Dear John,

After a busy week following Parliamentary recess, I’m back with your weekend wire and a run-through of this week’s political news.

Slim pickings for Sunak at NFU conference

Rishi Sunak spoke at the National Farmers’ Union conference this week, becoming the first PM to do so since 2008. 

The context of this rare appearance is recent polling which showed that the Labour Party are beating the Conservatives in the 100 most rural constituencies, with Sunak representing a fairly rural constituency himself. 

In the hope that the conference would offer fertile ground (don’t worry I have more puns), Rishi’s mission at the NFU conference was to win back some of this lost support but after coming a crop-per in his speech, implying farmers don’t need to be paid, I’m guessing he’ll be feeling rather sheep-ish.

But love doesn’t pay the bills and the Conservative Party have repeatedly sold out farmers, compounding global challenges with Brexit and new trade deals which completely undermine British  agriculture. Indeed, new Best for Britain polling this week showed that one of the outworkings from their  Brexit deal means people are less likely to buy British produce. 

My best guess is he won’t be at the NFU conference next year and if he is, probably not as Prime Minister.

The tall tale of the truth-twisting Trade Secretary

It just wouldn’t be Weekend Wire without a member of the Government throwing themselves in unnecessary difficulty. This time, it’s Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and her estranged relationship with the truth. 

The first of Badenoch's two transgressions centres around  ex-Post Office Chair Henry Staunton who, in a front page story for  the Sunday Times, claimed that she gave the order to delay compensation to victims of the Horizon Scandal and “limp into the election” to save the Government money.  Badenoch declared the claims were a ‘disgraceful misrepresentation’ but unfortunately for her, he kept the receipts. At PMQs on Wednesday after being quizzed by Starmer who asked him to stand by or disavow her claims, the PM decided to do neither. You can see the exchange on our Twitter feed.

If you’re thinking the week couldn’t get any worse for Badenoch, her truth twisting caught up with her a second time this week, this time on the issue of trade negotiations with Canada. Last month Badenoch told MPs on the Business Select Committee that talks with Canada were “ongoing” to avoid a tariff cliff-edge for UK car manufacturers. One journalist thought to check and previous assertions from Canadian negotiators that talks had collapsed were this week repeated by the Canadian High Commissioner to the UK and lying to a Select Committee is the same as lying to Parliament. 

At least Kemi can comfort herself in the knowledge that her tall tales have landed her near bottom in the list of public preference for Sunak’s successor.

Hoyle’s Howler

Chaos engulfed the House of Commons on Wednesday during a SNP opposition day debate focused on the conflict in Gaza. 

The seriousness of the issue notwithstanding proceedings descended into farce when Speaker of the House, Lindsey Hoyle allowed MPs to vote on all amendments to the SNP’s original motion, which perversely resulted in the SNP being unable to vote on their own motion at all.

Despite a near tearful apology from Hoyle and claims his decision was based on his desire to protect MPs from threats and violence, a petition of no-confidence in the Speaker has now garnered more than 60 signatures from SNP and Tory MPs. However with senior Government figures seeming opposed to his defenestration,  it is unlikely that it will come of anything.

Bye-Bye-Benton

The by-election klaxon is closer to going again as Scott Benton, MP for Blackpool South, lost his appeal against his Commons suspension this week. Benton, who previously sat as a Conservative MP, fell prey to a sting and offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry and leak confidential policy documents for up to £4,000 a month. 

A parliamentary committee thought this merited a suspension of 35 days and should MPs feel the same, and most expect they will, we will see a repeat of Wellingborough, with Benton facing a recall petition and  an almost certain  by-election.

Although previously uncommon, a recall petition will now occur for the third time in the past year alone with the aforementioned Wellingborough petition and one in Rutherglen and Hamilton West to remove SNP MP Margaret Ferrier were both successful with both returning Labour by-election victories.

No-phone-zone

The Government started the week by announcing their intention to ban the use of  phones in schools to tackle both distractions in class and  bullying. However, teachers branded it  a “‘non policy for a non-problem” after it emerged that the policy would be little more than new guidance and misguided guidance is something of a speciality of the Education Secretary. 

The policy gave Labour the chance to have some fun in a new video that you can watch here.

😬 Cringe column 🫣

The Cringe Column is home to only the most egregious levels of stupidity and self-indulgence and we’ve got some remarkable content for you this week.

Udderly Ridiculous

Don’t tell me they don’t make good TV anymore. Jacob Rees-Mogg used his very important role as a host on GB News to highlight the phenomenon of people…. buying and drinking whole milk?! 

The FOUR MINUTE segment of Mogg drinking different kinds of milk is as baffling as it is unsettling. This clip of his quaffing milk “warm from the cow”  is our gift to you. Happy weekend.

That’s just about it from me. Enjoy your weekend fry-ups and don’t even think about putting oat, or semi-skimmed milk in your Sunday morning cup of tea!

Ben Stead-Lewis
External Affairs Officer