Rishi Sunak’s Greek tragedy

Good Tuesday morning. This is Rosa Prince.

DRIVING THE DAY

RISHI LOSES HIS MARBLES: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is at the center of a diplomatic storm this morning after canceling a planned meeting with Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a spat over some cold, dead artworks. Playbook got a sniff of the brewing row when No. 10 reached out to say the planned prime ministerial tête-à-tête would instead feature Deputy PM Oliver Dowden, which seemed … odd, given Mitsotakis had said on telly he was due to meet Sunak. An hour or so later, the Greek PM announced he was cutting short his trip and heading home.

You say Parthenon Sculptures, I say Elgin Marbles: The row was triggered after Mitsotakis appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, where he was outspoken about his distress at many of the sculptures still present in the British Museum. “It’s as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half and you would have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum,” he lamented, adding “this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon Sculptures.”

All Greek to me: Sunak is said to have been “irritated” by Mitsotakis’ words, so much so that he took the extraordinary step of calling off their talks, due at 12.45 p.m. today, while the Greek leader was halfway through a three-day trip to London. The Beeb’s Chris Mason quoted a “senior Conservative source” saying: “It became impossible for this meeting to go ahead following commentary regarding the Elgin Marbles prior to it.”

Undiplomatic: Rather than accept the switcheroo, Mitsotakis declined to meet Dowden and delivered a stinging rebuke: “I express my annoyance that the British prime minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place. Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments.” My colleague Nektaria Stamouli has a write-up. 

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(Ancient) culture wars: The Greek PM was uninvited to tea with Rishi round about the time he was meeting Keir Starmer Monday evening — with the Tories eager to suggest the Labour leader was soft on the marbles. An insider close to the talks told Playbook the issue was “discussed, but wasn’t the focal point of the meeting.” They added that Labour sees the matter as one for the British Museum and the Greeks, not the U.K. government. 

Ouch: A Labour spokesperson said of Sunak’s decision not to meet Mitsotakis: “If the prime minister isn’t able to meet with a European ally with whom Britain has important economic ties, this is further proof he isn’t able to provide the serious economic leadership our country requires.”

But but but: A senior Conservative highlighted recent reports, briefed out over the weekend, that Starmer is “open” to the return of the marbles if an arrangement can be agreed between the museum and the Greeks. They added: “Starmer sold out to secure a meeting. It’s naive on his part and shows how little regard he has for British taxpayers who have looked after these for generations. Starmer is up to his old tricks of just telling the person in front of him what they want to hear.”

Hitting back: Labour said by pulling out of the meeting Sunak had missed an opportunity to discuss illegal immigration with a key European ally. The insider added: “Keir and the Greek PM discussed immigration in their meeting so you’ve got the leader of the opposition as the U.K. voice on all these important issues.”

Hot takes: Political X was divided, with some saying the government had massively messed up with the mega snub to the Greeks, and others arguing Labour had walked into a trap by appearing shaky over the marbles. A third and vocal group asked whether all of the above is the grandaddy of dead cats designed to distract from stuff the government really doesn’t want to talk about: we’re looking at you, James Cleverly. 

Playbook won’t be falling for that one: The full story of the home secretary’s travails follow.

But first more on the marbles: The Parthenon Project, which is working with both sides to try to find a joint solution that sees the sculpture reunified in Athens, said it was disappointed by the sudden collapse in talks. A spokesperson said: “It’s a shame the British prime minister feels he can’t discuss the subject of the Elgin Marbles with the Greek prime minister, especially given how much both countries stand to gain from a sensible resolution on this matter and the level public support for reunification.”

Look away now, Rishi Sunak: The Times leader column calls for the sculptures to be reunited and displayed “in their natural habitat.”

Want to know more about Mitsotakis? My POLITICO Colleague Anne McElvoy interviewed him for her Power Play podcast last month.

And now read this: Another top colleague, Graham Lanktree, wrote this fabulous POLITICO feature back in May on the knotty geo-diplomacy of countries returning (or not returning) stolen artefacts to their rightful place — focused on the famously cursed Koh-i-Noor diamond which is part of the Crown Jewels.

