New: Tonight’s No. 10 meeting: Dominic Cummings told government aides they needed to be ‘cool like fonzies’ - he said that that ‘this is only the beginning’ and the strategy was to wait for others to melt while No10 rachet it up.
Rory Stewart currently needs 13 more MPs to back him to get through Tuesday’s ballot. Whether he makes it through or not, Stewart has had lasting effect on contest. Or as one member of government put it: ‘Rory has messed up nearly everyone’s campaign’.
Sense among some Tory MPs that Boris Johnson pulling out of the Northern Research Group conference to go to Kyiv could backfire with the party
It was viewed as a chance to show he was taking MPs' domestic worries seriously
Totals for Cambridge in the European elections, 23 May:
Brexit Party. 5064
Change UK 1323
Conservative & Unionist 1499
English Democrats. 83
Green Party 9408
Labour Party. 4551
Liberal Democrats 17328
UKIP 482
CSORDAS Attila 68
Rejected. 124
Total votes. 39,930
Plenty of criticism for Hancock, Johnson and Sedwill.
Some praise for Sunak, Raab and the Warner brothers
Curiously not a word yet on Michael Gove who was central to the government response...
Message from government whips to Tory MPs: “Given the current COVID-19 situation, please note that the decision has been made to postpone the Parliamentary Away Day.
“We will provide further details closer to the time of the dates being rearranged.”
Sad!
No. 10 is taking back control - eleven hour days, government by grid, PM letters to ministers, aides ordered to report on their bosses if they misbehave - my
@spectator
column on how under Johnson and Cummings the government is being rewired
Boris Johnson is out of intensive care. A No10 spokesman said:
’The Prime Minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery.'
Boris Johnson says he was advised by members of his team against coming to Charles Moore book launch tonight at risk of being egged amid extinction rebellion protest but then asked them: ‘what would Maggie do?’ and made the decision to come and speak
Dominic Cummings’ message to government aides tonight: we want a deal but don’t be overly optimistic - right to prepare for no deal. Said aides should - once again - ignore the Westminster Bubble.
Prime Minister touring the tearoom and talk of an interview this evening
No. 10 trying to calm the ship after mood has continued to worsen as the day has gone on
Boris Johnson's allies talking about the need for him to make it to the summer recess....
The suspension of the US Scotch whisky tariffs Liz Truss has secured comes at an important time — with the campaign for the Scottish parliament election soon to get underway 🥃:
New: Tonight’s SpAd school saw Dominic Cummings invite aides to special weekend training - advisers are to spend an upcoming Saturday learning about super forecasting and management 📚 💡
Should Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn agree on a customs union as a ‘compromise’ Brexit deal - the Prime Minister will need a lot of Labour votes. Plenty of Tories who voted for deal previously likely to withdraw their support if a permanent customs union attached
Boris Johnson not only trying to blame Labour for decisions relating to Friday attack in this interview - also trying to distance him from the last nine years of Tory government
#marr
After careful consideration & in line with my leadership campaign for aspirational conservatism & a merit-based system, I’m delighted to support
@RishiSunak
to deliver for our great country 🇬🇧. His brilliant experience as Chancellor will be vital to tackling the ⬆️ cost of living
Already calls within party to make the press conferences daily – with PM, Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty – so as to calm public/make sure clear information for all.
🚨 London mayoral count well underway
Safe to say less excited chatter this morning that Susan Hall could pull off a surprise victory - Tories instead making point it could be closer than the polls suggested
Keir Starmer has said he is confident of Khan securing third term
‘The Tories would be wiped out in a snap election’ - my interview with Johnny Mercer in new
@spectator
. We talk West Wing wannabe politicians, membership powers and what qualities the next PM must have
The Prime Minister’s statement was disgraceful. Pitting Parliament against the people in the current environment is dangerous and reckless. Yesterday her government attacked their civil servants. Now she’s attacking the MPs whose votes she needs. It will have cost her support
Brexit Party comes to Dudley - ‘my name is Nigel Farage and I’m back in Dudley. Last time I was here it was during the eu referendum and the sun was shining... now we are lions led by donkeys and it’s time to do something about it.’
Lots of talk a domino effect in light of Rudd resignation: four most closely aligned to her politics - Julian Smith, Robert Buckland, Nicky Morgan, Matt Hancock. Smith currently viewed as a potential
If June 21 is delayed, the Prime Minister will face awkward questions as to why he delayed India being put on the red list ahead of his then cancelled trip there
+ No. 10’s judgment re last week’s G7 UK meeting where Indian delegates tested positive
As Scottish Parliament passes Gender Recognition Reform Bill, tSecretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack says:
U.K. government ‘share the concerns that many people have regarding certain aspects of this Bill, and in particular the safety issues for women and children.’
