Steerpike

Boris Johnson was in Wales today visiting a mass vaccination centre – as part of the government's victory lap after meeting its target of giving 15 million people their first vaccine dose by mid-February. The occasion was perhaps the perfect opportunity to highlight the good work the government has done on vaccines in recent months. The Prime Minister though appeared to have somewhat darker preoccupations on his visit.  While struggling to put on a disposable glove at the centre, the PM joked that he felt like OJ Simpson, who infamously ‘struggled’ to put on a glove at his murder trial. Mr S isn't sure that's a comparison Number 10 aides will be wanting to encourage in future... Watch here: https://twitter.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Five years ago, Tony Benn's former bag carrier was staging the most extraordinary Labour coup, ushering in the disastrous Bennite restoration that was Jeremy Corbyn's rule.  Then he went on to found Momentum — Labour's party within a party, the vanguard of the proletariat that would keep Labour's wayward liberal MPs on the narrow path of socialism. That path so nearly reached its conclusion at the 2017 general election when Corbyn came within a few thousand votes of No. 10. Since then, catastrophe. Labour obliterated, the leadership lost to a competent social democrat.

Boris Johnson may have just hit his target of 15 million vaccines to the top four priority groups two days early but don't get ahead of yourself and mistake that for success. Just as ministers begin to pat themselves on the back over a rare government success story in the UK's vaccination programme, the Grauniad has published an article attempting to offer an explainer as to why things are not as they seem. While EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is under fire from all sides over the bloc's sluggish vaccine rollout, Jean Quatremer — the Brussels correspondent of the French daily Libération — has penned a piece entitled 'Brexit Britain's victory over the EU on Covid vaccination is not what it seems'.

Only last week, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi assured us that the government is not looking at vaccine passports as they would be discriminatory and un-British. So imagine Mr S’s astonishment when Dominic Raab admitted that they are indeed being considered in Britain - for internal and external use. When asked on LBC whether a domestic vaccine passport – ‘where you have to show a bit of paper to go into a supermarket’ – could be brought in, Raab confirmed: ‘It’s something that hasn’t been ruled out and is under consideration, but of course you’ve got to make it workable.

Earlier this week, the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon boasted that 99.9 per cent of older people in care homes had been vaccinated. An impressive figure, one that she deserves to boast about — providing, of course, she acknowledges the successful vaccine drive has been thanks to the whole United Kingdom.  Now though it seems the saintly Sturgeon has gone a step further — managing to vaccinate over 100 per cent of all care home residents.  https://twitter.com/ChrisMusson/status/1360250326390038533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Perhaps it might be worth the Edinburgh government updating their official metrics so they include a more accurate estimate. Truly the Scottish National Party's glorious endeavours know no bounds...

Peter Murrell, the SNP's chief executive, made an awkward appearance in front of the Alex Salmond inquiry earlier today, which raised as many questions as answers. Thankfully, though, one thing was cleared up: was any in the room with Murrell helping him as he gave evidence? Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of the Scottish Labour party, had her suspicions that there might be, and asked Murrell why he kept looking away from the camera. Here's how their awkward exchange unfolded: JB: Is there anybody in the room with you just now? PM: No, do you want me to move the camera and prove it?  JB: I just wondered... PM: Is that a conspiracy you are suggesting? There is a magpie. In fact there is two. Well, at least that was one thing that was cleared up...

Why are academic disputes so vicious? Because the stakes are so small – or so the saying goes. The same could probably be said of parish council meetings. Though they make up a small and vital part of our democratic life, these local bodies also have a rather unfortunate habit of being dominated by petty squabbles. Even so, Mr S was still taken aback by the drama, intrigue and betrayal on display at a Handforth parish council meeting for planning and the environment, which took place over Zoom on a cold evening in December last year. Thankfully, the meeting was captured by the council for posterity, so everyone can now witness the exciting world of local politics in Cheshire. Watch and enjoy… https://www.youtube.com/watch?

At PMQs today, Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer clashed over the latter’s support in the past for the European Medicines Agency – which as Mr S pointed out, appeared to involve Keir Starmer potentially misleading the House of Commons. It now sounds though like the pair’s argument continued outside the Chamber. The Sun reports that Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson ended up having a dust up in the ‘aye’ lobby at the end of the session. It appears that Starmer confronted the PM about the medicines row, which led to a ‘heated exchange’. According to one account, a Labour MP had to pull Starmer away from the row – although this version of events has been disputed by the MP in question.

You won't be surprised to learn that Philip Hammond was no big fan of Brexit. But Mr S was still somewhat taken aback by just how little the former chancellor made of Theresa May's 'Brexit means Brexit' strategy: 'My assessment of Theresa May’s Prime Ministership, in terms of Brexit, is that she dug a 20-foot-deep hole in October 2016 in making that speech' Hammond was, of course, referring to the speech May made to Tory party conference in her first year as prime minister. But Hammond's interview, released this week by UK in a changing Europe, has opened up something of a riddle.

Nicola Sturgeon is not known to be a forgiving sort but at least one of her MPs will be glad that she can sometimes let bygones be bygones. Glasgow North East MP Anne McLaughlin MP has been promoted to the SNP frontbench at Westminster, with the grand title of shadow secretary of state for justice and immigration. She had previously been a junior spokeswoman on women and equalities. McLaughlin’s elevation comes despite an unfortunate incident on the campaign trail in 2019. At a media call in Dennistoun, someone thought it would be a good idea for the candidate to play a round of swingball with Sturgeon. On her first attempt, McLaughlin whacked the ball round at full pelt — and straight into the face of her party leader. https://twitter.