The collapse of the Chinese spies case brought National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell into the firing line. Downing Street blamed the Tories for its failure to designate China as an ‘enemy’ in court proceedings, while hacks’ attempts to get Starmer to deny on the record that Powell was in any way involved led to word salads and obfuscation. Guido revealed Powell’s repeated meetings with CCP officials prior to becoming National Security Adviser, and the CPS pointed the blame directly at Number 10 over the collapse of the case. Starmer, once again, deployed the “no idea, it wasn’t me guv” defence…
Labour conference came and went, with Starmer delivering another cliché-ridden box-ticker of a speech that convinced no-one of anything other than they still don’t like him. He left the conference even less popular than he went in. Although Andy Burnham’s latest attempt to storm the palace failed, to Number 10’s momentary relief…
Lucy Powell, who just six weeks earlier had been sacked from the Cabinet, trounced Bridget Phillipson in Labour’s Deputy Leadership race. She enjoyed an awkward photo-op with the man who had just fired her, and then practically disappeared again. Not that it mattered – the Number 10 candidate had failed, and the King of the North’s best mate had triumphed. It did not go unnoticed in Number 10 that Miliband had backed Powell, either…
Guido revealed a Birmingham City councillor who claimed to have been “appointed on to the Safety Advisory Board at Aston Villa FC” had called for a boycott of Israel. Relevant material given Maccabi Tel Aviv fans had been banned from attending the Villa game the following month…
Tory conference steadied the ship a bit for Kemi Badenoch. Whether that ship can stay afloat is another question, but the plan to scrap stamp duty entirely proved popular with Tory MPs. The regicidal grumblings receded. For now, at least…
The accidental release of the Epping migrant hotel sex attacker was the perfect case study in state failure: a tragicomic disaster that you’d think would only happen once given how shocking and embarrassing it was. David Lammy practically exploded in the Commons when challenged over it, so presumably lessons would be learnt. Not quite.
Two victims were killed in a horrifying terror attack on a Manchester synagogue. The mealy-mouthed platitudes about antisemitism were thin gruel for those attending the vigil after the attack, with David Lammy booed and heckled throughout his appearance.
Plaid Cymru won the Caerphilly by-election, with Reform coming second (having been the bookies’ favourites heading in) and Labour’s vote totally evaporating. Plaid’s newest MS Lindsay Whittle, who spoke warmly to GB News just before the result, was banned from speaking to the channel entirely soon after his victory. ‘We don’t speak to GB News’ was the reason given… just minutes after Whittle had done just that.
Honourable Mentions:
WATCH: Jenrick Ignores Emily Maitlis Five Times
‘Charlie Kirk’ Oxford Union President Ousted After Vote
Headline of the Month:
Taxpayers on Hook for £88 Million Splurge on Contraception in Pakistan
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