Cincunri Sakia: London Playbook: Legal challenges galore — A load of Geidt

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What’s driving the day in London.

By ELENI COUREA

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Good Tuesday morning. This is Eleni Courea, with you until Thursday.

DRIVING THE DAY

SO SUE ME: Boris Johnson will chair Cabinet this morning as Downing Street deals with heavy backlash on two fronts — its move to disapply swathes of the Northern Ireland protocol and the decision to push ahead with the first deportation flight to Rwanda later today.

Legal challenges galore: Brussels preparing to launch retaliatory legal action against the U.K. government with three lawsuits on Wednesday. Here’s the POLITICO team’s wrap of yesterday’s developments. Meanwhile, human rights lawyers have been working round the clock to prevent the first migrants from being deported to Rwanda today under the government’s controversial policy to tackle Channel crossings. The flight is due to take off at 9.30 p.m., according to the Times’ Matt Dathan.

Why it’s in doubt: A Home Office source told Playbook last night that just seven people were now due to be on it, but that the ongoing “legal merry go-round” was likely to mean “the removal of every last person” from the flight. Deportations can be prevented until the last minute before take-off by lawyers acting for migrants and Clare Moseley, founder of the refugee charity Care4Calais, told the Indy that the group was “very hopeful” of stopping them all.

Leading the charge against the policy: First, the heir to the throne, now the entire senior leadership of the Church of England. The 25 bishops who sit in the Lords have signed an excoriating letter in today’s Times calling it “an immoral policy that shapes Britain.” Kaya Burgess has a write-up.

As for the ‘lefty lawyers’: Two last-minute legal challenges failed to block the planned deportation yesterday — the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling in favor of Home Secretary Priti Patel and a separate injunction by charity Action Aid also failed. The Mail splash declares victory “for the court of common sense” (but also calls the small number of people on the flight “a farce”).

The rest of today’s front pages: The Times, FT, Guardian and Indy all splash the EU’s planned legal action over the NI protocol. The i leads on the Rwanda flight and the Telegraph goes on Tory backlash to No. 10 plans to hold off on cutting taxes until inflation is under control. A senior government source told the paper: “The more you spend, inflation spirals. We’ve got to be responsible.”

Out batting for the government: Liz Truss is on this morning’s broadcast round and will no doubt face questions on the NI protocol.

Protocol round-up: Downing Street seems to have pulled off a difficult internal balancing act on this issue for now, Oli Wright argues in his essential Times analysis, with neither the European Research Group of hardcore Brexiteers nor the One Nation group of Tory moderates kicking off in earnest about the legislation. The ERG is convening its “Star Chamber” to comb through the bill line-by-line, the Telegraph’s Chris Hope reported in his newsletter yesterday, and the FT says they are meeting today. Meanwhile Playbook is told that the One Nation caucus — which consists of MPs in both Leave- and Remain-voting seats — was broadly split on the legislation during discussions at its weekly meeting last night.

The problem ahead: This is just “the start of the diplomatic tightrope” for Johnson, Wright says — and on the one hand, pushing ahead will trigger a costly trade war that the U.K. can’t afford, while on the other agreeing a compromise risks the wrath of Tory Brexiteers.

The good news: The legislation won’t scupper the U.K.’s ongoing trade talks with the U.S., the White House suggested last night. POLITICO’s Emilio Casalicchio took down the comments made by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. In a call with Liz Truss last night, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Brits to continue “good faith” talks with the EU. More here from POLITICO’s Matt Honeycombe-Foster, Shawn Pogatchnik and Nahal Toosi.

Snap happy: Expect photos from Cabinet to filter out later today, with cameras invited to the meeting for the umpteenth time in the past few months. Allowing cameras into Cabinet used to be a rare occurrence, someone recently pointed out to Playbook — but lately No. 10 has seemed eager to showcase pictures of the PM’s top team looking busy and united. A No. 10 source said it was just about being more open.

