Presented by Global Citizen
London Playbook
By STEFAN BOSCIA
with BETHANY DAWSON
Good Friday morning. This is Stefan Boscia.
DRIVING THE DAY
PIVOTING TO PUTIN: After spending the week knee-deep in his domestic reform agenda, Keir Starmer is turning his attention back to foreign affairs. Talks over a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire are intensifying after Vladimir Putin (surprise!) put up new hurdles to a deal last night. And for his part, the PM will spend this afternoon shut away in No. 10 doing prep work for a call with Western leaders on Saturday, which will feature dozens of nations involved in the Anglo-French “coalition of the willing.”
The despot who came in from the cold: Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s envoy (a real estate billionaire who makes people “feel like a million bucks,” per this NYT profile), was meant to meet Putin in Moscow last night as a part of intensified American efforts to convince the Russian president to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Trump said in the Oval Office that he told Witkoff to “discuss concepts of land, concepts of power plants — because it’s complicated.” Whatever that means.
But but but … As Playbook was being sent this morning, neither Russian nor American media had readouts from the meeting — assuming it even took place. Kremlin-controlled Izvestia reported Witkoff spent around an hour in the U.S. Embassy on Thursday evening, before his motorcade traveled to the airport and his plane took off (presumably with him on it).
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This doesn’t sound promising either: Putin’s statement on Thursday suggested his list of caveats for any deal puts him far apart from the truce agreed by Ukraine. The Russian president said he would only agree to a ceasefire if the “roots of the crisis” were solved. (Which for him presumably means Western influence in Ukraine and the position of NATO troops in Eastern Europe.) He also wants guarantees that Ukraine will not receive weapons shipments or mobilize soldiers during a pause in fighting. It splashes the Times, Telegraph and Express.
Can’t pull the wool over my eyes: Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X last night that Putin’s “manipulative” comments show “he is in fact preparing a rejection at present, because Putin is of course scared to tell President Trump that he wants to continue this war.” Ukraine’s leader added: “That’s why in Moscow they are imposing these conditions upon the idea of a ceasefire, so that nothing happens at all, or so that it cannot happen for as long as possible.” Some commentators have suggested Putin is stalling while Russian soldiers try to take back Ukrainian-occupied Kursk before starting peace talks.
Always look on the bright side of life: Never one to be perturbed, Trump told journalists in the Oval Office that Putin’s comments were “a very promising statement,” although “it wasn’t complete.” However, he added that Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire and peace talks would be “a very disappointing moment for the world.” Sounds like Trump is finally beginning to gently apply pressure on the Russian president. The Telegraph has his words.
Over their heads: Diplomatic efforts are now expected to ramp up between the U.S. and Russia in the coming days as Trump tries to bring Putin to the negotiating table. But one senior European diplomat told Playbook they were concerned Trump’s current team is utterly outmatched by Putin’s negotiators. “In the first Trump administration there were serious Russia experts, like Fiona Hill, but in this current group there is no one like that,” they said. “I’m worried they don’t understand how Putin’s guys think and will fall for their negotiating tricks.”
OVER IN DOWNING STREET: Starmer will now try to finalize his and Emmanuel Macron’s plans for a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine when he chats to other world leaders on Saturday. Starmer — who told the News Agents podcast on Thursday that Russia would break any peace deal without security guarantees for Ukraine — is expected to present a final peacekeeping plan to the virtual call before speaking to Trump about it (per Bloomberg). Playbook is told to expect a full call list today.
Powell-ing around town: Simultaneously, the PM’s national security adviser (NSA) Jonathan Powell is jetting to Washington today to meet his American counterpart Mike Waltz. The increasingly visible Powell is in D.C. to roll the pitch on the Starmer-Macron plan for a European peacekeeping force — especially the proposed U.S. backstop.
Now read this: My colleague Esther Webber has taken a closer look at Powell’s role in Ukraine negotiations, detailing how his experience in Northern Ireland has influenced his current approach. She also reports he was hired as NSA after Morgan McSweeney sought his advice on how to succeed in the role of No. 10 chief of staff (which Powell held under Tony Blair). Former U.K. NSA Peter Ricketts said “he’s playing a crucial role at the center, but a very low-profile one.” Read her great profile here.
