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By EMILIO CASALICCHIO
PRESENTED BY
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Good afternoon.
WEDNESDAY CHEAT SHEET
— Conservative MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke defected to Labour.
— It’s a blow for Rishi Sunak but the bombshell is blowing back on Keir Starmer too.
— SCOOP: At least one Labour woman has written a formal complaint to the chief whip.
— The government expelled a Russian armed forces diplomat in a ramping up of tensions with Moscow.
— Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Donald Trump had been “misunderstood.”
— The cricketing poster boy of the George Galloway movement is out.
**A message from TikTok: What do a butcher, baker and candlestick maker have in common? They are all examples of the almost 1.5 million UK businesses who are now on TikTok. Research from Oxford Economics has shown that SMEs using TikTok contributed an additional £1.6 billion to UK GDP, supporting 32,000 jobs.**
TOP OF THE NEWSLIST
PLAY WITH FIRE, GET BURNED: Keir Starmer scored another blow against Rishi Sunak at PMQs, with a second Conservative defection to Labour in two weeks. But the opposition boss is facing blowback from the news bomb he detonated.
Political migration crisis: The revelation Dover MP Natalie Elphicke had crossed the floor has outraged numerous senior Labour figures including allies of Starmer. Her right-wing views, not least on illegal migration, past attacks on the opposition, and comments on her convicted sex offender ex-husband aren’t only winding up the Labour left.
What’s the secret of a good political bombshell? Timing: Reporters were gathering in the press galleries overlooking the Commons ahead of PMQs when a couple of eagle-eyed hacks spotted Elphicke sitting on the Labour benches behind Starmer, between his MP aide Jess Morden and Shadow Science Minister Chi Onwurah. Sure enough as noon hit, a statement from Labour landed in inboxes announcing the coup.
In her own words (well … her name was on it, at least): In her statement, Elphicke said the Tories under Sunak “have become a byword for incompetence and division. The center ground has been abandoned and key pledges of the 2019 manifesto have been ditched. Meanwhile the Labour Party has changed out of all recognition. Since 2019, it has moved on from Jeremy Corbyn and now, under Keir Starmer, occupies the center ground of British politics.”
But but but: Lots of people in Labour aren’t impressed. Her hardline views on the small boats issue (read here) … her former criticisms of footballer Marcus Rashford over his free school meals campaign (which she later apologized for) … and her comments after the conviction of her ex-husband that he was being punished for being “attractive and attracted” to women (plus her attempts to pressure a judge about the case — which she also apologized for) were all being highlighted this afternoon by critics.
Not to mention … the complaints from her (until now) opponent in Dover, the Labour candidate Mike Tapp … about her response to the P&O sacking scandal and the sewage scandal, alongside a whole bunch of other things. Now the Tapp line is: “No one is happier than me when someone is persuaded to come over to the Labour cause.” Elphicke won’t stand in the seat at the general election, but is free to become a Labour candidate in other constituencies.
What people are saying: One shadow minister said people like Elphicke should not be welcomed into Labour, adding: “She has views that would be welcome in Reform.” A backbencher said although she had done good work on housing, Elphicke was “on the hard right of the Conservatives” on almost all other issues, adding: “I do hope this doesn’t mean an import of some of her problematic views from the past.” A staffer to a shadow minister said Elphicke was a “right-wing opportunist,” adding: “We don’t need these people … It won’t change a single person’s vote. Natalie Elphicke isn’t even a name in her own living room.”
Nothing to see here: Asked about her past migration comments in a TV clip this afternoon Elphicke kind of fluffed around and didn’t quite address the point. She said Sunak hadn’t stopped the boats and Labour can be better trusted with the border.
SCOOP — and it gets worse: Eight Labour women have told my colleagues Esther Webber and Aggie Chambre they are uncomfortable with Elphicke being admitted to the party due to those past comments about her ex-husband’s conviction — with one saying the news left her in tears and another writing a complaint to the chief whip.
Poor form: Jenny Symmons, a Labour staffer and chair of the GMB branch for members’ staff, described the defection as “really, really poor and disappointing,” adding: “Labour has welcomed her in … without seemingly having standards you have to meet to represent the party.” Symmons has written to the chief whip requesting a meeting about the vetting of people wishing to become Labour MPs.
