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London Playbook PM: Britain’s latest day of shame

Good afternoon. This is Andrew McDonald.
— A damning report into the Grenfell Tower disaster blamed “decades of failure” from governments.
— Keir Starmer apologized and promised “radical action” to prevent such a tragedy ever happening again.
— Priti Patel was knocked out of the Tory leadership contest.
— At PMQs, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak exchanged blows on winter fuel payments and arms to Israel.
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YET ANOTHER DAY OF SHAME FOR THE U.K: A damning report into the Grenfell Tower disaster blamed the blaze that led to the deaths of 72 people on “decades of failure” by governments of all stripes. Keir Starmer promised accountability and change to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.
Failures: The 1,700 page report from the Grenfell inquiry’s second phase, which came out this morning, found that a chain of failures by governments, construction companies and the fire service contributed to the loss of life in the tower.
The big damning line: “The simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable,” Inquiry Chair Martin Moore-Bick said this morning. Watch back his statement from Dorland House here.
Some of those at fault: The report attacked the “systemic dishonesty” of those who made and sold some of the panels and materials used on the tower … Criticized construction regulation and failures in the London Fire Brigade’s training … and slammed the Tenant Management Organization, responsible for running services in the tower, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea administration for presiding over a “persistent indifference to fire safety.”
But there were warnings for the government: The report pointed to “many opportunities” for the various governments of the time to identify the risks posed by cladding, between a fire at Knowsley Heights in 1991 and the eventual tragedy 26 years later. It pointed to a warning from the Environment Select Committee in 1999 that it should not take a serious fire before steps were taken to minimize the risks posed by external cladding, and to numerous warnings between 2012 and 2017 about the forms of insulation and composite panels which were used in the tower.
And as such … the report makes rough reading for anyone who has served in government over the last few decades, and particularly anyone around the Department of Communities and Local Government. The report is highly critical of the 2010 Conservative—Liberal Democrat coalition government for its focus on cutting regulation, which, the report said, led to safety matters being “ignored, delayed or disregarded.”
Red tape warrior: Former Local Government Minister Eric Pickles is named in the report as an “ardent supporter” of housing deregulation — he has tweeted to welcome the findings. During his cross-examination at the inquiry, Pickles had insisted the anti-red tape drive never covered building regulations, but the report says this evidence was contradicted by officials and “contemporaneous documents.”
Yet to respond: David Cameron, Pickles’ boss as PM at the time.
Response from victims: “We paid the price of systematic dishonesty, institutional indifference and neglect,” Natasha Elcock, on behalf of the Grenfell United group representing some of the families of victims, told journalists this morning. “Human life was never a priority.” Elcock and other bereaved families and survivors have had a long wait for this day.
Some of the recommendations made: The inquiry calls for the introduction of a new single construction regulator, with one secretary of state overseeing it — plus for changes to the guidance on fire safety in the industry and the way materials are designed. The BBC has more of the recommendations at the bottom of its round-up here.
You can read … the full report here, and the executive summary here.
Worth remembering: This is only the latest example of Britain’s dysfunctional state. Two or so months ago the first report of the Covid inquiry accused the U.K. state of having “failed” its citizens in its preparation for a pandemic that was always likely to come at some point. The infected blood inquiry’s latest report, which came a month earlier, ripped apart the state’s cover-up culture too.
SO THE QUESTION IS: With his stonking majority giving him more power than any PM for decades — and numerous promises to fix Britain and return the state to the service of its people — what is Keir Starmer going to do about the latest example of the state failing its people?
Fronting up: Speaking to a hushed House of Commons — with some survivors and bereaved families watching on from the public gallery — the prime minister apologized to everyone affected on behalf of the British state, and vowed this would be a “day of justice.” Joe Powell, the new MP for Kensington and Chelsea, watched on and made notes behind a sombre Starmer.
The apology: “I want to say very clearly, on behalf of the country, you’ve been let down so badly before, during and in the aftermath of this tragedy,” Starmer said. “The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty, to protect you and your loved ones, the people that we are here to serve. And I am deeply sorry.” The BBC made a clip of his apology here.
