![\"London](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nl-header_politico_london-playbook.png\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\nBy ANDREW MCDONALD and SAM BLEWETT<\/strong><\/p>\n with BETHANY DAWSON<\/strong><\/p>\n Good Wednesday morning. <\/strong>This is Andrew McDonald in London and Sam Blewett in Newport as the Playbook summer tour rolls on.<\/p>\n DRIVING THE DAY<\/p>\n STARM OFFENSIVE: <\/strong>Keir Starmer will spend his afternoon in sweltering London hoping for cool heads and no virtual walk-outs, as he joins group calls with European leaders, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump \u2014 ahead of the latter\u2019s summit with Vladimir Putin at Anchorage on Friday. With all involved in today\u2019s multiple chats excluded from the Alaskan appointment minus Trump, it\u2019s in all likelihood the last moment for Starmer and Europe to stick their oars in \u2026 or, more importantly, for Zelenskyy to make himself heard to the U.S. president.\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019re all on the same Teams:<\/strong> The first virtual call begins at 1 p.m<\/strong>. with Starmer dialing in from Downing Street for a meeting with Zelenskyy and several European leaders \u2014 Germany\u2019s Friedrich Merz in the host chair, France\u2019s Emmanuel Macron, Italy\u2019s Giorgia Meloni, Poland\u2019s Donald Tusk, the EU\u2019s Ursula von der Leyen, NATO\u2019s Mark Rutte and Finland\u2019s Trump-whispering President Alexander Stubb. According to an agenda seen by Playbook, they\u2019re slated to talk for about an hour.<\/p>\n And then it gets<\/strong> really<\/strong> interesting: <\/strong>When Donald Trump and his Vice President JD Vance join the Teams lobby from 2 p.m.\u00a0<\/strong>for an hour of talks with the leaders, including Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n QTWTAI \u2026 probably not: <\/strong>Vance, of course, is still holidaying in the Cotswolds and as per the Times\u2019 Katy Balls<\/a> will be dialing in after finishing up a breakfast with Nigel Farage (and having met Robert Jenrick Tuesday and, err, pillow salesman, former Apprentice contestant and bosh-shouter Tom Skinner the night before<\/a>). Farage has changed his tune on Putin and the war lately, and was recently critical<\/a> of Trump for giving the Russians \u201cfar too much\u201d in negotiations. Could Farage actually be helpful to Starmer as an influence on Vance\u2019s thinking this morning?<\/p>\n **A message from Climate Group:<\/strong> Does your business use steel? Are steel-related emissions your next big challenge? Our SteelZero<\/a> initiative is the voice for businesses who procure, specify or stock steel, and are on a mission to cut emissions. Together, we\u2019re driving supply chain decarbonisation, influencing policy and shaping the future of steel. Join SteelZero<\/a>.**<\/strong><\/p>\n The chat room where it won\u2019t happen: <\/strong>Today\u2019s virtual meetings are really all about the excluded parties trying to shape those much more critical talks on Friday between Trump and Putin, which CNN says<\/a> will take place at a U.S. military base in Anchorage. It\u2019s particularly important for Zelenskyy, who will get time to discuss his sticking points on negotiations directly with Trump \u2014 provided there aren\u2019t too many interruptions from gratitude-seeking<\/a> vice presidents.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Donbas ultimatum: <\/strong>As my colleague Veronika Melkozerova writes from Kyiv this morning<\/a>, Ukrainians are having nightmares about Friday\u2019s summit \u2014 with visions of Trump forcing through a war settlement that sells out their country. With that in mind Zelenskyy will use the meeting today to try to set out his red lines. A key one is the fate of the part-occupied Donbas with its large ethnic Russian minority, which the American side is floating Ukraine give up in exchange for Putin stopping his troops from any further occupation of Ukraine\u2019s south. Zelenskyy last night vowed<\/a> \u201cwe will not leave Donbas\u201d \u2026 leaving him with plenty to discuss with Trump and Vance this afternoon.<\/p>\n But from a European POV \u2026 <\/strong>today is important too. The day\u2019s events were characterized by an official as led primarily by Germany, France and the U.K., and as an ideal moment to come together, agree their common ground and then plant some pithy thoughts into Trump\u2019s head for when he meets Putin. Those thoughts may not totally align with the Trump worldview, however.<\/p>\n Eg: <\/strong>A European diplomatic source tells the i\u2019s Richard Vaughan and Arj Singh<\/a> that permanent changes to the Ukrainian border would not be accepted and land swaps must be off the table in the discussions \u2014 which does not seem like something Trump would agree with at all given he has already talked about land swaps.