London Playbook PM: Labour MPs want Change

By Emilio Casalicchio

15 mins read

November 3, 2025 6:11 pm CET

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Good afternoon. This is Emilio Casalicchio.

MONDAY CHEAT SHEET

— Keir Starmer is preparing to face his MPs — who want some of that “Change” stuff.

— Nigel Farage tried to distance himself from Trussonomics as he laid out Reform UK’s fresh economic plans.

— Shabana Mahmood said calls for reform following the weekend train attack should wait.

— Whitehall boss Chris Wormald is hoping he doesn’t get sacked.

— Parliament is about to gain another shop.

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TOP OF THE NEWSLIST

SPOTLIGHT WARS: Keir Starmer is tonight getting on the front foot for a change, after self-appointed opposition leader Nigel Farage hogged the limelight this morning.

Candour attitude: The PM will be in the Commons in the next hour opening the second reading debate on his Hillsborough Bill — the one that forces public officials to tell the truth to inquiries. It’s a textbook Starmerism measure the PM is eager to shout about, including having Margaret Aspinall, whose son died in the Hillsborough disaster, open his conference speech in September.

After his Commons appearance … Starmer will wander down to committee corridor for a ~~mauling~~ inspiring chat with his backbenchers, amid lots of sulking about his leadership. The one thing Labour MPs do not want to hear is the usual line about going “further and faster.” One said “anything” but that would suffice.

What Labour MPs do want to hear: Others are demanding “some contrition and a plan for things improving” (no pressure, Keir) and an “acknowledgement and understanding” that London is not representative of the U.K. in government comms plans. Others want to know how the government plans to tackle the cost of living for their constituents and (of equal importance) how it will make sure they ever actually know about it.

Reminder: The stakes are significant, because patience with Starmer is wearing thin following a succession of scandals, U-turns and electoral failures since summer 2024 — all of which appear to have driven public opinion into the arms of Farage and assorted lefties. Even Labour MPs who arrived in parliament eager to be nameless voting fodder for a reforming Starmer administration now whisper about changing leaders. “A coup would be better than the current primal scream of despair,” one said.

Speaking of Farage: The Reform UK boss did his best in a speech this morning to insist his party has grown up since the outlandish promises made in its 2024 manifesto. “We are being mature, we are being sensible and we are not over-promising,” he told hacks at Banking Hall in the financial center of London this morning.

Dreams vs the real world: His odd TV backdrop clearly didn’t quite come off as Reform had in mind, with the camera angle ruining what could have been a dramatic framing. One CCHQ official quipped that Farage appeared to be “stood at the bottom of some concrete stairs down to the tube.” At least there were china teacups and a baroque soundtrack for the gathered hacks and PR people who turned up. My POLITICO colleague Bethany Dawson was in the room, which one snarky attendee described as containing “more gilets than women.”

Nevertheless, on the substance: The message Farage wanted to deliver was that a Reform government would cut public spending before implementing “massive tax cuts.”

Spot the difference: Back in September 2022, Farage declared the Liz Truss maxi-budget (a.k.a. hiking borrowing to fund tax cuts) “the best Conservative budget since 1986.” But the Truss market turmoil has seemingly prompted a rethink in camp Reform. Farage now argues the markets must affirm spending is controlled enough to cut tax.

Indeed: He said a Reform government would introduce “relatively modest” tax cuts at first, arguing bigger moves would not be “realistic” until significant spending cuts have been made. And he left open the debate on whether ending the pensions triple lock might feature among those cuts, arguing it was impossible to make such a commitment so far out from an election.

Other lines: Farage suggested the minimum wage should be reduced for younger workers … insisted Brexit had been “squandered” with too much business regulation … and said he wants to attract non-doms and other mega-rich people back to the U.K.

Questions, questions: Farage took eight questions because, aides said, it was a speech rather than a press conference. He does often take tons, TBF, unlike Starmer.

The speech reviews are in: Labour said Reform would wreak “havoc” on household finances, as the Tories branded the speech “chaos” and the Lib Dems said Farage was breaking promises.

The reviews are in on the other pensions plan, too: Numerous MPs and the boss of the union for senior civil servants were not impressed with Richard Tice telling our Dan Bloom a future Reform UK government could slash public sector pensions. But those on the right (and fellow public sector skeptics) were into it. Get a flavor of the reaction here.

TRAIN ATTACK LATEST

RAILING AGAINST HATE: In the past hour, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Commons the government must wait for the full facts about the brutal stabbing attack on a train in Cambridgeshire over the weekend before deciding whether policing processes should change. It came in response to suggestions like installing metal detectors at stations.