What else is in Sunak’s diary today? Not much, except the usual 9.30 a.m. Cabinet meeting.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT JAMES: Fair to say at least one of the ministers gathered around that Cabinet table will be a less than happy camper, with new Home Secretary James Cleverly continuing to attract the wrong kind of headlines. It’s an unwelcome and unexpected turn of events for Rishi Sunak who, as my POLITICO colleague Annabelle Dickson reports, had assumed he had recruited a safe, emollient and genial replacement for the abrasive Suella Braverman in his reshuffle two weeks ago. 

14 days of hell: Cleverly continues to come under pressure on several fronts — from soaring immigration, to the troubled Rwanda scheme and the self-inflicted wound of getting sweary in the Commons chamber. The Express’ David Maddox has a helpful analysis piece tracking his journey from content foreign secretary to a harangued and besieged home secretary who has already lost the love of the Tory right. Asked for their assessment of how he could redeem himself with Tory MPs, one former government official gave a stark assessment to Annabelle: “It’s over.”

But but but: A No. 10 official insisted to Playbook that Cleverly was not messing up, saying: “He’s only been in a very short time, and there’s more work being done in HO than previously. Tough talk but with delivery too.” Still no word though on when Sunak and Cleverly will bring forward their proposed plan to revive the becalmed Rwanda deportation project.

RUH ROH: This won’t help the mood on the back benches: the Times’ Steven Swinford and Matt Dathan report Sunak held talks Saturday with Cleverly, AG Victoria Atkins and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, where they reviewed legal advice warning the “full fat” option of introducing “notwithstanding” clauses to disapply the ECHR in asylum cases would be open to legal challenge. New Foreign Secretary David Cameron is said to oppose quitting the court on the grounds it would damage the U.K’s international standing, the pair add. 

Plan B: Rejecting the full fat option leaves on the table a proposal to disapply the Human Rights Act, or to simply declare in law that Rwanda is a safe country. All three ministers are said to have made clear to Sunak that they do not favor leaving the ECHR, a move which has fast become a talisman for many on the back benches, however.

Top 40: The i’s Arj Singh reports that up to 40 Tory MPs may rebel by backing an amendment to override the ECHR if the government doesn’t explicitly legislate for this when it finally produces its Rwanda plan. The Guardian’s Ben Quinn says MPs from the right-wing Common Sense Group are writing to the prime minister demanding this bill is a “belt and braces affair” that can resist future legal challenges.

Mixed picture: The sketchwriters took advantage of Cleverly’s first appearance at the despatch box as home secretary Monday to deliver their own caustic judgements. The Telegraph’s Tim Stanley writes of Cleverly’s journey: “Imagine going from chatting with the sultan of Brunei’s delightful wife number four to being interrogated by Ms Cooper, MP for Rubbish Tip South …” The Mail’s Quentin Letts adds: “Mr Cleverly’s newspaper-interview shimmy away from Rwanda did not go down well with all Conservative backbenchers, but in the chamber none went so far as to attack him. You could sense they were not gruntled. But they were not yet ready to pull the lavatory chain on him.” 

He’ll take it: Team Cleverly probably won’t be too upset at Letts’ conclusion: “It may not be enough, but Mr Cleverly is hard to dislike.” Suella Braverman could only have dreamed of such a write-up.

LABOUR AND THE MIDDLE EAST

WHAT’S THE COLLECTIVE NOUN? Keir Starmer met with ambassadors and other representatives from across the Arab world Monday afternoon — and took steps to draw a line under the fissure in his party over the Middle East.

Ambassadorial Spotted … In the all male line-up: Bahrain Ambassador and Dean of Arab Ambassadors Fawaz Al Khalifa​ … Ambassador of Lebanon Rami Mortada​​ ​… Palestinian Ambassador Husam  Zomlot​​ ​… Iraqi Ambassador Jaafar Al-Sadr … Jordan’s Ambassador Manar Dabbas​​ … ​Somalia’s Ambassador Abdulkadir Ahmed-Kheyr Abdi​ … ​Egypt’s Ambassador Sherif Kamel ​​… Qatari ​Ambassador Fahad Al-Attiyah​​ … ​Kuwait’s Ambassador Bader AlAwadi​​ … Arab League ​Ambassador Abdulla Al-Muftah … ​Oman’s Ambassador Bader Almantheri​ … Tunis Ambassador Yassine El Oued … ​Algeria’s Ambassador Noureddine Yazid … Mauritania’s ​​Ambassador Samba Mamdou … Sudan’s Charge d’ Affaires Mohamed Salah Hassan ​… ​Libya’s Charge d’ Affaires Salah Abuaboud … UAE ​Deputy Ambassador Khalid AlQasimi​​ … Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Ambassador Hassan Aljomae … Yemen’s Deputy Ambassador Abdullah AlJaboby … and Morocco’s Deputy Ambassador Mouaad Ibriz.      ​​   ​