<\/p>\n Concrete bits: <\/strong>The other key ask of Trump is on security guarantees in a post-ceasefire world. Trump hasn\u2019t said much about that issue for a little while, and the White House has said that Friday\u2019s meeting \u2014 a \u201clistening exercise,\u201d per Trump\u2019s press secretary \u2014 is an important moment for gauging Putin\u2019s attitude toward the concessions needed for any lasting peace, such as security guarantees from the West. But officials aren\u2019t sure what Trump\u2019s attitude to the future U.S. role is at the minute, meaning leaders will be listening closely to his language today \u2014 despite the usual caveats about his capacity to change his mind at will.<\/p>\n Coalition of the less important: <\/strong>With that in mind, once Trump and Vance log off, from around 3 p.m.<\/strong> the Europeans will brief the coalition of the willing members who aren\u2019t invited to the earlier calls. Given the whole CoW thing was set up as a potential counter to fears Trump might not provide security guarantees, this one might actually be fairly important depending on anything the president says. Watch for the usual readout.<\/p>\n Keir to hear: <\/strong>Our own PM\u2019s role today and ahead of Friday is also interesting, given most of the other European leaders involved have been much more public about their asks for Trump. Beyond the vague language set out overnight by No. 10 about seeking a \u201csolution to this conflict grounded in Ukraine\u2019s national interest,\u201d the PM has done most of his diplomacy on Ukraine in private talks rather than via the media. He was also one of the few European leaders to never go that hard on Trump after that Oval Office meeting in February. The (optimistic) hope, as always, is that the PM\u2019s behind the scenes work and his \u201cbeautiful accent\u201d will have a positive impact on Trump\u2019s thinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n As opposed to \u2026 <\/strong>those pesky Europeans who\u2019ve been sniping away at Trump publicly. The Telegraph\u2019s Ben Riley-Smith picks up<\/a> on some annoyance from government officials that other allies *cough Macron and Kaja Kallas* have been offering unhelpful \u201crunning commentaries\u201d and public demands that might needlessly piss off the American president. Playbook has heard similar gripes before from within government, aimed at European leaders accused of being more concerned with playing the social media clicks game rather than keeping robust demands for private settings \u2014 though, to be fair, it\u2019s never clear how much any approach actually works with Trump.<\/p>\n Hear, from Keir? <\/strong>Unsurprisingly then, No. 10 was insisting last night that there are no plans for a press conference or any specific interviews with Starmer today, beyond readouts of the various calls \u2014 though bits of the meetings will be filmed and it\u2019s not impossible some footage ends up in broadcast bulletins. Plans can also change, of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n No one who speaks German can be an evil man: <\/strong>Thankfully for fans of scrutiny, Germany\u2019s Friedrich Merz, who has already said Zelenskyy should have been invited to Friday\u2019s talks, is hosting a press conference at around 5 p.m. <\/strong>after the coalition of the willing meeting wraps up \u2026 meaning at least one European leader will answer questions today about the thinking ahead of Alaska. Plus, it\u2019s always likely we\u2019ll hear from Trump himself at some point later.<\/p>\n POSTCARD FROM NEWPORT<\/p>\n WELCOME TO THE SILICON VALLEYS:\u00a0<\/strong>Newport was reared on fashioning steel and exporting coal through its vast docklands.\u00a0Now\u00a0those industries\u00a0are vastly\u00a0diminished, this is a city that\u00a0has every opportunity to\u00a0find pride in making semiconductors, as highly skilled engineers in hyper-sterile environments fashion the mind-melting equipment that powers the 21st century,\u00a0Sam Blewett<\/strong>\u00a0writes in. This slither of south Wales couldn\u2019t better typify the starkly different visions Labour and its Reform challengers have for British industry.<\/p>\n Party like it\u2019s 1969:\u00a0<\/strong>In his big pitch to a Wales he hopes to capture at the next Senedd election, Nigel Farage has called for the\u00a0reopening of coal mines<\/a>\u00a0and for\u00a0the blast furnaces<\/a>\u00a0down the road in Port Talbot to be fired up once more. As Reform hits all the nostalgia notes, the Labour government has instead helped get the construction of the electric arc furnace there underway, with knock-on effects for the Llanwern steelworks in Newport too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bag of chips:\u00a0<\/strong>But the opportunities are far greater than that here. There\u2019s a huge \u201csemiconductor cluster\u201d centered on the manufacture of the chips that are the brains behind so many of our digital devices, from smartphones and cars to medical devices and even fancy kitchen products. It\u2019s this vast and growing industrial site of the future that Ruth Jones, the MP for Newport West and Islwyn, proudly wants to showcase.