Reminded of May’s Chequers statement - all seemed calm, but then as hours go on things start to go amiss. If May is about to pivot to a customs union in political declaration there will be a very large Tory backlash
Expect kickback on government's coronavirus strategy as the week goes on.
There are senior Conservative MPs – and some ministers – with deep reservations about the new direction of travel.
Dominic Cummings’s meeting tonight with special advisers:
- No. 10 confident that they will get October 15 election
- Cummings asked which seats the Tories are expecting to pick up in an election, answer was apparently inconclusive
Jeremy Hunt has had most striking Boris barb of the night: ‘If Boris’s team won’t let him out to debate five pretty friendly colleagues, how will he get on with 27 EU countries.’
#C4Debate
Downing Street spokesperson: ‘the Chief Whip is speaking to those Tory MPs who did not vote with the government this evening. They will have the Tory whip removed.’
Iain Duncan Smith once said a leader ought to be judged on their first one hundred days.
With Keir Starmer marking this milestone this month, he and his supporters are finding they have plenty to be optimistic about.
My
@spectator
politics column:
🚨 Tory reach out underway over locals
MPs have been invited to a local election presentation at No. 10 with PM, party chair Richard Holden + election strategist Isaac Levido
MPs told they can also use it to give feedback ask questions… as well as a strategy update
Soon after Starmer won, a senior aide told colleagues the strategy was simple: ‘No more piss-poor candidates’
Why the most important changes in Labour are happening now 👇
Prime Minister declining requests from Cabinet ministers to meet this evening is being read in some government circles as a sign May herself may choose to go
Alister Jack:
“We will look closely at that, and also the ramifications for the 2010 Equality Act and other UK wide legislation, in the coming weeks - up to and including a Section 35 order stopping the Bill going for Royal Assent if necessary.”
Three politicians go in – they are names tipped for the great offices of state as below:
Sajid Javid: Chancellor
Priti Patel: Home Office
Dominic Raab: Foreign Secretary
‘Liz trails on electability and likeability, but remember we elected Iain Duncan Smith in 2001. Our members have their own priorities,’ argues a senior MP. ‘Voters’ emotion will trump their logic.’
As Starmer ums and ers on vaccine passports, meet Westminster's newest freedom fighter: Ed Davey
Could a rediscovery of liberalism boost the Lib Dems?
New
@spectator
interview:
🚨 Sunak to Tory MPs tonight:
‘We are in the fight of our lives.
This battle will define us, when the going got tough, when the polls were against us did we dig deep and fight or did we turn in on ourselves?’
Great to end the year on the
@spectator
Women with Balls podcast with new
@CamillaTominey
episode
The Telegraph associate editor talks to me about covering the Royal family, press parties + access 👇 👑
Packed room at Brexit Party rally in Bolton tonight - MEP candidate Claire Fox tells crowd that the parties that want to criticise the party don’t know what a popular movement looks like
Understand TalkRadio’s Ross Kempsell moving to No. 10 to be policy adviser responsible for public sector reform - Kempsell’s ‘do or die’ Boris Johnson interview led the news bulletins during leadership campaign
The argument that May should stay until Monday so she can take blame for the EU election result is slightly odd. Think everyone will still be able to make the connection...
One idea doing the rounds in Whitehall to lift spirits is a daily vaccine toll – documenting the number of people vaccinated that day – so as to show the public the progress being made.
'If I was a good girl, I wouldn't be here speaking to you – I'd have been married at 14'
Delighted to be joined by
@Nus_Ghani
for latest Women with Balls.
She talks to me about fighting to be educated + discovering she'd been sanctioned by China 🎧👇
Prepare to hear a lot more about the Australian model in the months to come - it’s the term for the looser agreement U.K. will seek if they can’t secure a Canada-style free trade deal with EU - my iWeekend piece:
Summer recess is going to have to wait a little bit longer for government SpAds - they are being invited to a 5pm Friday meeting with Dominic Cummings, their new overlord
.
@SamCoatesTimes
reports Tory MPs texting round suggesting Michael Gove as a potential caretaker PM, we discussed the idea on Friday’s Coffee House Shots:
The Cummings drama is a story as much about the Prime Minister as it is the aide – it has become a test of Boris Johnson's authority
My politics column for new
@spectator