Labour ‘cronyism’ as firm linked to tech secretary wins contracts Public Digital, a member of whose staff was seconded to Peter Kyle before the election, has had a fourfold increase in the value of awarded government contracts

EXCL A firm that gave £100k worth of donations to Labour in opposition has won £10m of govt contracts post-election

Public Digital seconded a staff member to write Labour's tech policies pre-election. The firm has since seen a surge in govt contracts.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Sadiq Khan tells Zohran Mamdani how to win New York mayor election Mayor of London trades texts with left-wing Democrat about seizing centre ground after he secured party nomination — and was called a ‘lunatic’ by Trump

EXCL Sadiq Khan has been informally advising the Democrats’ left-wing New York mayoral candidate on how to win his election.

But sources close to Khan say the self-avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani must moderate if he wants to become NYC mayor.

www.thetimes.com/article/0de1...

UK is No 1 target for Russian cyberattacks since Trump’s election Putin has switched his focus to Britain to avoid offending the US administration and as Starmer’s profile on the world stage grows, government sources say

EXCL UK is No 1 target for Russian cyberattacks since Trump’s election

Government officials say Trump’s warmer posture towards Putin has led to a surge in attacks on British instead of American targets.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

EXCL A row between Sadiq Khan and Rachel Reeves is brewing thanks to concerns London will be shafted at the spending review.

City Hall figures believe London won’t get any of Reeves’ £113 billion of new infrastructure spending

More in this morning’s Playbook

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Beyond excited to be moving to The Times next month to work for Wesmintster's best lobby team.

I'll be taking charge of the daily politics newsletter, while also finding stories for the paper.

The Land of Eagles has landed Presented by Coca-Cola By SAM BLEWETT with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser JUST IN: The U.K. economy grew by …

EXCL India has privately warned the UK and US that last month’s terror attack in Kashmir was a “turning point” for Narendra Modi — and that future attacks will be dealt with by increased force against Pakistan.

More in Playbook

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Very strange for a shadow foreign minister, Wendy Morton, to complain Keir Starmer is spending too much of his time on foreign affairs. #PMQs

Farage hits Labour for six Presented by Google By SAM BLEWETT with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Friday morning. This is Sam Blewett. DRIVI…

EXCL Ex-No 10 foreign policy guru John Bew has been brought back to write the UK’s national security strategy.

Bew (previously sacked by Starmer in ‘24) will outline how UK can keep its security partnership with Europe and US w/o choosing sides.

More in Playbook:

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

😂😂

More of a rhetorical flourish than a statement of fact!

Britain’s Tories brace for another electoral disaster Local elections pose a steep test for the Conservative leadership of Kemi Badenoch, despite wide disapproval of the Labour government.

The West's most successful political party is steeling itself for a second electoral wipeout in 10 months.

But despite the Conservative Party's proud history of regicide, there's no internal appetite for leadership change...yet.

Via @politico.eu

www.politico.eu/article/brit...

🚠 IN LONDON PLAYBOOK PM TONIGHT

💤 Keir Starmer frustrates senior MPs on select committee

🏗️ SCOOP from @stefanboscia.bsky.social on Reeves dropping steel nationalization block

👑 SCOOP on Rishi Sunak's resignation honors coming this week

Why football-mad Keir Starmer has Premier League bosses raging Topflight football clubs have been aggressively lobbying to get a new regulator watered down — as ministers insist it will be “light touch.”

New piece out on the govt's final battle with Premier League bosses over the independent football regulator.

One football executive said: “Starmer is really saying the only sector that is not subject to such a deregulation initiative is football. Why?”

www.politico.eu/article/keir...

Seeking Trump’s intelligence Presented by Ørsted By SAM BLEWETT with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Thursday morning. This is Sam Blewett. DRI…

EXCL The government is drawing up contingency plans to rescue Thames Water, which is at risk of crashing into administration later this month.

The debt-laden water firm could run out of money on March 24 thanks to a legal dispute.

More in Londno Playbook

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

And it will be funded by slashing the overseas aid budget.

