Steerpike

One of the hottest debates in Westminster today is whether Nigel Farage’s decision to quit as an MP and trigger a by-election was an act of political genius or a stubborn blunder. Reform is confident the gamble will pay off, leaving its leader stronger than before. Others are less convinced, arguing that the boycott by every contender except Binface has turned the whole exercise into a giant farce. But what does the great British public make of it all? New polling by Opinium for The Spectator reveals that 44 per cent of adults believe Farage was right to resign and stand again in a by-election, while only 31 per cent say it was the wrong thing to do.

https://twitter.com/andyburnham/status/2075157937744441661 Andy Burnham has taken an incredibly enthusiastic approach to social media – so much so that he seems to spend more time answering questions on Reddit than he does from journalists. It’s fair to say the MP for Makerfield’s digital output has been far superior to that of Sir Keir Starmer. His videos are slicker, more entertaining and have a quality of authenticity that the outgoing Prime Minister’s categorically do not. But now it seems poor Andy may be riding the social media wave a little too hard and fast. At 11 a.m.

The winds of change are blowing through Whitehall. With Andy Burnham on course for No. 10, officials are preparing for a shake up of the cabinet. One of those looking most nervous these days is Rachel Reeves, whose tenure at the Treasury looks to be drawing to a close. Among those preparing to take on her would-be successor is Robert Jenrick, whose team has begun sorting through applications for a new chief economic adviser. Talk about a good time to be across the numbers, eh? But it is not just Labour and Reform who are preparing for new faces in their Treasury teams. Sir Mel Stride, the Shadow Chancellor, has now poached a staple fixture of the Westminster think-tank scene.

Rupert Lowe has confirmed that Restore will sit out the upcoming Clacton by-election. Nigel Farage’s enemy on the right said he refuses ‘to participate in a Reform-sponsored media circus’ – though Restore may yet join the fun if the Commons sleaze watchdog rules against Farage and a second by-election is triggered. The party leader said: Farage can play with his toys for the next six weeks, but Restore Britain is going to continue producing detailed policy papers, exactly as we have been, outlining how we can fix our country. I feel for the people of Clacton who deserve so much better than this unnecessary sham forced on them throughout their summer. Mr S understands Labour is also leaning towards a boycott. The Lib Dems confirmed they will sit the showdown out.

With weeks to go until he becomes a Labour Prime Minister almost no one voted for, Andy Burnham has been busy answering lots of questions. Not from the press, of course. Apart from a sit-down with Andrew Marr last night, the MP for Makerfield has been avoiding journalists like the plague. He has, however, taken to social media to answer queries from the public. Specifically, this evening, he has chosen Reddit: a platform where only the most toe-curling softball questions can be cherry-picked by his team. Enter Kemi Badenoch, who has been having none of his scrutiny-dodging. The Tory leader’s team quickly created a Reddit account so she could join in the fun too. Under Burnham’s post inviting users to ‘ask me anything’, Badenoch responded: Hi Andy, Kemi here.

The weather is glorious, England have soared through to the World Cup round of 16 and one Sir Keir Starmer has just weeks left as Prime Minister. So where better to celebrate – or commiserate, if you are so inclined – than at The Spectator’s annual summer party? The jamboree remains the most sought-after social ticket of the Westminster summer season, bringing together the most senior politicians, journalists and political aides, alongside the crème de la crème of the arts and media world. From Kemi Badenoch to Morgan McSweeney, The Spectator garden is filled with notable faces. Mr S noted strong contingents representing the Tories, Labour and Reform.

https://twitter.com/Conservatives/status/2072263303200440548 Like it or not, in this day and age, success in politics requires a strong presence on social media. A sizeable following, paired with witty and authentic content, can genuinely shift popularity ratings and boost an MP’s prominence, regardless of party. Sir Keir Starmer’s excruciatingly cringeworthy and try-hard social media output did him no favours. But the slick digital operations around Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe and, yes, even Andy Burnham have helped increase their exposure and win them supporters. While many will no doubt hanker after the days when talent, ideas and acumen determined political popularity, one upside of the social media game is that it has produced some very creative spoof content.

With Sir Keir Starmer straggling on as PMINO – Prime Minister in Name Only – ministers have truly gone feral. A vacuum of leadership at the very top of government appears to have hurled that old constitutional convention of ministerial collective responsibility out of the window and into the nearest skip fire. The latest example? A member of the government complaining that the Defence Investment Plan is impinging on infrastructure important to his constituents in Lincoln. While Hamish Falconer is the Foreign Office minister responsible for the Middle East, he seems rather more concerned by highways than Hezbollah and Hamas. Responding to the DIP today, Falconer fumed: I am disappointed by the uncertainty today about the A46 Newark Bypass widening scheme.

https://twitter.com/reformparty_uk/status/2071539860947562755 With the so-called ‘King of the North’ vacating his mayoral throne for Downing Street, the race to find his replacement is beginning to warm up. Reform may have suffered a fairly bruising blow in Makerfield, but Nigel Farage is not yet ready to retreat from the north-west. Today he unveiled the party’s candidate for the Manchester mayoralty: Sian Astley. A graduate of Manchester University, Astley runs a design and property business in Fallowfield, where she lives. A regular telly pundit, she offers her expertise on renovations, interior design, project management and landlord issues. She is also Reform leader on Manchester City Council, having taken her seat from Labour – which had held it for 50 years.

Labour’s never-ending psychodrama took yet another magnificent twist today. It looks as if Sir Keir Starmer won’t be alone in making an early exit from government. Efforts are under way to boot Mike Tapp out as soon as possible too. Shabana Mahmood today personally asked the Prime Minister to sack the minister for migration and citizenship after he wrote an unauthorised article in the Times. The piece in question called for care workers to be exempted from the upcoming migration reforms that have left Labour backbenchers up in arms. In his op-ed, Tapp insisted it was his ‘strong belief’ carers should be spared the extension of the wait for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five to ten years. The Home Secretary wasn’t told about the article.

With just weeks until he is set to waltz into No. 10, Andy Burnham has been quick out of the blocks, meeting contenders for his future Cabinet. The frontrunners to replace Rachel Reeves are an already well-known trio: Ed Miliband (God forbid), Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood. Louise Haigh and Angela Rayner are set to make comebacks to the top table and, of course, James Purnell is expected to be named chief of staff. Now Mr S can reveal that an unexpected name has been thrown into the mix. Dr Zubir Ahmed has been in talks with Burnham’s team about the possibility of taking up the role of Health Secretary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?