Steerpike

Diane Abbott has been shown up once again. This time it is by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, during a meeting with the Home Affairs Committee this afternoon. On the pro-Palestine marches, Abbott told the CAA rather patronisingly: I have actually been on these demonstrations, you haven't. And I have to tell you, on both the big London demonstrations I have been on, I have not seen a single solitary soul glorifying Hamas... Are you saying that you want marches of this kind completely banned? CAA chief executive Gideon Falter wasted no time in shutting down the independent MP, responding dryly: We also know very well that you didn't see any anti-Semitism at all in the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn...

Today’s the day. The start of one of the most highly anticipated evidence sessions at the Covid Inquiry sees former Prime Minister Boris Johnson take the hot seat. Here are the key points from his evidence so far: Baroness Hallett reprimands those leaking Covid evidence Baroness Hallett told Johnson that his statement is supposed to remain ‘confidential’, wrapping metaphorical knuckles as she continued: ‘Failing to respect confidentiality undermines the inquiry’s ability to do its job fairly, effectively and independently’. https://youtu.be/tfU7Wj5s-q0 But before today’s hearing could go much further, there was another halt to the proceedings. Just as Johnson launched into his apology, protestors off camera had made their presence known.

For a couple supposedly desperate for privacy, Meghan and Harry have an interesting definition of what it means to escape the spotlight. This time, however, they don’t have themselves entirely to thank. Journalist and royal-obsessive Omid Scobie has reopened the wounds of the regal family scandal after releasing his new biography Endgame, risking the wrath of the royals. While Scobie insists the couple were not involved in the book, it’s not gone unnoticed that neither Meghan nor Harry have condemned any of the stories in it criticising their family members.  The book has attracted plenty of publicity but it’s not gone quite as well for Scobie as he might have hoped.

Another day, another Remoaner myth destroyed. Today’s report on International Partnerships by parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee finds that ‘Brexit has not had a negative impact on intelligence co-operation between the UK and EU member states’. How very curious – not least because of the incessant warnings spouted by Brexit pessimists of the very opposite happening. So much for all that fear-mongering, eh? The conclusion follows examples of rather commendatory reports from MI5. The organisation assured the committee that ‘European partners have been very keen to continue working with MI5’ and its director general added: ‘I don’t think [Brexit] has led to a material diminution in the UK’s standing [in terms of intelligence co-operation].

Labour might be making headway in the polls, but the party’s rifts haven’t gone away. Today, Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, has hit out at the late Margaret Thatcher – only days after Sir Keir Starmer praised her ‘natural entrepreneurialism’ in his Sunday Telegraph op-Ed. Speaking to reporters, Sarwar said: Margaret Thatcher destroyed communities across the country. She decimated Scotland. That's why it was right to oppose her then, and it's right for us to oppose the modern day Thatcherism of this Conservative party. His comments continue a trend of Scottish Labour pushing back on policy positions adopted by their London-based colleagues – including the bedroom tax, the two-child benefit cap and Scotland’s gender reforms.

Uh oh. Less than a day has passed since James Cleverly announced his new five-point immigration plan and already there are noises from the Tory right suggesting they want more. Recently-ousted home secretary Suella Braverman said last night the government ‘can go further’ and that the ‘package is too late’. It followed comments made last week by Kemi Badenoch, who said that she wanted to push for ‘much, much tougher’ immigration plans. The immigration minister Robert Jenrick agreed. Speaking to Times Radio, Jenrick couldn’t quite say whether getting net migration to below the 2019 level would be possible before the next election. Echoing the sentiment of his former boss, Jenrick admitted that the government may need to do more in their plans to tackle migration levels.