Denver Today
Presented by Rolls-Royce By ANDREW MCDONALD with MEGAN MCELROY Good Wednesday morning . This is Andrew McDonald. DRIVING THE DAY BACK AGAIN?
Andy Burnham will return to the Commons at noon for another first: his debut PMQs at the despatch box. We’re reaching four hours now: The prime minister has taken much of the novelty out of today’s occasion by facing 125 questions, including from Kemi Badenoch, over a bladder-busting three hours and 24 minutes last night. It ran so long that Burnham’s trailed drinks with Labour MPs in the No. 10 garden ended up being a shortish affair, with the PM hobnobbing over Peronis, wine and “an array of odd bread snacks” (thanks to one MP for that description).
In brief words to his troops, he asked: “Do you really want to hear more from me today?” Even so: This is a bit of a moment. After those long years as a Westminster outsider (... and three tilts at the leadership), Burnham is facing the insiders’ event of the week. SW1 will be poring over his body language and style.
His claim to do things differently will be put to the test. The BBC even raised the prospect that he might do the whole thing without notes. **A message from Rolls-Royce: Britain is brilliant at research. Rolls-Royce turns that research into industry right here at home.
We have invested £17bn on our engineering and Research & Development across the UK in the last decade, and converted that inventiveness into jobs, exports and national advantage. We are an engine for growth . ** But most importantly ... the laundry list of hardened commitments and non-denials that he aired last night mean his inquisitors have a lot of hard policy to go at. ICYMI: Burnham suggested he could scrap FPTP if he wins consensus at the next election ... pledged a shake-up of the water sector in his 10-year plan as his officials wade through ownership models ... dropped a hint (but no more) that he could raise defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030 ... left the door open to completely overhauling council tax ... and declined to rule out tax rises in the next budget.
He even said he is “concerned” about plans to switch off Freeview in 2034 and pledged save Jodrell Bank, the radio telescope cluster near Manchester. My POLITICO colleague Dan Bloom has an analysis of the many hopes he raised . Yet the specter at this feast ... is the parlous state of Britain’s public finances.
Gilt yields surged to the highest levels since 1998 as the markets reopened this week, adding phenomenal pressure to government borrowing costs and naturally dominating the headlines. Bloomberg’s economics team estimates that the higher costs (and higher inflation) will knock about £12 billion off the government’s £23.6 billion buffer against its fiscal rules. That will leave John Healey having to find billions of extra savings if he wants to keep the headroom, and will significantly restrict his ability to spend more.
It feels obvious that Badenoch could talk about all this during her six sustained questions this lunchtime. TL;DR: None of the above is ideal for a new PM who is trying to project hope, carry out “substantial change” — or leave the door open to a load of policy changes in future. Case in point: One of Burnham’s own allies (and informal advisers) went on LBC to slag off the PM’s statement last night.
“The tone of it about implying a lot more government spending to take control of X, Y and Z is the last thing that investors want to hear on a day where all of this is going on in the background,” economist Jim O’Neill told Andrew Marr. “And so, yes, they’re like ‘who’s going to get real in this country about the challenges of getting our debt down and controlling spending?’” Sounds like the triple helix plan didn’t convince him. Also not ideal: The U.S. launched a fresh wave of strikes overnight against Iran, sending oil prices even higher.
The period of relative calm in the conflict appears to be over. My colleague Charlie Cooper reports Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is eyeing a support package for energy bills in the October budget ... which will add to the sums Healey needs to find. And this isn’t ideal either: The Resolution Foundation is telling Burnham today he will have to hike taxes on middle earners if he wants to fund higher defense spending.
Sound the tax bombshell klaxon. All of the above ... leaves Burnham and his team grappling with some very difficult choices indeed as they prepare for next month’s budget. They’ll be keeping an eye on the markets as they open this morning and react to Burnham’s Commons statement.
Any further pain will make it even harder for his many promises to survive contact with reality. Early casualty: Major elements of planned welfare reforms could be pushed back until after the next king’s speech, the i Paper’s Caroline Wheeler reports . The paper reports that the changes mooted to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (not to be confused with the thrust of the Milburn/Timms reforms) will require primary legislation, meaning they couldn’t be introduced this year.
In the meantime: Burnham’s Cabinet Office enforcer Louise Haigh has launched three new cross-government “taskforces.” While it’s often not that clear what these types of things actually do, they at least set out what the government wants Westminster to think they’re focusing on: in this case, the cost of living, public control and community renewal. The main Burnham-twist is that the Cabinet Office says regional mayors will get to be involved too. The Guardian’s Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot heard it first .
