
Holy arbitration, Fatman! Starmer's superhero alter-ego is revealed
'Holy arbitration, Fatman!'
The caped headmaster was up for his last PMQs of the summer term, putting on his 'be sensible' scowl, handing out prizes for the best crawl or suck-up.
Jacob Collier, resembling one of those cherubic middle-aged men who lie their way back into school, said Keir was handsome and clever, and 'I welcome Labour's warm home discount'. Indeed, replied the Holborn Porker, 'I met his constituent Nicola in her kitchen who told me how hard she's working to support her family.' She also asked: 'How did you get into my kitchen?' and 'Could you please leave?'
The public is so anti-politics now that the only way to conduct a focus group is to secrete a minister into a voter's house and surprise them when they come down to breakfast. 'Before you call the police: how would you rate the economy, out of 10?'
The polls don't bode well. One puts Labour neck-and-neck with a Corbyn-led party that hasn't been named or formed and we're not sure Corbyn actually wants to lead. This is the equivalent of drawing even with 'TBC' – although the Tories do little better and the Lib Dems are an asterisk. In a display of their utter lack of definition, Ed Davey first asked about anti-Semitism, then accused Israel of war crimes. He wants to have his babka and libel it.
Kemi Badenoch offered Labour an end-of-term 'scorecard': higher taxes, rising unemployment, growing inflation. The PM dug deep into his repository of wit: '14 years... £22bn black 'ole... she comes here every week and she just talks the country down.' Kemi slapped back, 'I'm talking him down!' and demanded to know if taxes would rise. Starmer wouldn't say yes or no, which means yes. Sitting to one side, Angela Rayner thought: 'I want your job.' To the other, Rachel Reeves thought: 'Would someone please take my job?'
Tory Graham Stuart described the Labour manifesto as 'beautifully written, deeply moving, and, like that other great blockbuster... The Salt Path, a total pack of lies.' Can the PM recommend 'a summer recess read?' Keir, who seems to have skimmed Animal Farm and assumed it was a utopia, pointed a finger at the vacant Tory benches and said the Opposition was 'already on its summer recess!'
One suspects they are busy consulting their lawyers. Given the scale of the Afghanistan mess, it's staggering that only Davey asked about it, Starmer limiting himself to a brief swipe at 'Conservative management of this policy' that lacked feeling. Why is the Commons so complacent? Because the Tories don't want to fuss about an error they oversaw, and because politicians of all stripes love war and love immigration. This scandal ticks both boxes.
No wonder Reform is the only option polling well, the anti-everything, smash-the-system vote, the party of clicks and giggles. Gregg Wallace for equalities minister? Only a matter of time.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
Public to be assured in emergency alert drill in September
A message that will be sent to phones across the country in a national test of the UK's emergency alert system has been published in advance as the Government seeks to ready the public for the drill. Millions of devices will vibrate and make a siren sound for around 10 seconds as they receive the text of fewer than 100 words at around 3pm on September 7. It will assure the public that they 'do not need to take any action' and include a message in both English and Welsh. The Government has been carrying out a public awareness campaign to ensure people know when the test is taking place, including those facing domestic abuse who may have hidden phones. On Monday, the Cabinet Office said the text message will include both English and Welsh and be sent to mobile phones on 4G and 5G networks in the UK. It will read: 'This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby. 'You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. 'Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at 'Visit for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg.' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said: 'Just like the fire alarm in your house, it's important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it. 'The alerts have the potential to save lives.' Since the first national test of the system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, including during major storms such as Storm Eowyn in January when lives were at risk. Other activations have took place when an unexploded Second World War bomb was discovered in Plymouth, as well as during flash floods in Cumbria and Leicestershire. Some MPs have called on ministers to use different modes of communication for the alert in order to ensure it reaches people who do not have access to a phone. Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Sarah Olney has suggested the Government follows Scandinavian examples where the public have been handed pamphlets about preparing for emergencies.


