Presented by Global Citizen
London Playbook
By ANDREW MCDONALD
with BETHANY DAWSON
Good Wednesday morning. This is Andrew McDonald.
DRIVING THE DAY
NOT THE LAST TANGO IN PARIS: Defence Secretary John Healey meets his major European counterparts in Paris today as Britain drives efforts to assemble a peacekeeping force to stabilize a post-ceasefire Ukraine — and to figure out how to stand up to Russia without relying on Donald Trump. After last night’s big breakthrough in U.S.-Ukraine peace talks, they’ll have plenty to talk about in the closed-door meeting of “E5” defense chiefs this afternoon, and in a multi-headed press conference expected at 5.30 p.m.
Your play, Putin: Ukraine accepted a U.S. proposal last night for a temporary 30-day ceasefire that can be extended by mutual agreement. “Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it,” Trump told a White House event in the wake of Tuesday’s peace talks in Saudi Arabia. “I’ll talk to Vladimir Putin. It takes two to tango.” His Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the “ball is now in [Putin’s] court.” Reuters reported in the last hour that Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin has had a phone call with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Now read … this sharp piece from our own Tim Ross outlining what we know about the deal so far. Unsurprisingly, it splashes the Mail, i, Telegraph, Guardian, Independent and Times.
**A message from Global Citizen: Every $1 invested in immunisation through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance brings $54 of economic benefits. A strong pledge by the UK Government for Gavi will save lives and support economic growth around the world, leading to a more stable, prosperous society for all. Read more about Gavi here.**
Echoing Little Marco: A gushing Keir Starmer hailed the “remarkable breakthrough” in his response, and aped Rubio virtually word-for-word, insisting the “ball is now in the Russian court.” Healey is expected to say much the same later today, and Starmer may have more to add at the opening of PMQs at noon — his only planned public-facing engagement today, according to No. 10.
Entente cordiale: “U.K. sources” have told the BBC’s Damian Grammaticas and Megan Fisher that Britain was instrumental to bringing the deal together. They write that national security adviser Jonathan Powell worked with his U.S. counterpart Mike Waltz and German and French officials to fashion the plan and steps that might follow. Likewise, one official tells Playbook that the level of French-English engagement has been off the usual charts.
Jeddah mind tricks: That ceasefire deal acceptance from Ukraine also led to the immediate lifting of the pause in U.S. intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The joint statement also said the U.S. will restart “security assistance,” presumably a reference to military aid.
Which may be important … since the signals from Putin up to this point haven’t been all that enthusiastic about peace on the West’s terms. And Bloomberg’s Alex Wickham and Alberto Nardelli have some more details of the Russian president’s demands from negotiations, as briefed by Western security officials.
Big problem: Wickham and Nardelli report that Putin is — predictably — making maximalist demands, centered around his long-held convictions that include a Ukrainian commitment to neutrality … international recognition of Moscow’s claim to annexed land … and opposition to European peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine. All of which runs counter to pretty much everything Europe and Kyiv would like from a deal. The officials told Bloomberg that Putin sees little incentive to back off from these positions, and is happy to continue fighting if he doesn’t get what he wants.
Also not exactly screaming peace and harmony: Russia responded to the announcement of the deal with an overnight air attack on Kyiv, the city’s Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.
Which is why … today’s meeting of the defense ministers in Paris is another big moment for the future security of the continent in a 2025 already stuffed full of them. It follows Tuesday’s meeting in the French capital where 34 military chiefs discussed exactly how Europe can play a role in resolving the conflict. See the pics of the military dudes (they all appear to be dudes) in uniform here. Today’s cast list includes Healey and his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland, who’ll be locked in talks all afternoon before an expected joint press conference this evening.
Indeed: The talks in Paris were convened partly with this scenario of a possible ceasefire in mind. A U.K. official told my colleague Esther Webber: “We have been watching and preparing for if we are going to see a sort of a truce, the various scenarios that would entail for U.K. involvement in terms of air support and how that works alongside other European countries, particularly France.”
The diplomacy defense drumbeat then continues … with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visiting Trump in Washington Thursday, and then Starmer holding his Teams Call of the Willing on Saturday. On the U.S. side, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to head to Moscow to meet Putin this week.
BUT BUT BUT: Britain’s diplomatic movers and shakers will also be keen to squeeze in chats about tariffs with Trump officials, after it was confirmed the U.K. (as expected) ain’t getting an exemption from the president’s blanket 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which came into effect a few hours ago.