Starmer then read … through some of the most sobering sections of the report, while the Commons watched on in silence. He pledged “full accountability” for those responsible, and “radical action to stop something like this from ever happening again”. He revealed that he made a private visit to the tower two weeks ago to lay a wreath, and said he got “a sense of how utterly, utterly terrifying it must have been” during the blaze.
In response: Responding for the opposition, Rishi Sunak said the report was a “damning indictment” of 30 years of failure. Theresa May, who was PM at the time, added on X that the new government should introduce the inquiry’s recommendations as an urgent priority.
Some early moves: The PM promised as a first step to write to all the most companies named and shamed in the report, to prevent them from being awarded government contracts. He also said he would support the police and prosecutors in their investigations going forward … take steps to speed up removing unsafe cladding from buildings … aim to reform the construction products industry … and ensure new homes are safe and secure and built to high standards.
Keep an eye and ear on … Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook and Building Safety Minister Rushanara Ali for more detail, as they split the duties of an evening media round. Full timings below.
As for the rest of the report’s recommendations … Starmer said the government would consider the report and respond in full within six months.
SHE THINKS IT’S ALL OVER … IT PRITI MUCH IS NOW: Priti Patel has been knocked out of the Tory leadership contest, after the first ballot of MPs was announced just over an hour ago. Playbook PM and a smattering of hacks watched proceedings from one of parliament’s committee rooms as 1922 Chair Bob Blackman announced the results.
The results in full: Robert Jenrick — 28 … Kemi Badenoch — 22 … James Cleverly — 21 … Tom Tugendhat — 17 … Mel Stride — 16 … Priti Patel — 14.
Surprise No 1: There’s a far amount of distance between Jenrick — now a clear frontrunner to make the last two — and Badenoch at the top of the pecking order in an otherwise tight vote.
Surprise No 2: Lots of us — including humble-pie-scoffing Playbook PM — had previously written off Stride’s chances of even making it this far. But he’s still alive and will fancy his chances of winning enough MPs to overturn the one vote gap between him and Tugendhat.”‘Melmentum’ the phrase doing the rounds outside committee room 14,” the Spectator’s James Heale tweeted.
The big question now … is where Patel’s 14 votes go. Will they tend to strengthen the positions of her fellow MPs from the right of the party in the top two, drift towards fellow party unity-focused candidate Cleverly or wind up boosting the candidates seen as being on the more one-nation side of the debate? It’s a contest of fine margins.
Plus: We still don’t really know that much about the overall makeup of the current Tory parliamentary party. The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey reports that supporters of both Jenrick and Badenoch are trying to paint their candidates as the more centrist — which implies that’s where they feel the votes are.
Next steps: Another hustings in front of MPs is planned next week, followed by votes to whittle the five remaining candidates down to four. The remaining four will then get the chance to make their case to party conference, before MPs will narrow down the field to a final two to go to a membership vote.
Earlier on committee corridor: The contenders’ teams had little operations set up outside the committee room for last minute-cajoling and general hanging around. A smiling Badenoch was seen asking rival Cleverly if he’d voted yet.
Reasons to be cheerful: According to the latest polling Badenoch is way out in front with party members, according to ConservativeHome’s latest survey of Tory members released this morning. The website found she would defeat all challengers if she made it to the final two.
But but but: As Playbook PM reported last week, polling experts including Tory peer Robert Hayward reckon we shouldn’t place much stock in opinion polling on the Tory membership. “My view is that if the opinion polls can’t get a standard voting intention poll on a national basis accurate, the chances of them getting it accurate for the Tory leadership are absolutely minuscule,” he said during a session on how the polls struggled with July’s election.
RISHI V KEIR: The first PMQs back had a bit more bite in it than proceedings before recess.