Baffled on all sides: One shadow minister said there was “a lot of unease” about the defection over the “abhorrent” things Elphicke said. And even a Conservative MP said: “Either they’re not doing proper due diligence or they’re just happy to get the initial headlines and worry about everything else later.” A Conservative aide added: “Starmer’s office is clearly a boys club.”
Labour responds: Keir Starmer’s spokesperson told journalists: “She’s talked about that case extensively and we have nothing further to add.” On the general complaints about Elphicke’s past views, the spokesperson said her decision to join Labour shows how the opposition has changed and the Tories must be so whack she doesn’t want to be involved with them. (I paraphrase.) The spokesperson made clear Elphicke is in line for an unpaid Labour role advising on housing.
DESPITE ALL THIS NOISE … we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact this is another significant and damning moment for Rishi Sunak, seeing another of his MPs jump ship as the general election looms. His press secretary told hacks this afternoon she “cannot see how any Conservative minded people” could think Labour is the answer on small boats, job creation and more. “What the PM focuses on each day are the priorities of the British people,” she insisted. “We want to see all Conservatives focused on the British people and what matters to them.”
Blindsided: When some in Downing Street got wind Elphicke was planning to defect they assumed it would be to Reform, PolHome’s Adam Payne reports. Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker is among those struggling to get his head around it all, as is One Nation Conservative Stephen Hammond, who told Sky: “If there’s been someone who has done as much as anyone to drag my party away from the center ground of British politics in the last five years, it’s been Natalie.”
Of course … Starmer was rubbing it in with glee during PMQs. “If one week a Tory MP who is also a doctor says the prime minister cannot be trusted with the NHS and joins Labour, and the next week the Tory MP for Dover — on the frontline of the small boats crisis — says the prime minister “cannot be trusted” with our borders and joins Labour, what is the point of this failed government staggering on?” he asked. He had a photoshoot with his new MP afterwards.
The best Sunak could do … was accuse Labour’s Sadiq Khan of arguing there is “equivalence” between the Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli response in Gaza. Labour and Khan insist he meant there is equivalence between the lives lost. The Telegraph has written it all up.
Scores on the doors: In his PMQs scorecard POLITICO’s Noah Keate gave Sunak 5/10 … Starmer 8/10 … and politicos picking up their dropped jaws about Elphicke at 100/10. Read it all here.
Going big: A Labour mole tells Playbook PM there are plans afoot for an event in Dover on Friday so Labour can show off its new MP.
SPARE A THOUGHT FOR … former immigration minister and now Conservative leadership ankle-flaunter Robert Jenrick, who was flavor of the month with his borders report this morning before Elphicke messed up his media plans. He’s still doing a live interview with Robert Peston at 9 p.m. and is on the BBC PM show in the next hour. He also did an interview with Sky’s Beth Rigby this afternoon in which he said the Tories must stop votes drifting to Reform — adding that Nigel Farage should be welcomed as a Conservative member.
More Rob: He told LBC this morning the Conservatives need to be honest with the public “about the mistakes of the past.” Which is quite the ask a few months before an election. No doubt Rishi Sunak will be pleased with the interventions.
The Elphicke and Jenrick headaches were a bit of a downer for … Sunak’s election campaign briefings in Downing Street this afternoon. But seeing as Playbook PM struggled to find Conservative MPs who were bothering to attend it doesn’t sound like it was going to be much fun regardless.
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MEANWHILE, IN WAR …
RUSSIAN TO THE EXIT: Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the government will expel Russia’s defense attaché in London and accused him of spying for the Kremlin. Cleverly told the Commons in a statement this afternoon the diplomat was an “undeclared military intelligence officer” — and said he was being expelled as part of a wider clampdown on “malign activity.”
And there’s more: The crackdown includes the removal of diplomatic premises status from several Russian-owned properties the government believes have been used for intelligence purposes. There are also plans to cap the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the U.K, as part of new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas. Russia vowed to provide a response — although Downing Street said the measures were the result of a review which found Britain had been taking a softer line on Russian intelligence gathering on its soil than vice versa. Full writeup here.
And of course … it comes in the same week as people in government are briefing a hack on an armed forces HR database was a Chinese state action.
