The best-laid plans of politicians are frequently confounded by the rapidly-evolving world of current events.This perpetual principle was proved by the Government’s understandable preoccupation with the shocking attacks that took place in Paris last Friday night.
Where this week might previously have found itself dedicated to a pleasing preamble to the Spending Review, senior politicians had bigger fish to fry this week as they sought to reassure the public, and contemplated the potential international response.
It seemed appropriate, therefore, that ministers should bring forward an apparently-planned announcement on intelligence funding to supply full details of expanded recruitment while the need for public protection was occupying the public consciousness so prominently.
While the media had dropped some heavy hints about the move – carefully timed as part of the gradual sprinkling of stories that inevitably prefaces a major financial speech – ministers became considerably more forthcoming on the details in response to this new urgent mood, setting out the numbers in a bid to demonstrate their concrete commitment to national security.
The Government’s overall approach will be set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, due on Monday, providing a strong opening statement for an eventful political week.
The other indicative announcement to take place this past week concerned a major change of direction in energy policy, as Energy Secretary Amber Rudd delivered a landmark “reset” speech in which she opted to formally de-emphasise climate change mitigation efforts in the policy “trilemma”.
While insisting that the Government remained committed to its programme of emissions reductions, Ms Rudd added yet another announcement to the Government’s recent accumulation of anti-subsidy rhetoric.
However, it was clear, both on the day of the speech and during Energy Questions in the House of Commons the following morning, that the Government wanted to emphasise the story as a commitment to a gas-powered immediate future.
Ms Rudd was defiant over the congratulatory text messages and notes of support she claimed to have received in response to the speech, but faced attacks from Opposition members who believed the UK’s international credibility was being damaged ahead of the UNFCCC COP21 talks.
Also facing a grilling during questions on a different story was Home Secretary Theresa May. Appearing before the Commons on Monday, Ms May and her colleagues were subjected to a volley of worried inquiries from Labour and Conservative MPs alike over whether community policing could withstand the impact of cuts.
Once more, the terrible events of the previous weekend appeared to weigh heavily on MPs’ minds as they invoked the need to ensure frontline policing did not suffer in the Spending Review. Expected cuts have faced an especially vehement response from the Opposition, with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell explicitly demanding a reprieve.
As we head into the final weekend before Spending Review week, expect fresh revelations to grace the pages of the weekend papers as the Government drops more of its key messages ahead of the big day.
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