Aiming to make Starmer feel chilly: Interim LOTO Rishi Sunak opted for the obvious approach of hitting Starmer on ending universal winter fuel payments — combining the attack with Tory-pleasing rhetoric on the government’s pay deal for train drivers. “Why did he choose train drivers or Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?” Sunak asked. The Tory benches jumped at the chance for a little roar of approval. Some on the Labour side looked rather glum.
Starmer hit back: “This government was elected to clear up the mess left by the party opposite,” he said, by way of explanation for the winter fuel cut, to the expected roar from his over-full benches. Expect to see a virtual copy-and-paste job of this paragraph on every Wednesday for months.
After that: The back and forth continued on winter fuel payments on the same lines — before Sunak asked Starmer about the suspension of some arms exports to Israel, and whether the move would help secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Starmer insisted the partial suspension was a “legal, not a policy, decision” and said it “isn’t an Israel issue” — an argument that the legal advice led to the policy, rather than the other way round. Critics disagree.
More from PMQs: POLITICO’s Noah Keate gave proceedings the usual scorecard treatment here.
STAY TUNED: LBC has an exclusive interview with foreign secretary — and former LBC presenter — David Lammy this evening at 10 p.m. Expect him to mount a defense of his move on arms exports to Israel.
THAT ISA NOT HAPPENING: The U.K. government has dropped plans for a “British ISA” which were drawn up by the last government, the FT’s Emma Dunkley and Jim Pickard report. 
AND ICYMI: My colleague Esther Webber revealed this morning that Labour strategist Deborah Mattinson is off to the U.S. to brief Kamala Harris’ campaign on how Labour won the election.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD LOVE TO FOCUS ON: The BBC’s Faisal Islam has seen internal Treasury calculations that point to a big rise in the state pension, by more than £400 a year in cash terms, thanks to the triple lock.
What the government would less like to focus on: Lingering anger over the scrapping of universal winter fuel allowances for pensioners. Labour MP Rachael Maskell, one of the most vocal winter fuel rebels on the front benches, told Times Radio this morning that the government needed to rethink its approach and treat keeping pensioners warm as a “public health issue.”
I PREDICT A RIOT: Government plans to free up prison spaces for 18 months by releasing some prisoners after serving 40 percent of their sentence will fail because cells are being filled with rioters, Prison Governors’ Association President Tom Wheatley said, adding Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood “will be lucky to get 12 months before we are full again.” The Guardian has a writeup.
STRAINING A POINT: Former PM Tony Blair now thinks the significant levels of immigration during his decade in power caused a “strain” on communities, telling the BBC’s Amol Rajan: “It was a problem. If I’d still been in power, I would have been all over it.” The full interview airs on BBC Two at 7 p.m.
THE PASS-LESS GRANDEES: After Playbook PM spotted Tory grandee Graham Brady sporting a visitor pass yesterday … a mole gets in touch to share that Brady will be fully passed up from tomorrow, when he officially becomes a lord.
And that ain’t all: Brady was in yesterday for an induction session for new peers — alongside former PM Theresa May, former Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman and Rishi Sunak’s old chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith. May and Booth-Smith will be formally introduced next week.
UP IN SCOTLAND: The SNP’s John Swinney promised to make fighting child poverty his “first” priority as he announced his first program for government as first minister, on the day after his government unveiled £500m in cuts to public services. The BBC has a write-up.
SORRY, KEIR: James Cleverly’s team are rubbing in the forgetfulness of Starmer’s top team after they forgot his birthday. Watch the video of many happy birthdays to Cleverly and his wife here.
UKRAINE UPDATE: Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Justice Minister Denys Malyuska were among six ministers to resign from office as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reshuffled his top team. The ministers did not explain their decisions but Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed to “strengthen some areas in the government.” More from my colleague Veronika Melkozerova.
On the ground: At least seven people, including three children, were killed and 47 others wounded as Russian airstrikes destroyed three schools and several residential buildings in Lviv, the nearest major Ukrainian city to the Polish border.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Moscow imported goods from North Korea including clothes, shoes and beer, a violation of U.N. sanctions imposed against Pyongyang after nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The Times has a writeup.