On that: Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy promised Labour would identify vulnerabilities in British critical infrastructure, universities and research institutes as part of a “comprehensive audit” of U.K—China relations. He made the comments during a speech hosted by the right-leaning Hudson Institute in Washington DC.
LAMMY PRAISES TRUMP (NO REALLY): Donald Trump’s whole ditching NATO thing is “often misunderstood,” Lammy also said in his speech, as he heaped praise on the former Republican president for getting European countries to up defense spending.
It’s all about context, man: In a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington, the shadow foreign secretary — who has been meeting both Republicans and Democrats on his Stateside jaunt — urged fellow Europeans not to “personalize” the debate over NATO members paying their way, and said America will ask more on defense whoever wins the election.
Don’t forget: Lammy once branded Trump “a racist KKK and Nazi sympathizer” and said his “threats to NATO and the U.N. are no more logical than arson.” Funny how things turn out. Full writeup here.
DRIVETIME DEBRIEF
MORE LABOUR NEWS: Edmonton MP Kate Osamor had the Labour whip restored and apologized for the comments that got her suspended. She branded the Israeli bombing of Gaza a “genocide” on Holocaust Memorial Day. “I made remarks which were insensitive, inappropriate, and which I apologize for and regret,” she said this afternoon.
SPARE A THOUGHT FOR GEORGE: The sporting poster-boy standing for the George Galloway “workers” party has dropped out. Monty Panesar, the former cricketer who was front and center of the coverage about pro-Galloway election candidates this month, said he realized he needed “more time to listen, learn and find my political home, one that aligns with my personal and political values.”
What could possibly have gone wrong? Did he finally see the Big Brother clip? Hear about George’s broadcast career on Iranian and Russian state TV? See *that* Novara Media interview? Team Galloway suggested Panesar was having mental health issues … which was nice of them. “Monty has been very open in the past about his own personal struggles,” a spokesperson said. “It is in Monty’s best interests at this time to withdraw as a candidate, and we hope for his return to the field in due course.”
NO INCOME TAX RISE: Rishi Sunak ruled out hiking income tax by 8p in the pound to pay for his “ambition” to abolish national insurance — following pressure from Labour. During PMQs he said the government had shown it can reduce national insurance via funded methods (not according to independent think tankers) at the past two budgets. He told Labour MP John Spellar the claims he would have to hike national insurance to fund the pledge were “total nonsense and of course I rule that out.” What will Labour claim will be needed to fund it next?
HAPPENING IN THAT SCOTLAND UP THERE: New First Minister John Swinney appointed his almost-leadership rival Kate Forbes deputy first minister — presumably the price for not challenging him for the SNP leadership. The SNP’s pals-turned-haters in the Scottish Greens aren’t happy at all, though it’s worth remembering they happily entered government while Forbes was still finance secretary.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Efforts to plant trees and improve river water cleanliness. Deets here.
SOCIAL (MEDIA) AFFAIRS
ALGO WARS WITH THE BRAIN ZAPPERS: Both the government and Labour welcomed proposed new Ofcom rules for policing possible harms to kids on social media. The watchdog produced a whole code of practice and threatened tougher action if the firms don’t sign up — such as (ooh, scared) naming and shaming them or (an actual threat if it could be enforced as it would hit advertisers) banning under-18s from platforms. The BBC has the full skinny here.
Get them to sort it: Chatting about the proposed rules on the Newscast podcast, Tech Sec Michelle Donelan said it’s “absolutely impossible” for parents to monitor and limit their kids on social media, so “the onus should be on the social media companies, the companies that have got the billions of pounds and the resources to ensure that children aren’t seeing this harmful and hurtful content.” She told the Newscast team she doesn’t have a favorite meme, the party pooper.
Also pleased: Labour said the Ofcom protections would have been in place ages ago under Labour (translation = we agree.) But said it would also issue Ofcom with a “statement of strategic priorities” when it comes to protecting the vulnerable online.
GET YER COATES: Here’s Sky’s Sam Coates hearing the news Natalie Elphicke had defected to Labour — to go in the collection with this gem.