The Independent
20 minutes ago
- The Independent
UK emergency alert to be sent to millions in new test
The UK government has released the text of a national emergency alert, set to be broadcast as part of a crucial system test. Millions of phones will vibrate and emit a siren for around 10 seconds when the message arrives at approximately 3pm on September 7. The alert, under 100 words, will assure recipients they "do not need to take any action" and will be delivered in both English and Welsh. This pre-publication is part of a public awareness campaign by the Cabinet Office, designed to prepare citizens for the drill, including those with hidden phones due to domestic abuse. The message will reach mobile phones on 4G and 5G networks across the UK. On Monday, the Cabinet Office said the text message will include both English and Welsh and be sent to mobile phones on 4G and 5G networks in the UK. It will read: 'This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby. 'You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. 'Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at 'Visit for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg.' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said: 'Just like the fire alarm in your house, it's important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it. 'The alerts have the potential to save lives.' Since the first national test of the system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, including during major storms such as Storm Eowyn in January when lives were at risk. Other activations have took place when an unexploded Second World War bomb was discovered in Plymouth, as well as during flash floods in Cumbria and Leicestershire. Some MPs have called on ministers to use different modes of communication for the alert in order to ensure it reaches people who do not have access to a phone. Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Sarah Olney has suggested the Government follows Scandinavian examples where the public have been handed pamphlets about preparing for emergencies.


BreakingNews.ie
21 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Starmer to raise Gaza ceasefire and UK steel tariffs in Trump meeting
Keir Starmer is expected to raise the prospect of reviving ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and the future of tariffs on British steel as he meets Donald Trump in Scotland. The British Prime Minister will travel to Ayrshire, where the US president is staying at his Turnberry golf resort, for wide-ranging discussions on trade and the Middle East as international alarm grows over starvation in Gaza. Advertisement The two leaders have built a rapport on the world stage despite their differing political backgrounds, with Mr Trump praising Starmer for doing a 'very good job' in office ahead of their talks on Monday. But humanitarian conditions in Gaza and uncertainty over US import taxes on key British goods in America threaten to complicate their bilateral meeting. The US president has been playing golf at his Turnberry resort in Scotland (PA) Peace talks in the Middle East came to a standstill last week after Washington and Israel recalled negotiating teams from Qatar, with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for a 'lack of desire' to reach an agreement. Since then, Israel has promised military pauses in three populated areas of Gaza to allow designated UN convoys of aid to reach desperate Palestinians. Advertisement But the UK, which is joining efforts to airdrop aid into the enclave and evacuate children in need of medical assistance, has said that access to supplies must be 'urgently' widened. In his talks with Mr Trump, Starmer will 'welcome the President's administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza', Number 10 said. 'He will discuss further with him what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long.' The leaders will also talk 'one-on-one about advancing implementation of the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal so that Brits and Americans can benefit from boosted trade links between their two countries', it said. Advertisement The agreement signed at the G7 summit last month slashed trade barriers on goods from both countries. But tariffs for the steel industry, which is of key economic importance to the UK, were left to stand at 25 per cent rather than falling to zero as originally agreed. Concerns had previously been raised that the sector could face a levy of up to 50 per cent – the US's global rate – unless a further agreement was made by July 9th, when Mr Trump said he would start implementing import taxes on America's trading partners. But that deadline has been and gone without any concrete update on the status of UK steel. Advertisement Downing Street said that both sides are working 'at pace' to 'go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic' and to give UK industry 'the security it needs'. The two leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, which Number 10 said would include 'applying pressure' on Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, before travelling on together for a private engagement in Aberdeen. It comes after Mr Trump announced he had agreed 'the biggest deal ever made' between the US and the European Union after meeting Ursula von der Leyen for high-stakes talks at Turnberry on Sunday. After a day playing golf, the US leader met the President of the EU Commission to hammer out the broad terms of an agreement that will subject the bloc to 15 per cent tariffs on most of its goods entering America. Advertisement This is lower than a 30 per cent levy previously threatened by the US president. The agreement will include 'zero for zero' tariffs on a number of products including aircraft, some agricultural goods and certain chemicals, as well as EU purchases of US energy worth 750 billion dollars (€638 billion) over three years. Speaking to journalists on Sunday about his meeting with, Mr Trump said: 'We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal. 'It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us. I think the UK is very happy, they've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it, and it's a great trade deal for both, works out very well. 'We'll be discussing that. I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. 'They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen. 'He's doing a very good job, by the way.' Mr Trump's private trip to the UK comes ahead of a planned state visit in September.