IN MEXICO: A bill which would see magistrates and judges chosen by popular vote was approved in the lower Chamber of Deputies by 359 votes to 135 despite widespread strikes and protests by judicial workers, who argue it erodes a system of checks and balances. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the proposals would help hold judges accountable — via the BBC.
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LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) and BBC News at Six both focus on the Grenfell Tower fire report … as does Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) including an interview with Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook.
Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Building Safety Minister Rushanara Ali (5.05 p.m.).
Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Rushanara Ali … Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater Joe Powell … Shadow Culture Secretary Julia Lopez … Tory MP Neil O’Brien … barrister Michael Mansfield.
BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Matthew Pennycook (5.40 p.m.).
News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Joe Powell (5.30 p.m.) … former U.K. Health and Safety Executive Chair Judith Hackitt (6.30 p.m.) … Labour peer Alf Dubs (6.45 p.m.).
Dewbs and Co (GB News, 6 p.m.): Rushanara Ali.
Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Matthew Pennycook and Fire Brigades Union General Secretary Matt Wrack (both 6 p.m.) … Independent MP and former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn (6.15 p.m.) … former Tory MP Steve Baker (6.30 p.m.).
Farage (GB News, 7 p.m.): Former Tory MP Conor Burns … former Lib Dem adviser Jo Phillips.
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (Sky News, 7 p.m.): London Mayor Sadiq Khan … Rushanara Ali … Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Cross Question with Simon Marks (LBC, 8 p.m.): Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh … Tory MP Ashley Fox.
Ben Kentish (LBC, 10 p.m.): Foreign Secretary David Lammy (10 p.m.).
TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Allie Hodgkins-Brown.
REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): The New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe and Talk’s Peter Cardwell … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and the Mail’s Claire Ellicott.
ALLIANCE OF GREENS AND DRINKS: The Green Alliance hosts its summer reception. Invites needed.
BOOKS AND BEERS: Marylebone’s Daunt Books hosts the launch of Anthony Seldon’s “Truss at 10” book. Invites needed.
COMMONS: Business and trade questions … House business questions … and then second reading of the GB Energy bill. Might we finally learn the location of the energy company?
Lords: Debate on VAT for private school fees.
IN EUROPE: European Justice Ministers will meet at the Council of Europe meeting in Vilnius.
PACKED LUNCH OR PALACE LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Deep fried pakora battered cod with raita; garlic mushroom on potato and root vegetable rösti with horseradish and avocado guacamole; grilled lemon turkey escalope with bean and broccoli mash on a sourdough crouton … The Debate: Grilled chicken breast burger with avocado, tomato and BBQ sauce; honey and soy grilled tuna steak with hibachi sesame noodles and pickled vegetables; grilled cumin paneer raita on poppadum with red lentil rice … Terrace Cafeteria: Breaded turkey escalope with pasta Milanese; oven baked sea bream with quinoa, salsa verde, pickled fennel and roast courgettes; vegetable samosa with chana dal, baby spinach and tomato salad, poppadum and mango chutney.
BREAKING MEWS: Rachel Reeves can be lobbied about something, it turns out. The chancellor is poised to get a cat for her Downing Street flat thanks to pleading from her children — matching Keir Starmer, who’s already brought in a Siberian kitten next door. MailOnline’s James Tapsfield has the story and Playbook’s Dan Bloom is told it’s on the money. A government insider told Tapsfield it’s not only down to pressure from the kids: “The place is riddled with mice.” 
Poor old Larry … But at least Gladstone, the Treasury cat, won’t be jealous. An FOI response this summer confirmed he “retired and ceased residing in HMT HQ on 22 December 2019.” 
ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: A government-sponsored report by John Wolfenden, vice-chancellor of Reading University, recommended decriminalizing male homosexuality on this day in 1957. The government rejected the proposal, meaning sex between homosexual men remained a crime for another 10 years in England and Wales, and another 23 in Scotland.
WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Dan Bloom.
THANKS TO: My editor Rosa Prince, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.
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