Steerpike

It seems the New York Times has decided to continue its bizarre crusade against Britain, which culminated in last year's outlandish claim that the nation lives on a diet of mutton and oatmeal (although, given current reports that the government is considering buying up Welsh lamb in the event of a no-deal exit, this strange claim could turn out to have been an unwitting prediction). The latest pronouncement comes from the NYT's European economics correspondent Peter S. Goodman on the front page of today's international edition. In it Goodman writes: 'The British pound has long possessed a mystique that transcends its marginal role in the global economy, conjuring memories of its dominance in the imperial age.

Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings has found himself in the news today after a video clip emerged of him suggesting most Conservative MPs 'do not care' about 'poorer people' or the NHS. Now in No. 10, Cummings appears to be on a mission to change that – with a focus on applying the Johnson ethos of boosterism to healthcare. But what of Johnson's old comments? A search of Cambridge's student newspaper archive reveals that BoJo too has made some comments which could now be deemed off-message. In a 2000 interview with Varsity, the then editor of The Spectator discussed his decision to stand as the Conservative candidate for Henley.

Boris Johnson has appointed a former Daily Mirror Chicken as his chief spin doctor, the paper's front page revealed today. Lee Cain, Boris's new communications director, donned the infamous costume during a stint at the Labour supporting newspaper and began ruffling Tory feathers during the 2010 general election, when he pursued David Cameron round the country. Cain's recruitment appears to have caused much mirth at the Mirror offices, with one former colleague saying, 'Lee was actually a great Mirror Chicken. He attacked the role with real zeal and a great passion. I vividly remember him coming in to the newsroom and prancing around still in his full outfit like a rooster.

Now that Boris Johnson’s new ministers are in place and the key players in his administration firmly established, the curtain has been decisively drawn over the May era. But who has lost the most and been cast aside in the transition to Boris’s new ‘golden age’? Mr S. presents his pick… Alan Duncan Alan Duncan, who was dubbed Boris’s ‘pooper-scooper’ when they worked together in the Foreign Office, jumped before he was pushed when he resigned as a minister last week. Duncan said he had quit to try and table a motion on the new PM’s ability to command a majority – which he failed in doing.

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s frontbench debut made it clear he won’t be a typical member of the Cabinet. Fresh from making waves in Parliament, the new leader of the house of Commons has now released his own style guide for staff. On the banned list are full stops after Miss. or Ms., commas after and, and double spaces after full stops.  Rees-Mogg also tells staff to refer to non-titled men as ‘esquire’ – and ensure that they only use imperial measurements, something which Mr S. is sure will go down well in Brussels. And as for using the words ‘very’, ‘lot’, ‘got’ or ‘speculate’? Don’t even think about if you’re a member of Rees-Mogg’s staff.

Theresa May's clashes with Jeremy Corbyn were usually dull affairs. Now that Boris Johnson is Prime Minister, Mr S. is looking forward to some livelier bust-ups in Parliament. Boris didn't disappoint in his first encounter with the Labour leader. Here are five of the best bits from Boris's government debut: Corbyn's 'terrible' Brexit 'metamorphosis': Boris wasted little time in going for Corbyn over his mixed-up Brexit position, accusing him of undergoing a “terrible metamorphosis” from “long-standing Eurosceptic” into reluctant Remainer. Boris said the change of heart matched Corbyn’s “turgivisating career”: https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1154349931936641024?

Boris Johnson has only been in Downing Street for a few hours but already Dominic Grieve is trying to stir up trouble. Asked to sum up the new Prime Minister, Grieve responded: 'He's a charlatan. I mean that is the clear evidence of his career and the way he has operated politically. And that is one of the things that has offered me so much disquiet ' Grieve also mocked Boris's first speech as Prime Minister, saying that now Boris is leader he can take Britain to the 'sunny uplands'. Grieve said: 'Well, I don't share his optimism about his opinion of himself' Mr S. is sure that Grieve's verdict on Boris will go down well with the two thirds of Tory voters who backed him...

Jared O'Mara, the former Labour MP (who was briefly suspended from the party in 2018 over a series of online comments) has been something of an enigma in Westminster of late. Although he promised to fight for his constituents when he left the Labour party to become an independent, the politician has since missed a huge number of key votes in the Commons, leaving the residents of Sheffield Hallam furious, and with no effective representation in parliament. Now it appears though that O'Mara's staff have had enough of the MP as well.

Alan Duncan may have been the first to resign ahead of Boris Johnson's expected coronation as prime minister but he won't be the last. Philip Hammond has already announced he'll jump before he is pushed. And the rest of the so-called Gaukeward Squad are preparing to make their feelings about Boris known. But what about the MPs and politicians doing the opposite ahead of Boris's anticipated win? For years Boris is the man certain Tories have loved to hate – and they haven't been shy about admitting it. Yet now some of the loudest of Boris's critics have changed their tune. Mr S profiles the members of the reverse Gaukeward squad: Amber Rudd: Amber Rudd was once at the vanguard of the Remain-leaning Cabinet contingent.