<\/p>\n Stick your fries:\u00a0<\/strong>We visit KLA, the tech firm headquartered in the actual Silicon Valley in California that bought out a chip company with deep roots across Wales and the West Country. Believe it or not, there\u2019s a long history of semiconductors here, at least in chip years. This slick new building (made partly with Port Talbot steel) only opened up in May \u2014 and there are plans to expand even further. A first-of-its-kind Microsoft data facility is opening opposite, then there\u2019s the Vishay chip manufacturers and an Airbus cybersecurity center too. All set within the green hills of Gwent.<\/p>\n No hard hats:\u00a0<\/strong>Looking at the shop floor as it were, engineers in powder blue \u201cbunny suits\u201d are assembling incredibly complex machines that will be sold to customers willing to pay a very pretty penny in order to make their own chips. They wear spotless white gloves \u2014 there\u2019s not a speck of coal dust, clanging hardware or molten metal in sight. Jones, a former NHS physiotherapist who acutely knows the physical toll heavy industry took on miners, says: \u201cThat\u2019s why I don\u2019t want it [coal] to come back, thank you very much. I want people to be running around at 80 not being crippled at 40.\u201d<\/p>\n You could eat your lunch off it:\u00a0<\/strong>In fact, this worksite is meant to be run at the same level of cleanliness as an NHS operating theater. \u201cHave your hip replacement done here,\u201d Jones jokes. There are 680 people at the flash new KLA site. Headcount for the firm here has doubled since 2020. Jones is keen to point out these are \u201csticky jobs,\u201d meaning the level of investment required is so huge and too hard to move once built \u2014 but still, it\u2019s hard not to think about this paling in comparison to the scale of the industry of old.<\/p>\n The local picture:\u00a0<\/strong>KLA (unaffected by Trump\u2019s latest tariffs when it comes to the Welsh operation) does take on apprentices from the area and is trying to drive up interest from school kids \u2014 but it\u2019s a huge multinational headquartered in the States. It uses universities across the region and beyond as feeders for new hires \u2014 but also transfers staff from Singapore, Japan and China. Jones says there\u2019s no requirement to hire locally, arguing recruits should be picked \u201cbased on merit,\u201d and that there\u2019s no desire to \u201champer\u201d the firm anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another tale of gentrification:\u00a0<\/strong>Walking around a visibly regenerating Newport center, the late teens and 20-somethings who may well have aspired to work here seem to know little about the cluster. For now, they think more about moving to London for opportunities. But that goes two ways \u2014 high prices in Cardiff have led to an influx from the Welsh capital, and the elimination of the toll on the Prince of Wales Bridge means Bristolians are moving here too (ousted MP Thangam Debbonaire included).<\/p>\n Don\u2019t tell Trump:\u00a0<\/strong>Jones has a cunning plan to get more investment out of the government for the chips sector: \u201cIt should be part of defense spending,\u201d she says, making the case that the 5 percent of GDP target for defense should incorporate subsidies for the industry. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re pushing for.\u201d\u00a0She points out the nuclear subs we want can\u2019t be made without these state-of-the-art chips, and the government hasn\u2019t been shy about incorporating other spending to make up the 5 percent.<\/p>\n INDUSTRIAL-SCALE ATTACKS:\u00a0<\/strong>But here\u2019s where Labour taking the challenge to Reform comes in. Welsh Secretary\u00a0Jo Stevens\u00a0has been attacking<\/a> Farage\u2019s \u201cwar on clean energy\u201d as being a \u201cwar on jobs\u201d for Wales, arguing Reform would destroy 37,800 jobs across the nation alone with its anti-net zero industrial vision.<\/p>\n Futures past:\u00a0<\/strong>Toby Rhodes-Matthews is the man Reform suggests Playbook speak to on this visit. He\u2019s ex-military and the chair of the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend branch of the insurgent party. He ran at the last general election, coming third \u2014 but things may well be different when he runs for the Senedd in May. He insists Reform is \u201cnot looking in the past\u201d with its talk of coal mines, citing its eagerness to procure donations through cryptocurrency.