LATEST: While the Labour leader and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy were welcoming the group at Labour HQ in Southwark, 2,000 miles away another 11 Israeli hostages were released, along with 33 Palestinian prisoners. Afterwards, Starmer issued a statement welcoming the news that the cease-fire in Gaza had been extended for two more days, ahead of the scheduled release of more hostages.

Productive: In his statement, Starmer said: “The agreement to extend this cessation of hostilities shows further such extensions are possible. Therefore, I call on all parties to build on this progress and work urgently towards a further extension.” LOTO described the discussions with the Arab leaders as “very productive,” with a focus on “the next steps we need to take to turn fighting into a political process for peace.” The Labour boss will see the ambassadors’ willingness to speak with him as proof his refusal to bend to internal party demands he call for an immediate cease-fire has not damaged relations with Muslim leaders.

While he’s at it: Starmer unveiled a new look team of ministers to replace those fired from the front bench two weeks ago for defying him by calling for a cease-fire.

Anything you can do: After David Cameron was dragged back from his plow, former Gordon Brown adviser turned Labour peer Spencer Livermore was appointed a shadow Treasury minister. Gordo-era Treasury Minister Steve McCabe was given the plum job of shadowing Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer. 

New line-up: Other appointments include 2019-ers Alex Davies-Jones as shadow minister for domestic violence … Feryal Clark as shadow minister for crime reduction … and 2023 by-election winners Ashley Dalton as shadow women and equalities minister … and new Shadow Scotland Secretary Michael Shanks.

Old line-up: Former Shadow Defra Secretary Jim McMahon is now shadow local government minister … former Shadow Scotland Minister Liz Twist becomes communities minister …  Lords Education Spokesperson Maeve Sherlock is shadow minister for faith … and former Shadow Attorney General Karl Turner becomes shadow solicitor general.

Also: Jeremy Corbyn’s PPS Tan Dhesi is now shadow exports minister … Chris Evans becomes shadow tech and digital economy minister … and Jeff Smith is appointed to the Whips Office.

WHAT KEIR DID NEXT: Starmer flies to the COP28 summit in Dubai accompanied by Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and David Lammy later in the week. They will tell fellow delegates that under a Labour government, Britain will be “back on the world stage as a reliable and ambitious partner to lead on solving the biggest global challenges,” according to a Labour insider. Among his scheduled meetings is a chinwag with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Talking of climate: Addressing a joint Conservative Women’s Staffer Network and Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network event Monday night, former PM Theresa May said one of her proudest achievements was seeing net-zero legislation coming into law — can’t have been best pleased at Rishi Sunak watering the commitments down, then. Full Spotted for that event below.

COVID QUERIES

Jenny, don’t be hasty: The COVID Inquiry has a lot to get through today — with both government fixer Michael Gove and U.K. Health Security Agency chief and former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries slated to appear before the inquiry. Harries in particular has a fair few questions to answer about her public utterances from the early days of the pandemic, and her evidence session will run into Wednesday morning. POLITICO’s Andrew McDonald has cast his mind back to 2020 — and runs through Harries’ most controversial interventions from the time. 

Mass gatherings: Back in those hyper weird moments of early 2020, Harries took part in a video Q&A with Boris Johnson on March 11 in which she told the then PM that big gatherings are “not seen to be something which is going to have a big effect” and that limiting them wasn’t worth the disruption. After Johnson pointed out other countries had been canceling large events and doing things “that are not necessarily dictated by the science,” the top medical official happily agreed with Johnson that Britain was the one following the science on mass gatherings. 

But but but: The interview was timed just after the four-day Cheltenham Festival kicked off … and was interpreted as a big thumbs up for people to attend that and the raft of big Champions League fixtures around that time. Around 150,000 people attended the big horseracing event, which both a former chief science adviser and the Commons health committee linked to furthering the spread of the virus. 

