Inside Politics: Rishi Sunak tells Tory MPs to prepare for tax rises

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Thursday 03 September 2020 02:58 EDT

Keir Starmer says PM 'making it up as he goes along' after summer of U-turns

In need of some uplifting, emotionally-affecting content? Well, Meghan Markle and her sidekick Harry have clinched a deal with Netflix to make a range of “inspirational” programmes to give us some “hope”. Those magnificent Sussexes! Boris Johnson was hoping to inspire the public with a back-to-the-office publicity drive – but he is still in search of a captivating slogan for his now-delayed campaign. Rishi Sunak was hoping to inspire recently-elected Tory MPs with a soul-stirring speech – but had to make clear tax rises were on the way. No Netflix deal for this pair.

Inside the bubble

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for today:

The ever-entertaining trade secretary, Liz Truss, faces questions in the Commons, perhaps shedding light on whether her desire to sell the Japanese more Stilton cheese is really the obstacle to a trade deal with Tokyo. Later, there will be a first sighting of the worst-titled official in Whitehall – “Clandestine Channel Threat Commander” Dan O’Mahoney – who will tell the Home Affairs Committee about his promised crackdown on desperate people attempting to cross the Channel.

Daily briefing

REAL HORRORSHOW: Chancellor Rishi Sunak gathered the 2019 intake of Tory MPs at No 11 to tell them he would have to do “difficult things” (i.e. put up taxes) – but attempted to reassure them that there wouldn’t be “a horror show of tax rises with no end in sight”. The wording was revealed after a photographer snapped his script sheet outside. Boris Johnson offered the “red wall” Tories his own pep talk: “It’s about to get tougher. The waters are about to get choppier.” Meanwhile, Johnson’s public information campaign to encourage people back to the office will be delayed until at least next week, according to The Telegraph. Apparently no-one can agree on a slogan or how strong the message should be – and the Cabinet Office wants more civil servants back before ministers tell us to do the same.

RATIONING BEHAVIOUR: The government has been forced to “ration” coronavirus testing slots because of rising demand. The Department of Health and Social Care is reducing availability in areas with low numbers of cases, the BBC reports. The department said it was targeting capacity at “areas that need it most”. Whatever happened to Covid-19 testing at airports? Aviation bosses are wondering why the government still won’t approve the move, with one airport chain leader accusing ministers of “overseeing the demise of UK aviation”. There is yet another Covid-related U-turn to add to the government’s list. Parts of Greater Manchester will not have lockdown restrictions eased overnight, as planned, because of a “significant change” in infection rates in last few days. Labour mayor Andy Burnham said the government had presided over “complete chaos”.

HAVE YOU NO DECENCY SIR: Keir Starmer accused the government of much the same thing at PMQs. Accusing Johnson of “serial incompetence”, the Labour leader said the PM had been “lurching from crisis to crisis, U-turn to U-turn” when he should have been preparing the country for the winter. Johnson accused Starmer of being “a leader of the opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician” – an apparent reference to Jeremy Corbyn. Starmer asked if Johnson would “have the decency to withdraw that comment” – but no decency was forthcoming. Johnson also dodged questions about this year’s exams mess, but the fall-out from the fiasco continues. Ofqual Chairman Roger Taylor revealed that his organisation had urged ministers to hold either arrange for socially-distanced exams or postpone them – but Gavin Williamson cancelled the exams without consulting the regulator.

MISFIT FORCED TO QUIT: A Whitehall official hired after responding to Dominic Cummings’ recruitment call for “weirdos and misfits” has been sacked after he suggested the police should shoot Black Lives Matter protesters. Will O’Shea, a data specialist at the Cabinet Office, was let go after posting “time to get out the live rounds” on social media in July, according to The Guardian. Cummings’ desired data revolution is in the headlines for other reasons. Government plans to give us all a single, digital ID would be “intrusive, insecure and discriminatory,” civil liberties campaigners have warned. Former Tory cabinet minister David Davis denounced the plan as “bonkers” and compared it to the Stasi. But the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport insisted no physical ID card would be required.

TAKES A WORRIED MAN: The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said he was “worried and disappointed” about the lack of compromise or concessions from the British side after he met David Frost in London. Barnier claimed the EU “has moved” on some of its own objectives, and said it was now the “responsibility” of the UK to do the same. At least both sides agreed to carry on with the eighth round of formal talks next week. In other foreign entanglements, Johnson condemned the “outrageous” attack on Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny, after Germany said there is “unequivocal proof” he was poisoned with Novichok. A Kremlin spokeswoman gave the usual mischievous denial: “Where are the facts, where are the formulas … at least some kind of information?”

TWICE FOR GOOD MEASURE: Donald Trump has irritated all fans of liberal democracy by suggesting his supporters test the mail-in ballot system by voting twice in the presidential election – once by mail and once in person. “So let them send it in, and let them go vote,” said the current US president. It is, of course, illegal to vote more than once. Joe Biden, meanwhile, has called for charges against police officers who shot two black Americans (Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last month, and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky in March). “Let’s make sure justice is done,” he said. In a new poll, which should worry all fans of liberal democracy, Biden’s lead diminished to just four points in the key state of Pennsylvania – having led there by 13 points in July.

On the record

“I certainly dodged a bullet, there’s no question, when you look at the year that poor Boris has had.”

Jeremy Hunt admits he’s glad he lost the Tory leadership contest.

From the Twitterati

“The way Johnson accused Starmer of supporting the IRA today is utterly disgusting. The Prime Minister should remember this isn’t some Oxford Union debate he’s speaking at. We can all hear you.”

Oxford University’s Dr Jennifer Cassidy thinks the PM has forgotten he’s not a student…

“I wonder if the Boris Johnson trying to lecture Keir Starmer on the IRA is related to the Boris Johnson who just ennobled IRA apologist Claire Fox to the Lords.”

…while writer Andrew Scott thinks Johnson has forgotten who he’s ennobled.