Playbook PM: Vaping tax scoop — Big moments for
Ukraine and Brexit — Bernard Ingham RIP
BY EMILIO
CASALICCHIO
FEBRUARY
24, 2023 5:59 PM CET
POLITICO
London Playbook
By EMILIO
CASALICCHIO
Good
afternoon.
SCOOP — UP
IN SMOKE: Ministers could impose a new tax on vapes as part of a wider
crackdown on the addictive smoking alternative.
On the
table: Proposals being considered also include regulations on packaging,
marketing and flavorings in a bid to stem the increased use of vapes among
children, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.
But but
but: Ministers are not expected to impose an all-out ban on disposable vapes —
teeing up a possible constitutional clash with the Scottish government.
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The
context: The plans are being drawn up in response to the Khan review published
in 2022, which looked at whether the government can make England smoking-free
before 2030. The government response is set to be published in the spring and
could include new legislation to tackle the surge in the use of vapes.
Pros and
cons: One person in the health department with knowledge of the discussions
said: “We will be responding to the Khan Review some time in the spring. It
will look at vaping, with the benefits it has for getting people to stop smoking.
Obviously, when it comes to kids vaping, we do have to nip that in the bud.”
But but
but: While the U.K. is not considering a ban on disposable vapes, the Scottish
government has already committed to consider one — and that’s sparked concern
about a fresh devolution dust-up. Get the full story on POLITICO.co.uk now.
FRIDAY
CHEAT SHEET
—
Democracies around the world mark 12 months Russia invaded Ukraine — and the
jets question isn’t going away.
— Margaret
Thatcher’s legendary press chief Bernard Ingham has died.
—
Westminster Brexit-watchers pray they won’t have their weekend ruined.
— Three
candidates are confirmed in the SNP leadership race as TV debates loom.
—
Chocolate, booze and swearing: the pleasures SW1 is doing without for lent.
TOP OF THE
NEWSLIST
ARMS RACE
AGAINST TIME: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged G7 counterparts to send
long-range missiles to Ukraine in a call this afternoon to mark 12 months since
the Russian invasion.
Sending
bigger guns: “The prime minister would like to see allies join the U.K. in
supplying weapons that are able to degrade Russian forces beyond the frontline
and protect Ukraine’s defenses,” a Downing Street spokesman told political
hacks this morning. “He strongly believes the capability would be a step change
to help Ukraine seize a window of opportunity to push Russia back.”
Hold on:
Sunak made the call as British weapons stockpiles came under question. Sky News
reported that the government is reviewing its ammunition stores after the
invasion “exposed how past assumptions on what would be needed to fight a war
were far too small.” Downing Street confirmed the weapons stockpile would be
increased compared to pre-invasion levels, and that such matters are under
constant review.
Jets
latest: Britain is meanwhile pushing for the West to supply modern fighter jets
to eastern European allies so that they can donate their own Soviet-era planes
to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace revealed this morning. My POLITICO
colleague Cristina Gallardo has a write-up.
What allies
did agree on … was a new coordinated raft of sanctions on Russia. For its part,
Britain banned the export of every item the Russian military has been found
using in Ukraine, including aircraft parts, radio equipment and electronic
components. POLITCO’s Stefan Boscia has that one.
In the
Commons: Deputy Speaker Rosie Winterton said “Slava Ukraini” as the minute’s
silence Sunak led from Downing Street this morning came to an end.
And in
Wales: Labour leader Keir Starmer, who was on a visit to Cardiff, said in a TV
clip that “whatever other political divides there are in the U.K., we stand
united in our support of Ukraine. Putin must be defeated in Ukraine.”
Happening
later: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly spoke in the past hour at the special U.N.
