Steerpike

Sir Keir Starmer has officially backed Spain to beat the Argies in Sunday’s World Cup final. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said he wishes both teams ‘well’ – but ‘especially Spain’. She was also at pains to point out that ‘the World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are’. Hear, hear. She added: ‘Our position is unchanged, self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.’ Mr S cannot help but wonder where this patriotic resolve disappeared to when Labour signed its disgraceful Chagos surrender agreement. If the government is willing to hand over British Indian Ocean territory with such indecent haste, can anyone entirely trust the Prime Minister’s proclamations about the Falklands?

https://twitter.com/mattforde/status/2077395665442034128 Westminster is choc-a-bloc with MPs trying to outdo one another in nauseating displays of virtue signalling. But for truly hilarious examples of performative outrage, it is useful to also cast one’s gaze towards good old Brussels. At a recent meeting of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan was forced into an excruciating climbdown after her grandstanding did not quite go to plan. Boylan, naturally draped in a keffiyeh-patterned lanyard, complained to her international colleagues: ‘It's unfortunate that we can't use our own language in this committee, but I will continue now in English.

Roll up, roll up – it’s that deeply depressing time of year once again. The BBC has today published its annual list of obscenely overpaid employees, a chart dominated by so-called ‘stars’ from news, sport and radio. Topping the list – before he was sacked in March over historical sexual offence allegations – is former Radio 2 breakfast show host Scott Mills. He was fortunate enough to pocket a whopping £750,000 from licence fee payers. Greg James comes second on an eye-watering £440,000. Then we move on to news. In third place, Radio Ulster and 5 Live presenter Stephen Nolan rakes in £425,000, followed by Laura Kuenssberg on £405,000. A little further down the list, Radio 4’s Justin Webb makes an appearance with a handsome £375,000 salary.

Kemi Badenoch today set out to prove that she means business when it comes to clearing out the Tory has-beens and wets. The Conservative leader announced that, following a leave of absence from the House of Lords, wetter-in-chief Gavin Barwell will not have the whip restored. The former chief of staff to Theresa May sparked fury after repeatedly accusing Badenoch of turning her party into a ‘Reform tribute act’. Barwell also goaded the Tory leader over what he called her ‘poor strategic judgment’, particularly her rejection of net zero and pledge to leave the ECHR. In a letter to the former housing minister this evening, first revealed by the Mail, Badenoch said: Robust debate and differences of opinion have always been part of our Party's tradition.

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.