Inside Politics: Andrew straining UK-US relations and Starmer says Williamson should be sacked

Figures released this morning suggest the UK’s GDP increased by just under 5 per cent in the second quarter of this year, after most Covid restrictions eased. But the British Chambers of Commerce has warned the bounce could be temporary as staff shortages, supply chain disruption and consumer caution to spend in the coming months may limit gains. Back at Westminster, Gavin Williamson’s stock could well further decline today as GCSE results are released, with record results expected again. Elsewhere, a British citizen is accused of spying for Russia in Germany and Prince Andrew’s unwillingness to cooperate with US authorities is straining diplomatic relations.

Adam Forrest on what to look out for today:

There is no reprieve for Gavin Williamson as GCSE results are released today, with another spike in top grades expected. The under fire education secretary is already facing calls to resign over Tuesday’s A-level debacle and is likely to come under further pressure as the day progresses.

Coming up shortly:

-Shadow apprentices minister Toby Perkins on Sky News at 8.05am

-Schools minister Nick Gibb on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme at 8.10am

F FOR GAV: Half a million teenagers pick up their GCSE results this morning in what is likely to be another bumper day for top grades. Due to the Covid pandemic, students have been awarded grades based on teacher assessments rather than exams, as was the case with A-levels earlier in the week. In a well-timed intervention, Labour leader Keir Starmer has already called for Williamson to be sacked, saying in an interview with The Guardian he should have gone a “long time ago”. The education secretary, who is well versed in the “dark arts” and said to know where the bodies are buried, is unlikely to go anywhere without a fight. In a statement today, he said: “Students should feel proud of their achievements and will now be looking forward to taking their next steps. I am also hugely grateful to teachers and school leaders for their hard work to ensure students get the grades they deserve and need to progress to the next stage of their lives.”

STRAINED RELATIONS: US-UK diplomatic relations are becoming increasingly strained over Prince Andrew’s refusal to cooperate with investigators looking into the network surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sources tell The Independent. A new civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre, alleging the Duke of York had sexually abused her, is said to have exacerbated those concerns. The Duke has also been accused by Johanna Sjoberg, who was once Epstein’s PA, who alleges the prince groped her breast when she was 21.

NO WAY BACK: The duke denies all the claims against him. The story also splashes this morning’s Times, which quotes a source close to Prince Charles as saying there is “no way back” to public life for Andrew. “The prince loves his brother and has the ability to have sympathy for the slings and arrows that his brother endures, whatever the reasons may be,” the source told the paper. “However, this will be unwelcome reputational damage to the institution. He has long ago concluded that it is probably an unsolvable problem.”

BRIT ‘SPY’ FOR RUSSIA IN GERMANY: Another story dominating the papers today is the case of a British citizen who has been detained in Germany accused of spying for Russia, while working at the British Embassy in Berlin. German prosecutors would only name the suspect as David S. But several UK outlets name the man as David Smith, a 57-year-old contracted to the British embassy. He was arrested after a months-long investigation by the UK’s MI5 and German intelligence services and alleged to have taken a cash bribe to provide information to the Kremlin.

SECURITY FEARS: Labour called for an urgent security review over the case and suggested the government’s vacant security minister post will not have done the UK any favours. “Our government must review the security of all contractors at UK embassies as a matter of urgency,” Chris Bryant, chairman of the all-party parliamentary Russia group, said. A Home Office spokesperson said Priti Patel, the home secretary, was “responsible for all areas of Home Office business, including those related to national security”.

MEASLY SUM: The government’s budget for this year directs just 0.01 per cent of the UK’s GDP towards fighting the climate crisis, according to an analysis by a leading conservation group. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Rishi Sunak’s March spending plan “doesn’t add up” when it comes to delivering on headline-grabbing climate change promises. The warning comes just days after a landmark UN report said it was “code red for humanity” when it comes to tackling the environmental emergency.

HAMMOND PROBE: Former Conservative chancellor Philip Hammond is under investigation by the UK’s lobbying watchdog over an email written to a senior government official on behalf of a bank. Labour had accused Mr Hammond of breaking lobbying rules after it emerged the former Tory MP had sent a message to the Treasury about OakNorth bank – the company he now works for as a paid advisor. The ex-minister reportedly emailed the Treasury’s second most senior civil servant in July 2020 to explain the benefits of a “toolkit” developed by OakNorth to assess borrowers. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Hammond has entirely disregarded the conditions that were made clear to him when he took the job with OakNorth Bank,” said Mr Rayner. “If the rules are treated with such derision by the former chancellor then the whole system is rotten.”

“The prime minister wasn’t sitting round a kitchen table trying to get his kids across the line, he wasn’t driving around his constituency trying to get laptops to kids who had nothing, and he doesn’t get to accuse parents like me of wanting an easy way out.”

Labour MP and shadow minister for domestic violence Jess Phillips on challenges faced by parents of GCSE students.

From the Twitterati

“Literally the only categories that Boris Johnson beats Rishi Sunak in are ‘charisma’ and ‘go for a drink with’.Just how far can the infamous Johnson charm take him?”

Daily Mirror politics editor Pippa Crerar on poll showing surge in popularity for Sunak.

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