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Good morning,
I'm writing this morning's email sitting on the floor because my office/spare bedroom was ram-packed at 5.30am this morning.
Sir Humphreys across Whitehall should take a moment to remember Sir Antony Jay, the co-writer of Yes Minister, who has died at the age of 86.
Theresa May will be back at work in No 10 today, perhaps contemplating that snap general election again, with the Labour leader's ability to keep seats now in serious question.
But for now, Jeremy Corbyn clings on. Obviously. |
Matt Chorley
Red Box Editor
@MattChorley
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| In today’s briefing |
- First class Virgin Traingate service
- Smith: Corbyn is "some lunatic"
- May warned over infrastructure delays
- Clinton's email problems
- Putin the peacemaker?
- Bennett: Don't remember me for cough
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| Corbyn's Labour |
| An important announcement |
*Ding dong*
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your guard speaking.
The story now arriving on all social media platforms is the first class Virgin Traingate service from Corbyn Stunt Parkway via MSM Conspiracy to Frontpage Central.
We apologise for the popularity of this story, which may cause some discomfort to elderly gentlemen unable to sit in rows of empty seats for long periods.
It is not permitted to cycle, skateboard, rollerblade or pretend not to have a seat anywhere on the Virgin network. 24-hour closed circuit television recording is in operation for the security and safety of the truth.
During this summer period of hot summery weather, always carry a bottle of water which can be used to create beads of sweat for the cameras.
If you are feeling unwell because you cannot sit with your cameraman, spin doctor and social media officer, pull the first emergency cord. If you would like a table, pull the other one.
Please do not leave your party leader unattended. All left-wingers left unattended may be destroyed by the Blairite media forces.
Due to today's political climate, please take extra care. Claims about our floors may be slippery.
Keep all emergency exits free of luggage and ram-packed at all times. All passengers are kindly asked not to take up seats with invisible bags or very small, tiny children, like those from The Borrowers.
Please ensure you have a valid alibi for your entire journey. Other people do travel on the trains, and you will be expected to produce proof of your story, when asked to do so.
Passengers are reminded that smoking is prohibited at all times. This includes smoke from pants that may be on fire.
Stand well back from the edge of an empty seat if you are being filmed for The Guardian.
Mind the gap, between the claim, and the reality. Mind the gap.
This story terminates here.
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| Smith: Corbyn is "some lunatic" |
Traingate seems to be taking its toll on Jeremy Corbyn. In a bizarre clip on last night's BBC News at Ten he was filmed slamming his front gate closed and telling a cameraman, waiting in the street: "Thank you very much for invading my private space."
Which managed to be both passive aggressive and an innuendo worthy of a Carry On.
Owen Smith stuck the boot in with a tweet saying: "My campaign remains on track. Proud to be genuinely standing up for ordinary people."
And then last night at a rally in London, Smith told supporters: "What you won’t get from me is some lunatic at the top of the Labour Party, you’ll have someone who tries to form a coherent narrative about what’s wrong with Britain.”
Early this morning Team Corbyn demanded Smith apologise for "offensive language and personal abuse". No irony there.
Corbyn is joined by Diane Abbott today to launch a new policy to "renationalise the NHS", bringing all work back into public hands, ending PFI contracts and restoring bursaries for NHS nurses. |
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| From soap star to MP |
Soap star Tracy Brabin, who has been in Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale, is being lined up to take over Jo Cox's seat.
The close friend of the murdered MP for Batley and Spen is expected to announce her campaign in days and has the backing of the local Labour Party, The Sun reports. |
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| Today’s cartoon from Morten Morland |
| Brexit Britain |
| Welcome back, prime minister |
She might not get the same heroes welcome as Team GB, but Theresa May returns to the UK today from her Swiss walking holiday with things piling up in her in-tray.
As well as looming decisions on Heathrow and Hinkley, next week's G20 meeting in China and the looming Tory Party conference, there is the small matter of Brexit.
All that without mentioning the fact that in her absence, her Brexit ministers Johnson, Fox and Davis have been fighting like ferrets in a sack.
It was two months ago today that Britain woke to news that we had voted to leave the EU. A huge amount has happened since then, and yet we still know very little about what Brexit will actually mean.
As soon as someone starts trying to put some meat on the bones, the Tory attack dogs will be ready to pounce. |
| Jobs for the anti-Brexit boys |
William Hague has been accused of “lobbying by the back door” after taking a leading role advising blue-chip companies that want to influence the government’s approach to Brexit.
The Times has details of how Lord Hague of Richmond, the former foreign secretary, is part of what critics are calling a Brexit lobbying bonanza. Not bad for someone who wanted to Remain.
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| Smith demands second vote |
Owen Smith will today commit Labour to blocking a move to trigger Article 50 unless Theresa May promises to put the final Brexit deal to another national vote.