To mask or not to mask: In her fireside chat with the PM — and in other interviews — Harries also left the fence most other boffins were sitting on when it came to face masks. At the time Brits were panic buying masks from high street pharmacists, while experts warned the science was inconclusive on whether they actually helped or not. But Harries went further, and told a nodding Johnson that “it’s usually quite a bad idea” to wear a mask if a health care professional hasn’t asked you to wear one. She also told the BBC masks could potentially “trap the virus.”

A few months later … masks became mandatory in shops and on public transport. The government eventually recommended their use in schools too, despite Harries arguing “the evidence is not strong” for their use in classrooms. 

(Don’t!) test, (don’t!) trace and (don’t!) isolate: Mass testing is “not an appropriate intervention” for Britain anymore, Harries insisted on March 26, 2020, after the U.K. had moved away from the strategy of testing those with symptoms. This was despite the WHO at the time urging countries to “test, test, test” — something Harries argued was more applicable to “low and middle income” countries than to Britain. Watch the clip here. 

A few weeks later … and senior officials were admitting the U.K. got it wrong on COVID testing and had failed to increase it quickly enough, as they soon desperately tried to do. As former Playbook author Jack Blanchard set out at the time in April 2020, international comparisons with mass-testing countries like South Korea were pretty stark. Harries herself blamed the U.K.’s poor testing capacity. 

Worth remembering: Despite all of this, in May 2021 Harries became the first ever chief executive of the new U.K. Health Security Agency — which contained the NHS Test and Trace system. A key part of the agency’s brief is ensuring Britain is better prepared for the next pandemic.

Timings: Communities Secretary Michael Gove is first up at the inquiry from 10 a.m, with Harries following in the later afternoon. Boris Johnson is expected to appear towards the middle of next week, with Sunak appearing soon afterwards.

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TODAY IN WESTMINSTER

3,000 FEET ABOVE WESTMINSTER: Transport Secretary Mark Harper jets off from Heathrow on the first transatlantic commercial airline powered by 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel at 11.30 a.m. Joining him aboard the Virgin Atlantic flight is the airline’s Chief Executive Shai Weiss and founder Richard Branson. The Boeing 787 is powered by fuel made from waste fats, and is due to land at JFK at 2.40 p.m. EST. A no doubt very excited Harper has the morning round — details below.

With perfect timing: Speaking at POLITICO’s Flying toward net zero? event Monday night, Transport Minister Anthony Browne said reducing demand for flights was not the solution to climate change, with technology the only way forward. “Even if people fly a bit less, the planes — if they still use normal aviation fuel — will still contribute huge amounts of carbon dioxide,” he said.

UNSENTIMENTAL: William Hague uses his latest Times column to criticize Investment Minister Dominic Johnson’s suggestion to my colleague Stefan Boscia that it would be “sentimental” to seek to block the sale of the Telegraph and Spectator to a finance group funded by the UEA.

STRIKE OFF: Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will announce minimum service level plans requiring teaching unions to keep schools open on strike days — the Sun’s Jack Elsom and Harry Cole have the story. It comes as the Joint Committee on Human Rights published a letter citing “serious concerns” about the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act’s compatibility with the right to free assembly and association under the European Convention on Human Rights.

OFF LICENSE: Thousands of former prisoners serving indefinite sentences will be eligible to have their license period terminated earlier as the minimum waiting time for a Parole Board review of their license decreases from 10 years to three — via the Guardian.

UP TO THE TASK: The Demos think tank launches a cross party task force on the future of public services with members including Tory peer Simone Finn, crossbench peer Victor Adebowale and former Labour Cabinet Minister Patricia Hewitt.

BATTLE AGAINST BAILEY: After Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said potential growth was at the lowest for over four decades, Tory MPs told the Express’ Sam Lister he should be more upbeat about the economy — the story splashes their paper. It comes as the Treasury Committee grills officials over last week’s autumn statement.

Point of order: Tory Chair Richard Holden has written to Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves challenging her over stats she used in the autumn statement debate. Tweet here.

ABORTION VOTE: MPs will get the chance to vote on decriminalizing abortion in England and Wales as Labour MP Stella Creasy puts an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill — PoliticsHome’s Zoë Crowther has the story.

