London Playbook PM: Political football

 

London Playbook PM: Political football

By EMILIO CASALICCHIO

with NOAH KEATE

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/london-playbook-political-football/

 

FRIDAY CHEAT SHEET

— Ministers are waging war against police in a row about banning Israeli fans from a football match.

 

— Kemi Badenoch sparked a row with Shabana Mahmood over who knew what and when.

 

— The Chinese issued a threat to Keir Starmer. No.10 said he’s not scared.

 

— Rachel Reeves vowed to slash welfare spending before the end of this parliament.

 

— The Tories gave a helping hand to Reform exile Rupert Lowe.

 

TOP OF THE NEWSLIST

POLITICAL FOOTBALL: Ministers are waging an all-out campaign against West Midlands Police to allow fans of an Israeli football team to attend a match in Birmingham.

 

Operational matters are (not) for the police: Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Communities Secretary Steve Reed and Sports Secretary Lisa Nandy have all been deployed to lobby organizations in their remit to overturn the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans heading to the Nov. 6 Europa League match against Aston Villa.

 

Reminder: Police backed a decision from the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group to bar away fans from the match amid expectations of violence which officers claim not to have the resources to handle. West Midlands Police cited current intelligence and previous clashes with Maccabi fans amid tensions over the conflict in Gaza.

 

How to mobilize a pressure campaign: Mahmood is chatting with police while Reed is pestering Birmingham council and Nandy is haranguing officials across government. It’s not clear what role the PM is taking but he has been spitting some strong lines.

 

For example: “The PM has been angered by this decision,” one of his spokespeople told hacks at the noon briefing. “Football has been a unifying force for decades, and everyone should be able to attend the football match without fear of violence or intimidation, regardless of their religion, nationality or background. We should not have a country where we have to tell people to stay away from certain events because we cannot protect them or they may be a victim of racism.”

 

This is fine: Downing Street said it was breaking from the usual refusal to comment on police operations because the PM is “perfectly entitled to speak out on issues of fundamental principles of fairness.” Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat — who railed in the Commons this week about all the by-the-book-ism from Starmer in lieu of political leadership — will be pleased. Police said if the government wants to make decisions on this stuff it might want to change the law. Handbags!

 

Late to the game: Kemi Badenoch (of course) seized on suggestions there’s a conspiracy afoot, claiming Mahmood “knew Jewish football fans were being banned from a U.K. stadium, and did nothing.” She made the comments after the UK Football Policing Unit (officers who focus on this stuff) said it briefed the Home Office last week about possible issues authorities might face and possible restrictions on fans.

 

A Badenoch interpretation: A political aide to Mahmood said the claim was “categorically untrue. The first time the home secretary knew that the fans were being banned was last night. Rather than baseless political point scoring, the home secretary is working tirelessly to ensure all fans can attend the game safely.” Officials said Mahmood was indeed aware last week that the discussion was happening but without a final decision — and that it would have been wrong to intervene before a decision was made.

 

More on the anti-side: Labour West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster issued a statement condemning the ban … as did former hostage Emily Damari … as did Sport Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage … and the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said it was launching a judicial review over the ban.

 

Food for thought: Surely if the government can mobilize police from around Britain to protect Donald Trump for a three-day state visit it can work out how to resource a football match? The Safety Advisory Group told the Beeb it made its decision based on advice from West Midlands Police and will reconsider if the police change their risk assessment.

 

Which might wind up … the left-wing MPs who have been welcoming the ban and urging football authorities to go further in a bid to punish Israel for its actions in Gaza.

 

Elsewhere in Gaza fallout news: The legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action can go ahead next month, the Court of Appeal ruled, after dimissing the Home Office bid to block the case … and broadcast watchdog Ofcom said the Beeb committed a “serious” rules breach when it failed to disclose that the narrator of a doc about Gaza was the son of a Hamas official. Our self-flagellating national broadcaster has a full writeup of that one.

 

And speaking of tensions between communities: Thomas Harding reports for the National that plans to introduce an Islamophobia law have been ditched, amid fears it would amount to a reintroduction of blasphemy laws.

 

ENEMY/THREAT/CHALLENGE/OPPORTUNITY … HEADACHE

BLACKMAIL IN A RED ENVELOPE: The Chinese government has now resorted to threats about the massive embassy it wants to build in London, after the housing department postponed its decision on the bid due to the ongoing political horrorshow legitimate reasons relating to the planning process.

 

Calm it down, lads: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a “press conference” this morning Britain would “bear all consequences” if the 20,000 square meter embassy application is blocked. He said China had offered “the utmost sincerity and patience” during talks over the site, while Britain had shown “disregard for contractual spirit, acting in bad faith and without integrity.” He said the U.K. must “immediately fulfill its obligations and honor its commitments.”

 

What commitments? A spokesperson for Keir Starmer said the government “does not recognize” suggestions that commitments or contractual obligations have been made.

 

Bear in mind: These dudes aren’t used to what we refer to in the U.K. as “political turmoil,” so can’t be blamed for thinking the government can just bulldoze these things through while silencing dissenters. But making threats to another nation when we’re all supposed to be not-enemies is a bit much. Downing Street said the PM was not afraid of the threat — no doubt because he’s a “hard b*stard”.

 

Problem is … he might not look all that hard to the White House. As former government comms chief Abigail Morris notes on her Transatlantic Tea Substack, the limited U.S. coverage of the Chinese espionage case debacle has not been too favorable to the government line. She notes that the Washington Examiner piece on it concludes that “Starmer has decided to prioritize economic engagement with China over broader national security concerns.”

 

On that note: Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch was loving the comments from a U.S. congressional committee chair arguing the espionage case being dropped could signal a “broader shift in China policy that would be of deep concern to many of the U.K.’s core allies.” It notes concern about the government’s “seeming unwillingness” to ensure the case went to trial. Also not the line! Badenoch said the letter showed other nations are “wondering what the Labour government is doing.”

