhat, who is in charge of the Crown Dependencies fulfilling their commitments via the Home Office, is also said to be hot on the issue.
Just get on with it, lads: Hodge told Playbook PM the tax havens, despite their promises, had “failed to deliver, attempted to backtrack, and missed multiple deadlines. There are no good reasons to kick this into the long grass. Lord Cameron must step in and finally deliver public registers. We’re all fed up of waiting.”
SOCIAL (MEDIA) AFFAIRS
STORM BREWING: The U.S. embassy in London went for it on the tea debate, after a U.S. scientist suggested adding a pinch of salt to a cuppa.
DELIVERING SHADE: Conservative MP Priti Patel kept it cool in shades while a protester got emotional about the planet burning or something, as the former home secretary turned up to speak at a Policy Exchange event. LBC chucked it up online.
AROUND THE WORLD
IN RUSSIA: A Russian military transport plane crashed in the border region of Belgorod, killing all 74 people on board including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said — the Guardian has a write-up.
IN IRAQ: The Iraqi government strongly condemned U.S. strikes which targeted sites used by Iran backed groups in Iraq, as a spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the U.S. “blatantly” violated his country’s sovereignty — via the BBC.
IN HUNGARY: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he will urge the Hungarian parliament to ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO “at the first possible opportunity” after speaking with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg — Bloomberg has more information.
IN FRANCE: Farmers blocked dozens of highways across southern France with tractors to protest diesel taxes on agricultural machinery that they blame on the European Union, with protests in Paris not ruled out — the Times has more.
TONIGHT’S MEDIA ROUND
LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) leads on Ofcom saying Royal Mail could reduce the number of days it delivers letters per week … as does the BBC News at Six … Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) focuses on former U.S. President Donald Trump winning the New Hampshire primary
Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Former Justice Secretary David Gauke (5.05 p.m.) … Communication Workers Union General Secretary Dave Ward (5.35 p.m.).
BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Former Chief of the General Staff Peter Wall … Ukrainian Ministry of Defense adviser Yuri Sak … political scientist Simon Hix.
News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Tory MP Bob Seely (5.30 p.m.) … former acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney (5.45 p.m.).
Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, 5 p.m.): Mick Mulvaney (5.10 p.m.) … Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry (6.15 p.m.).
Sky News Daily (Podcast, drops at 5 p.m.): Former Defense Secretary Michael Fallon … former Royal United Services Institute Director General Michael Clarke.
Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Trade Minister Greg Hands … Emily Thornberry (6.35 p.m.) … Tory MP Miriam Cates.
Farage (GB News, 7 p.m.): The Adam Smith Institute’s Maxwell Marlow.
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Emily Thornberry (7.10 p.m.) … Tory peer Ed Vaizey … former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith … Labour peer Alan West.
Piers Morgan Uncensored (TalkTV, 8 p.m.): Donald Trump’s daughter in law and senior campaign adviser Lara Trump.
Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Tory MP Dean Russell … the Guardian’s George Monbiot … Republicans Overseas U.K.’s Greg Swenson.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News, 8 p.m.): Tory peer and former Downing Street Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell.
Peston (9 p.m. on Twitter, 10.45 p.m. on ITV): Health Secretary Victoria Atkins … Labour Leader Keir Starmer … West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin … Tory MP Conor Burns … former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
Newsnight (BBC 2, 10.30 p.m.): Tory MP Mary Robinson … former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker.
TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Allie Hodgkins-Brown.
REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): TalkTV’s Peter Cardwell and the Sun’s Martina Bet … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and the Telegraph’s Annabel Denham.
WHERE TO FIND BOOZE IN WESTMINSTER TONIGHT
SALUT FOR SCHOOLING: Special Envoy for Girls’ Education Helen Grant is hosting an International Day of Education reception in the CPA Room, Westminster Hall, at 6 p.m.
BOOZE FOR BURNS: The Spectator is hosting a Burns Night drinks at its office from 6.30 p.m. Invites needed.
PRAY FOR ALCOHOL: Labour MP Liam Byrne is among those talking about wealth inequalities at a King’s College panel from 6.30 p.m. Details here.
TOMORROW’S WORLD
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Zombie knives, machetes and a new devolution deal.
WRONG’UNS LATEST: Crime stats for the 12 months to September 2023 are due out from the Office for National Statistics at 9.30 a.m, as are the latest quarter of prison deaths and assaults.
IN THE COMMONS: MPs sit from 9.30 a.m. with business and trade questions followed by the business statement and a statement from the procedure committee about whether Foreign Secretary David Cameron should be called to the bar of the house for questioning by MPs. MPs will then debate Holocaust Memorial Day.
PANDEMIC DIARIES: Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf gives evidence to the Covid-19 inquiry, from 10 a.m. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack was meant to appear but has postponed until next week.
EXIT INTERVIEW: Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford is in conversation at the Institute for Government from 11 a.m.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
PACKED LUNCH OR PARL LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Korma baked chicken breast on naan with cucumber and spring onion rice salad and toasted almonds; potato, root vegetable and horseradish burger with macerated cucumber and chimichurri sauce; baked teriyaki salmon fillet with pak choi, grilled eggplant and pickled chilis … The Debate: Italian grilled chicken with mozzarella, tomato and pesto on ciabatta; Moroccan spiced haddock with apricot mixed grains; Indonesian vegetable and peanut satay with Quorn, lemon and coriander rice … Terrace Cafeteria: Breaded turkey escalope with pasta Milanese; BBQ pork belly with corn on the cob and sweet potato wedges; grilled paneer cheese, spinach and onion salad with potato sag aloo and naan … River Restaurant: Vegetable gyoza with noodles, stir fry, soy and chili broth; grilled salmon with lemon roasted fennel and winter lentils; steak and mushroom pie with mash and gravy.
WAUGH ISN’T OVER: Political journo Paul Waugh could be picked to stand for Labour in the Rochdale by-election even if he hasn’t been a member for 12 months, as the rules dictate. A spokesman for Keir Starmer told hacks this afternoon there were certain “exemptions” to the rules, depending on previous jobs or other circumstances, which the ruling Labour National Executive Committee has the final decision on. So Waugh could slip through if the NEC is up for it.
But but but: The spokesman rejected suggestions Starmer is backing Waugh, noting that the selections process is done independent of the leader. Sure thing. According to Guido, the final shortlist will be revealed later and the local party will vote on Saturday.
Trivia time: Policy wonk Sam Freedman has been listing former lobby hacks who became MPs. Playbook PM is cutting out the middle man and heading straight for the Lords.
SPOTTED: At the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust event at the Guildhall: Communities Secretary Michael Gove … his Labour shadow Angela Rayner … Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis … Holocaust Memorial Day Trust CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman … Holocaust Memorial Day Trust Chair Laura Marks … and actors Louisa Clein, Nina Wadia, and Jonathan Pryce. There was also a video message from Rishi Sunak thanking Holocaust survivors for sharing their testimonies and pledging to fight antisemitism.
NOW HIRING: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is looking for a constituency organizer in his South West Surrey seat. The ad notes that the “main objective” of the job during 2024 is to “secure the re-election” of Hunt to parliament. Sounds like he’s standing.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Legal eagle David Allen Green has a good explainer on his Substack about the case Ireland is bringing against the U.K. under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights over its Troubles legislation, and how it could blow up into a massive issue for the next government.
ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: On January 24 1679 King Charles II disbanded the longest ever parliament, after a session lasting almost 20 decades, while on the same date in 1965, former Conservative Prime Minister Winston Churchill died.
WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Dan Bloom.
THANKS TO: My editor Rosa Prince, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.
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