Latest news with #cabinet
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Cleverly vs Rayner is no sideshow – it's an audition
Kemi's reshuffle faces that classic Opposition conundrum: how do you build a cabinet of all the talents when you've got no talent? The answer: James Cleverly. Tough. Egotistical. Simply irresistible. When his name flashed up on TV – 'Cleverly to shadow Rayner' – he probably punched the air and cried: 'The boys are back in town!' This is the kind of self-confident, political jock who gives his penis not only a name but a military rank. Lieutenant Colonel Big Jim thrust his way into the Commons, presumably looking for some MPs to congratulate him – but found the benches sparse. 'Twas the last day before recess and the subject was Birmingham bin collections, so there were just 15 in the chamber, including four Gaza independents and Jeremy Corbyn (dressed, out of solidarity, in a binman's waterproof jacket). Cleverly said hello to a whip and left. A pity, because the subject is fascinating. Unions accuse Labour-run Brum of cutting workers' wages, and Unite has suspended Angela Rayner's membership for backing the council. It's akin to when the Kronstadt sailors turned on the Bolsheviks, having discovered that the Left in power can be every bit as mean and nasty as the upper class. It's also a preview of future public sector strikes thanks to the Treasury's fiscal rules. Hence Rayner is privately arguing for tax rises rather than cuts, along with action to address the impact of mass migration. As the rubbish piles higher, the only alternative – and I wouldn't put it past Labour – is to give the rats the vote. Rayner is as clever as Cleverly, and the prospect of the two arguing at the despatch box might be Kemi's best move yet – though it carries risk. Cleverly would like to be Tory leader some day, preferably tomorrow; so he'll revel in the exposure. Rayner is equally ambitious, and the rebellion among Left-wing MPs, along with the spectre of a Corbynite party, strengthens her hand. A year ago, Starmer planned to govern as a centrist: balance the books, unleash business. But the economy refuses to grow, however much the Chancellor shouts at it, and the welfare mutiny has put redistribution back on the agenda. One can imagine the parliamentary Left turning on Starmer, with Rayner – goddess of social housing – as their preferred candidate. Cleverly vs Rayner is no sideshow. It's an audition. Till then, the few MPs still around are packing bags, ordering taxis. Soon the palace will empty but for the ghosts of dead kings and Maggie, the Speaker's tortoise (he also has a parrot called Boris and cats called Attlee and Clem). The Chancellor gave a final discourse on her 'three pillars' to running the economy at a gentle Lords committee, which was a nice way to round off the term. At one point, she appeared to put her head in her hands. Behind her, the cameras caught me with my head lolling back, mouth open, snoring like a dog. Till my phone pinged. Latest reshuffle news: Alan Mak is out. The world tilted on its axis; I felt a great disturbance in the force. There was little left to live for but to file a suggested headline: 'MAK THE KNIFED.' Job done, back to sleep.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Melton Borough Council to decide on £200k bridge replacement
A project to replace a country park bridge in Melton Mowbray and bring it back into use is set to be given the green wooden bridge in Melton Country Park, which crosses Scalford Brook near the stepping stones, was partially submerged when the park flooded in Borough Council's cabinet recommended on Wednesday that the council add the project to its capital programme and allocate £200,000 for the work.A report will go before the full council on Thursday, which recommends replacement of the whole bridge to "reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events in the future".
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
South African President Replaces His Higher Education Minister
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, who is facing accusations that she misled parliament, eight days after he suspended a close cabinet ally for allegedly meddling in a murder probe. Buti Manamela will replace Nkabane, the presidency said in a statement on Monday, which didn't provide reasons for the change. Nomusa Dube-Ncube was appointed deputy higher education minister, a post previously held by Manamela.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Taiwan Says More US Trade Negotiations Will Be Held This Week
Taiwan said more trade talks with the US will be held this week, while also hitting back at domestic speculation that the self-run democracy had already received a tariff letter from the US. The announcement on an upcoming fourth round of trade discussions was made by cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee in a statement Monday. She said that Taipei was 'committed to pursuing balanced bilateral trade and enhancing mutual benefit between Taiwan and the US,' while protecting the economy's interests and industry.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Zelenskiy Promotes Allies Who've Shown They Can Deal With US
By , Olesia Safronova, and Daryna Krasnolutska Updated on Save Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's cabinet overhaul this week was part of an effort to move into position presidential loyalists who can potentially win favor with Donald Trump. The new prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, took office 11 weeks after her team at the Economy Ministry secured a deal with the US over access to Ukraine's natural resources.
