Inside Politics: Poll shows Labour leadership race narrowing

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Thursday 16 January 2020 08:59 GMT

Who are the Labour leadership contenders?

That’s the thing about absolute power: hard to give it up once you’ve got it. Vladimir Putin is switching around his Russian dolls in the Kremlin, toying with the constitution and inventing a new position so he can stay in charge forever. How long will we have to put up with Boris Johnson? A lot depends on how he handles the NHS and trade deal negotiations. A lot also depends on the big decision Labour folk are about to make. As the leadership contest hots up, is there any chance one of the candidates could go for some full-on Putin populism? Tiger hunting and topless horse riding, anyone? I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Inside the bubble

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock on what to look out for in SW1 today:

As the Lords continues to scrutinise Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill, MPs will carry on debating the Queen’s Speech in the Commons today – with health and social care on the agenda. In a parliamentary procedure known as a ‘regret motion’, Labour will make the case for increasing funding for the NHS – attempting to force a vote on boosting the health service by an additional four per cent a year. Meanwhile the window for non-Labour members to sign up as registered supporters and get a vote in the leadership contest slams shut today at 5pm.

Daily briefing

PLAYING FAVOURITES: We have a new poll. And it will excite fans of Rebecca Long-Bailey, flag-bearer for the Corbynite left. A Survation survey found RLB out in front in the leadership race on 42 per cent. Trailing on 37 per cent is Keir Starmer, the man who has – until now – been described as the frontrunner (a new year YouGov poll gave Starmer a comfortable lead). Lisa Nandy is way behind on 7 per cent, but seems to have impressed the Twitterati with her performance on The Andrew Neil Show last night. She attacked Corbyn for showing “solidarity with Putin” over the Salisbury poisoning business. Perhaps all the uncomradely intrigue will give Tom Watson a few ideas. We now know what he’s been doing with his time since quitting as deputy leader – penning a political thriller called The House. His publisher said it would explore “ambition and failure, trust and betrayal”. You know what they say – write what you know.

WHERE DID IT ALL GO BONG: Deep in his heart, Mark Francois has a longing for a bonging. The Tory MP did the rounds on TV on Wednesday and predicted it would only take 48 hours for the public to raise the £500,000 needed to have Big Ben chime on 31 January (he suggested Remainers should stay at home and “watch Netflix”). But by the middle of the afternoon only £500 had been stumped up on crowdfunding sites. Church of England vicars told the media they were not merrily on high about doing a big ding dong on the morning of 1 February – after Leave.EU’s Arron Banks urged the clergy to let the bells ring out for Brexit. Elsewhere, Nigel Farage got a license to hold his exit night party outside parliament – but his gang of naughty boys are not permitted to set off any fireworks. Brexit Party chair Richard Tice has asked for new song lyrics to popular hits for a singalong at the shindig. All Night Bong? Bong Tall Sally? You Shook Me All Night Bong? I mean, I could go on...

TIRED OF WAITING FOR YOU: Don’t you hate it when you miss your targets? I suppose if you’re a government minister, you always have the handy option of simply scrapping them altogether. Doctors and opposition condemned Matt Hancock’s “appalling” suggestion that the four-hour A&E waiting target is likely to be ditched – after this winter saw the worst figures ever recorded. The health secretary was accused by Labour of “moving the goalposts” after he told BBC Radio 5 Live it was important to be “judged by the right targets” (i.e. the ones we aren’t crap at). Meanwhile the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt told The Independent he found delays in appointing NHS medical examiners – whose roles are aimed at preventing a repeat of Harold Shipman’s serial killings – “very concerning”.

JUDGES GOT TALENT: If politics is showbiz for ugly people, what does that make the legal profession? It looks like judges are about to become TV stars as the government introduces legislation allowing cameras in to film the sentencing remarks in high-profile cases in the crown courts. Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett thinks it will “improve public understanding”. Hmm. The chair of the Bar Council, Amanda Pinto, appears to have a better understanding of human nature. “If the public see judge’s faces in the living room on television ... they are more likely to be personally attacked.” She warned against “reality TV-style broadcasting of criminals” that risks becoming a tawdry “spectator sport". Looks like it could be too late, Amanda. Coming to a screen near you: “Live from the dock: paedo only gets six years!”

MORE, PLEASE: Political leaders in Northern Ireland are learning not to trust nods, winks and bluster from Boris Johnson. After suggestions the Stormont was in line for a funding boost of an extra £2bn, the government has announced the executive in Belfast is getting £1bn instead. £1bn!? Not enough, said the parties. Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy, the finance minister, said it was an “act of bad faith” and would not be enough to fund public services properly. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood fumed: “This is not, and cannot be, the end of the matter.” Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith politely reminded them they had “been off work for three years” and still got their salaries paid, urging them to “get on with it”. Let’s see how that one goes down.

On the record

“He … obviously understands how press intrusion can have a negative impact on people and their private lives.”

Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesperson says he can really relate to Meghan and Harry.

From the Twitterati

“Lisa Nandy doing incredibly well in this Andrew Neil interview ... only MP I have seen who has managed to tell the king of the political interview to pipe down and listen to her.”

The Sun’s Kate Ferguson thinks Nandy smashed it...

“Labour MP Lisa Nandy says places “like Catalonia” may provide examples of how to “beat” the Scottish independence movement. So, with police brutality and by locking up elected politicians?”

...but The National’s Stephen Paton thinks Scottish nationalists will be less impressed.