Interestingly, he will challenge Jeremy Corbyn to match that commitment, as he claims to be a “passionate pro-European” prepared “to fight tooth and nail to keep us in the EU”. Read the story
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| Indyref2 plans within weeks |
Plans for a second independence referendum will be unveiled within weeks, Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.
However, it comes as new figures are expected to show a multibillion-pound deficit in the country’s finances. |
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| Flemish post-Brexit plan |
Britain could become part of a new North Sea union to link countries with common trading and energy interests after leaving the European Union, under a proposal by Geert Bourgeois, the conservative leader of Flanders. Read the story
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| Economy shakes off Brexit crash forecast |
Fears that the Brexit vote would cause an immediate downturn in the economy were diminished yesterday after a hat-trick of good news added to signs that the UK is faring better than expected two months after the vote. Read the story
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| Royal charm offensive |
| Prince William "turned on the charm" for Angela Merkel, The Sun reports, with the heir to the throne insisting Brexit will not affect the "depth" of Britain's friendship with Germany. |
| International relations |
| Putin the peacemaker? |
Vladmir Putin is pushing to host peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in the latest sign of his ambition for Russia to replace the United States as chief power broker in the Middle East.
Israel is open to the idea and it comes after efforts by European officials to host a similar meeting in Paris failed.
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| Race for the White House |
| More trouble in Clinton's inbox |
What is it about Hillary Clinton and emails? Donald Trump has called for a special prosecutor to investigate her family charity after new emails revealed how donors frequently sought favours from the US Department of State.
The FBI has found about 14,900 previously unseen messages from Clinton’s four-year tenure as secretary of state. They appear to undermine her claim that she handed over all her work-related correspondence when she supplied 30,000 emails this year.
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| SW1 |
| Order, order at the bar |
Good news for thirsty MPs: parliament’s lawyers have found a way around a ban on the sale of alcohol in their new temporary home.
When the Commons is closed for refurbishment, MPs will move to the Department of Health's Richmond House on Whitehall, but the plans hit trouble when it emerged that the building is part of a lease arrangement involving an Islamic bond, or sukuk, which meant alcohol could be banned.
It follows an abortive attempt to "nationalise" the Red Lion pub by bringing it inside parliament's security cordon.
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| Green party |
| Natalie Bennett: I don't want to be remembered for THAT interiview |
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By Natasha Clark
Along with the kerfuffle of the Labour leadership contest, and the chaos of Ukip’s, it’s easy to forget that the Green Party is also electing its next leader. After four years in the top job, Natalie Bennett will stand down this summer to allow a new leader (or leaders - two are running on a job share ticket) to take the reigns. Reflecting on her leadership while on holiday in rural France, she says she hopes to be remembered for taking on David Cameron in the leaders debates, and not for her embarrassing “brain fade” LBC interview in the run-up to the 2015 general election.
Read the full interview on the Red Box website |
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THATCHER'S ARMS DEAL Margaret Thatcher’s efforts to keep a lid on talks with the Saudis to land the UK’s biggest-ever arms deal are revealed today. In April 1985 Thatcher visited Saudi Arabia on her way back from a tour of southeast Asia, a stopover that helped to clinch the al-Yamamah contract. Read the story
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TASER RECORD At least a quarter of police forces have given Tasers to more officers or are considering such a move, citing terrorism and other safety fears, analysis by The Times shows. Read the story
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TRAIN STRIKES Commuters on Southern Railway can expect fresh chaos next month after the announcement of a 48-hour strike in a row over whose job it is to close train doors.
Read the story
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SENT TO LANDFILL The amount of household waste rejected for recycling has increased by more than 80 per cent over the past four years, raising questions about how simple it is for people to identify material that can be reused.
Read the story
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MICROBEADS BAN Cosmetics companies should be banned from adding tiny pieces of plastic to products because of the damage they do to marine life, MPs have said.
Read the story
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| TMS |
| From the diary |
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PMQs is new rock ’n’ roll
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Prime minister’s questions has got an unexpected fan in Liam Gallagher. The lead singer of Oasis is, as they used to say in Manchester, mad for it and tells Q magazine that he always tries to tune in at midday on a Wednesday. “I’m not bothered about politics,” he says, “but I like that geezer, the Speaker of the House.”
It turns out that Gallagher does a rather good impersonation of John Bercow. “I nailed him calling some **** out,” he tells Q, then pulls out his phone and plays a file of himself shouting: “Sir Edward Leeeeeeeeeeeigh!” Perhaps next summer Bercow and Gallagher (and maybe Sir Edward, the MP for Gainsborough, too) can headline Glastonbury.
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Read more from the TMS diary
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| Today: |
- Rory Stewart, international development minister, begins visits to Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal.
- Brandon Lewis, the policing and fire minister, publishes police and fire services’ procurement data
- Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, attends the Edinburgh International Culture Summit.
- Defence minister Harriet Baldwin attends the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
- 10am: Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, the shadow health secretary, make a policy announcement on the NHS in London hospital. Later Corbyn holds a rally in Chelmsford.
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