London Playbook PM: Wind chat blown off course

Good afternoon.
— Keir Starmer visited a wind farm but his message was blown off course via a fresh Whitehall appointments row.
— Labour Together alum Jess Sargeant has been hired to work in the Cabinet Office on constitutional issues.
— Conservative leadership contenders are squaring off at a hustings, as endorsements continue to flow in.
— The Lib Dems got fined for filing donations info late.
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WIND CHAT BLOWN OFF COURSE: Keir Starmer wants to talk about wind power and green transport. But the row over political appointments to Whitehall has reared its ugly head once more.
Indeed: Guido broke the news this afternoon that former Labour Together alumni Jess Sargeant has been given a senior role at the heart of the Cabinet Office. Her title is alleged to be Deputy Director of the Cabinet Office Propriety and Constitution Group. Which is a nice, important-sounding mouthful. She’ll be working under Director General Darren Tierney.
Of course … the right-wing site, and former Conservative SpAd Henry Newman (now running the Whitehall Watch blog on Substack,) argued it’s bonkers for the Labour government to appoint political actors to the team policing government ethics.
But but but: The Cabinet Office assured Playbook PM Sargeant was hired to advise on constitutional issues, which is her area of expertise, and not ethics. She won’t be dealing with casework relating to proprietary issues.
The CV: Sargeant led a constitutional review for the Institute for Government, after working on Brexit and its constitutional implications around Northern Ireland for the think tank. Before that she was a researcher in the House of Lords Library and for the Constitution Unit in UCL. It was after the IfG that she went to work for Starmerite campaign group and think tank Labour Together, as its director of constitutional change.
Let’s not get too excited: “Jess Sargeant has had a stellar career working for non-partisan institutions with deep expertise in constitutional matters, like the House of Lords and the Institute for Government,” one senior Labour figure told Playbook PM. “The idea she is a Starmerite warrior is nonsense.”
Nevertheless … resurfacing the row over political appointments to civil service roles isn’t too helpful for Starmer — who spent lots of time in opposition accusing the Conservatives of back-scratching shonkiness. The row was sparked in recent weeks after POLITICO revealed senior political hires to Whitehall roles in the tech department and the Treasury. The latter hire, Ian Corfield, was even a direct Labour donor.
Not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot: Cabinet Minister Jo Stevens insisted this morning the political appointments to civil service roles aren’t evidence of cronyism. “All appointments to the civil service are done properly and through the civil service commissioner,” she told Times Radio. “There are rules in place. The rules have been followed.”
The question is … whether the rules are fit for purpose. In particular when watchdogs weren’t even told about one of the hires donating more than £20,000 to prominent Labour figures — another POLITICO scoop. Downing Street insists a government handing a civil service gig to one of its political donors is no problem, which does suggest something somewhere along the line isn’t quite as it should be. It could be a question for Sargeant herself to think about, now she’s pulling constitutional levers in the Cabinet Office.
Still pumping out the message: Starmer wanted to talk instead about green fuel, as he visited a wind farm in Wales with new First Minister Eluned Morgan. “There’s a huge opportunity here for Wales,” he told reporters. “It’s got the natural resources, it’s got the shallow seas, and it’s got the skilled people here in Wales that can operate this.”
Also being green: Labour will pump investment cash into walking and cycling, Transport Secretary Lou Haigh pledged in an interview with the Guardian. “We’re in a climate crisis; we’re in a public health crisis,” Haigh told the paper. “Getting people walking and cycling and moving more are essential to solving both of those in the immediate term and in the long term.”
Playbook PM’s two cents: Tackling all the potholes in cycle lanes would be an excellent start.
THE TRIAL CONTINUES: Conservative leadership contenders (sans Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat) are squaring off right now at a closed-doors hustings in Somerset.
Priti good news, in the current climate: Snubbed former Reform bigwig Ben Habib has endorsed Priti Patel for the leadership — although given his falling out with Nigel Farage this might not be the biggest help when it comes to courting the pro-Nige vote among Conservative members. See his clip here.
