While David Cameron may have had a poppy photo-shopped onto his lapel this week, UKIP have written directly to the Queen to complain about their exclusion (because of a lack of Parliamentary seats) from proceedings at the Cenotaph.
Ministers meanwhile have been having a food fight with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. His latest programme, ‘Hugh’s War on Waste’, has had Ministers falling over themselves to show they don’t waste food. Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, apparently eats food past its ‘best before’ date whilst Minister for food and rural affairs, Rory Stewart, would happily eat wobbly bananas to help highlight the need to reduce food waste. Being pictured with a banana did not though help the political career of David Miliband…
So what can we learn from the political news this week?
- The backbenches rule? Under normal circumstances, chairing backbench committees may not be considered the most important position to occupy. But the recent annual Parliamentary Labour Party departmental committee elections saw a number of prominent Corbyn critics take roles. In what appears to have been a concerted effort, Corbyn critics such as John Woodcock, Chris Leslie and Shabana Mahmood took chair positions. It seems that they recognise the potential importance of such roles in fighting for their ideas.
- New targets selected. Eager to maintain their reforming momentum, Ministers have taken challenges out to a number of audiences. A dispute with junior doctors is looking increasingly more likely and they are also considering the reform of higher education to make institutions more accountable through the fee arrangements.
- Mrs T’s bags. The Victoria and Albert museum appear more willing at the end of the week to put a selection of Mrs T’s clothes and personal possessions on display than they were at the start of the week. After an initial reluctance, there seems to have been a change of heart following extensive outrage by some of the media, Conservative MPs and Ministers. Why they initially refused the offer of her possessions is still unclear, but we may now be able to look forward to a display of 80s-style power dressing.
- The trouble with business. Jeremy Corbyn this week did little to dispel the notion that he is suspicious of business as he turned down an invitation to address the CBI’s annual conference. Now a mainstay of the political circuit for Ministers and Shadow Teams alike, his refusal was met with some shock.
- IDS vs the Chancellor. George Osborne this week came out fighting following ‘his’ defeat in the Lords over tax credits. Not only did he take charge of European relations with a speech centered on a two-speed Europe but it also became known that he may raid Iain Duncan Smith’s Universal Credit programme to lessen the impact of changes to tax credits. IDS appears less keen…