Another Burnham-twist: The new PM is promising to take part in an alternative PMQs today, which he has dubbed — wait for it — “people’s major questions,” having surely failed to find anything else that fits the acronym. Burnham posted a Q&A on Instagram last night for his followers and said he would be answering them after “the other PMQs.” And after all that fun ... Burnham will get to hang out with Emmanuel Macron and the king to look at the Bayeux Tapestry this evening.
He’ll welcome the French president and his wife Brigitte to Downing Street on Thursday for lunch and the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders, leaving us all talking about small boats and war again. CAMDEN CORNER HAPPY 64TH BIRTHDAY, KEIR STARMER: The abrupt resignation of Burnham’s predecessor has given Westminster another by-election to obsess over ... and left Green Party Leader Zack Polanski, currently not an MP, with a major decision to make. As it stands: Polanski hasn’t confirmed he intends to run in Keir Starmer’s Holborn and St Pancras seat, but ...
Green officials put out an afternoon statement saying “Zack has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP,” he was knocking doors in Camden last night and he sent out a quote saying “I am very excited for the next chapter for myself.” See if you can decipher that one. One person in the party said they expect him to put himself forward for selection this week. SCOOP — an Ali in the way: But my POLITICO colleague Isabel Loubser (formerly of the Islington Tribune) hears from two Green figures that one of Polanski’s two deputy leaders, Mothin Ali, is also interested in running.
One person says he would potentially gain the backing of two key leftie groups in the constituency: the Camden People’s Alliance and a local Muslim alliance too. The seat has a big Bengali and Muslim community. Of course ... others in the party insist Ali is fully behind Polanski and would be unlikely to run for the selection if the leader does.
But if the two did both go for it, it would be one hell of an infighting tale and would dominate the backdrop for a crucial by-election. The Greens and Polanski could use a win after slipping in the polls since earlier this year. Other considerations: Another leftie, Andrew Feinstein (who came a decent second in 2024), hasn’t decided what to do yet.
Could a deal be in the offing? ELSEWHERE IN CAMDEN: Labour announced a swift timetable for its selection, giving candidates only until noon this Friday to apply. Shortlisting interviews will take place next Monday with the lucky few subjected to a hustings on Wednesday.
A candidate will be selected after the hustings. London Labour types, come on down: Playbook hears a raft of London Labour politicians are considering running for the seat, though no one has officially applied yet. Names floated include the new Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali ...
Rishi Madlani , who unsuccessfully ran for the Labour selection in Leicester East and currently holds a senior post at Natwest ... former Camden Council leader and one-time SpAd to John Reid Richard Olszewski ... Adam Hug , the Westminster council leader until the Tories won it back ... Raj Chada , who ran against Starmer for the candidacy 12 years ago ... and Nash Ali , another former Camden council leader.
Those who know the scene well in London say there’s no obvious favorite yet. Post-conferences holiday planning notice: If Chief Whip Anneliese Midgley issues the writ today, by Playbook’s maths that would point to a contest on either Oct. 1 (two days after Andy Burnham’s speech at Labour Conference!) or on Oct. 8 (the day after Tory conference ends). Of course, there’s no legal requirement to issue the writ today or anytime soon, if Labour’s power brokers don’t fancy that level of distraction for their big autumn plans.
But there’s no perfect time; there’s the budget and “10-year plan” to disrupt too. TODAY IN WESTMINSTER INCOMING: Nigel Farage is being interviewed by the BBC’s Chris Mason in a few hours — with the interview set for release this afternoon (exact time TBC). Up first: Another allegation that the Reform UK leader broke parliamentary rules — though this is a fairly minor one.
The i Paper’s Jane Merrick reports Farage didn’t get permission to film on the roof of parliament after being re-sworn in as an MP and unauthorized photography or filming on the estate isn’t allowed. He can expect a slap on the wrist. FIRST LEGISLATION OF THE NEW ERA: Fresh from Burnham hinting he would put reform of the voting system in the next Labour manifesto ... the elections bill is back in parliament this evening.
Votes on the many amendments to the bill — which has the headline promise of curbing the sums of overseas donations — are due after 6 p.m. It’s worth keeping an eye out for whether any grumpy Starmer type Labour MPs try to cause trouble with amendments of their own. It’s also worth checking if ministers put any flesh on Burnham’s remark that “we need to go further” on curbing big-money donations to political parties.
The PM decided not to cap U.K. individual donations or ban foreign donations in this bill , despite some MPs wanting him to, but hinted vaguely at possible future action last night. SOME GOOD NEWS FOR BURNHAM: Donald Trump is preparing tariffs on the EU for fining U.S. Big Tech companies ... but Britain is likely to be spared in the tariff war, the Times’ Max Kendix reports .
GOING GLOBAL: Matt Clifford, ex AI adviser to multiple prime ministers, has joined AI company Anthropic as managing director for international affairs. He’s leading government affairs for the whole world — except North America. Clifford helped set up the Bletchley Park summit under Rishi Sunak (who is also an adviser to Anthropic).