Out of the blocks: Responding for the government overnight, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said it was “disappointing” the U.S. imposed the global tariffs. He added that Britain is focused on a “pragmatic approach” and is “negotiating a wider economic agreement with the U.S. to eliminate additional tariffs.” In the meantime, Reynolds said he’ll keep “all options on the table and won’t hesitate to respond in the national interest.” Treasury Minister James Murray faces a grilling on the morning broadcast round shortly about what this all means and what the government will do next.
Two weeks is a long time, etc: The government was delighted with Trump’s praise in the White House of Starmer’s attempts to convince him not to slap tariffs on Britain — and his indication that a deal might be possible in which tariffs weren’t necessary. Two weeks on, those warm words have come to nothing yet.
But you can never tell what he’ll do next: Trump on Tuesday rowed back on his threats to double U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel imports … just hours after making them. Pity the FT, which splashed the news pre-U-turn. You gotta judge this guy on an hour-by-hour basis.
With that in mind: The U.K. has quietly insisted it isn’t planning to reciprocate, unlike the EU (which has already hit back this morning with tariffs on American exports, my colleagues in Brussels report). The hope in Whitehall is that Britain’s kid gloves approach may convince Trump to lift the tariffs on the U.K. down the line, especially given the president’s Oval Office comments. We’ll see.
Diplomatic roundabout: All this will make tense conversation for Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who flies to Canada today for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers. (The main action is on Thursday and Friday.) His U.S. counterpart Rubio is due there, too. My colleague Dan Bloom hears there’s not currently a bilateral meeting between Lammy and Rubio in the diary, though Playbook is told the pair did chat by phone Monday lunchtime. The prospect of any in-depth chat about tariffs during a brush-by, when Ukraine is dominating minds, seems pretty remote.
Still, at least we’ve always got the … Chagos Islands deal, which officials still expect to be approved soon by the U.S. — though Playbook is told not to expect any white smoke today to mark Mauritius Independence Day. Either way, the mood music from both sides remains positive. “It’s gonna get done,” a U.S. official said.
BACK ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT
DAY JOB BLUES: Keir Starmer faces the usual PMQs gauntlet at noon with plenty of domestic and international issues for Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch to ask about. However, as concerns mount on the left about the government’s planned welfare cuts, the real danger for the PM rests elsewhere — particularly after a big intervention from a usually reliable ally this morning.
Nowak smash: Wading into the government’s mooted cuts to personal independence payments for the first time, Trades Union Congress General Secretary Paul Nowak said a “major lesson from the Tory years is that austerity damaged the nation’s health. We must not make the same mistake again.”
He continued: “Pushing disabled people into hardship with cuts to support will only make the current challenges worse — and will not win public support,” Nowak added. “Cutting PIP is not the solution.”
Bear in mind … the typically moderate TUC isn’t Unite, and picks its interventions very carefully given it represents the broader movement. It has only rarely criticized the moves of the Labour government while some of its member unions went tonto from the start.
More where that came from: A newbie Labour MP blasted to Playbook last night that the whole thing feels like “sleepwalking into a winter fuel allowance, part II.” This person added: “They think people will welcome a crackdown on so-called benefit scroungers but instead will find people do not look kindly on vulnerable disabled people having their benefits cut during a cost-of-living crisis.”
Even more to come? Playbook spies the names of Socialist Campaign Groupies Andy McDonald and Richard Burgon (who has publicly criticized the mooted cuts) on the PMQs order paper. Might they fancy their chance to have a pop at the PM on prime-time political telly?
Though ultimately … Starmer and chief of staff Morgan McSweeney aren’t likely to be particularly moved by criticism from leftie MPs like Burgon (who only got the whip back last month after his last welfare-related rebellion). No. 10 didn’t listen to the TUC’s call for the winter fuel cut to be rethought, either. And there’s still much debate over the actual size of the rebel camp forming over the cuts to PIP, with estimates ranging from the low-end of a few dozen to the more fanciful hopes of an 80-strong army. ITV’s Maya Bowles hears that all Labour MPs have been invited into No. 10 this week for talks about the planned cuts.
On that note: My POLITICO colleagues have a great deep dive looking at the sharp divide among newbie MPs over welfare cuts between the sanguine, the horrified and the moderates worried about piping up. Insults are already flying between the camps, with one MP claiming the “arse-crawling” loyalty of some new MPs is discouraging others from speaking out.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: A bonfire of quangos … well, sorta. After telling his Cabinet to stop outsourcing decisions to arms-length bodies, Starmer announced overnight that he is abolishing the Payment Systems Regulator that oversees systems for banks and other financial companies.