 

Never worth not repeating: The China stance under the Conservatives was a tortuous dance to avoid branding the giant an overall national security (rather than economic) “threat” in official documents, while at the same time courting Chinese investment and trade. See here and here. Some things never change, including political parties holding opponents to higher standards than themselves.

 

DRIVETIME DEBRIEF

BENEFITS OF BEING CHANCELLOR: Rachel Reeves confirmed to Channel 4 she will slash welfare at the upcoming budget, in comments that will give soft-left Labour MPs the willies. “We can’t leave welfare untouched,” the chancellor said in the interview during her visit to Washington DC. “We can’t get to the end of this parliamentary session and I’ve basically done nothing. We have to do reform in the right way and take people with us.”

 

It’s a go-around: Reeves (and Keir Starmer and Liz Kendall) of course failed to convince Labour backbenchers to support their welfare-cutting plans in summer, leading to a humiliating retreat. Her comments now about not being able to do nothing pitch the looming second round of the battle as a serious personal test.

 

Where some cuts could come: In the Times, Chris Smyth reports Reeves might end VAT and insurance premium tax breaks on cars leased under a disability assistance scheme that has become a bête noire of right-wing Twitter. The Treasury reckons it could reap an extra £1 billion via the taxes on the Motability scheme — the workings of which have become muddied in a swamp of disinformation. Reeves could also stop benefit claimants upgrading their leased vehicles, which can be done in exchange for payment.

 

Worth a listen: Screeching headline antidote Radio 4 show More or Less this week featured an explainer about how the scheme works. Worth listening to as this row drives ahead.

 

COURT CIRCULAR: Two Ukrainian men pled not guilty to carrying out arson attacks on properties and a car linked to Keir Starmer. Via video link from HMP Belmarsh, Roman Lavrynovych, 21, denied setting fire to two addresses where the PM previously lived and torching a vehicle once owned by him, while Petro Pochynok, 35, also denied one charge of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life. Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, is yet to enter a plea on a charge of conspiracy ahead of the trial next April. The Beeb has a writeup.

 

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? The Tories confirmed the rumor popping around SW1 WhatsApps that they have gifted one of their spots on the Public Accounts Committee to Reform exile Rupert Lowe. A spokesperson said “having someone who has run a business and shares our values on cutting waste” on the committee will help it scrutinize public spending. Interesting that one of their own MPs wasn’t considered more capable.

 

Speaking of the Tories moving to the right: A former Conservative donor has attacked the Conservative decision to abandon net zero. See his piece in the Guardian.

 

COUNCIL OF DESPAIR: Spring elections in councils undergoing structural reorganization could be postponed again, to avoid races being held in 2026 then again in 2027 once the restructuring is complete, Times hack Max Kendix reported. Playbook PM hears discussions on the issue are indeed happening, also because elections are expensive and contests in 2026 could see councillors in post for such short periods before re-starting campaigns. No decisions have been made and government officials insist it has nothing to do with party politics.

 

Tell that to … Nigel Farage, who of course would never skip a chance to claim the establishment is working against him. He posted a video here.

 

Speaking of local elections: The Lib Dems were bragging about winning seven out of 10 council by-elections last night (although three of those were holds, and the party lost one of its existing seats to Reform when its vote collapsed.) Leader Ed Davey celebrated by paddling around a Berkshire lake on a raft he built himself, while complaining about Thames Water, natch.

 

SOCIAL (MEDIA) AFFAIRS

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: The science and tech committee is not impressed with the government dismissing its proposals to tackle online misinformation, which the MPs insisted are needed to prevent further post-Southport riots. PolHome has a writeup.

 

ON THE BACK FOOT, FOR A CHANGE: Reform boss Nigel Farage showed he’s worried about claims he is too soft on Vladimir Putin, sharing his Bloomberg interview on social media highlighting the anti-Russia line. Bear in mind Keir Starmer flagged during PMQs this week that a former Farage colleague took Russian bribes.

 

No letting up: Labour chair Anna Turley responded to Farage criticizing Russia that “having called Vladimir Putin the leader he most admired, and with his close associate and former Reform Leader in Wales having admitted taking bribes to praise Russia, Nigel Farage is now panicking and desperately trying to backtrack.” Not that it seems to be making a difference to the surging Reform support in Wales as the Labour vote there collapses.

 

WHOOPS! Looks like Labour deputy leadership hopeful Lucy Powell had a data-sharing snafu. At least she didn’t ask China to host her email database.

 

BEYOND THE M25

COMING ATTRACTIONS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive at the White House around 6 p.m. U.K. time for his fourth face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump this year. The two leaders will have a bilateral lunch where Zelenskyy will press for U.S.-made weapons allowing Kyiv to strike deeper inside Russia — something Vladimir Putin has warned could fracture the relationship between Washington and Moscow. POLITICO’s D.C. Playbook has you covered.

 

MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The U.N. World Food Program warned aid into Gaza remains critically scarce one week into the ceasefire, as Israel delayed the entry of food convoys. WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa said it had brought about 560 tons of food a day on average into the strip but “we’re still below what we need.” The Guardian has a writeup.

 

Sanctions halted: My colleagues hear from four European diplomats that an EU plan to sanction Israel’s government ministers and cut back on trade ties has been put on ice as many countries think it’s no longer necessary in light of the U.S.-brokered peace agreement.

 

ALTERNATIVE FACTS: India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal cast doubt on Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned him to say New Delhi would end its purchases of Russian oil.  Jaiswal said he was unaware of a conversation between the two leaders and “discussions are ongoing” about closer energy cooperation with America. My Stateside colleagues have further info.

 

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