LABOUR LAND

KEIR DRAMA: The Labour leader is facing an embarrassing probe by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone into late declarations on his register of interests, including several tickets he accepted for football matches. The Times says seven of Starmer’s 15 declarations since July last year were made late.

And there’s more: The Tories smell blood and have launched a bid to get Stone to widen the scope of her investigation to include income for legal advice that Starmer declared in 2020. Alex Stafford, the Tory MP for Rother Valley, wrote to Stone last night accusing the Labour leader of breaching the code by not disclosing the source of the funds. The Sun’s Natasha Clark has his letter.

Beergate update: Could Durham Constabulary’s investigation be nearing its conclusion into claims Starmer broke lockdown rules over curry in Durham in 2020? The Sunday Times reported on May 8 — five weeks ago — that it would take “four to six weeks.”

Painting in primary colors: The Times’ Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire have written a great in-depth piece after collecting the shadow Cabinet’s views of Keir Starmer. Spoiler: They aren’t very flattering. One shad cab member tells them the Labour leader is “boring everyone to death” and adds witheringly: “To loads of my constituents he just doesn’t exist in their minds at all.” Several others make the point that he hasn’t fleshed out much of a vision, and the paper tallies up 10 different slogans Starmer has used over two years (starting from “another future is possible” to “under new management” and most recently “on your side”).

CCHQ on the attack: Tory strategists — who won’t have failed to notice the up-tick in Westminster grumbles about the Labour leader’s performance — have launched what they are calling their “Stop Labour’s Strikes Campaign.” CCHQ has mocked up various sleek graphics depicting Starmer, Angela Rayner and Lisa Nandy supporting planned RMT strikes that threaten to disrupt school exams, Glastonbury and the England vs. New Zealand test match. The campaign now takes pride of place on the Conservative Party website’s homepage.

Lab response: Shadow transport sec Lou Haigh tweeted in response to Tory Chair Oliver Dowden last night: “This is embarrassing. You’re meant to be in government. You actually have the power to stop these strikes. Act like it.”

Opposition day: Labour is going for the government over passport office delays and Channel 4 privatization today, a policy that has its share of critics on the Tory backbenches. Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell urged Tory MPs overnight to vote with the opposition to “show they’re brassed off with the government’s decision to sell off one of Britain’s cultural crown jewels and kill off our home-grown film industry.”

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TODAY IN WESTMINSTER

HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with health questions followed by any UQs or statements at 12.30 p.m. … After that, Labour has control of the chamber with its two opposition day debates.

A LOAD OF GEIDT: Brace for news lines, Playbook reporter Andrew McDonald writes — the PM’s independent adviser on minister’s interests Christopher Geidt is up at PACAC (the public admin committee) this morning from 10 a.m. Among other things, MPs might fancy quizzing Geidt on Johnson’s update of the ministerial code … Geidt’s own annual report that suggested Johnson may have broken the ministerial code … The persistent rumors he might quit at any moment … Wallpapergate … His calls for greater authority to tackle rule-breaking ministers … and more.

Also on committee corridor: The DCMS committee will question Arts Minister Stephen Parkinson on funding given to local authorities (10 a.m.) … The BEIS committee will zoom in on travel chaos at airports with Aviation Minister Robert Courts (10.30 a.m.) … The justice committee will look at the government’s Victims Bill with the Victims, Children’s and Domestic Abuse Commissioners Vera Baird, Rachel De Souza and Nicole Jacobs (2.30 p.m.) … and Treasury Minister John Glen will be giving evidence on energy supply and investment at the Lords economic affairs committee (3 p.m.).

Lords: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with questions on leave for carers, banning fur imports and expenditure on unusable PPE … and then the main business will be the committee stage of the U.K. Infrastructure Bank Bill.

ROYAL PAIN: Great goss here from the Times’ Steve Swinford, who reports that the PM takes such a dim view of Prince Charles, he struggled to come up with something nice to say about him when the BBC filmed eulogies in 2020 to use in case either he or Princess Anne died. (Nor does Charles think much of Johnson since he showed up at the prince’s home in the Scottish highlands “in a shambolic state,” according to last week’s Mail on Sunday). On the other hand Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, became friends with Carrie Johnson after contacting her to offer support while the prime minister was in intensive care, Swinford reports.