GREEN LIGHT: The U.K. economy could receive a £149 billion boost by altering the Companies Act to put social, economic and environmental considerations at the heart of decision making, a Demos report argues.

GOING FOR GROWTH: The CBI called on parties to end political short termism and deliver an ambitious tax system to boost growth in its business manifesto.

SW1 EVENTS: The New Statesman holds its Path to Power conference from 9 a.m. with speakers including Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (10 a.m.), Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry (12 p.m.) and Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds (3 p.m.) … The Institute for Government holds an event on the role of localism in reaching net zero with speakers including Deputy Mayor of London Shirley Rodrigues at 10.30 a.m. … UK in a Changing Europe holds a lunch hour discussion on transatlantic foreign policy from 1 p.m. … Enterprise Minister Kevin Hollinrake hosts an event on English whisky in the Jubilee Room from 1 p.m. … and Shadow Energy Security Ed Miliband gives the keynote speech at the Centre for Progressive Policy’s Inclusive Growth Conference at 4 p.m.

HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with energy security and net-zero questions … and then the main business is the second reading of the Criminal Justice Bill. Tory MP Steve Brine has the adjournment debate on licenses for cosmetic clinics.

WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on topics including nuclear test veterans (led by Labour’s Rebecca Long-Bailey) … housing provision in tourist destinations (led by Tory MP Steve Double) … and support for rural communities (led by Lib Dem MP Sarah Dyke).

On Committee corridor: Tory peer Philip Norton is questioned by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee about House of Lords membership (10 a.m.) … Office for Budget Responsibility Chair Richard Hughes is in front of the Treasury Committee discussing the autumn statement (10.15 a.m.) … Enterprise Minister Kevin Hollinrake is questioned by the Business and Trade Committee about the collapse of Wilko (11.30 a.m.) … IFS Director Paul Johnson is among the economists giving evidence to the Treasury Committee on the autumn statement (2.15 p.m.) … and Environment Minister Richard Benyon is questioned by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on pet welfare and abuse (2.30 p.m.).

HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with oral questions on disbanding the Home Office team over Windrush policy, supporting children affected by conflict and the government’s hopes for COP28 … and then the main business is the second reading of the Automated Vehicles Bill.

BARRAGE OF FARAGE

NIGEL THE NATURALIST: Nigel Farage channeled his inner David Attenborough and Bill Bryson by appreciating the “rather pleasant and rather nice” aspects of the “beautiful” jungle on ITV’s I’m A Celeb Monday night, Playbook’s culture correspondent Noah Keate writes.

Out of power: The joy didn’t last long as echoes of Nige’s failure to win election as an MP seven times re-emerged when the public voted for TV personality Sam Thompson as camp leader. Farage was put on water duty.

Where’s Nigel? The former Brexit Party leader’s presence was otherwise notable by its absence — his thirst for more airtime hasn’t been quenched so far this week.

**POLITICO’s Suzanne Lynch is going to COP28 – and so are you. POLITICO’s Global Playbook is our latest newsletter and your VIP pass to the event that will shape international climate policy, with reverberations across both continents and sectors alike. Never miss a beat from COP28 – sign up for Global Playbook here.**

BEYOND THE M25

POLITICO 28: POLITICO’s annual ranking of the most influential people in Europe is unveiled at a glittering party in Brussels tonight. The first 24 names are now out — have a look at the list here — with the top four announced at the event later. You can read about how the 28 were chosen here.

LOVING LIFE: Foreign Secretary David Cameron attends the NATO foreign ministers two-day meeting in Brussels from 11 a.m. Schedule here.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Former PM Liz Truss and fellow delegates from the Conservative Friends of Ukraine group continue their trip to Washington. Following talks with Republican leaders, ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith addresses the Heritage Foundation on the “New Authoritarian Axis,” at 4 p.m. U.K time.

Still special: Meanwhile, a new poll by the Pew Center shows American voters see the U.K. as the States’ most important foreign policy partner.

America remembers: Melania Trump and all living former first ladies will attend a tribute service to Rosalynn Carter, U.S. first lady from 1977 to 1981, in Atlanta alongside U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

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MEDIA ROUND

Transport Secretary Mark Harper broadcast round: BBC Breakfast (6.50 a.m.) … GB News (7.10 a.m.) … TalkTV (7.25 a.m.) … Sky News (8.05 a.m.) … GMB (8.35 a.m.) … LBC (9.20 a.m.).

