“Sir Keir Starmer has a month to prove that his Government is not “fundamentally” dysfunctional, a senior Whitehall figure has said. In a warning shot to the Prime Minister, the source said Sue Gray was “not of the party” and that only he could get a grip on the worsening situation. The remarks come amid a bitter briefing war between top figures in Downing Street, and a public row over donations to Cabinet ministers.. A poll on Saturday showed that Sir Keir’s approval rating had plummeted to its lowest level, and he was now more unpopular than Rishi Sunak. One well-connected source said figures close to the Prime Minister had been warned he needed to personally intervene and “get a grip” on the crisis.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is “in the pocket of millionaires”, Diane Abbott has said on the eve of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool. Ms Abbott, the veteran Left-winger, criticised the Prime Minister after a row over him accepting thousands of pounds for clothes from Lord Alli, a Labour peer and his biggest personal donor. On Friday, Sir Keir promised that he would stop taking donations for clothes now that he was in office. Angela Rayner, his deputy, and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, made the same pledge. Ms Reeves admitted this week she had received almost £7,500 for clothing since 2023 from a friend called Juliet Rosenfield, the widow of a Labour donor.” – Sunday Telegraph
“David Lammy took £10,000 from a Saudi-supporting PR executive months before he became Foreign Secretary, The Telegraph can disclose. Muddassar Ahmed donated the money to support his office through Silk Road Consultancy, a company with no employees of which Mr Ahmed is the sole director. Silk Road Consultancy also donated £10,000 to Shabana Mahmood MP, the Lord High Chancellor, before the general election. Mr Ahmed, 41, who is managing partner of the PR firm Unitas Communications, has previously praised Saudi Arabia and its policies in blogs and comment articles.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Rachel Reeves is sitting in the imposing state room in 11 Downing Street. Each December it hosts the chancellor’s children’s Christmas party, where a magician beguiles youngsters with tricks such as pulling a live rabbit from a hat. But in a frank interview before the Labour Party conference in Liverpool this week, Reeves is clear there is no sleight of hand that can conjure up the money to plug the £22 billion black hole in the public finances. That does not mean that she is gloomy about the country’s outlook. The chancellor claims to be more confident than ever about Britain’s economic prospects and the ability to create a welcoming climate for investment, which she believes is the key to growth.” – Sunday Times
“Ministers are set to impose heat pump targets next year in a move that will lead to a “boiler tax” on households, industry sources have said. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, is expected to introduce the policy from April, despite warnings that it will drive up the cost of a new boiler. Under the plans, boiler makers would be hit with hefty fines if they fail to achieve targets on the number of heat pumps they have to sell every year. Manufacturers have warned that it would force them to add up to £180 to the price of a boiler, although campaigners have accused them of profiteering.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Sometimes it is the small things in life that can make one sit up and take note. After spending nearly 10 years in government it is easy for the real world to pass you by and if you become a “protected person” with bodyguards and police drivers, then that world can get even further away. For many of my colleagues after the election the real world hits you with a bump. For me, I started to notice more and more the gaps between what we as a party pledged or considered in 2010 or 2015 and what we delivered. Take our roads, for example. We came to power promising 80 mph speed limits on the motorway. Instead, we left our roads festooned with cameras, variable speed limits and a whole new level of 20 mph restrictions.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the latest furry resident of Downing Street – Prince the Siberian kitten. A photograph of the Prime Minister alongside Prince was released on Saturday, showing the small kitten having leapt up onto the desk with his paws on Sir Keir’s paperwork. The newest feline addition to the Starmer family came after “a long summer of negotiations” with the Prime Minister’s children, who had been keen to get a German Shepherd if they moved to No 10. The Prime Minister told the BBC in July: “We are now getting a kitten instead of a dog. The kitten joins Downing Street veteran feline Larry, who has been Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since 2011.” – Sunday Telegraph