No fast-moving knees here: “Once the facts are known, we must examine what more might have been done to stop this horrific event from ever occurring,” Mahmood said in a ministerial statement. Downing Street and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have argued the metal detectors proposal would be impractical.

Latest details: Suspect Anthony Williams was this morning charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of possession of a knife and one of actual bodily harm. He has also been charged with a count of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article relating to events in London the same morning, while Cambridgeshire Police have noted additional earlier sightings and possible further offenses. Police watchdogs will consider the conduct of the force in relation to those.

But it’s worth noting: Williams was not known to the security services, counter terror police or Prevent, Mahmood confirmed.

As for the victims: Eight remain in hospital, after three were discharged. Mahmood paid particular tribute to the member of train staff who confronted the attacker to save others, arguing the man “is a hero, and forever will be.” No.10 said similar.

DRIVETIME DEBRIEF

FINGERS CROSSED, CHRIS: Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald told the Foreign Affairs Committee this afternoon he “certainly hopes” to remain in post — despite all the briefing against him. Wormald was speaking as the committee probed the ill-fated hiring of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s Washington ambo. Full writeup of that one here from POLITICO’s Bethany Dawson.

CHINA SCHOOLED: Ministers complained to the Chinese government after it pressured Sheffield Hallam Uni into ditching human rights research, Downing Street confirmed this afternoon. “It is absolutely unacceptable for any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the U.K. and the freedom and independence of our academic institutions is sacrosanct,” a spokesperson for Keir Starmer said.

‘HONEYTRAP’ CASE UPDATE: Ex-Labour councillor Oliver Steadman will appear at Southwark Crown Court on Dec. 1 charged with blackmailing ex-Tory MP William Wragg. In a dark suit and black curly hair, Steadman appeared for a brief Westminster Magistrates’ Court hearing this morning at which he was granted unconditional bail. The 28-year-old also faces five linked charges of sending an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message. He hasn’t entered a plea to any of the charges yet.

In other court news: The French taxi driver accused of stealing from Foreign Secretary David Lammy was acquitted this afternoon due to lack of evidence, AFP reported.

BACK FROM THE BRINK: Kemi Badenoch stopped the Conservatives going bankrupt after making personal appeals to donors. She told the BBC Newscast podcast there was a risk the movement would go bust after the 2024 election so she had to tell rich people who might hand over cash “who I was and what I was about” instead of spending time on the airwaves. Badenoch also admitted Reform poses an “existential threat” to the Tories.

MAN THE BARRICADES: Strategic Defense Review co-author Richard Barrons said the U.K. has “lost momentum” to prepare for war, telling the i paper’s Jane Merrick there’s a “troubling” lack of urgency from ministers about implementing the recommendations of his report.

STILL TO COME: Chief Secretary to the PM Darren Jones is addressing community organizations at Lancaster House tonight about how the government can work with grassroots groups.

BEYOND THE M25

HEALTH OF THE NATIONS: “Excessively long waiting lists are not acceptable and I apologize to all patients waiting too long,” SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray told Scottish Labour MP Imogen Walker — an indicator that the waiting lists struggle is real across the U.K.

MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The former chief lawyer of Israel’s military, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, was arrested after she admitting authorizing the leak of a video of reservist soldiers abusing a Palestinian prisoner. Bloomberg has a writeup.

SUDAN UPDATE: Famine has spread to two regions of the Sudan, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. The global hunger monitoring group said famine was detected in El Fashar in Darfur and Kadugli in the South Kordofan province, with 20 other areas at risk. AP News has further info.

IN AFGHANISTAN: At least 20 people died and hundreds were injured after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif. Reuters has the latest.

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TONIGHT’S MEDIA ROUND

LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.), BBC News at Six and ITV Evening News (6.30 p.m.) lead on 32-year-old Anthony Williams being charged with attempted murder after the Doncaster to London train attack … as does Channel 4 News (7 p.m.), which has an interview with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Former Old Bailey Judge Wendy Joseph (5.05 p.m.).

Drive with Peter Cardwell (Talk, until 7 p.m.): Former Yvette Cooper adviser Danny Shaw (5 p.m.) … Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois (5.30 p.m.).

Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Reform UK Head of Policy Zia Yusuf … former Royal United Services Institute Karin von Hippel … former Institute for Fiscal Studies Director Paul Johnson … former Met Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman … commentator Tim Montgomerie and the New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe (both 6 p.m.).

BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Zia Yusuf.

The News Agents (Podcast, drops at 5 p.m.): Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu.

Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Emily Thornberry … Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice … Paul Johnson … Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Co-Founder Luke de Pulford.