Though, as the Tories point out … that regulator the government is “abolishing” is being merged with another regulator (the FCA) … and Labour has set up a whole bunch of new quangos (27, by the Tories’ count) since taking office. The bonfire is looking a bit damp.
In the bonfire queue: In their big read on the government’s state reform plans, the Guardian’s Lobby team hear that thousands more civil service jobs could be for the chopping block — or should that be chainsaw block, with the plans apparently dubbed “Project Chainsaw.” Starmer will expand on his DOGEian instincts in a speech on Thursday.
And what the loyalist MPs want to talk about: More than 20 “red wall” Labour MPs have penned a letter to Nigel Farage and his dwindling band of MPs asking how they plan to vote on the Employment Rights Bill, which is being voted on in its final stages in the Commons later. That letter will show up online in an hour or so.
TODAY IN WESTMINSTER
TODAY, IN ASSISTED DEATH: The assisted dying bill committee, sitting from 9.25 a.m., is expected to vote on the all-important Kim Leadbeater amendment on replacing the need for a high court judge in favor of a panel of experts. Campaigners against the bill don’t expect the amendment to be in any danger of falling — but Playbook hears that some Labour MPs opposed to the legislation are primed to make their concerns about the amendment public later today.
GRIM, GRIM, GRIM:The Sun splashes on more details in the case of former Wes Streeting aide Sam Gould, who the paper reveals exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl and then followed her. Gould has resigned from Streeting’s constituency office, and the health secretary has called on him to quit his job as a councilor. Streeting said last night that there are “no words to express my horror” at the case.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO-AWAY: The Home Office will announce the barring of tourists without a visa from Trinidad and Tobago today, the Times’ Matt Dathan reports, after the department found that many visitors were overstaying the six months allowed for tourists.
NDA MISUSE: Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has tabled an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill aiming to prohibit the use of NDAs in cases of sexual harassment or abuse, after raising broadcaster ITN’s use of the agreements in the Commons Tuesday. She used parliamentary privilege to air some pretty grim details, which are worth reading on Hansard here. The Independent’s Claudia Savage has a write-up.
WATER YOU DOING: Lib Dem environment spokesperson Tim Farron said the government’s move to update monitoring for swimming sites in England and Wales for the first time since 2013 is insufficient. He urged the government to “get tough on water companies and finally replace Ofwat with a new regulator.”
COMPUTER SAYS … NOTHING: More than 5,000 people who should have been offered health screenings, including for some cancers, did not receive invitations due to a computer error dating as far back as 2008, according to NHS England. The Telegraph reports 10 of them have died after being diagnosed with one of the cancers they should have been screened for.
HELPING HAND: Labour MP Liam Conlon is introducing “Philomena’s Law” after PMQs. It’s a new draft legislation to ring-fence compensation for British-domiciled survivors of Irish mother and baby homes, so any redress won’t affect their eligibility for means-tested benefits or financial support for social care.
STRUGGLING: The number of people on health-related benefits in England and Wales has increased since the pandemic, with roughly 10 percent of 16-64-year-olds now receiving disability or incapacity payments, up from just under 8 percent in 2019. More than half that jump can be attributed to mental health or behavioral conditions, according to new reports from the IFS.
HORRIFYING: Labour MP Paulette Hamilton told PoliticsHome she is “scared” about rising knife crime in her Birmingham constituency following the “random” stabbing of her teenage nephew. She told Nadine Batchelor-Hunt: “I didn’t truly understand how it feels, until someone that I saw within hours of being born nearly died.”
UP AT THE COVID-19 INQUIRY: Former DBT PPE Director Tim Jarvis is up first at 10 a.m., followed by Office for Product Safety and Standards CEO Graham Russell, former Chief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay and former Health and Social Care adviser Andrew Feldman. Stream here.
SW1 EVENTS: More in Common presents new research with UCL Policy Lab on Starmer’s approval bounce at 11.30 a.m (Zoom here) … the Irish Embassy hosts a St. Patrick’s Day press and political reception at 6 p.m. (invites needed).
REPORTS OUT TODAY: The government has been slow to respond to gaps in electric vehicle charge point provision and delays should be addressed, says the Public Accounts Committee … the world’s biggest cities are becoming increasingly exposed to floods and droughts, says WaterAid.
HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with Wales questions … PMQs at noon … a ten-minute rule motion on mother and baby institutions payment scheme (led by Labour MP Liam Conlon) … and remaining stages of the Employment Rights Bill. Labour MP Kim Johnson has the adjournment debate on the 40th anniversary of the Swann Report into racism in education.
WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on topics including the use of stop and search (Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti) … government support for human rights and peace in Kashmir (Labour MP Tahir Ali) … and government support for rural communities (Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden).
On committee corridor: Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty discusses the Ukraine 100-year partnership agreement with the Lord’s International Agreements Committee (12.30 p.m.).
HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 3 p.m. with questions on businesses and new carbon border taxes, responses from university authorities to the Community Security Trust report “Campus Antisemitism in Britain 2022-2024” … and plans for Keir Starmer to meet the incoming prime minister of Canada … the third reading of the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill … a statement on building the North Sea’s energy future … and committee stage Day 3 of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill.
BEYOND THE M25
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN: The Scottish government will scrap plans to make homeowners switch to greener heating. Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin told MSPs the Heat in Buildings Bill will not go forward in its current form because it would “make people poorer.” Read more on the BBC.
ROMANIA ELECTION DRAMA: Romania’s Constitutional Court last night barred populist Călin Georgescu from competing in a rerun of the country’s presidential election in May. The judges unanimously upheld a decision by Romania’s election authority on Sunday to reject Georgescu’s candidacy because of alleged violations of election rules when he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential vote in November. Read more on POLITICO.
TRUMP TANGO: Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin is in Washington D.C. to meet the U.S. president as part of a usually enviable annual St. Patrick’s Day visit. But this week’s invitation to the court of Donald Trump is being viewed with unprecedented fear and loathing in Dublin, my colleague Shawn Pogatchnik writes.
**A message from Global Citizen: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is one of the most cost-effective investments in global health. But it is at real risk in the face of deadly cuts to the UK aid budget. Over 25 years, Gavi has immunised over a billion children, stopped deadly diseases from spreading around the world, and saved almost 19 million lives. Gavi strengthens health care systems, drives economic growth, and helps protect the UK from future pandemics, boosting safety and security for us all. UK support is vital in continuing these successes. By making a full pledge, the UK Government can help Gavi immunise 500 million children over the next 5 years, save up to 9 million lives, and protect the world from health emergencies. The UK has a proud history of action on global immunisation. Labour must continue to deliver for Gavi, providing security at home and saving lives across the world. Read more here.**
MEDIA ROUND
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9 a.m.).
Shadow Business Minister Harriett Baldwin broadcast round: Talk (7 a.m.) … GB News (7.30 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … Sky News (8.15 a.m.) … LBC News (8.45 a.m.).
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Former NATO Head of Operations for Afghanistan and Iraq Nicholas Williams (7.10 a.m.) … Victims Commissioner for London Claire Waxman (8.10 a.m.).
Also on GB News PMQs live (11.50 a.m.): Labour MP Stella Creasy and Conservative MP Harriet Cross.
Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Former U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. David Manning (8.05 a.m.) … UK Steel Director General Gareth Stace (8.15 a.m.).
Also on Sky News Breakfast: RUSI Director of Military Sciences Matthew Savill (7.30 a.m.).
Also on LBC News: UK Steel Director General Gareth Stace (7.40 a.m.) … National Pharmacy Association Vice Chair Olivier Picard (7.50 a.m.) … Former Foreign Office Europe Director-General Simon Fraser (8.20 a.m.).
Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): Labour peer Helena Kennedy … Conservative MP David Reed … former Labour Director of Policy Andrew Fisher … broadcaster Inaya Folarin Iman … Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury Gareth Davies … Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.
5Live MPs Panel with Nicky Campbell (10 a.m.): Labour MP Danny Beales … Conservative MP Lewis Cocking … Lib Dem MP Anna Sabine.
TODAY’S FRONT PAGES
POLITICO UK: ‘Not why I joined the party’: Keir Starmer’s MPs agonize about welfare cuts.
Daily Express: ‘I am so proud of all my girls.’
Daily Mail: Ukraine agrees ceasefire deal.
Daily Mirror: Jail.. then hell.
Daily Star: Gold Trafford.
Financial Times: Trump ratchets up Canada trade war with 50% aluminium and steel tariffs.
i: Ceasefire in Ukraine — if Putin agrees.
Metro: ‘They’ll roll out the red carpet in hell.’
The Daily Telegraph: Putin told to agree Ukraine ceasefire.
The Guardian: US says ‘ball in Russia’s court’ as Ukraine agrees 30-day ceasefire.
The Independent: Kyiv accepts 30-day ceasefire plan to put ‘ball in Russia’s court.’
The Sun: Wes aide flashed girl, 13.