Lammy on the telly: We will also see Foreign Secretary David Lammy over in Canada as he does an interview with CBC Radio’s The House and a pool clip with AFP later today. Expect him to be grilled on Trump’s consistent rhetoric about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Lammy, who is in Quebec for a G7 ministerial summit, is also expected to have a bilat with Marco Rubio before leaving.
ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT
NEWS JUST IN: Rachel Reeves will soon be on our TV screens doing a broadcast clip reacting to this morning’s monthly GDP figure for January. The ONS just announced it fell by 0.1 percent in January, after a 0.4 percent rise in December. The chancellor will also do a huddle with Scottish journos later today on a visit north of the border. Her appearance comes 12 days before the pain of the spring statement, and at the end of a week in which the government has been laser-focused on finding ways to cut spending.
The day after: The papers are still digesting Starmer’s shock decision on Thursday to abolish NHS England and return control of the health service to central government (full write-up of that in Playbook PM). There are plenty of similar briefings floating around about how Health Secretary Wes Streeting decided only in the past few weeks that NHS England needed to be completely dismantled.
When the facts change:The Guardian’s Rowena Mason and Denis Campbell hear that Streeting thought NHS England was “in charge of everything but didn’t seem to be able to deliver on the things that matter most to politicians,” according to one government insider. Streeting admitted to Sky’s Trevor Phillips last night that he had backtracked on his previous promise of no top-down reorganization of the health service.
Streeting said: “I didn’t anticipate coming in and wanting to make this change to NHS England. It wasn’t on my list of priorities.”
Follow the leaders: The quango bonfire managed to get broad support from the papers, with the Mail putting out arguably its most Labour-friendly splash since Starmer won the election. The paper’s leader column celebrated a “significant turn to the right” in what was a “seismic speech.” The Sun’s leader said “we couldn’t be happier,” while the Mirror also crowed about Starmer putting “an end to wasteful bureaucracy.” The Guardian was less complimentary, labeling it as “a strategic positioning exercise” by Streeting to get more money out of the Treasury.
MOVING ON: But the next big policy announcement comes early next week, when Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to make a statement on the government’s plan to slash the welfare bill by £5 billion to £6 billion. There has been plenty of backbench anger about the plans, but Bloomberg’s Ailbhe Rea had a cracking scoop last night which revealed it has caused serious Cabinet unrest, too.
Cabinet (not so) confidential: Rea revealed that more than half of the Cabinet urged Starmer to water down the reforms during their weekly meeting on Tuesday. One person told the publication that some ministers are now on resignation watch, depending on the final details of the package next week. No pressure, then.
Clutching the pearls: One government figure hit back at the Labour MPs complaining about the reform plans, telling the i’s Arj Singh and colleagues that it was akin to “pearl clutching.” The person said: “We have been pretty clear for months and months — anyone who had been listening would know that we wanted to focus on helping disabled people into work and we always said that it would include difficult decisions.”
One for the chainsaw: Also in today’s i is a story from Ben Gartside on a senior civil servant getting paid for three full-time jobs by different departments at the same time. The National Fraud Initiative said the individual worked in full-time roles for DEFRA, the Department of Health and in two other civil service jobs. They are now facing court proceedings. Playbook wouldn’t be surprised if we saw this example cited in Starmer’s next big speech about slashing the size of the state.
TODAY IN WESTMINSTER
FORGOT ALL ABOUT HER: Former City Minister Tulip Siddiq has been accused by Bangladeshi anti-corruption authorities of using a fake notary document to transfer a flat to her sister, the Financial Times’ Susannah Savage reports. The country’s anti-corruption commission claims Siddiq used her political influence to secure government plots in Dhaka for herself and her family, benefiting from the unlawful allocation of state-owned land.
OFF TO BEIJING: Energy Secretary Ed Miliband arrives in China today, POLITICO’s Energy team writes in. Miliband is in Beijing as a part of government efforts to increase collaboration on climate change with Xi Jinping’s regime.