Security Council in New York, urging allies to support Ukraine “for as long as
it takes,” Downing Street said. He also met his Ukrainian counterpart and will
meet United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
DRIVETIME DEBRIEF
IN
MEMORIAM: Margaret Thatcher’s legendary former press secretary Bernard Ingham
has died at the age of 90 after a short illness, his family announced. He was a
journalist before becoming a government press officer and served under the
former PM through almost her entire time in Downing Street. Former minister
Conor Burns and ex-MP Harvey Proctor were among those who paid tribute to
Ingham.
BE
REASONABLE: Brexit ruined Christmas in 2020 and numerous social events over the
past half-decade … so this is a plea to the government not to announce a deal
on the Northern Ireland protocol during Playbook PM’s birthday weekend.
The latest
expectations: Whispers in Whitehall as this newsletter went out were that a
deal could be announced on Monday, with Conservative MPs put on a three-line
whip and Cabinet ministers expecting a call over the weekend.
Of course …
for all that to happen, Rishi Sunak needs to get on the blower to European
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the next 48 hours or so too.
Speaking of
the EU: Brussels is “very worried” by the U.K. Foreign Secretary James
Cleverly’s remarks this morning suggesting the government will not sign off on
a deal without the backing of the DUP, a senior EU diplomat tells POLITICO’s
Cristina Gallardo. Cleverly told Times Radio he hoped the DUP “would recognize
that we’ve addressed their concerns and until we have addressed those concerns
we’re not going to sign off on the deal.”
But but
but: The senior diplomat tells Cristina: “The government can’t allow the DUP to
effectively have a right to veto a deal … The government should emancipate
themselves from the DUP and take its own decision.”
Now hear
this: Former Brexit negotiator David Frost is on the Camilla Tominey show on GB
News this Sunday.
AND THEY’RE
OFF: Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan secured their places on the SNP
leadership ballot, after the trio cleared the exceptionally-low nominations
threshold before the noon deadline. The race will now morph into a mess of
hustings and debates — with STV announcing it will host the first live clash
March 7.
Lighting
quick run-through: Wildcard leadership candidate Regan launched her campaign
with a promise to use a “voter empowerment mechanism” (no idea either) to get
independence … Frontrunner Yousaf is facing questions about his non-attendance
at a key vote on gay marriage … and under-fire Forbes has enjoyed another quiet
afternoon thanks to her decision to swerve further campaign-derailing
interviews. Expect a reset attempt over the weekend.
Getting the
digs in: Scottish Labour produced a dossier of questions the SNP candidates
want to avoid. It’s visible here.
SPEAKING OF
LABOUR: As the opposition’s crime week-and-a-half comes to an end, officials
are gloating at a handful of government announcements they reckon were nabbed
from them over the past fortnight or so, including a domestic violence register
and forcing offenders to attend their court sentencing, among other things.
“Who says you can’t deliver change from opposition? This clapped-out Tory
government has no ideas except nicking ours,” one official tells us.
BROKEN
BRITAIN: Don’t leave the house on budget day. BMA junior doctors will walk out
for 72 hours from 7 a.m. on March 13 — an announcement Downing Street said was
“disappointing.” ASLEF Tube drivers in London and NEU teachers in England and
Wales are already downing tools while Jeremy Hunt speaks on March 15.
Rejoice:
TSSA rail union members voted to end their long-running dispute with rail firms
after accepting a pay deal. But RMT talks are at a stalemate.
ROALD OVER:
Puffin announced a partial climbdown in its bid to sanitize the works of
celebrated author Roald Dahl following a huge political backlash.
THE REAL
LEADER OF THE COMMONS
RUNNERS AND
RIDERS: The corridors of power are already rustling with gossip about the next
clerk of the House of Commons, my colleague Esther Webber writes in, with the
smart money on one of three possible candidates.
Reminder:
The Commons is now advertising for its most senior official as John Benger
heads off to a gig at Cambridge University. The lucky winner becomes chief
adviser to the speaker and the house, as well as chief executive of the
Commons, which employs around 2,000 people and has a £200 million annual
budget. So who’s being talked up?
