A month after Labour was elected in 2024, Ed Miliband announced his new “Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board” to “keep a laser focus across government on delivering clean, cheap energy to homes and businesses.” Only problem is no one seems to have the energy for it…
In a written response to Tory MP Charlie Dewhirst, DESNZ admitted that they actually don’t have any other ministers committed to being on the board. Energy minister Michael Shanks said:
“The Clean Energy Superpower Mission Board is chaired by the DESNZ Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP. The board does not have a fixed list of internal or external members, rather we engage with other government departments, external organisations and industry experts depending on the issues for discussion.”
That’s despite crows from the department that ministers from across government would meet to ensure a “relentless focus” on delivering clean power by 2030 and “accelerating towards net zero.” A Tory source added:
“Ed Miliband is making it up as he goes along. His Green taskforce appears completely aimless. It sounds less like an ‘Energy Superpower Board’ and more like a low-energy talking shop.”
Sounds like hot air…
Following on from Guido’s Labour Wars column yesterday the situation inside Downing Street is looking poor for Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney. Mandelson was his closest confidante, they called almost every day and met frequently for years, McSweeney pushed his appointment…
A Downing Street source says Starmer likely “won’t sack him – at least until May.” This being said Guido hears backbenchers are registering their fury at McSweeney and the whips are reporting that there is widespread blame on him from the PLP who are in turn receiving a barrage from their constituents. An insider source says “Jonathan Powell and Tim Allan will be key to how long Morgan lasts”…
The longer the story stays salient the worse it will be for Morgan. A No10 source says that were a full timeline of Mandelson’s appointment to be released it would be extremely damaging for McSweeney because “if ever released it would show just how much Morgan was pushing his appointment” involving “lots of meetings with Darren Tierney and his Propriety and Ethics team, the FCDO and others.” Starmer is said to have been kept in the dark as to most of this. Something of which the beleaguered PM will now be acutely aware…
More snippets from the Epstein Files. Epstein refers to Tony Blair’s senior advisory position for JP Morgan:
Epstein was tracking Blair’s meetings:
Blair’s wife Cherie allegedly partied with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2014:
Nigel Farage has welcomed Carol Vorderman’s intention (or threat) to “enter the political fight” this year. And thrown down the gauntlet for her to stand against him in his Clacton constituency…
Asked by Guido’s News Editor Max Young for his response to Vorderman’s attack in the Telegraph yesterday, the Reform leader said:
“I’m looking forward to it, marvellous. Do you know, people can abuse me all they like. I never, ever bother to return the compliment. I might’ve teased people over the years for being ‘damp rags’, but I’ve never actually realy verbally assaulted or abused anybody. I’m not going to start now. It’s sad. But hey, bring it on. Come and stand in Clacton. We will look forward to seeing you.”
Carol for Clacton? The countdown is on…
Nigel Farage said there were serious questions to ask over whether Peter Mandelson breached the Official Secrets Act by referencing security apparatus in Whitehall in emails to Epstein. At a press conference this afternoon he said:
“I also wonder whether in emails to Epstein [Mandelson] talked about the security apparatus that exists underneath Number 10 and at the heart of Whitehall. That is information that is of national security importance. And so I think there is reason to ask the question whether Mandelson has not broken the Official Secrets Act. I’d like to know whether Lord Hermer would be happy and satisfied for a prosecution to proceed on that basis. I think it’s that serious.”
Mandelson was updating Epstein on the location of Prime Minister in SW1’s secret tunnel system on an almost real-time basis. This migraine for Starmer isn’t going away despite Mandelson resigning from the Lords…
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns told Times Radio she would have put a precondition on a China trip if she were PM:
“I would have put a precondition that I was not going to go if I was prime minister, unless Jimmy Lai was coming home with me. I would also put a precondition in the six months leading up to the visit that I wanted a reduction in hostile acts against our country. But that’s not what we saw. And actually, in contrast, what we saw was clearly the Chinese Communist Party did put a precondition, which was that the new embassy in London had to be signed off. So why is it okay for China to set preconditions and to make very clear red lines about what they require for a visit, but we go without having put any ourselves?”
