Tag: Angela Rayner
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Waiting for imaginary negotiations abroad, preparing for inflation at home and governing in the shadow of events with no clear purpose. Welcome to Britain 2026. The Israel–US confrontation with Iran continues to set the UK political tempo. Domestic policy did not stop, but it did feel provisional: as though HMG is waiting to see what…
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Wait for it! Another week dominated by Iran, but not entirely determined by it. Westminster continues to move in its familiar pattern: modest domestic announcements, internal Labour positioning and foreign policy events imposing themselves faster than ministers can respond. British politics appears to be holding its breath. Diego Garcia and the geography of risk The…
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Implosion as “Governance.” Last week ended with Morgan McSweeney gone. This week has been about what that departure did not fix. The McSweeney Non-Solution McSweeney’s resignation was supposed to draw a line under the “judgement” critique that had begun to stalk Keir Starmer. It has not. The problem was never merely personnel. It was pattern.…
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The End is Nigh. Peter Mandelson’s Washington appointment was always a high wire act. It was sold as hard nosed realpolitik: a seasoned operator, a serious network, a Labour government signalling competence to the White House and Wall Street. However, the appointment contained a basic miscalculation of the post-2020 political climate: voters tolerate many things,…
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BUDGET PANTOMIME: “SHE’S BENEATH YOU!” TWOP put together a quick take on the totally useless Budget on Wednesday evening. Although it was TWOP’s first Budget, the measures announced were so anti-climactic that it seemed hard to justify giving the announcement much notice, but the spectacular subsequent political fall-out is a gift that just keeps giving…
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RAYNER’S DECKCHAIRS The first week back at Westminster turned out to be eventful. Writing three days after Angela Rayner’s resignation on Friday and 48 hours after the closing (and rather wobbly) rendition of the National Anthem at REFORM’s Birmingham conference has allowed some time for at least a little reflection on “Whither Labour?”Quick answer: down…
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POST-BREXIT “RESET” On 19th May Keir Starmer hosted Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa (he’s the EU Council President) for a “Reset Summit” at Lancaster House in London. Negotiations were reported to have gone down to the wire, but they announced a post-Brexit agreement encompassing defence and security cooperation, fisheries, agrifood barriers, carbon border…