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown-tinted glasses:\u00a0<\/strong>Rhodes-Matthews says Reform just wants to \u201cstrike a balance\u201d between future and heavy industries, as it dispenses with net zero commitments, regardless of the \u201cbrown filter over the camera\u201d when some envision coal production. He\u2019s happy to put it into \u201cfull HD color\u201d as long as energy prices come down.<\/p>\n CoalGPT:\u00a0<\/strong>Rhodes-Matthews insists though that the Reform plan isn\u2019t \u201cputting people down the pits\u201d again, saying Farage envisions a scenario where they are \u201cutilizing technology to extract that fuel that we have.\u201d That too seems like it\u2019d be lighter on jobs than the sweat and toil of old.<\/p>\n Hondt hondt:\u00a0<\/strong>Still, as things stand a long way from the general election, Reform could do something huge by seizing this old steel city. Its first stop is the Senedd election in May, in which it\u2019s expecting to gain from the Welsh government\u2019s move to the De Hondt system of proportional representation that Farage benefited from massively in EU elections (a\u00a0reform Jones describes as \u201cnuts\u201d). Labour\u00a0has little time left to\u00a0show it\u2019s regenerating this\u00a0proud\u00a0industrial city\u00a0with a modern vision\u00a0to fend off the re-industrialists\u00a0in\u00a0Reform.<\/p>\n TODAY IN WESTMINSTER<\/p>\n MIGRATION PAINS: <\/strong>Home Office Minister Diana Johnson has the morning round to sell a new government policy of using facial recognition technology to catch mega criminals \u2014 always a controversial issue given privacy concerns, though the Home Office reckons those not on wanted lists won\u2019t have their data stored. But she\u2019s likely to face more never-ending questions about small boats, after Labour earned the unwanted milestone Tuesday of more than 50,000 Channel crossings since Starmer took power last year. The Mail splashes<\/a> on that very issue, and on the insistence from Minister Jacqui Smith on Tuesday\u2019s morning round that the numbers are all the Tories\u2019 fault.<\/p>\n Digging into that very issue this morning \u2026 <\/strong>is the Times\u2019 Oliver Wright<\/a>, who takes a look at the effectiveness of Labour\u2019s varying ploys to stop the boats\/smash the gangs since last year.<\/p>\n Out and about today: <\/strong>Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is \u2014 like all the cool kids \u2014 on a visit in Newport, and has recorded a pool clip that will be released this morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n BUDGET MURMURINGS: <\/strong>The Guardian\u2019s splash from Anna Isaac<\/a> \u2014 which makes most of the other papers and the Tel\u2019s splash \u2014 also poses a good question for Johnson this morning on whether the Treasury is eying up tightening inheritance tax rules as a way to raise money. Isaac reports officials are examining possible changes to the extent to which wealth or assets can be given away prior to death. Expect plenty of excitable and angry noises if the minister declines to rule out any IHT changes this morning.<\/p>\n KHAN IT: <\/strong>A spokesperson for the government of Cyprus has described trade envoy Afzal Khan\u2019s visit to the Turkish-controlled north of Cyprus as \u201ccondemnable and unacceptable,\u201d the Mail\u2019s Claire Ellicott reports<\/a> \u2014 as a backlash continues over Khan\u2019s trip to the territory which Britain does not recognize. The PM\u2019s spokesperson insisted Khan made the trip in a personal capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n TORIES NOT HANGING OUT WITH JD: <\/strong>Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride is heading to Teesworks this morning to join the most senior elected Tory left in the U.K., Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen. Stride spent his Tuesday on the Isle of Wight with Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch, which appears to be the diary issue that prevented her from joining Robert Jenrick and Chris Philp for a private meeting with JD Vance. A Tory spokesperson said<\/a> aides for Badenoch and the U.S. vice president had been discussing a meeting but \u201cjust couldn\u2019t make it work with schedules.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n NEXT MONTH\u2019S NEWS, TODAY: <\/strong>My colleague Noah Keate has a great primer<\/a> on the bumpy ride ahead for the assisted dying bill when it begins its journey through the Lords in September.\u00a0<\/p>\n (NOT) DOCTOR, (NOT) DOCTOR: <\/strong>Physician\u2019s associates are seeking an injunction against NHS England to block the Leng review\u2019s changes to their jobs, the Spectator\u2019s Lucy Dunn reports<\/a>. The United Medical Associate Professional union says the mental health of 95 percent of its members has been negatively impacted by the review.