Down from 0.5 to 0.3 percent of GNI.

NEW Keir Starmer announces the UK will spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence (up from 2.32 percent) by 2027.

A full three years earlier than promised by the last Tory government.

Starmer’s warm-up act Presented by Google By ANDREW MCDONALD with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Friday morning. This is Andrew McDonal…

EXCL Keir Starmer has told his cabinet Labour must stop looking down on working class voters and their immigration concerns.

In a letter to the cabinet, the PM wrote “good faith paternalism has too readily become looking down at people.”

More in London Playbook

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Westminster’s guide to the perfect Christmas lunch Presented by Goldman Sachs By STEFAN BOSCIA PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Christmas morning. This is Stefan Boscia. DRIVING THE…

🎄For some festive morning reading, Playbook has asked Westminster's biggest names about their favourite Christmas cooking tip.

Find out which ex-PM thinks you shouldn't parboil potatoes and which pollster is making a separate turkey for their dog.🎄

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Starmer’s bungled reset is fitting way to end 2024 Five months after winning a landslide victory in the U.K. general election, the PM is struggling to find his voice.

New piece on Starmer reset w/@estwebber.bsky.social

- Two New Labour Cabinet ministers say attacks on civil service a mistake

- A Labour MP says PM has no vision and another calls him "painfully slow"

- Backlash from civil servants as one calls No. 10 "chaotic"

www.politico.eu/article/keir...

Starmer’s last dance of 2024 Presented by Goldman Sachs By STEFAN BOSCIA with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser BREAKING: In the last few minutes the …

EXCL In this morning's Playbook.

Number 10 is not interested in reaching out to Elon Musk to improve the very fractured relations between the UK government and Donald Trump's close confidante.

Read more here: www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Will Donald Trump kill US-UK-Aussie sub defense deal? The landmark defense agreement between the U.S, U.K. and Australia could be in jeopardy with the maverick Republican back in the White House.

NEW There are fears about the AUKUS sub programme in Trump’s second term via @politico.eu

- Defence industry sources worry Trump may delay due to crunch on US sub manufacturing

- Ex-Trump aide warns US needs to be more “American-centric”

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Pardon the interruption Presented by Lloyds Banking Group By STEFAN BOSCIA with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: Presid…

EXCLUSIVE The UK's announcement of when it will spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence has been pushed back as senior officials push Rachel Reeves to agree to a 2027 target.

Read all about it in this morning's Playbook below.

www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

UK could strike back at Trump with taxes on Harleys and Jack Daniel’s Britain prefers a deal over a trade war — but is sharpening its tools just in case.

EXCL UK could hit back at Trump with tariffs on Harley Davidson/Jack Daniel’s/Levi’s

UK has been wargaming how to respond to potential Donald Trump tariffs on UK goods, with officials briefing ministers they can immediately repurpose ex EU measures against the US

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NEW Peter Mandelson, favourite to be Starmer's ambassador to the US, says UK government should end its feud with
Elon Musk.
.
He said on his Times Radio podcast: "You've got to get over it. You've got to, he's got to be reintroduced to the British government."

One of several MAGA men spotted at today’s Westminster farmers protest

Chinese officials bundle British journalists out of Starmer-Xi meeting Move came as UK prime minister — who is pitching a visit to Beijing — raised the case of pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai.

Dispatch from the Xi-Starmer meeting in Rio from Sam Blewett @politico.eu

Xi gave a win to Starmer by repeating Labour's slogan that the UK govt is "fixing the foundations".

www.politico.eu/article/keir...

a cartoon character from the simpsons is behind bars holding a cup of coffee . ALT: a cartoon character from the simpsons is behind bars holding a cup of coffee .

Being on Blueky is like being in that episode of the Simpsons where they all go to Shelbyville.

How Trump ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk fell out with the UK Keir Starmer may be rueing the British government’s decision to snub the X owner now that he’s joining Donald Trump’s top team.

NEW from my Politico colleagues:

How Trump ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk fell out with the UK

www.politico.eu/article/dona...

This place is...different.

All very FBPE