BACK TO SCHOOL: Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will call on headteachers to “catch up fast” to improve pupil attendance in a speech at the Association of School and College Leaders conference just after 10 a.m. Tes has a preview.
RUH-ROH: Prisons are forecast to run out of space again in early 2026 after years of effort failed to create the extra capacity needed, the Public Accounts Committee has warned. PA wrote that one up.
I FOUGHT THE LAW: Following the resignation of Mike Amesbury after his assault charge, this week’s episode of POLITICO’s Westminster Insider tracks politicians who wind up in a courtroom. Host Sascha O’Sullivan talks to Sean Kemp, who advised the Lib Dems during the high profile trial of ex-Climate Secretary Chris Huhne. Fergus Mutch, ex-SNP director of comms, tells Sascha about what it was like being a witness in the trial of his former boss Alex Salmond.
Speaking of Amesbury: Councilor Karen Shore has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, Amesbury’s former seat. LabourList has more.
REPORTS OUT TODAY: The government must improve strategic governance and decision-making on “mega-projects” that are innovative, risky, complex and strategically significant, says the National Audit Office … and the government should extend fair pay agreements to industries crucial to its national missions, says the IPPR.
HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 9.30 a.m. with second readings of private members bills including the Rare Cancers Bill (led by Labour MP Scott Arthur) … Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill (Labour MP Peter Lamb) … Arm’s-Length Bodies (Review) Bill (Conservative MP Christopher Chope) … Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (Amendment) Bill (Conservative MP Christopher Chope) … and Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill (Labour MP Bambos Charalambous).
HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 10 a.m. with the third reading of the Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill … second reading of the House of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill … second reading of the Palestine Statehood (Recognition) Bill … and committee stage of the Statutory Instruments (Amendment) Bill.
BEYOND THE M25
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN(LAND): The leader of the free world reiterated last night that he was very keen on annexing Greenland. “I think it will happen,” Donald Trump said when asked about it by a journalist, and added that NATO “might have to get involved in some way” to help him out. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who sat next to Trump in the Oval Office, bravely said he wouldn’t get involved on “Greenland yes or no joining the U.S.,” before adding that Trump had a point on the West keeping China out of the Arctic. Watch the full clip here.
AH, FRIENDS: Trump’s son and Trump Organization Executive Vice President Eric Trump said he had a “very warm and friendly meeting” with Scottish First Minister John Swinney at Bute House. “The first minister thanked me for the Trump Organization’s ongoing colossal investment and commitment to Scotland,” he said. “This is the first time that I’ve heard those words from the first minister and they were hugely appreciated.” Read more in the Guardian.
MAJOR AGREEMENT: Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed the terms of a peace treaty that could end a decades-long conflict that began with the fall of the Soviet Union. POLITICO has the story.
NOT ANOTHER ONE: Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced on Thursday he would dissolve the country’s parliament following a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and called a snap national election on May 18. It’ll be the country’s third election in three years. Read the story on POLITICO.
A TELLING OFF: Russia reprimanded Syria’s new leaders in a closed U.N. briefing this week, warning against the rise of jihadists in Syria and comparing sectarian killings of Alawites to Rwanda’s genocide, Reuters reports.
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MEDIA ROUND
Secondary Care Minister Karin Smyth broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.).
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick broadcast round: Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) … GB News (8 a.m.) … Sky News (8.15 a.m.) … LBC News (8.45 a.m.) … Talk (9.05 a.m.).
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson (8.05 a.m.).
Also on LBC News: Conservative MP and PAC Chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (8.20 a.m.).
TODAY’S FRONT PAGES
POLITICO UK: How Tony Blair’s right-hand man went into battle for Ukraine.
Daily Express: Putin: I will agree truce but only on my terms.
Daily Mail: Finally! Patients to be put before NHS bureaucrats.
Daily Mirror: Put the knives down.
Daily Star: What’s the time Mr Psycho Scumbag Chatbot?