<\/p>\n DRIP, DRIP: <\/strong>Environment Secretary Steve Reed is making \u201cactive preparations\u201d to put Thames Water into a special admin\u00adistration regime, which would effectively nationalize the company and pave the way for its takeover by a new buyer, the Times reports<\/a>. Chinese firm CKI is a leading contender to take over the struggling company, according to the paper.<\/p>\n TAPESTRY TROUBLES:<\/strong> In exchange for England borrowing the Bayeux Tapestry, Paris asked for some showstoppers never previously seen in France, including the Rosetta Stone, the FT\u2019s George Parker and Leila Abboud report<\/a> in a fun piece on the story behind the tapestry\u2019s arrival in London. Other eyebrow-raising asks included a cheeky request for free admission for French citizens to see it in the British Museum. \u201cThat was never going to happen,\u201d said a U.K. official.<\/p>\n COULDN\u2019T GET AWAY FAST ENOUGH:<\/strong> Police seized 72 supercars collectively worth more than \u00a36 million during a crackdown on antisocial driving in London, the Guardian reports<\/a>. The Met Police said the cars, including twin purple Lamborghinis, were either unroadworthy or being driven illegally.<\/p>\n BEYOND THE M25<\/p>\n HOTEL PROBLEMS:<\/strong> Epping Forest District Council has requested an interim High Court injunction to stop the Bell Hotel from being used as accommodation for asylum-seekers. The request cites \u201cthe clear risk of further escalating community tensions,\u201d given hundreds of protesters have demonstrated outside the hotel in recent months. Sky News has the story<\/a>.<\/p>\n VEGAN BEEF:<\/strong> The ballot has opened in the Scottish Greens\u2019 co-leadership election, which has turned into a very low-key civil war between the party\u2019s left and very-left wings. The National had a good primer last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n TO THE RIGHT: <\/strong>The far-right Alternative for Germany has become the most popular party in Germany, according to polling by the Forsa Institute for Social Research and Statistical Analysis. If a national election were held now, 26 percent of Germans would vote for the AfD, according to the figures. POLITICO has the write-up<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n BROAD WARNING: <\/strong>Israel\u2019s rules for aid-giving NGOs will exacerbate humanitarian suffering in Gaza, the foreign ministers of 26 countries, including the U.K., have warned. The joint letter notes \u201cthe humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels,\u201d and that \u201crestrictive new registration requirements\u201d may force international NGOs to leave the occupied Palestinian territories \u201cimminently,\u201d which \u201cwould worsen the humanitarian situation still further.\u201d POLITICO has the story<\/a>.<\/p>\n Further alarms: <\/strong>Separately, Europe\u2019s Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib warned<\/a> that \u201ca full Israeli military takeover would be catastrophic: mass casualties, collapsed services & hostages at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n On the ground: <\/strong>Israel has increased bombing in Gaza, killing at least 89 Palestinians in 24 hours, including at least 15 people queueing for food, the Guardian reports<\/a>. Gaza\u2019s civil defense agency said Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City had intensified after Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s security Cabinet approved plans to expand the war.<\/p>\n IN THE DOGE HOUSE:<\/strong> Through July, DOGE said it has saved taxpayers $52.8 billion by canceling contracts. But of the $32.7 billion in claimed savings that POLITICO could verify, DOGE\u2019s economization over that period was closer to $1.4 billion. My colleague Jessie Blaeser crunched the numbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n **A message from Climate Group:<\/strong> Steel is essential to British industry \u2013 and so is decarbonising supply chains. SteelZero<\/a> is a business-backed initiative for future-thinking companies who procure, specify, or stock steel, and are serious about cutting their supply chain emissions. We bring together businesses \u2013 from construction, energy, automotive, manufacturing, shipping and more \u2013 to show demand for low-emission\u00a0steel, influence policy and set the standard for responsible procurement. If your business uses steel, SteelZero<\/a> is the platform to work with other industry influencers to shape the steel transition and future-proof your own operations. With the UK Steel Strategy on the horizon, now is the time to act. Be part of the transition to 100% net zero steel \u2013 join SteelZero<\/a>.