The View from Westminster
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 |
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PM under growing pressure on RAAC |
Hello, it's political correspondent Adam Forrest here, standing in for John Rentoul. As the fallout from the crumbling schools grows, Labour is turning to the old saying: "Never let a good crisis go to waste." The party's social media channels have been flooded with graphics tying the Conservatives to the growing scandal.
Responding to a claim from education secretary Gillian Keegan that "most schools" are unaffected, a whiz kid in Labour's press office published a poster saying "most beachgoers are not eaten by big sharks".
It emerged just four schools in the main rebuild programme have been completed in the past two years, adding to pressure on Rishi Sunak. Adding to the PM's headaches, "hot mic" Keegan doubled down on Monday's sweary rant by ordering school leaders to get "off their backsides" to help sort out the chaos.
Sir Keir Starmer is no doubt glad of an obvious attack line at PMQs. He enjoyed showing off Labour's freshly reshuffled shadow cabinet with a walkabout for the cameras before an extended meeting to discuss plans for party conference and a slew of upcoming by-elections. |
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Since 1945 have more senators or governors been US presidents? |
Answer at the bottom of today's email |
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| | The education secretary said one in 20 is yet to complete a questionnaire. |
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| Rishi Sunak is among least popular with party's grassroots – slipping back into negative territory. |
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| The Labour leader told his new team that they had been chosen for their "hunger" to win. |
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Articles driving the biggest conversations |
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What else do you need to know today? |
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has suggested it could be weeks before migrants are moved back on board the Bibby Stockholm barge. He told MPs asylum seekers would be moved back onto the barge in Dorset "as soon as possible" – providing safety checks showed no cause for concern and he expects this to take place "within weeks". Thanks to Archie Mitchell for making this newsletter possible |
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Our own Chris Blackhurst on the tragicomedy of Trussonomics, one year on Historian Andrew Lownie on opening the secret royal files – so we can get to the truth about Prince Andrew The Spectator's Isabel Hardman asked if Gillian Keegan actually deserves some credit New Statesman's Neal Lawson on why Starmer's new shadow cabinet is a 'Blairite tribute band' |
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What to look out for tomorrow |
At the first PMQs for seven weeks, Keir Starmer will not be short of ammunition on crumbling concrete in schools – not least on Rishi Sunak's decisions as chancellor. Later Labour will use a three-hour opposition day debate to try to force a Commons vote on the release of documents showing what Sunak knew about the risks of RAAC. The Commons will sit at 11.30am for Northern Ireland questions. Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, will be questioned about interest rates by the Treasury select committee (at 2.15pm). |
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"There's 5% of schools or responsible bodies that have not responded to the survey. Now hopefully all this publicity will make them get off their backsides." Gillian Keegan |
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