Alex Baker MP awarded top spot after mobilising Labour MPs, Robert Jenrick gets into trouble with the Commons Authorities and shots are fired in Team Reform.
Read all about it in this week's Who's Top Who's Not.
Flying High: Alex Baker MP
As the home of the British army and a historically steadfast Tory seat, Aldershot was one of the most interesting wins for Labour at the last general election. But it is going to be tough for Labour to hold onto it next time around.
So, kudos to Alex Baker MP for coordinating a joint letter signed by over 100 Labour MPs calling for Britain’s finance sector to relax its ESG rules to allow greater investment in the UK defence sector. You won’t go far wrong in Aldershot by backing British defence.
But what makes this open letter so effective is how coordinated it is across government. WTWN can see the helpful hands of Treasury PPSs garnering signatures and ensuring that it is on-message with Downing Street’s (both No.10 and No.11’s) aims of generating economic growth whilst framing it around the need to spend more on defence. It’s also a good way of mobilizing backbenchers. To top it off, this campaign splashed the front pages of the Telegraph this morning; no mean feat considering that paper is rarely Labour-friendly.
Joined-up approaches are surprisingly rare in Westminster and here we have local campaigners, the treasury, No.10’s political unit, MOD and Downing Street’s strategic comms team all pulling in the same direction. A good example of an improved Labour operation that is starting to find its feet in government.
Middle-ranking: Robert Jenrick MP
Shy and retiring team-player Robert Jenrick made one of his ever-increasing forays away from his policy brief to share his thoughts with the country about the Chagos Islands. No doubt Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel and Kemi Badenoch will be delighted that Bobby J saved them the bother by doing all the heavy lifting for them on this issue.
In a slick video that went out across his socials, Jenrick clearly and eloquently set out his opposition to the government’s Chagos deal, right before President Trump publicly backed it. Timing is everything.
It was then reported that Jenrick was due to get a stern telling off from Commons authorities after filming another social media vid on the Parliamentary terrace. In fairness, he is hardly the first MP to do this but perhaps this is part of a wider crackdown on terrace behaviour that is being folded into the post-spiking regime in Strangers’ Bar. If you happen to be one of the lucky 50 now allowed into Westminster’s best-connected watering hole each night, then best to avoid selfies outside on the terrace.
Sinking quickly: Nigel Farage MP
Has the love gone in Team Reform? Britain’s favourite right-wing bromance seems to be having problems as it plots its future course.
Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, went on the front-foot by attacking his party leader Nigel Farage as a ‘messiah’ and questioning whether he would make a good prime minister. With friends like these…
Farage’s parties have a history of splits, and this pattern seems to be emerging again. Perhaps this reflects teething problems of a young political party; perhaps it reflects the surprisingly broad and contradictory political and economic thought amongst its key players; perhaps it reflects differing opinions about Reform’s strategic direction; perhaps its personal ambition; or perhaps Nige just isn’t very good at keeping a happy ship.