Shadow Policing Minister Alex Norris broadcast round: Sky News (7.20 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … GB News (8.05 a.m.) … LBC News (8.50 a.m.).

Also on GB News Breakfast: Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell (7.15 a.m.).

Also on TalkTV Breakfast: Former Home Office Minister Norman Baker (9.10 a.m.).

Also on LBC News: CBI Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer John Foster (8.20 a.m.).

Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: BMA Consultants Committee Deputy Chair Helen Neary (7.05 a.m.) … former Health Minister James Bethell (7.10 a.m.) … Tory London mayoral candidate Susan Hall (8.35 a.m.).

Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): Tory MP Luke Evans … Shadow Health Minister Preet Kaur Gill … PoliticsJOE’s Ava-Santina Evans … the Spectator’s Kate Andrews.

TODAY’S FRONT PAGES

POLITICO UK: James Cleverly was meant to heal the Tory rift on immigration. It isn’t working.

Daily Express: Time for bank chief who talks Britain up!

Daily Mail: Poisonous.

Daily Mirror: Britain’s got to pay Walliams.

Daily Star: Close encounters of the weird kind.

Financial Times: Turkey’s soaring exports of war-linked goods to Russia test ties with NATO allies.

i: Interest rates will stay high into 2025, say economists.

Metro: Obsessed.

The Daily Telegraph: Britain faces U.N. blacklist for blocking trans laws.

The Guardian: Deal to extend truce raises hopes of dozens more hostages released.

The Sun: Gone too VAR.

The Times: Hamas demands “higher price” to set soldiers free.

LONDON CALLING

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny intervals and light winds. Highs of 7C.

SPOTTED … at a Conservative Women’s Staffer Network and Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network Q&A with former Prime Minister Theresa May and former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in parliament: Chairs Laura Dunn and Natasa Pantelic … Ministers Steve Baker and Rebecca Pow … Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock … MPs Maria Miller and Heather Wheeler … Tory GLA candidate Christine Wallace … the Adam Smith Institute’s Emily Fielder … the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit’s Alasdair Johnstone … and This is Purpose’s Matthew McPherson.

Also spotted … at ONE’s Global Changemaker Awards on the Terrace Pavilion: Development Minister Andrew Mitchell … Shadow Exports Minister Afzal Khan … MPs Anthony Mangnall, Vicky Ford, Siobhan Baillie, Wendy Morton, Sarah Champion, Virendra Sharma, Rupa Huq and Tim Farron … Labour peer Jack McConnell … Hacks James Landale and Rob Merrick … and actors Martins Imhangbe and Nikki Amuka-Bird.

JOB ADS: CCHQ is hiring a copywriter with responsibilities including “brainstorm ideas and funny jokes for party merch.”

PARTY TRICK: Tory MP Mark Logan has spent the last year learning Japanese in his spare time, posting his efforts on TikTok and X.

NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD: As the Spectator remains up for sale, editor Fraser Nelson dug out a letter from former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan turning down the chance to buy the magazine in 1967 — Nelson said he “missed out on a bargain.”

CASA CARRIE: In the Times, Hilary Rose takes us on a stroll through Boris and Carrie Johnson’s interior design splurgethon at their £3.8 million moated Oxfordshire pile.

NOAH’S CULTURE FIX: Mission Zero: The Independent Net Zero Review by Tory MP Chris Skidmore is published by Biteback … and John F. Kennedy: The London Story by Bernard A. Marshall is released by Matador.

WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio.

WRITING PLAYBOOK WEDNESDAY MORNING: Dan Bloom.

BIRTHDAYS: Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris … Environment Minister Robbie Moore … former Chancellor Alistair Darling turns 70 … Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones turns 60 … former Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden turns 70 … former Lib Dem Head of Media Rosy Cobb … Commons Clerk Tom Goldsmith … former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe … broadcaster Sian Williams … Tortoise’s Politics Editor Cat Neilan … Creator of “The Thick of It” Armando Iannucci turns 60.

PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editor Jack Lahart, reporter Noah Keate and producer Seb Starcevic.

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