Scoop — No. 10’s mini

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By ELENI COUREA

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Good Thursday morning. This is Eleni Courea.

SCOOP — MINI DOWNING STREET RESET: Summer’s over and No. 10 is beefing up its political operation with two key appointments as we enter the run-up to the next general election. Jamie Njoku-Goodwin is trading his plum job as chief executive of U.K. Music to get stuck into the Tory election effort as No. 10 director of strategy. A familiar face in Westminster from his days as former Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s tireless special adviser, Njoku-Goodwin has spent the past three years steering the music industry through the pandemic period. Before that he worked in CCHQ and is a veteran of the last three Tory election campaigns.

Also joining No. 10: Former special adviser to David Cameron Adam Atashzai becomes a senior adviser based in the No. 10 political office (as previewed in the Times over the weekend). He’s on a fixed-term contract and will likely be tasked with helping to sharpen Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s political operation. Both Njoku-Goodwin and Atashzai are expected to start their new roles in September.

NOW TIME FOR THE CABINET RESET? The Tories and Labour are battling for control of the Crime Week narrative — but it looks like No. 10 is about to rip up its comms grid to conduct a mini-reshuffle.

The central task is: To appoint a new defense secretary to replace Ben Wallace. LBC’s Iain Dale heard Wednesday night that it will be someone “rather unexpected.” The Sun tips Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin, Treasury Minister John Glen (who became the favorite over the summer) and Defense Minister James Heappey.

To add to those: A couple of other names Playbook heard floating around well-connected Tory circles Wednesday night were Energy Secretary Grant Shapps (tipped by the FT) and former Defense Secretary Liam Fox (tipped by Katy Balls in the i and now the Telegraph). “They certainly are unexpected,” one SpAd remarked.

All this suggests … No one’s too sure who it will be (underlining how this is a relatively un-leaky Downing Street operation). No. 10 declined to comment on reshuffle speculation but several papers report the appointment may well come today.

Playbook’s take: Quin — a former minister for defense procurement — has emerged as the dark horse candidate and looks to be the frontrunner this morning, according to two well-connected Tories. Shapps is seen as one of the government’s best communicators but may be held back by his lack of experience in defense. Fox is a close ally of Sunak’s whom No. 10 may feel they owe something to but observers will question the wisdom of appointing him given the Adam Werritty saga.

If you’ve been on holiday: You might have missed that the more extensive Cabinet reshuffle that had been expected in September has reportedly been postponed. This has drawn criticism from Tories who see this as part of Sunak’s tendency to be indecisive. “Delaying it is mad,” a government aide tells Katy Balls’ Spectator column. “It looks weak.”

Reshuffle or no reshuffle: The PM has no public engagements and is working from No. 10 today. So spare a thought for the officials turning up at 6 a.m. to spend three hours preparing to be asked extremely detailed questions in meetings with him (as per the Telegraph’s Dan Martin).

BACK TO CRIME WEEK: Tory strategists will be pleased with this morning’s front pages. An overhaul of the police disciplinary system to make it easier to sack rogue officers splashes the Times … laws to force criminals to attend their sentencing hearings splash the Mail, Express and Metro … and the move to put the Lucy Letby inquiry on statutory footing splashes the Guardian.

In response: Labour — which sees crime as a key battleground in the next election — is hitting back hard. A party spokesperson told Playbook the government was “dragged kicking and screaming to act for those who have faced cruel injustices” and that “Keir Starmer’s Labour Party doesn’t need persuading.” Starmer told Cheryl Korbel, the mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, on ITV that he would have “acted a lot more quickly” on forcing criminals to attend sentencing, and that in theory the change could be introduced as soon as next week.

On the airwaves: There should be more political to-and-fro this morning as Policing Minister Chris Philp and Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry tour broadcast studios. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is also on BBC Breakfast at 7.10 a.m.

In the red corner: Labour has dug out Defra stats suggesting that only 8 percent of fly-tipping cases result in some form of punishment — the Indy has a write-up via PA. The Tories pointed out in response that the two worst-performing councils were Labour-run Liverpool and Gateshead.

The Crime Week news you were waiting for: Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith appeared to encourage people to break the law by vandalizing ULEZ cameras, according to comments reported by the Mail (IDS denied the story and said the quotes are wrong) … while the Times’ George Greenwood reports that an intervention by Tory SpAds to block FOI disclosures led the Ministry of Justice to break the law.

IT’S NOT JUST THE TORIES: Labour strategists will be chalking down some good wins as they go through today’s front pages. Labour-obtained FOI stats showing that 121,000 people on NHS waiting lists died last year splash the Telegraph, make it into a p1 Times story and get prominent coverage in the Mail.