The Times: Kyiv open to ceasefire as Trump restarts aid.
LONDON CALLING
WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Expect clouds, sun, and maybe a bit of rain. High 9C, low 2C.
SPOTTED … at the launch of the House’s Women in Westminster 100 list for 2025, held at the Speaker’s House: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who recounted times when she was blocked from certain parts of parliament for being a “lady member” … Policing Minister Diana Johnson … Nature Minister Mary Creagh … Shadow Welsh Secretary Mims Davies … Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott … Speaker Linsday Hoyle … Deputy Speakers Caroline Nokes and Judith Cummins … Labour MPs Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Uma Kumaran, Meg Hillier, Natalie Fleet, Chi Onwurah, Emily Darlington, Florence Eshalomi, Emily Thornberry, Becky Gittins, Tulip Siddiq, Jessica Morden, Ruth Jones, Rachael Maskell and Kate Dearden … Conservative MPs Sarah Bool, Rebecca Smith and Rebecca Harris … Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper … Lib Dem MPs Munira Wilson, Marie Goldman, Vikki Slade and Sarah Dyke … Green MP Ellie Chowns … SNP MP Kirsty Blackman … independent MP Rosie Duffield …
And breathe: Plaid Cymru MPs Ann Davies and Llinos Medi … Labour peers Thangam Debbonaire and Beverley Hughes … Conservative peers Anne Jenkin, Virginia Bottomley and Stephanie Fraser … Lib Dem peer Barbara Janke … Plaid peer Carmen Smith … retired Conservative peer Julia Cumberlege … No. 10 deputy chief of staff Vidhya Alakeson … No. 10 press secretary Sophie Nazemi … No. 10 Political Director Claire Reynolds … Labour’s General Secretary Hollie Ridley … MOJ perm sec Antonia Romeo … Treasury second perm sec Beth Russell … Home Office SpAd Jess Leigh … Cabinet Office perm sec Cat Little … CBI Director General Rain Newton-Smith … President of MPs’ and Lords’ Staff Branch Lisa Gillmore … Co-operative Party Head of Politics Caitlin Prowle … former Conservative MP Miriam Cates … Former No. 10 comms boss Katie Perrior … Politics Live host Jo Coburn … Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket Chair Cindy Butts … Cass Review author Hilary Cass … crossbench peer Tanni Grey-Thompson … VAWG activist Sharon Gaffka … Spectator Political Editor Katy Balls … Guardian Political Editor Pippa Crerar … Daily Mirror pol ed Lizzy Buchan … Daily T host and GB News presenter Camilla Tominey … Express Associate Editor Sam Lister … and BBC producer Libby Jukes.
On the list … Westminster’s top 100 women this year includes POLITICO’s Esther Webber … Chancellor Rachel Reeves … Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch … Lib Dem MP Layla Moran … outgoing NHS England CEO Amanda Pritchard … and, err, former Prime Minister Liz Truss. Full list here.
Also spotted … at Shadow Paymaster General Richard Holden’s 40th birthday party at the Old Star: Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, drinking Jägerbombs … Shadow Scotland Secretary Andrew Bowie … Conservative peer Liam Booth-Smith … Conservative MP Gagan Mohindra … LOTO adviser Mary Burns … former Conservative SpAd Madeline Sibley … the Spectator’s William Moore … and Tory staffer Kathryn Russell.
NEW GIG: Lili Donlon-Mansbridge, formerly at Peston’s show, has joined ITV News’ Westminster team as a senior political producer.
CONGRATULATIONS TO … Scottish Labour press officer Innes McGarry on the birth of his baby, Francis.
CULTURE CLUB: Former Labour LeaderJeremy Corbyn has set up a Letterboxd account to review his favorite films. He’s currently giving five stars to some very political films — three of which were made by Ken Loach. Playbook is told more reviews will come this morning.
WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio.
WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: Stefan Boscia.
BIRTHDAYS: Conservative MP Graham Stuart … Home Affairs Select Committee Chair Karen Bradley … former Cannock Chase MP Amanda Milling … Tory peer Virginia Bottomley … crossbench peer Ruth Hunt …. Tory peer Peta Buscombe … New European Political Editor James Ball … Lib Dem peer William Wallace … former Tory minister David Mellor … retired Tory peer Robin Cayzer … Tory peer Hugh Trenchard … former Welsh Government Permanent Secretary Shan Morgan … the Washington Post’s Peter Spiegel … Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain … BBC News Home Editor Mark Easton … former U.S. Senator Mitt Romney.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich, Dan Bloom and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Catherine Bouris.
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