Look out for … two more Badenoch supporters who are set to break cover this evening.
Smoked but didn’t inhale latest: After leadership contender Robert Jenrick admitted using Ozempic for weight loss but not having a great time with it, POLITICO’s Andrew McDonald rounds up all the SW1 dieting fads that have come and gone. Boris Johnson, Nigel Lawson and Tom Watson all feature, and there are a few Washington names in there too.
Speaking of Jenrick: The former immigration minister has been talking to LBC Radio about his pledge to leave the ECHR, while promising a beefed-up Rwanda plan if he manages to lead the Tories back into office. “I want a stronger version of the Rwanda plan,” he explained. “One which would enable us to detain people upon arrival and then remove them within hours or days, rather than weeks and months.” Clip here.
Anti-Europe one-up-man-ship: Tugendhat has been slagging off Labour plans for a defense pact with Europe in a statement to (where else?) the Telegraph. “We don’t need to add complexity to conflict,” Tugendhat told the paper. “I know the prime minister and foreign secretary’s obsession with the EU is their priority, but we need to be focused on keeping our country and our allies safe.”
Brilliant consolation prize: Conservatives who lost their seats at the general election are being offered free conference tickets, PolHome’s Tom Scotson and Tali Fraser revealed this afternoon. Expect booze-fueled tears.
RUH ROH: The Labour mayor of Newham is smarting about the government authorizing the expansion of her local airport. The Standard has a writeup.
LIB DEM WORLD: The Lib Dems received £3,600 in fines relating to 22 instances of reporting donations too late, the Electoral Commission announced. Details here, including a £1,000 fine for Richmond Park Labour for being tardy with its accounts too.
BREXIT FOR KIDS: Despite Labour swerving EU requests to establish a youth mobility scheme (allowing Brits aged 18 to 30 to work on the continent and vice versa) polling suggests the move would be popular — including among Reform voters, my POLITICO colleague Jon Stone writes in.
The numbers: Pollsters More In Common found 58 percent of the public thought establishing such a scheme would be a good idea, with just 10 percent saying it would be a bad idea. Of these, 44 percent of Nigel Farage fans were supportive compared with 27 percent who were against the idea. Leave voters overall were 49 percent to 28 percent in favor.
DRUG DEATH CAPITAL — AGAIN: Scotland remains Europe’s drug death capital, the latest figures for deaths due to drug misuse in 2023 confirmed today. The Scottish government admitted the figures — which show a sharp rise in deaths of 12 percent from the previous year — are “hugely concerning”. In total, 1,172 Scots died from drug misuse in 2023. Holyrood Magazine has an analysis of the figures from Austin Smith of the Scottish Drugs Forum here. 
Also happening in Scotland: The Scottish government ended its own pilot scheme scrapping peak-time rail fares — meaning an effective big hike in train fares for commuters and other fans of overcrowded trains. The SNP government argued there wasn’t enough of an increase in passenger levels in the less than 12 months it lasted. 
THE YOUNG AND FUN VOTE: Check out this snap of Conservative leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat visiting a distillery in Scotland.
Shameless plug: Check out the time Playbook PM placated his wife with Scottish distillery booze during a reporting tour north of the border.
THE BANK MANAGER WILL SEE YOU NOW: Fellow Conservative leadership hopeful Mel Stride is using an image akin to the Lloyds Bank logo on his graphics. See here. Is he offering loans too?
THE CHRIS LIST: Virgin Radio Pride posted its full interview with Chris Bryant on YouTube, in which the culture minister set out his Pride playlist. “We met in The Yard, which is a public house in Soho,” he told the show about meeting his husband Jared. “I was out with LGBT Labour … we were canvassing the gay bars of Soho to get people to vote for the Labour Party in the mayoral elections.” Cilla Black turned up at their wedding … as someone else’s plus one!