STAT DROP: Quarterly figures on workless households are out at 9.30 a.m. SW1 EVENTS: Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Spectator Editor Michael Gove go head-to-head on energy and the future of Rosebank in a discussion hosted by OEUK and chaired by STV’s Lucy Dunn (6 p.m.) ... and the IEA is hosting the launch of its book “The Great Stagnation: Why Britain Stopped Growing” and a panel discussion featuring former Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride (6 p.m.). REPORTS OUT TODAY: The British Chambers of Commerce economic forecast says higher energy and business costs will keep growth weak this year and into 2027 ...
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Trade and Investment has warned of a “delivery gap” in the implementation of the government’s trade, industrial and small business strategies ... and the National Audit Office says digital public services are still “fragmented ” after the new government’s decision to scrap digital ID. HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with questions on Wales followed by PMQs ... Conservative MP Andrew Bowie ’s 10-minute rule motion on repealing the Climate Change Act ... remaining stages of the Representation of the People Bill ... and Lib Dem MP Claire Young has the adjournment debate on national highways and the M49 Severnside junction.
WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on topics including the impact of Brexit on the U.K. (SNP MP Pete Wishart ) ... the Disability Living Allowance for children (Labour MP Michelle Welsh ) ... and rural local authorities (Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan ). On committee corridor: Transport experts share their thoughts on the Heathrow expansion proposals (9.15 a.m.) ... Social Security Minister Stephen Timms is grilled by the Work and Pensions Committee on vulnerable claimants (9.30 a.m.) ... former Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell gives evidence on the U.K.’s constitutional safeguards (10.30 a.m.) ... professor John Bew shares his expertise on multilateralism (10.30 a.m.) ...
Energy Minister Michael Shanks gives evidence on the electricity market (10.45 a.m.) ... Creative Industries Minister Ian Murray is questioned on live music (11 a.m.) HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 3 p.m. with oral questions on topics including electoral finance law, the impact of data centers on water resources and undiagnosed PTSD cases ... committee stage scrutiny of the Armed Forces Bill ... and David Frost ’s regret motion on the Windsor Framework. BEYOND THE M25 CYMRU CALLING: Journalists Will Hayward and Catrin Pascoe are launching The Cymru News Network with the long-term aim of building a national news service for Wales.
You can read the pitch here . CLASS DISMISSED: The five largest teaching unions in Northern Ireland have voted to strike over workloads . The unions said industrial action could still be avoided if their concerns are “fully addressed.” AROUND THE WORLD CRASHING RELATIONS: German ministers have blamed Russia for the attempted drone attack at Leipzig Airport last month and accused Moscow of treating their country with “open hostility,” my colleague Nette Nöstlinger reports from Berlin.
Friedrich Merz’s government is planning a raft of diplomatic countermeasures and will push for tougher EU sanctions to deter hybrid attacks. EU leaders rushed to show solidarity with Berlin last night, and the bloc’s mounting fears over Russia will be high on the agenda when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte today. TO NEPAL: Indo-Pacific Minister Rosie Winterton is visiting Kathmandu from today, to meet Nepali authorities and humanitarian teams to discuss the response to the devastating floods.
CHARLIE KIRK CASE HEADING FOR TRIAL: Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old Utah man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year, will stand trial after pleading not guilty to aggravated murder , the BBC reports. A judge ruled that he could face the death penalty if he’s convicted. A trial date has yet to be set.
MEDIA ROUND Cabinet Office minister Sally Jameson broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) ... Sky Mornings (7.15 a.m.) ... BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) ...
LBC (7.50 a.m.) ... Today (8.15 a.m.) ... Good Morning Britain (8.35 a.m.) ...
GB News (9.05 a.m.). Conservative Chair Kevin Hollinrake broadcast round: Talk (7.05 a.m.) ... Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) ...
GB News (8 a.m.) ... LBC (8.50 a.m.) ... Sky Mornings (9.15 a.m.).
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Labour peer John Hutton (7.07 a.m.). Also on Good Morning Britain: Iceland boss Richard Walker (7.20 a.m.). Also on Talk: Labour MP Toby Perkins (7.30 a.m.) ...
Reform UK mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham (8.50 a.m.) ... Conservative Deputy Chair Matt Vickers (9 a.m.). Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Former U.S.
Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield (7.35 a.m.) ... former diplomat and peer Peter Ricketts (8.20 a.m.) ... former chief scientific adviser under Tony Blair David King (9.45 a.m.). Also on Sky Mornings: HM Chief Inspector of Probation Martin Jones (8.15 a.m.) ... historian Simon Sebag Montefiore (8.30 a.m.) ... musician Brian May (9.45 a.m.). Also on LBC News: Former Labour adviser James Matthewson (8.25 a.m.).