HOW THE TWITTERATI TOOK IT: Elphicke’s defection received a withering verdict on Twitter from people less than impressed by her decision to jump ship ahead of an imminent election. Failed London mayoral contender Count Binface declared he’d rejected Elphicke’s attempts to defect to his party first … former Justice Secretary David Gauke called the defection “a bit of an embarrassment for both parties” … the Mirror’s Susie Boniface highlighted Elphicke was “due to be unceremoniously dumped by Dover voters” … comedian Geoff Norcott argued her defection was “like switching from Coke Zero to Diet Coke” …former Labour member Owen Jones mulled who the next defector could be … and Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns went straight in on the attack against her former colleague.
IN NICE SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD: Conservative MP Jo Churchill put together a photo montage after clocking up almost a decade in parliament.
MORE NICE SOCIAL MEDIA: Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands never disappoints on Twitter. This morning he spotted an old WWII pill box. Top stuff.
EVEN MORE NICE SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD: Something we don’t usually get to see … the bomb detector dog giving the Commons a once over before PMQs.
AROUND THE WORLD
MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Israel said it had reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza for aid deliveries, though the U.N. said no supplies had entered through the crossing yet. It follows the U.S. pausing a weapons shipment to Israel after concerns about a military offensive in Rafah — the BBC has a writeup.
UKRAINE UPDATE: Russian missiles and drones struck nearly a dozen Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities, causing serious damage at three Soviet-era thermal power plants and blackouts in multiple regions — Reuters has more information.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Russia pledged to send North Korea eagles, pythons, parrots and fruit bats in a potential form of “zoo diplomacy” as the two countries deepen their political and military ties — via the Telegraph.
IN GERMANY: Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey from the Social Democratic Party was physically attacked in the German capital, briefly attending hospital for headache and neck pain — my colleague Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana has more. It follows the hospitalization of German Socialist candidate Matthias Ecke last week after he was attacked by a group of four young men in Dresden.
**A message from TikTok: A butcher in Doncaster, a baker from Aberystwyth and a candlestick maker in Jarrow are all part of the almost 1.5 million UK businesses now using TikTok. Research from Oxford Economics has shown small businesses on TikTok contributed an additional £1.63 billion to the UK economy, whilst supporting 32,000 jobs. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of this GDP contribution from SMEs occurred in regions outside of London. The research also shows that SME owners on TikTok are more likely to be under 30 or to come from an ethnic minority background. Almost one in 10 SMEs (8%) that do not use TikTok said they had also benefitted from exposure on the platform. You can find more examples of great businesses in your area using TikTok to grow their companies here https://www.tiktokimpact.co.uk.**
TONIGHT’S MEDIA ROUND
LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) leads on Ofcom’s call for robust age checks on social media … BBC News at Six focuses on Natalie Elphicke’s defection … as does Channel 4 News (7 p.m.).
BBC Newscast (Podcast, already published): DSIT Secretary Michelle Donelan.
BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick … Kent County Council Leader Roger Gough.
News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Former Downing Street Director of Coms Craig Oliver (5.30 p.m.) … former U.S. Department of Defense Middle East adviser Jasmine El-Gamal (6.30 p.m.).
Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, 5 p.m.): DSIT Minister Saqib Bhatti (5.20 p.m.) … former U.S. Middle East adviser Aaron David Miller (5.35 p.m.) … Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds (6.35 p.m.) … the Sun’s Noa Hoffman and the Mirror’s John Stevens (from 7 p.m.).
The News Agents (Podcast, drops at 5 p.m.): University of Bristol academic Adam Finn.
Sky News Daily (Podcast, drops at 5 p.m.): UK Council for Child Internet Safety executive board member John Carr.
Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Michelle Donelan … Anneliese Dodds … former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
Farage (GB News, 7 p.m.): Treasury Committee Chair Harriett Baldwin … Centre for Policy Studies Research Director Karl Williams.
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Michelle Donelan … Tory MP Rehman Chisti.
Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker … Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson … crossbench peer Tanni Grey-Thompson … the Mail on Sunday’s Dan Hodges.
Peston (9 p.m. on Twitter, 10.45 p.m. on ITV): DESNZ Secretary Claire Coutinho … Robert Jenrick … Labour MP Jess Phillips … former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
Patrick Christys Tonight (GB News, 9 p.m.): Robert Jenrick (10 p.m.).
TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Neil Henderson.
REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Talk’s Peter Cardwell and journo Owen Bennett-Jones … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and former Tory SpAd Anita Boateng.
