Nick de Bois CBE

Asked a market source for a quote on this. Their response was not printable.

Keir Starmer is increasingly confident he has seen off the immediate threat to his premiership, I'm told, with allies of Wes Streeting quitting the government but a challenge from health secretary failing to materialise. Downing Street insiders suggest that Streeting does not (yet) have the required support from 81 MPs he needs to formally launch a leadership bid – after the PM issued his ‘put up or shut up’ ultimatum to cabinet. Streeting will hold talks with Starmer on Wednesday and is expected to talk candidly about his concerns - but No 10 insiders suggest it is tantamount to a climb down from speculation he was on brink of running. “After all that, it’s looking like Wes may not have the numbers after all. I’m pleased and furious at the same time. The best thing for him now is to come out with some dignity and end the drama,” one loyalist cabinet minister tells me. They also believe they have seen off a threat from Andy Burnham - for now - with one ally saying: "Andy's supporters keep saying he's got a seat. But where is it? It's not real unless he has one". But PM still faces a deeply divided party, angry union backers and even loyalist ministers who don't believe he'll take them into the next election. He may have won the battle, but the war is still raging.

All true. However the world has changed since then. There is no legal requirement for ministers to be members of either house but the cabinet is a sub committee of the privy council and there clear expectation of our modern conventions is that all ministers are.

Side note. To the Labour MPs who shout “Liz Truss” whenever the economy is discussed, should note that the UK 10yr bond yield under Truss peaked at 4.7% This morning, because of Reeves’ and Starmer’s ineptitude the 10yr bond yield is 5.02% Labour crashed the economy.

An evergreen clip ……the lovely Mrs. Duffy who I met on a few occasions and she was super….

It’s not difficult to see how this plays out if the Prime Minister is forced to resign. First, Labour infighting played out in public. Then the new PM greeted with frenzied calls for a General Election by Reform MPs and their cheerleaders, egged on by those in the media who have been helping to stir the movement against Starmer. Madness.

What’s the one thing that’ll be written on Starmer’s political tombstone? Chagos? Winter fuel? Southport?

You were the Uniparty once