Politics Live (BBC Two 11.15 a.m.): Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander ... Shadow Business Secretary Julia Lopez ... Labour MP Zubir Ahmed ...
Conservative MP Joe Robertson ... broadcaster Kay Burley . TODAY’S FRONT PAGES POLITICO UK : Burnham’s energy chief eyes new year cost of living cut. Daily Express : Kemi: new PM wants to take us back to the 70s.
Daily Mail : Britain’s problems? I blame Thatcher and Brexit, says Burnham. Daily Mirror : A fresh start versus Farage farce.
Daily Star : Phew! What scorchers. Financial Times : Russia secretly helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles.
Metro : Historic battle. The Daily Telegraph : Markets turn on Burnham. The Guardian : Brexit and Thatcher to blame for UK’s era of low growth, says PM.
The Independent : Burnham blames Brexit for ‘decade of low growth.’ The i Paper : Burnham pushes welfare cuts into 2027 — as he plans bolder devolution. The Times : Burnham lays blame on Brexit for UK’s woes. The Sun : Katie: I’m divorcing you, Lee.
LONDON CALLING WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny intervals changing to cloudy by late morning. High of 22C, low of 18C. PINTS, SHOTS, PINTS, SHOTS: The POLITICO Pub is returning at Labour conference , and we’re starting to fill our guest list.
The opening line up of folks set for interviews and appearances includes Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds ... Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ... Welfare inquisitor Alan Milburn ...
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds ... Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander ... Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram ...
AI Minister Kanishka Narayan ... Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson ... Energy Minister Michael Shanks ... and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Emily Thornberry , with more to follow.
But first: We’re off to Birmingham on Thursday for the first POLITICO Speakeasy (our conference drinks party) of the season. Read more here . CONGRATS TO: The i Paper’s Will Hazell , who has been promoted from Whitehall correspondent to chief political correspondent.
RING THE BELL: Another MP has launched a Substack. It’s Torsten Bell this time, and his Charting the Course newsletter has its first edition out now on the U.K. labor market . NEW GIGS: Former Burnham adviser Ross MacRae has started as director of the Mayor’s Office in Greater Manchester, working for new mayor Bev Craig ...
Michael Sturrock joins the Data and Marketing Association as director of policy after five years as a political aide to former MP Angus Robertson ... Jamal Alkayed , former press officer at the Irish Embassy, has joined Penta Group as a senior director. DON’T MISS: Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has launched a vodcast with former senior civil servant Alun Evans .
It’s called Hidden Wiring and explains the mechanics of British politics, with the latest episode on what really happens inside No. 10 during a reshuffle. NOW WATCH: Piers Morgan has had the pleasure of exclusively hosting freshly deported commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in the Uncensored studio, where Yiannopoulos talked about being arrested by ICE. WEDNESDAY’S POD PICKS: Iain Dale ’s Edinburgh Fringe interview with Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch drops this morning — in which she describes the idea of a Tory-Reform coalition as “monstrous” ... former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Chatham House Director Bronwen Maddox discuss the U.K.’s global might on the Coalition for Global Prosperity’s new podcast: World, Interrupted .
MATCH REPORT: Labour Staff FC defeated Number 10 4-2 in the battle of Barnes Bridge. The feisty affair saw multiple robust tackles and a few yellow cards. Labour opened the scoring with a goal from James Nolan , before Number 10 responded with goals from Alex Urwin and Tom Nicholls .
A hat-trick from Luke Joseph secured the win for Labour. WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio. WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: Sam Francis.
BIRTHDAYS: Outgoing MP for Holborn and St Pancras Keir Starmer ... outgoing Permanent Secretary for Government Communications David Dinsmore ... Labour peer Mary Goudie ... Labour peer Farmida Bi ...
Scottish Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville ... broadcaster Moira Stuart . PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Dan Bloom , Alex Spence and James Panichi , reporter Megan McElroy and producers Dean Southwell and Hugh Kapernaros . **A message from Rolls-Royce: At Rolls-Royce, British research becomes technology; technology becomes industry; and industry becomes jobs, exports and national advantage. We are the UK’s engine for growth .
Over the last decade, we have invested £17bn across the UK on engineering and R&D, and filed more than 1,950 patents here first. In 2024 alone, we spent £882m on UK R&D, with over 20 research partnerships with UK universities and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centres. Industrialising our research generates high-paying, high-skilled and highly productive jobs.
We support more than 73,000 jobs spread across every UK nation, including 23,000 at our 37 sites, and spend over £2bn with over 1,350 British suppliers. And we generate a strong return for the UK: every £1 in UK Government R&D contribution we receive generates £33 to the UK economy. Backing British innovation means turning British ideas into British growth. ** SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | Berlin Playbook | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | D.C.
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Source: politico.eu