Financial Times: Starmer axes NHS England in big health service revamp.
i: NHS revolution — Streeting seizes control of £192bn health service to force change.
Metro: Starmer’s shock NHS takeover.
The Daily Telegraph: Peace on my terms, warns Putin.
The Guardian: Streeting scraps NHS England in ‘high-stakes’ push to improve care.
The Independent: PM’s bonfire of the bureaucrats — NHS England scrapped.
The Sun: Why I fell in love with Villa, by Prince William.
The Times: Putin backs ceasefire in Ukraine but on his terms.
TODAY’S NEWS MAG
The Economist: America’s new foreign policy.
THANK POD IT’S FRIDAY
Westminster Insider: Host Sascha O’Sullivan finds out if winding up in front of a judge can ever be survivable for a politician, with guests including former Lib Dem adviser Sean Kemp, former SNP Director of Communications Fergus Mutch, former senior adviser to the U.S. Embassy in the U.K. Michael Martins and Republicans Overseas spokesperson Sarah Elliott.
EU Confidential: With transatlantic ties fraying, host Sarah Wheaton sits down with Brussels’ top policy minds to assess whether Europe’s leadership is fit for purpose — or stuck in the past. Guests include Carnegie Europe Director Rosa Balfour, Centre for European Policy Studies CEO Karel Lannoo and Bruegel senior fellow Heather Grabbe.
Power Play: Host Anne McElvoy talks to former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker about how any peace talks might play out and whether a meaningful deal can be achieved.
Plus six of the other best political podcasts to listen to this weekend:
Inside Briefing: Prime Minister Keir Starmer sits down with IFG boss Hannah White to discuss civil service reform, abolishing NHS England and quangos.
Chopper’s Political Podcast: Labour MP Stella Creasy and Conservative MP David Davis.
Women with Balls: The Spectator’s Katy Balls interviews new MP and Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh.
The Rundown: Former Reform spinner Gawain Towler joins host Alain Tolhurst to discuss the Rupert Lowe-Nigel Farage row.
The Political Party: Host Matt Forde is joined live on stage by podcast bro Alastair Campbell.
Holyrood Sources: Conservative MSP Liz Smith joins the team to discuss her career, the Residential Outdoor Education Bill and Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to not stand as an MSP in 2026.
LONDON CALLING
WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Get out for your walk before lunchtime, because the showers will arrive in the afternoon. High 9C, low 2C.
SPOTTED: At Overton Advisory’s inaugural St Patrick’s Day drink reception for MPs’ staffers at the Two Chairmen … Labour staffers Lucia Rodriguez-Bai, Francesca Coy, Arianna Araghi, Ben Morley, Joss Edwards, Isabella Elie, Meg Griggs, Eliza Castell, Kabir Mohammed and Amy Bentham, who won a bottle of Jamesons in the pull-a-name-out-of-a-hat inaugural Overton’s Window prize … plus Overton team Michael Martins, Hanya Pillai and Dora Fidler.
JOB NEWS: The Spectator’s James Heale has been promoted to deputy political editor.
JOB ADS: Bright Blue is hiring a comms manager.
CHECK OUT … these great shots by No. 10’s in-house photographer Simon Dawson from last night’s Iftar reception, where Keir Starmer can be seen handing out dates.
NOW READ: The BBC’s Esme Stallard has taken a look at whether the Ukraine minerals deal could help green tech in the U.S.
WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio.
WRITING PLAYBOOK MONDAY MORNING: Andrew McDonald.
BIRTHDAYS: Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar … Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss … Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali … former Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood … former Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood … Tory peer Gabrielle Bertin … Lib Dem peer Sarah Ludford … The House reporter Sophie Church.
And celebrating over the weekend: West Suffolk MP and former No. 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy … Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler … former Supreme Court judge Robert Carnwath … crossbench peer David Alton … Labour peer Richard Layard … Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon … Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds … Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson … Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health Neil Gray … Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney … former Reach PLC Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley … former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg … incoming U.K. Permanent Representative to NATO Angus Lapsley … Dow Jones’ Cristina Gallardo.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich, Dan Bloom and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell.
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