Steerpike

Oh dear. There has been much amusement today over the revelation that the graphic Boris Johnson shared to congratulate Joe Biden on winning the US election had originally been meant for Donald Trump. Still, it could be worse. Although there has been a lot of talk in the media of the Irish government's close links to the President-Elect, it turns out that there is still some work to do. This afternoon the Prime Minister of Ireland Michael Martin took to social media to share the news that he had shared a much coveted early phone call with Biden. Only shortly after that tweet aired, it was deleted. It turns out at the time of tweeting no such call had taken place – instead it's 'being arranged'.

Sir Simon Stevens, the chief exec of NHS England, joined Boris Johnson during this evening's Downing Street press conference where the pair sought to justify England's second national lockdown. Stevens, however, went one step further: he had a dig at Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance. He told the press conference:   I've watched a number of these press briefings and sometimes the charts can be a bit hard to keep up with. So I've just got one chart today that indisputably sets out what we in the health service are seeing.  Stevens's chart — which shows the number of patients in hospital in England with Covid-19 — was then described by the NHS boss as 'facts: not projections, forecasts, speculation'.

Theresa May has continued her campaign of criticism from the backbenches, questioning the government's thinking over England's month-long lockdown. The former PM pointed out the problems with the now-infamous 4,000 deaths a day graph used by Vallance and Whitty at Saturday's press conference.  In fact, she went a step further, pointedly telling the Commons: 'For many people, it looks as if the figures are chosen to support the policy rather than the policy being based on the figures.' Ouch!

Following the release of the EHRC report into anti-Semitism and Jeremy Corbyn’s suspension from the Labour party today, several members of the Corbynite wing of the party have attempted to argue that Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis had been overblown by the media. Who better then to make their case than former Labour MP Chris Williamson – who was suspended from the party for saying that anti-Semitism had been ‘weaponised’ against Jeremy Corbyn. Williamson appeared on Andrew Neil’s Times Radio show today, after the Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge had been on the show. If Williamson was hoping though to make the case though that anti-Semitism was never really involved in the Labour party, Mr S isn’t sure his choice of language was ideal.

Angela Rayner was accused of some extraordinary behaviour in the Commons just now. The Labour deputy, unhappy with something Conservative MP Chris Clarkson said, allegedly decided to shout the word 'scum' across the chamber floor. Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing appeared none too impressed... Rayner quickly shot back, denying that she used the phrase.

Corbynite ultra Diane Abbott has given an interview to Newsnight in which she denounces Labour leader Keir Starmer in her own particular, Abbott-esque way. Starmer's problem? Ambition. Oh, and also being named 'Keir' by his mother.  In reality, this is just a return to form for Diane. Her political career has been defined by the struggle against the prevailing Labour leader — that is, every leadership except Jeremy's.  https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1318261069048139777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Her criticisms come hot on the heels of reports that the Corbynite rump of the parliamentary Labour party are forming their own socialist ERG to take on Starmer. Hear that? That's the sound of harmony being restored...

It can be a hard task adjusting to life on the backbenches after leaving front-line politics. One minute you’re running the country, the next you’re being batted away by busy ministers. Former Prime Minister Theresa May appeared to learn that lesson this afternoon in the Commons, when submitting a question on Brexit to Michael Gove. May was quizzing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on security arrangements after Britain leaves the EU and wanted to make sure the UK is still able to access European police databases in the event of no deal. But the former PM appeared less than pleased with Gove’s response, when he suggested that we could police our borders more effectively outside of the EU. A glowering May could even be spotted mouthing ‘What?

Nicola Sturgeon's problems are mounting rapidly. The first minister is embroiled in a row over when she knew about the allegations of sexual misconduct against her predecessor Alex Salmond. Sturgeon is also under pressure over her government's handling of the pandemic, as cases continue to mount. And disgraced SNP MP Margaret Ferrier – who boarded a train after testing positive for Covid-19 – has defied Sturgeon's calls for her to quit. Now Sturgeon is in a new battle: with the Scouts. The SNP's latest TV advert which appeared last night features a woman named Helene from Kirkhill, dressed in a Scouts uniform.

The Labour MP for Chesterfield caused a rush of sniggers in the Commons this afternoon when he told colleagues that:  People don't generally go to the pub in order to meet their own wife, they will go to the pub to meet with other people... Little wonder fellow MPs started laughing given Toby Perkins's own love life...  https://twitter.com/SunPolitics/status/1084772123317555201?