Jawad Iqbal

Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, comes across as something of a political nerd, determined to bankrupt the country with his distinctive brand of net zero zealotry. Miliband has devised the answer to this image problem. He is looking to hire a vanity photographer – at considerable public expense – despite previously criticising politicians who did the same thing. In 2010, Miliband condemned David Cameron, then prime minister, for hiring a 'personal photographer' at a time when the government was asking everyone in the country to 'tighten their belts'. Some might think it a touch hypocritical to do the same now that he's in government – but clearly not our Ed.

Rishi Sunak (remember him?) is back in the public eye. The former prime minister has landed new jobs at Oxford and Stanford universities. The roles are his first since returning to the backbenches last year following the crushing Tory defeat at the general election in July. His time in Downing Street doesn’t look as bad as it once did Sunak is joining Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government as a member of its world leaders circle. He will also be taking up a visiting fellowship at Stanford’s Hoover Institution in California. Both universities are Sunak’s alma maters. He studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford before completing a masters of business administration degree at Stanford.

Sir Keir Starmer was explicit in his response to the Southport attack: Britain faces a new terror threat from “loners, misfits (and) young men in their bedroom(s)” radicalised by online violence. There is to be a public inquiry into the state failures that allowed Axel Rudakubana to murder three young girls in Southport in one of the worst attacks on children in UK history. The Prime Minister said the horrific attack last year must be “a line in the sand”. He vowed to change terror laws to deal with lone killers, to ensure that perpetrators like Rudakubana could be charged with terror offences despite having no coherent ideology.

What a pig’s ear the government is making of its response to the grooming gangs scandal. Ministers have spent weeks resisting growing calls for a new and comprehensive national inquiry, insisting that this would take too long and get in the way of implementing measures to help victims. Now there’s been a change of heart, of sorts, because it has become all too obvious that the government is failing to win the political argument.  The answer ministers have alighted upon to dig themselves out of a hole of their own making is unlikely to satisfy anyone for very long.  There still won’t be a national inquiry – lest anyone dares to accuse the government of reversing course – but there will now be a series of local inquiries.

What exactly do the authorities hope to learn that they do not already know from the safeguarding review now underway into the violent death of 10-year old Sara Sharif? The omens are not good. Her father, Urfan Sharif, and her step-mother, Beinash Batool, subjected Sara to years of abuse Sharif, whose father and stepmother were found guilty of her murder and have been jailed for life, is not the first child living in Britain to lose her life at the hands of those who should have been looking after her. But previous investigations into tragic child deaths – launched to a chorus of “never again” and “lessons will be learnt” – have failed to deliver lasting changes.

The Commonwealth – whose 56 nations are meeting in the Pacific island nation of Samoa – looks set to defy Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer by putting slavery reparations on the agenda. The leaders of some Caribbean countries insist it is 'only a matter of time' until Britain bows to demands of handing over billions of pounds in compensation. Reports suggest they are pushing for a clear agreement on plans for reparatory justice and want to publish this in the all-important final communique of the summit. Such a move would lay bare the growing divisions at the gathering. It would also amount to a damaging public setback for Starmer, who has insisted that compensation for the transatlantic slave trade is not on the table for discussions.

What has become of Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s former Downing Street chief of staff, who was rather unceremoniously removed from her official duties earlier this month? At the time of her defenestration, there was much soothing talk about how she was moving to an important new role as Keir Starmer’s envoy on a new council of nations and regions. This body, according to official briefings, is intended to reset relationships and boost growth in every part of the UK. The new job was supposed to start immediately as part of a seamless transition that saw her replaced as chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney, who oversaw Labour’s victorious election campaign.

Do our new Labour rulers ever pause to think about how something they say or do might look to others? Do they consider, even for a nanosecond, how their behaviour in office or in private stacks up with the public positions they take, or how all this might look to ordinary voters outside the confines of Westminster? The whiff of brazen political hypocrisy – one rule for us and another for everyone else – hangs like a cloud over the new government. It goes some way towards explaining why this summer’s donor scandals, involving free clothes, spectacles and tickets to Taylor Swift concerts, have resonated so strongly with the public.

Thomas Tuchel, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager, has emerged as the favourite to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager. The Times reports that he could be unveiled later this week. It is believed that negotiations could proceed quickly, bringing to an end the FA’s search for a successor to Southgate, who quit after England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July. Tuchel is attractive, in part simply because he is available. He has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season. Appointing him would mean no lengthy or expensive negotiations to prise him away from a club contract. Exact terms have yet to be agreed, but Tuchel is reportedly keen to take the job.

The appearance on our television screens of one Hamish Falconer, the newly-elected Labour MP for Lincoln, tells us much more about Keir Starmer’s government than meets the eye. Falconer is not exactly a household name, but has already been elevated to the role of junior minister in the Foreign Office. He is an ex-pupil of Westminster School and was elected to parliament at his first attempt in July. Just a fortnight or so later, Falconer – who spent his pre-MP career working at the Foreign Office – was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It might be best described as the war for Keir Starmer’s ear in Downing Street, a battle to the bitter end between two of the Prime Minister’s most senior advisers. There was, in reality, only going to be one winner, and so it has come to pass. Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief adviser and architect of Labour’s massive general election victory this summer, has been anointed as the PM’s new all-powerful chief of staff. Out goes Sue Gray, his embattled predecessor. Gray decided the game was up, saying she 'risked becoming a distraction'.  How will he go about ensuring that Whitehall bends to his master’s will? This is Whitehall-speak for a series of negative briefings behind the scenes and increasingly acrimonious public rows.

Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, has finally put an end to Whitehall’s worst-kept secret by formally announcing that he will quit at the end of the year. It means the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer can finally appoint his own man or woman in the role of the country’s most senior civil servant. Case is leaving his £200,000-a-year job on health grounds, telling colleagues: ‘Whilst the spirit remains willing, the body is not’. He added: ‘It’s been an honour to serve two sovereigns, four prime ministers and over 120 cabinet ministers in this role.’ Case has been in the job since September 2020, when he replaced Sir Mark Sedwill.

It is tantrums at dawn between Elon Musk and Keir Starmer’s Labour government. The Tesla billionaire and owner of Twitter is hopping mad after being denied an invitation to a government-led tech summit due to take place next month. In response Musk – certainly no one’s idea of a shrinking violet – said on Twitter: ‘I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts’. He appeared to be referring to the prisoner early release scheme, initiated by the Labour government to ease pressure on a prison system it has claimed is ‘on the point of collapse’ due to a lack of capacity.The spat is over the International Investment summit, scheduled to start on 14 October.