LIBERATION DAY: In an interview with the Sun’s Harry Cole, Liz Truss warns China that the U.K. is “fully committed” to the Falkland Islands’ self-determination after Beijing expressed support for Argentina’s claim over the territory earlier this year. Boris Johnson will be attending a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War today.

FAMILY TIME: The Sun has a photo of the PM posing with his youngest son Wilfred on his shoulders while on a seaside walk in Seaton on Saturday.

NEW GIGS I: Just Eat co-founder David Buttress has been appointed the government’s cost of living czar and will take part in a roundtable meeting with supermarkets and sports organizations today. Sky has a write-up.

NEW GIGS II: Tory whips carried out a reshuffle of ministers’ parliamentary private secretaries yesterday to fill five vacant spots. The Spectator’s James Heale has a full list of the appointments. The ones who have raised eyebrows are Selaine Saxby, now a Treasury PPS, and Luke Evans, appointed a Home Office PPS, despite both declining to say whether they backed the PM in last week’s confidence vote. Sam Freedman makes the good point that some of the loyalists who have been appointed will be vacating seats on the exec of the 1922 committee — which could end up tipping the balance against the PM in any discussions around changing the rules to allow another leadership challenge.

TODAY IN SCOTLAND

INDYREF2 REDUX: The Scottish government will this morning publish the first of a series of papers outlining the case for leaving the U.K., as Nicola Sturgeon kicks off a new campaign for Scottish independence. In interviews with the BBC and STV yesterday, the first minister described the paper as a “scene setter” which compares a hypothetical independent Scotland to other, independent and successful European countries — hammering home the SNP’s key tactic of trying to downplay the risks of a Yes vote. Further papers will follow on currency, defense, EU membership and more.

How today will work: Sturgeon will present the document in a (livestreamed) press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh at 11 a.m., alongside the Scottish government minister and Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie. Both will give opening remarks and then take questions. The paper — entitled “Wealthier, Happier, Fairer: Why Not Scotland?” — will go live as Sturgeon starts to speak.

I GOT (NO) BILLS: Though the papers shift the focus away from a rocky few months at Holyrood for Sturgeon back onto her party’s preferred territory, the first minister still declined during her interviews to give further details on how the Scottish government will proceed with plans to hold another referendum next year while Westminster remains opposed. The Scottish government is yet to publish a referendum bill at Holyrood, and has only a few weeks to do so before the summer recess. Failing to do so would leave the SNP with a tight legislative deadline when parliament returns in September. Sturgeon told the BBC the 2023 referendum plan remained on course, but that she would only get into the detail of how exactly her government would navigate that tricky legal ground or the parliament bill “in the weeks to come.”

UKRAINE UPDATE

BATTLE FOR SEVERODONETSK: Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a plea to Western leaders for missile defense systems amid warnings the key eastern city Severodonetsk could fall to Russia within days. Intense fighting in the city has seen all of its bridges destroyed and the city effectively cut off, with Russia targeting the city’s capture as a top military goal. More here from the Times’ Catherine Philip.

Digest: The BBC has a report from the ground in nearby Lysychansk … Another mass grave has been found in Bucha, according to Kyiv police chief Andriy Nebytov … and the European Commission will recommend granting Ukraine official status as an EU candidate country, several officials familiar with deliberations told POLITICO’s David M. Herszenhorn and Maïa de La Baume.

MEDIA ROUND

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss broadcast round: Sky News (7.05 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.20 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today program (8.10 a.m.) … ITV GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9 a.m.).

Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell broadcast round: GB News (7.30 a.m.) … Sky News (8.05 a.m.) … Times Radio (8.35 a.m.) … talkRADIO (9.05 a.m.).

Also on the Today program: Bishop of Chelmsford Guli Francis-Dehqani (7.20 a.m.) … Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland Simon Coveney (7.50 a.m.).

