EXCLUSIVE from @oliver_wright Keir Starmer was blindsided by John Healey's resignation as defence secretary because he was far more worried about Ed Miliband and Rachel Reeves   Miliband was on “resignation watch” after he refused repeatedly to meet Starmer to discuss planned cuts to his net zero agenda. The fear was that the energy secretary would use the announcement to quit and publicly throw his weight behind Burnham   Extraordinarily No 10 was also worried about Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, who had been strongly arguing for a much smaller defence uplift of “single figure billions”   Reeves was said to be so angry about the move to take money from other departments’ spending plans to top up defence that she had refused to take part in the process of drawing up the cuts   While her allies said Reeves had worked “constructively” on trying to find the money, tellingly it was No 10, rather than the Treasury, that negotiated cuts to infrastructure budgets.   “It went well beyond what Rachel wanted,” said one No 10 source. “John [Healey] knew how difficult it was and how hard the prime minister worked to get it up to £13.5 billion.” Our weekend read on how John Healey’s resignation blew a hole in Keir Starmer’s survival strategy: Healey’s resignation is deeply damaging for two reasons. First, until now, Healey has been as loyal as they come, resolutely defending the prime minister time and again on the broadcast rounds But far worse was the timing. Starmer’s whole survival strategy was predicated on playing up his national security credentials. The plan had been to launch Dip before next week’s G7 summit at Evian in France and use the event to present Starmer as the man who could take the “big decisions to make the country safe” It was deliberately designed to contrast Starmer with the inexperienced mayor of Greater Manchester, giving Burnham and Labour MPs at least a few second thoughts about an immediate challenge Instead the prime minister heads to Evian with that entire strategy in tatters and a date with President Trump that could be excruciating “The survival plan has been totally demolished by Healey,” a senior Labour figure said. “Starmer’s strongest card was as the man who can take the big decisions to keep the country safe and Healey has accused him of putting the country at risk. It is hard to see how we go from here.” thetimes.com/article/fc89861…

Exclusive:   Britain must not be “squeamish” about reducing the welfare bill to fund additional spending on defence, Andy Burnham has said.   The mayor of Greater Manchester said that the government must “listen to” the concerns raised by John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary after accusing the prime minister of jeopardising the security of the nation.   In an interview with The Times he said that “the world has changed” and it is “obvious” that the government is going to have to adjust assumptions about defence spending in response.   He said that rather than implementing “crude cuts” to the welfare budget he favours a “preventative” approach that will provide the support people need to get back into work.   He unveiled plans for a 10-year public investment plan which will require all government procurement to include commitments to spending on apprenticeships and work placements for young people.   “I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all.   "But it is not the traditional Westminster way of just crude cuts, short-term crude cuts that then create a backlash and create more political turbulence.   "It is actually going to do things that will actually reduce the benefits bill, which is moving towards a more preventative state that makes the right investments to support people into work.”   thetimes.com/article/1f3d91c…

Reform UK Reinstate Councillor Who Said Nigerians 'Should Be Melted Down' huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/r…

Ant Middleton is an unrepentant racist who doesn’t think I should be allowed to serve in Government because of my heritage, despite having been born here. He doesn’t think Zia Yusuf should be allowed to either. He’s also a violent thug who served a prison sentence after being convicted of assaulting two police officers. Hardly a surprise then to see Rob Kenyon endorsed by one of his “heroes” in Makerfield, so desperate are Reform to stop haemorrhaging support to Restore Britain.

There are some brutal briefings about Keir Starmer in the wake of John Healey’s resignation today This one - from a Treasury official - stands out in our splash “As always with the prime minister, he is unable to make sound political and timely decisions “Funding the defence investment plan requires cuts to elements of government spending vital to growth - a key issue obviously this country needs to work on “This was flagged to No 10 in May and as usual he is a rabbit in the headlights and does not make a decision “Prioritise growth funding or defence spending - take a decision” thetimes.com/article/ed817bc…

Lord Case, a former cabinet secretary, says that 'time is running out' for Keir Starmer as he warns against 'insipid incrementalism He says there is a paradox: 'As time seems to run short on a premiership, and prime ministers feel under threat, there becomes a great temptation to tack this way and that to keep as many people on board as possible. 'What that can lead to is incredibly insipient, incrementalism in your decision-making. When actually sometimes the best way of saving a premiership is to be bold 'To show the country or in this case the people of your own party that you can be bold, you are capable of taking the big decisions'

BREAK: Dan Jarvis new Defence Secretary

My letter to the Prime Minister

Healey's opposite number in Italy...

BREAKING: Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns After Spending Bust-Up With Keir Starmer huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/d…

Reform: “Unions should affiliate with Reform” Unions: “um..but…your parliamentary party is mostly people who have been trying to destroy the trade union movement for decades, so no…” Reform: “In that case you aren’t properly representing your members, and must be destroyed.”

Some people have said Braverman and Jenrick resigned over immigration failures. But neither of them resigned over the measures that facilitated the fast-tracking of the alleged Belfast attacker. They publicly advocated for the fast track-system, oversaw it and implanted it.

‘I am not here to relitigate Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick.’ ‘But why are you letting them off the hook?’ Reform UK’s London Mayoral Candidate Laila Cunningham and columnist Dan Hodges clash over the two Reform UK MPs roles in the previous Tory government.

So apparently this guy was campaigning for Reform in Makerfield today.

Story here 👇 huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/m…

Full statement by the family of Stephen Ogilvie: "We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue. "This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover. ​"We want to say a profound thank you to the local people who bravely stepped in during the attack. "Your quick actions absolutely saved his life, and we will never forget what you did for him in that moment. "We also want to thank the emergency services and the doctors and nurses looking after him. "​We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. "We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward. "We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work. "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility. "​We are asking the media and the public to please give us some space. "We need privacy to focus on our family right now, without cameras or people speculating about what happened.​ "If you know anything at all about the attack, or saw anything strange near Kinnaird Avenue, please go to the police. ​"Thank you for respecting our privacy"

Breaking: Douglas Alexander has admitted that he asked Lord Mandelson to name a 'trade policy expert' who could assist him when he was minister of trade and security Mandelson at the time was chairman of Global Counsel, the lobbying company he founded. Mandelson recommended a former official from the European Commission who now worked at... Global Counsel Alexander met the indiviudal on 31st July, 2024. He says that the meeting covered global trade policy and there was 'no discussoin of named businesses or of any ongoing role for Global Counsel' But the meeting was not publicly declared. Alexander says he delegated responsibility for this to his officials who did not do so. We only know of the meeting because it came up in the Humble Address. Otherwise the only record of it would have remained buried in the bowels of Whitehall somewhere Keir Starmer says that while the 'administrative oversight was regrettable', Alexander has acted 'appropriately' in flagging the issue. 'I consider no further action to be needed'

NEW Keir Starmer: "The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable. There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will feel the full force of the law.” huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/e…

Fine. So where's your leader on this. Where's your "Shadow Home Secretary". Why has it taken over a week for them to condemn Southampton. Where's their condemnation of what happened last night. Why has Nigel already been out this morning tweeting about fly tipping, but not Belfast.

There may well be serious questions about policing and equality guidance. But there is still no conclusive evidence that anti-discrimination policy caused the actions of officers the night Henry Nowak died. But half of British politics is acting as if there is. Piece from me on the endless unreality of Britain's culture wars. substack.com/home/post/p-201…