WHERE TO FIND BOOZE IN WESTMINSTER TONIGHT
TIPPLE WITH TORTOISE: The media firm is recording a live version of its podcast with John Curtice and Rachel Wolf, at its Berners Street offices from 6.30 p.m.
HANGING WITH THE KIDS: Conservative minister Andrew Griffith is the star turn at a Next Generation Tories event tonight at the Morpeth Arms from 6.30 p.m. Deets here.
TOMORROW’S WORLD
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: New free schools and home recycling.
UNIS SCHOOLED: Rishi Sunak will invite leading university vice chancellors into Downing Street in the morning to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT: NHS performance stats, including the latest waiting list numbers, are published at 9.30 a.m.
IN THE COMMONS: MPs sit from 9.30 a.m. for environment questions and attorney general questions before Penny Mordaunt delivers her business statement.
IN THE LORDS: Former Liz Truss adviser Ruth Porter and former Ed Miliband adviser Ayesha Hazarika are introduced to the Lords, from 9.30 a.m.
MANDARIN DREAM: The FDA union holds its annual conference in Westminster. General Secretary Dave Penman speaks at 10.10 a.m.
DAVE’S DIARY I: Foreign Secretary David Cameron is expected to deliver a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre at 11 a.m.
WATCH WITH INTEREST: The Bank of England will reveal its latest interest rate decision at noon.
PANDEMIC DIARIES: Former Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis gives afternoon evidence to the official Covid probe during its hearings in Northern Ireland.
NUMBERS GAME: Polling firm Savanta is holding a “state of the nation” briefing from 3 p.m.
BACK IN TOWN: Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband is doing an evening chat at the Nesta think tank at 5 p.m.
DAVE’S DIARY II: Cameron is also delivering a speech at Mansion House in the evening.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Jerk chicken with rice and peas; vegan pasty with rainbow cabbage, coleslaw and piccalilli; sesame pork in black bean sauce with green pepper, bean shoots and noodles … The Debate: Jerk chicken with rice and peas; salmon and vegetable laksa with rice noodles; spinach, onion and potato pakora with naan, mango chutney, and black poppy seeds … Terrace Cafeteria: Lasagne; jerk chicken with rice and peas; lemon and thyme halloumi with ciabatta … River Restaurant: Tomato gnocchi with rocket, mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes; chili con carne with rice, guacamole, nachos and sour cream; fish finger sandwich with chips and lemon mayonnaise.
NEW GIG: Sam Stevenson has bagged the assistant political editor gig at the Express. Here’s his tweet. And Tim Sigsworth has joined the Telegraph lobby team for the next three months.
NOMINATION STATIONS: The Guardian revelation of the Frank Hester remarks about Diane Abbott; Justine Smith‘s House mag investigation into child and adolescent mental health care; and Private Eye’s own reporting into the business deals at the heart of Ben Houchen‘s Teesside project are among the stories long-listed for the Paul Foot award. Details here, winner on June 11.
JUST WHAT WE ALL NEEDED: Another politics podcast — this one is with Ed Vaizey and Becca Hutson about how to fix Britain (if there’s someone out there who knows.)
SIMPLE QUESTIONS PLAYBOOK PM CAN’T GET ANSWERS TO: When will Rishi Sunak fill his vacant anti-corruption adviser role? … Did Steve Tuckwell tell constituents, filmed signing a petition about fish and chips, that their data would be used for other campaign spam? … When will Boris Johnson start producing his own GB News content?
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The amusing Private Eye roundup of all the Twitter excitement as political hacks reported Conservative briefings Susan Hall might have beaten Sadiq Khan in London last week. It’s on page 9.
ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: Parliament proclaimed Charles II king on May 8 1660 and invited him to return from exile. Almost three centuries later … how did politicians celebrate VE day on May 8 1945? The excellent Tides of History Twitter feed has it covered. On the same date in 2009 the Telegraph published its first expenses scandal scoop. My POLITICO colleague Rosa Prince, who was part of the team working on the story, published a mini-thread on it this morning. On the same date in 2015, Labour Leader Ed Miliband and Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg quit their roles after the Conservatives won a general election. And on the same date in 2016, Sadiq Khan became the first Muslim mayor of a major Western City, when he won the race to run London.
WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Stefan Boscia.
THANKS TO: My editor Rosa Prince, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.
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