Dewbs and Co (GB News, 6 p.m.): Zia Yusuf.

GBN Tonight (GB News, 7 p.m.): Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage.

Politics Hub (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson … former Tory adviser James Starkie.

The Evening Edition with Kait Borsay (Times Radio, 7 p.m.): Former Pentagon Middle East adviser Jasmine El-Gamal (8.15 p.m.).

Cross Question with Ali Miraj (LBC, 8 p.m.): Labour MP James Frith … former Tory Chairman Greg Hands … unaffiliated peer Claire Fox … the Guardian’s John Crace.

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News, 8 p.m.): Mark Francois … former Labour MP Stephen Pound … former Tory MP John Redwood.

Patrick Christys Tonight (GB News, 9 p.m.): Former Tory Chair Jake Berry … Popular Conservatism Director Mark Littlewood.

Newsnight (BBC 2, 10.30 p.m.): Labour MP Mark Sewards.

TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Jack Surfleet.

REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Broadcaster Carolyn Quinn and Playbook’s own Dan Bloom … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and Times Radio’s Adam Boulton.

TOMORROW’S WORLD

STILL LOCKED UP: It will have been eight years since British-Indian national Jagtar Singh Johal was detained in Delhi without trial.

HAPPENING OVERNIGHT: The Public Accounts Committee has a report out on animal disease threats, while the Lords Space Committee has a report boldly launching, too.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Protection for women and girls online, and breaking down trade barriers.

AL ABOUT SCOTLAND: Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander faces the Scottish Affairs committee for the first time in his new role, from 9.30 a.m.

WHICH MEANS HE WON’T MAKE IT TO … Cabinet, which Keir Starmer will convene in Downing Street.

THE CUT BUDGETS AND BUILD NOTHING OPTION: Former chancellor and austerity architect George Osborne appears at the Treasury Committee to tell Rachel Reeves what she should do in her upcoming budget, from 9.45 a.m.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Economics! With Rachel Reeves delivering a speech.

BENTLEY COPS: Agitator Tommy Robinson faces a verdict from Westminster Magistrates court at 10 a.m. after refusing to give his phone pin to police when stopped driving someone else’s Bentley.

IN THE COMMONS: MPs get going with Treasury questions at 11.30 a.m. before a Conservative opposition debate and a debate on government support for Sudan.

IN THE LORDS: Peers get going on questions from 2.30 p.m. before the committee stage of the Space Industry Bill and the second reading of the Chagos Islands deal bill.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

RETAIL THERAPY: A Portcullis House shop has been assembled right next to the escalators, complete with fancy branding, wooden shelving and a desk … but no items yet for sale. A Commons spokesperson told us: “The House of Commons Shop will be relocating from its current location outside the Terrace Cafeteria to a new, more convenient site in Portcullis House as part of a 14-month trial designed to better serve the needs of passholders. The new location will continue to offer a wide range of popular products and will also operate as a Click & Collect point for online orders.” It’s expected to open next week. Bring on the merch.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The rage-inducing piece from M. F. Robbins on his Value of Nothing Substack, about the super high spec and utterly pointless road bridge over the HS2 rail line. It’s another perfect illustration of Britain trapping itself in a cul-de-sac.

Oh, and … this research passage about the business pull for American cable news skewing towards culture wars, despite political ads still focusing on jobs, healthcare and economics. The kicker: “Our results suggest that the economic incentives of cable news played a significant role in the growth of cultural conflict.” (Via the Tyler Cohen blog.)

What I’ve been listening to: Playbook’s own Bethany Dawson appeared on Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast to chat gossip, the world of Westminster and how patients can advocate for themselves in the health system.

PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Steamed haddock with sautéed leeks, dill mash and tartare; soya, carrot and onion sausage roll with cherry tomatoes, rocket and red onion salad; stir fried pork with oyster sauce, beanshoots, mangetout, Chinese leaf and noodles … The Debate: Sichuan beef dan dan noodles with pak choi and chili oil; ras el hanout portobello mushroom in tomato and pepper sauce with grilled halloumi and pomegranate; tandoori salmon on naan with kachumber and minted mango yoghurt.

ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: Nov. 3, 1529 saw the first sitting of the Reformation Parliament, which would break the link between the Catholic church and the state. On the same date in 1534, parliament legislated to name the monarch head of the new Church of England … On Nov. 3 1960 a Labour leadership election took place, in which Hugh Gaitskell defeated a challenge from Harold Wilson … On the same date in 2016, the High Court ruled that the prime minister did not have the power to trigger the Brexit countdown without a vote in parliament.

WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Sam Blewett.

THANKS TO: My editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.