Sarah
Davies: Currently in the senior role of clerk assistant, as well as heading up
the chamber and participation team, Davies would be the first woman to do the
job. Described as “hyper-intelligent” and a good communicator by those who know
her. Ostensibly the “change” candidate, her appointment would put a few
long-serving noses out of joint. However, she has been working in house
services since 1993, meaning some doubt her ability to really refresh
parliamentary leadership.
Tom
Goldsmith: A close friend of Benger, Goldsmith is also an old hand, having
worked in parliament since he left university in the 1990s. He is more
old-school in his approach, known as a fierce guardian of parliament’s
reputation. Has described his most bizarre experience in the service of the
house as “playing the piano while the then chairman of the health committee
sang On Ilkley Moor Baht ’at to a bunch of bemused Cuban schoolchildren in
downtown Havana.”
Colin Lee:
The managing director of the select committee team would be the outside choice.
Seen as a compromise candidate next to Davies and Goldsmith, who both have
their fans and foes. He made it into the papers back during the Brexit wars,
named by MPs as the clerk creating amendments to help Remainers but — as colleagues
point out — “that was his job.”
The catch:
With parliament falling down, persistent allegations of bullying and
harassment, and an election on the horizon, one parliamentary official asked:
“Why would anyone want that job?”
WHAT SW1 IS
GIVING UP FOR LENT
LENTICULAR
PRINTING: The 40-day lent period began this week, meaning those who observe the
Christian tradition in SW1 will be doing their best to make sacrifices between
now and Easter. Here’s who’s giving up what.
Conservative
MP Eddy Hughes: “I’m giving up chocolate and nearly giving up alcohol. One of
my many brothers is 60 during lent, so there is no way I can celebrate that
without having a beer. I thought that giving up the chocolate would make up for
the partial failure on the alcohol front.”
Labour MP
Cat Smith: “I haven’t given anything up this year, instead I’m consciously
doing a ‘random act of kindness’ every day of Lent. You know, like buying
someone’s coffee at the coffee shop when they are behind me in the queue, or
going out of my way to complement someone. Today I bought someone I know
something I knew they needed and had it delivered online so they won’t know
it’s me. Although if you print that they might work that out!”
The
Guardian’s Henry Dyer: “It was going to be Twitter but I decided it was too
useful (or at least ‘useful’) for the job so it’s crisps instead. Though not
chips.”
Labour
frontbencher Jonathan Reynolds: “Chocolate. And this will be very hard for me.”
The
Mirror’s Ben Glaze: “I’m trying to cut down on swearing. It’s something I feel
I can do, and it’s different from pointlessly trying to give up chocolate or
booze. Hopefully it will benefit my colleagues and me!”
Lib Dem
former leader Tim Farron: “I’m not giving up anything for lent! I don’t
generally observe it in that way — the non-conformist churches tend not to. My
view is if anything is bad enough to give up for lent, then you shouldn’t be
doing at all! I did do dry January though.”
DUP MP Ian
Paisley: “I’ve given up hoping the EU will see sense!”
Conservative
former leader Iain Duncan Smith: “I always give up alcohol for lent and give
the money I save to a good cause. It’s not a challenge. Once I’ve made the
decision to give up alcohol that’s it. I don’t drink much anyway. It’s just a
case of being able to do something positive.”
Conservative
former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan: “I’m giving up drinking. I think giving
up the Friday evening ‘end of the week’ drink will be hardest!”
Labour MP
Rachael Maskell: “As a Christian, this is an important season for reflection on
the life, death and resurrection of Christ, so I am reading a book to accompany
these reflections.”
Father of
the House Peter Bottomley: “I do not believe in claiming virtue nor confessing
sin in public, not the other way around. Each day I intend to name one of my
many faults to someone else, either by word or deed to shorten the list. It’s
the quiet voice within that matters.”
AROUND THE
WORLD
How the
world marked the anniversary of war in Ukraine: Poland delivered the first
Leopard tanks to Ukraine … The U.S. announced new sanctions … China called for
peace talks with a paper cautiously welcomed by Kyiv … India abstained from a
U.N. vote … Canada warned “it’s not time to talk about peace” … and not much at
all went on in Moscow, as this great piece from the independent Moscow Times
shows.