Also on Kay Burley (Sky News): Irish Europe Minister Thomas Byrne (7.30 a.m.).

Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast (LBC): IfG senior researcher Jess Sargeant (7.20 a.m.).

Also on Times Radio breakfast: Irish Ambassador to the U.K. Adrian O’Neill (8.15 a.m.) … Bishop of Manchester David Walker (8.20 a.m.) … Former Conservative leader William Hague and Sunday Times Editor Emma Tucker (9.10 a.m.).

Also on talkTV breakfast show: Tory MP Marcus Fysh (8.05 a.m.).

Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): Tory MP Tom Hunt … Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson … POLITICO UK Editor Jack Blanchard … City AM’s Sascha O’Sullivan.

The Briefing with Gloria De Piero (GB News noon): West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Shadow Rail Minister Tan Dhesi.

Tonight with Andrew Marr (LBC 6 p.m.): Former Chancellor George Osborne … Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC 8 p.m.): Tory MP James Sunderland … TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady … Comedian Eshaan Akhbar … Telegraph columnist Juliet Samuel.

Reviewing the papers tonight: Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Observer’s Sonia Sodha and former Tory adviser Alex Deane.

TODAY’S FRONT PAGES

(Click on the publication’s name to see its front page.)

Daily Mail: The court of common sense — Rwanda flight latest.

Daily Mirror: Wills — It’s Andrew or me.

Daily Star: Hell’s bells.

Financial Times: Brussels threatens legal action on bill to tear up N Ireland protocol.

HuffPost UK: Boris’ Brussels bust-up.

i: Church versus Boris Johnson — bishops tell PM Rwanda flight ‘shames U.K.’

Metro: Clear for take-off.

POLITICO UK: Boris Johnson picks (another) big Brexit fight.

PoliticsHome: Government sets out powers to override most of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Daily Telegraph: No tax cuts before inflation cools off.

The Guardian: EU to fight U.K. in court over bid to scrap Brexit checks.

The Independent: EU threatens legal action to protect Brexit deal.

The Sun: Wills’ house of Windsor — Family move to 4-bed Adelaide Cottage.

The Times: EU pledges legal action over Brexit ‘violation.’

LONDON CALLING

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: ⛅️⛅️⛅️ Sunny in spells and breezy. Highs of 25C.

REMEMBERING GRENFELL: Today marks five years since the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people and exposed the scandal of dangerous flammable cladding on high-rise buildings across the U.K. The BBC’s Tom Symonds has a piece looking at whether anyone is likely to go to prison.

MEDIA NEWS: Journalist Carole Cadwalladr said she was “grateful and relieved” after winning her libel battle against Arron Banks yesterday. Banks tweeted that he was likely to appeal.

WEDDING BELLS: Nice news from Scotland over the last few days, where SNP Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale announced their marriage … and SNP MP Mhairi Black announced her marriage to partner Katie. Big congrats all round.

INSIDE SPAD LAND: Former SpAd Peter Cardwell’s book on the secret life of special advisers is out in paperback today with a new preface.

MEA CULPA I: Playbook had a brain fade over how the legal system works and implausibly said that Mr Justice Swift would hear an appeal against his own decision to allow the Rwanda flight to go ahead — of course the appeal was heard (and dismissed) by three other judges in the Court of Appeal.

II: The “consent mechanism” in the Northern Ireland protocol involves a vote in 2024 by the NI assembly, not the general public.

BIRTHDAYS: Daily Telegraph Associate Editor Camilla Tominey … Labour peer Paul Boateng … Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams … Labour peer Roger Liddle … Deputy EU Ambassador to the U.K. Nicole Mannion … and former U.S President Donald Trump turns 76.

PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editor Zoya Sheftalovich, reporter Andrew McDonald and producer Grace Stranger.

Cincunri Sakia

Selasa, 14 Juni 2022

London Playbook: Legal challenges galore — A load of Geidt — Fresh CCHQ attack - POLITICO Europe