That playlist in full: “Somewhere” from “West Side Story” … “England 2 Colombia 0” by Kirsty MacColl … “It’s A Sin” by the Pet Shop Boys … “Smalltown Boy” by Bronksi Beat … “Moon River” from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” … and “Yes Sir I Can Boogie” by Baccara.
TONIGHT IN CHICAGO: Barack and Michelle Obama are the main draws at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago tonight, after Joe Biden’s address last night (catch up here). Expect some fulsome tributes from Barack for his old number two Biden — who he is said to have quietly helped maneuvre out of running again. Speeches begin around midnight U.K. time, and current Veep and candidate-in-waiting Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff is also scheduled to speak. 
GAZA CEASEFIRE LATEST: Joe Biden’s top diplomat Antony Blinken has been meeting Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as he seeks to seal a ceasefire deal — after Israel accepted his terms for a “bridging proposal” to peace yesterday. Blinken is next off to Qatar, where he’ll press Hamas through intermediaries to continue talks. More here from the NYT. 
While in Gaza itself: At least 12 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza City, according to the region’s Civil Defense Authority. The school was said to be housing those displaced by the IDF’s advance in Gaza, though the Israeli military said it was targeting a Hamas command and control center inside the school. The BBC has more. 
AND IN RUSSIA: The Kremlin is warning citizens not to use dating apps in regions that Ukraine is advancing in. More from POLITICO’s Ketrin Jochecová here. 
FABIAN FUNTIME: The Fabian Society member policy group on local government and housing is hosting its London summer reception with Labour MP Chris Curtis at 6.30 p.m. (Sign up form here).
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Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Former White House Director of Public Affairs Robert Weiner … Ecotricity owner Dale Vince … Kamala Harris biographer Dan Morain … Commentator Tim Montgomerie … The New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe.
News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Democrat member of Congress Stacey Plaskett … Biographer Anthony Seldon … Former Kamala Harris aide Rachel Palermo … Former Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot … Former White House official under Barack Obama Nayyera Haq.
Dewebs and Co (GB News, 6 p.m.): Autonomy co-founder David Tabizel … Former Tory MP Jake Berry … Former Labour MP Steve McCabe.
GB News Tonight (7 p.m.): Former Tory MP Michael Brown and former Labour MP Bill Rammell.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News 8 p.m.): Former Tory MP Neil Parish.
REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Former Margaret Thatcher aide Caroline Slocock and PolHome’s Nadine Batchelor-Hunt … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): Journalist Jenny Kleeman and ConHome’s Henry Hill.
STOP THE BOATS LATEST: The government wants to talk about illegal immigration.
KEEP ‘EM COMING: Sentences for muppets who took part in riots following the Southport attacks continue.
PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: It’s recess! Make the most of a quieter Westminster with a stroll around to check out the menus.
NEW GIG: The SDP’s Hilary Salt has been appointed deputy leader. Details here.
NEW GIG II: Defeated Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis is set to present his first show on Talk TV Friday. Guido has the deets.
SIMPLE QUESTIONS PLAYBOOK PM CAN’T GET ANSWERS TO: When will Boris Johnson start producing his paid-per-show GB News content?
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The opening pitch from new ConHome editor Giles Dilnot, who tells readers “rumours of the demise of this party are greatly exaggerated, and I do not see this role as just charting the Conservatives’ success and failures in opposition but charting the road back to electoral success in local and national government.”
Barnacles off the boat: Dilnot wrote that despite having worked in government for former Home Secretary James Cleverly, “all six of the contenders to lead will be given exactly the same respect and handling by this site. No one individual will be given favour, nor will they be campaigned against. This site won’t choose the new leader, nor will it try to.” He insisted the route back to power is through function rather than factionalism. Good luck with that.
ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: On Aug. 20, 1945 future Labour leader (and election loser) Michael Foot made his maiden speech in the Commons. More here from the Tides of History account on Instagram.
WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Sam Blewett.
THANKS TO: My editor Rosa Prince, reporter Andrew McDonald and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.
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