**\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n MEDIA ROUND<\/p>\n Crime Minister Diana Johnson broadcast round: <\/strong>Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) \u2026 Sky News (7.15 a.m.) \u2026 BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) \u2026 LBC (7.50 a.m.) \u2026 Today (8.10 a.m.) \u2026 GMB (8.30 a.m.) \u2026 GB News (9.10 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: <\/strong>Former Israeli MP and former IDF Intelligence Corps Captain Ruth Wasserman Lande<\/strong> (7.05 a.m.) \u2026 former independent Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill<\/strong> (8.10 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on GB News Breakfast: <\/strong>Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately<\/strong> (8 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on Times Radio Breakfast:\u00a0Helen Whately<\/strong> (7.45 a.m.) \u2026 former Commander of Joint Forces and co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review\u00a0Richard Barrons<\/strong> (8 a.m.) \u2026 CEO of Octopus Energy Greg Jackson <\/strong>(8.30 a.m.) \u2026 Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee Brian Bell<\/strong> (8.45 a.m.).<\/p>\n Also on Sky News Breakfast: <\/strong>Former Conservative MP now in Ukrainian Military International Legion Jack Lopresti<\/strong> (8.15 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n TODAY\u2019S FRONT PAGES<\/p>\n POLITICO UK<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Britain\u2019s unelected lawmakers risk public fury in delaying assisted dying.<\/p>\n Daily Express<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Record 8M people on Universal Credit.<\/p>\n Daily Mail<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> It\u2019s not our fault!<\/p>\n Daily Mirror<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Dry alert.<\/p>\n Daily Star<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>We won\u2019t gob off like Gaz.<\/p>\n Financial Times<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Arms factories expand at triple speed as Europe switches on to war footing.<\/p>\n The i Paper<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> Clampdown on stone imports after deadly lung disease linked to kitchen revamps.<\/p>\n Metro<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Bungling hitwoman in niqab faces life.<\/p>\n The Daily Telegraph<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Families face fresh inheritance tax grab.<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Treasury targets inheritance tax rises to plug growing UK deficit.<\/p>\n The Independent<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> \u2018Abject failure\u2019 as smuggling arrests fall under Labour.<\/p>\n The Sun<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Taunts of the TikTok migrant.<\/p>\n The Times<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Channel boats migrants arriving at record speed.<\/p>\n LONDON CALLING<\/p>\n WESTMINSTER WEATHER: <\/strong>Bloody baking. High 29C, low 17C.<\/p>\n CONGRATULATIONS<\/strong> \u2026<\/strong> to Conservative MP Shivani Raja<\/strong>, who has welcomed a baby boy into the world.<\/p>\n NEW GIG:<\/strong> Labour Staffer Hinna Ghafoor<\/strong> has joined the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as policy and public affairs officer.<\/p>\n WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: <\/strong>Andrew McDonald.<\/p>\n HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: <\/strong>Former U.K. Deputy High Commissioner to Jamaica and the Bahamas Nick Astbury <\/strong>\u2026 Welsh Labour MS Hefin David <\/strong>\u2026 Guardian Lobby journo Andrew Sparrow<\/strong> \u2026 former director of government comms Simon McGee<\/strong>.<\/p>\n PLAYBOOK\u00a0COULDN\u2019T HAPPEN WITHOUT:<\/strong>\u00a0My editor Zoya Sheftalovich<\/strong>, diary reporter Bethany Dawson<\/strong> and producer\u00a0Catherine Bouris<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family:<\/strong> Brussels Playbook<\/a> | London Playbook<\/a> | London Playbook PM<\/a> | Playbook Paris<\/a> | EU Election Playbook<\/a> | Berlin Playbook<\/a> | Global Playbook<\/a> | POLITICO Confidential<\/a> | Sunday Crunch<\/a> | EU Influence<\/a> | London Influence<\/a> | Berlin Bulletin<\/a> | Living Cities<\/a> | D.C. Playbook<\/a> | D.C. Influence<\/a> | Canada Playbook<\/a> | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Presented by Climate Group By ANDREW MCDONALD and SAM BLEWETT with BETHANY DAWSON Good Wednesday morning. This is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11384,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,393,4884,257,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-340800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-london","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115020772404616601","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n \n<\/tr>\n \n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Join-SteelZero-Politico-ad.png\")
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