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TONIGHT’S
MEDIA ROUND
Tom
Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta (5.35 p.m.).
BBC PM
(Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Drive with
Cathy Newman (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Former leader of the Conservative
Party William Hague and Labour peer Baroness Bakewell ( both at 5.30 p.m.)
Any
Questions (Radio 4, 8 p.m.): From Wiveliscombe in Somerset, Armed Forces
Minister James Heappey … Business committee chair Darren Jones … Columnist Mary
Dejevsky … commentator Isabel Oakeshott.
Friday
Night with Nadine (TalkTV, 8 p.m.): Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell …
Spectator Political Editor Katy Balls … former Labour adviser James Schneider.
Newscast
and Newsnight joint program (iPlayer at 6.45 p.m. and BBC 2, 10.30 p.m.):
Ukraine special with an audience of Ukrainians living in the U.K.
REVIEWING
THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30
p.m.): Mirror columnist Susie Boniface and ConHome Deputy Editor Henry Hill.
LEADING THE
NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) … BBC News at Six … Channel 4 News is
talking to Defense Procurement Minister Alex Chalk for a show focused on
Ukraine. It also has an interview with SNP leadership hopeful Ash Regan (7
p.m.)
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YOUR
WEEKEND IN POLITICS
Week in
Westminster (Radio 4, 11 a.m. on Saturday): Former Minister Conor Burns …
Former Downing Street aide Gavin Barwell … Health select committee chair Steve
Brine … Labour MP Paulette Hamilton … SNP MP Joanna Cherry … IFS boss Paul
Johnson … Institute of Directors Chief Economist Kitty Ussher.
Sophy Ridge
on Sunday (Sky News, 8.30 a.m. on Sunday): Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy
… Conservative Brexiteer Mark Francois … U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sunday with
Laura Kuenssberg (BBC One, 9 a.m. on Sunday): Shadow Foreign Secretary David
Lammy SNP leadership hopeful Humza Yousaf.
The Camilla
Tominey Show (GB News, 9.30 a.m. on Sunday): Former Brexit negotiator David
Frost … DUP MP Sammy Wilson … Former National Security Adviser John Bolton …
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko.
Sunday
Morning with Kate McCann and Adam Boulton (Times Radio, 10 a.m. on Sunday):
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab … Former Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern …
Conservative MP John Hayes.
The Andrew
Neil Show (Channel 4, 6 p.m. on Sunday): Justice Secretary Dominic Raab …
Former Irish PM Bertie Ahern … Former Chancellor George Osborne … Former Shadow
Chancellor Ed Balls … Columnist Sonia Sodha … POLITICO’s Ailbhe Rea.
Gloria
Meets (GB News, 6 p.m. on Sunday): Conservative MP Chloe Smith … Labour MP Emma
Lewell-Buck … Labour MP Charlie Falconer.
Westminster
Hour (Radio 4, 10 p.m. on Sunday): Former Cabinet Minister Robert Buckland …
Labour frontbencher Thamgam Debbonaire … U.K. in a Changing Europe boss Anand
Menon … The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman.
ANY OTHER
BUSINESS
FAREWELL:
Legendary Radio 4 presenter Carolyn Quinn is hosting her last Westminster Hour
this Sunday, as she leaves full-time BBC employment after 36 years. Her final
regular shift presenting PM is also starting now — here’s the tweet.
NEW GIG:
The Spectator’s James Heale is moving up to political correspondent.
WHAT I’VE
BEEN READING: The i’s Hugo Gye has one of many Ukraine anniversary long reads.
His looks at how Boris Johnson responded in No. 10 — including having to set up
a secure room to speak to Joe Biden while on a visit to an NHS hospital.
HAVE GREAT
WEEKENDS: Politics is exhausting so get some rest. I’m doing some serious
socializing.
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