On the same topic: The Lib Dems have crunched stats on hospital beds in different parts of the U.K. and find some areas have fewer beds per capita than Mexico. Deputy Lib Dem leader Daisy Cooper is campaigning in Mid Bedfordshire today to highlight a shortage of beds there.

Reverse expectations management: A senior minister tells the Mail’s Jason Groves that the Labour and Lib Dems fight over Nadine Dorries’ Mid Bedfordshire seat could allow the Tories to “come through the middle.”

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: More problems for the beleaguered Bibby Stockholm barge. According to a Times FOI return, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service told officials two weeks ago that the barge had failed fire safety requirements in five ways. The Guardian reports urgent work is being carried out after a plumbing inspection but the Home Office plans to move people back on before the repairs are completed. The Home Office said the plumbing work was “scheduled and routine” and that asylum seekers’ welfare was “the utmost priority.”

CHOPPERS CHOPPED: The government has ditched plans to spend £40 million on a Ministry of Defense contract for ministerial helicopters amid criticism of Rishi Sunak’s penchant for short-haul flights, the Guardian’s Peter Walker reports.

ACTS OF SERVICE: A “Great British National Service” involving civic exploration trips and volunteering days should be created and with everyone over 16 automatically signed up, according to an Onward report. Commons leader Penny Mordaunt has endorsed its objectives in a Telegraph op-ed but said participation should be optional.

CASH CRUNCH: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has told Treasury officials that there will be no significant tax cuts in the next budget, Hugo Gye reports in the i splash. Cutting taxes now would lead to lower standards for public services in the coming years, according to Institute for Government analysis written up by the i.

CHINA CORNER: The i’s Richard Holmes has an interesting account of the massive security and counter-surveillance measures taken to protect Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and his team during their trip to China, including safe rooms and burner phones.

ULEZ WARS: Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins was suspended from Twitter/X after posting that “someone should kill” London Mayor Sadiq Khan over ULEZ, according to road.cc.

REACHING BOILING POINT: The Energy Department has launched a consultation on proposals to encourage homes and businesses to ditch their existing boilers in favor of heat pumps. There has been some Tory backlash against the plans in recent weeks.

SWING VOTERS SQUEEZED: Swing voters aren’t convinced that the cost of living crisis is a priority for either the Tories or Labour, according to YouGov polling for the Stop the Squeeze campaign.

INDIA RISING: The Spectator’s James Heale has written an interesting end-of-recess cover piece on the U.K.-India relationship ahead of the G20 summit in New Delhi next week, including what the two sides want to get out of their trading relationship. He reports that given how much military equipment India imports from Russia, No. 10 has had to make sure that Sunak will not be traveling in any Russian-made helicopters during his trip there.

PARLIAMENT: Still out of office.

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FROM HOLLYWOOD TO WALES: My colleague Andrew McDonald has a dispatch from Wales on how Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s purchase of Wrexham Association Football Club transformed the city’s profile and name recognition. He takes a look at the problems facing other small-town football clubs that haven’t had the same good fortune.

ACROSS THE POND: Tropical Storm Idalia was downgraded from a hurricane as it crossed Florida and Georgia into South Carolina, with two people killed and 480,000 left without electricity — the Independent has more.

GABON COUP LATEST: Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of Gabon’s Republican Guard — the unit in charge of the president’s security — has been named as the country’s transition leader following the coup in which President Ali Bongo was deposed — Al Jazeera has a write-up. Sky’s Yousra Elbagir has an explainer about why many of the coups across Africa are driven by “internal politics and opportunism.”

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE: North Korea and Russia are “actively advancing” high-level talks for additional weapons to assist Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to U.S. intelligence — via POLITICO.

Home Office Minister Chris Philp broadcast round: GB News (6.40 a.m.) … Times Radio (7 a.m.) … Sky News (7.17 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … TalkTV (8.45 a.m.).

Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry broadcast round: Times Radio (7.50 a.m.) … Sky News (8.05 a.m.) … LBC (8.50 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.).

Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Chair Greg Clark (7.35 a.m.) … Chief Executive of the College of Policing Andy Marsh (8.05 a.m.) … Deputy Chair of the Police Federation Tiffany Lynch (8.35 a.m.).

Also on Sky News Breakfast: Tory MP and All Party Parliamentary Group on China Chair Richard Graham (7.30 a.m.) … Police Federation of England and Wales National Chair Steve Hartshorn (8.20 a.m.) … Former Victims’ Commissioner Vera Baird (8.30 a.m.).

Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Andy Marsh (8.20 a.m.).

Also on Good Morning Britain: Former government food czar Henry Dimbleby (7.25 a.m.).

Also on TalkTV Breakfast: Tory MP James Sunderland (8.20 a.m.).

BBC Breakfast: Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (7.10 a.m.).

LBC News: Former U.K. National Security Adviser Mark Lyall Grant (7.45 a.m.) … Former Met Police Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri (8.10 a.m.).

POLITICO UK: Ryan Reynolds has transformed Wrexham. Who will save Britain’s other struggling towns?

Daily Express: Cowardly criminals will be forced into dock.

Daily Mail: At last, killers will have to face justice.

Daily Mirror: Killers will face justice.

Daily Star: Beer goggles — it’s war!

Financial Times: Swiss unveil dirty money clampdown to repair image.

i: No tax cuts this year — Chancellor rules out any red meat for angry Tory MPs.

Metro: We’ll see you in court, cowards.

The Daily Telegraph: Hospital waiting list deaths double in five years.

The Guardian: Witnesses to be forced to testify at Letby inquiry.

The Independent: Killers will be forced into dock to face justice.

The Sun: We did care Harry.

The Times: Rogue police sacked on spot under new powers.

The New Statesman: The great tax con — Harry Lambert on Britain’s economy rewarding wealth over work.

The Spectator: India’s century — James Heale on Rishi Sunak’s plan for a new Indo-Pacific alliance.

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Light rain throughout the day — highs of 16C.

HANDBAGS AT DAWN, IN CHURCH: Leveling-Up Secretary Michael Gove couldn’t resist taking a pop at one of his political nemeses during a debate at Great St. Bartholomew church Wednesday night. Asked whether the world would be a better place if some people had pursued power over riches, Gove mused: “If my dear friend Elizabeth Mary Truss had developed an undoubtedly successful business career, would we be better off?”

RUFFLED FEATHERS: The RSBP apologized Wednesday night for an extraordinary post branding Rishi Sunak and other ministers “liars” over their proposals to scrap anti-pollution rules to build new homes. The BBC has the story.

ZAHAWI RISES FROM THE ASHES: Former Tory Chair Nadhim Zahawi is acting as a middleman between the UAE and the Barclay brothers as they try to win back control of the Telegraph newspapers, according to this intriguing p1 story by the Times’ well-connected Business Editor Richard Fletcher. A source tells him it would mean Zahawi becoming chair of the newspaper group if the deal is successful.

GRAB THE POPCORN: BBC presenter and former Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg has made a three-part documentary series about the tumultuous political period since June 2016 called Laura Kuenssberg: State of Chaos. The first episode airs on September 11 at 9 p.m. on BBC Two and is available from 6 a.m. on iPlayer.

REAL TALK IN ASHFIELD: Tory Deputy Chair Lee Anderson has no ambitions to be a front-line politician and would like to be a local councillor again, he told 5 News’ Dan Walker. The full interview airs from 5 p.m. on Channel 5.

NOAH’S CULTURE FIX: Round off recess with these books published today — The Weimar Years: Rise and Fall 1918–1933 by Frank McDonough is published by Apollo … Free For All: Why The NHS Is Worth Saving by Gavin Francis is published by the Wellcome Collection … and The Gardener of Lashkar Gah: The Afghans who Risked Everything to Fight the Taliban by the Times’ Defense Editor Larisa Brown is published by Bloomsbury Continuum.

CONSTITUENT GONGS: The deadline for nominations for ONE’s Global Changemaker Awards has been extended to September 30. The charity wants to recognize members of the public such as campaigners and volunteers who have helped the U.K. be a force for good in the world. The awards will be judged by a cross-party panel of MPs including Sarah Champion, Anthony Mangnall, Wendy Morton, Virendra Sharma, and Chris Law.

NEW GIG: Gurpreet Narwan joins the lobby next month as a political correspondent for Sky News.

JOB AD: The Department of Health and Social Care is looking for a strategic policy adviser.

BIRTHDAYS: Former Labour and Change U.K. MP Ann Coffey … Ipswich MP Tom Hunt … The Guardian’s Whitehall Editor Rowena Mason … The TBI’s Emma McNicholas… Former No. 10 spinner Paul Harrison … Former independent MP and BBC reporter Martin Bell … Sunday Express Political Editor David Williamson … FT Political Correspondent Anna Gross … Former BBC journalist and loyal Playbook reader Claudia Whitehouse turns 80 … Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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

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