![\"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<\/strong><\/p>\n with BETHANY DAWSON<\/strong><\/p>\n Good Wednesday morning.<\/strong> This is Andrew McDonald.<\/p>\n DRIVING THE DAY<\/p>\n EPPIN\u2019 HELL! <\/strong>Home Office officials and ministers will spend today poring over the implications of the latest court decision that blows a hole in government policy \u2014 Tuesday\u2019s Epping asylum hotel ruling at the High Court. Keir Starmer might be finally trying to enjoy his holiday in Scotland \u2026 but the prospect of more copycat legal action is yet another problem piling up for the PM to deal with when he returns to Westminster.<\/p>\n Conveniently: <\/strong>Home Office Minister Dan Jarvis is on the morning round and will shortly have to answer loadsa questions about what the ruling means for the government\u2019s asylum policy. He had been hoping to talk about a new returns deal with Iraq<\/a> announced overnight but that has been overshadowed by the asylum hotel decision, which makes the front page of every U.K. newspaper this morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spent Tuesday on a beach or in a cave? <\/strong>Epping Forest District Council won its High Court bid to stop asylum-seekers from being housed in Epping\u2019s Bell Hotel \u2014 the center of protests that have attracted thousands of people, including Tory frontbenchers, since a migrant living there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The council\u2019s lawyers argued successfully that the hotel\u2019s owners hadn\u2019t sought the view of the local planning authority for the building\u2019s new use as a hotel for male migrants. Yeah, everything in Britain really does come back to planning laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n **A message from Goldman Sachs:<\/strong> Increased fiscal spending, a new government, and changing foreign tariff rates are having a significant impact on the German economy. How are investors and business leaders navigating the historic moment? Listen to the conversation with Wolfgang Fink, CEO of Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE & Head of Goldman Sachs in Germany and Austria.<\/a>**<\/strong><\/p>\n Not a good day at the Home Office: <\/strong>Lawyers acting for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper tried to intervene in the case between the council and hotel owners at the last minute, but the judge didn\u2019t let them. They plan to appeal. In the meantime, the department now faces the immediate practical problem of housing up to 138 asylum-seekers staying at the hotel. Then there\u2019s the political pain the case will bring \u2014 largely, the worry that it will set a precedent for more legal challenges.\u00a0Some of the government\u2019s frustration could be seen in a Labour source-quote in the Telegraph\u2019s write-up<\/a> blaming the Tory-controlled Epping council for dredging this up.<\/p>\n How bad could it get?<\/strong> A barrister for the Home Office had argued in court that forcing the hotel to kick out asylum-seekers \u201cwould aggravate the pressures on the asylum estate\u201d \u2026 risk the human rights of those living in the hotel \u2026 \u201cact as an impetus for further violent protests\u201d \u2026 and could lead to a \u201cnew norm\u201d under which similar injunctions are sought by local councils. In other words, this could be very, very bad for the government. <\/p>\n New norm: <\/strong>The Conservative-run Broxbourne Borough Council quickly became the first authority to say it was considering whether to pursue its own injunction and would take legal advice. Nigel Farage, using the pages of the Telegraph<\/a> to take a victory lap, also confirmed that the 10 councils controlled by Reform will \u201cbe doing everything in their power to follow Epping\u2019s lead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Problem planning: <\/strong>A repeat of the planning issue which formed the crux of the case is likely on the cards in other councils, legal sources tell the Guardian\u2019s Rajeev Syal<\/a>. Any Home Office officials currently on the beach may find themselves researching English case law today.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thank God for the complexities of English devolution: <\/strong>But there is some hope, from those sympathetic to the government, that the decision to bar Home Office lawyers from intervening is less likely to be reached in cases involving other local authorities, thanks to the different setups of England\u2019s many councils and how they interact with planning boards. That, of course, does not mean government lawyers will necessarily get the result they\u2019re after in court.<\/p>\n In the meantime: <\/strong>The continuing political sore of the small boats crisis is back in the headlines as it has been for much of the summer, and will likely stay there if more court cases materialize. Happy holidays, prime minister.<\/p>\n ALSO ON THE DOMESTIC FRONT: <\/strong>Poor old Dan Jarvis\u2019 hopes of talking about an Iraq returns deal are also set to be crowded out by another pre-budget tax tale that makes it onto the front pages this morning. He\u2019s about to be asked in several different ways if his government is planning a \u201cmansion tax.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s Ed Miliband\u2019s world and we\u2019re all living in it: <\/strong>Steven Swinford and George Nixon report in the Times<\/a> that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering an end to a capital gains tax exemption, which lets homeowners sell their \u201cprimary\u201d residence without paying the tax. A new threshold would be put in place to hit owners of high value properties with CGT when they sell their \u2018spenny homes. While it\u2019s not quite the annual charge on mansions once proposed<\/a> by a certain ex-Labour leader, the Times is already dubbing it a mansion tax. The Treasury, obviously, said it wouldn\u2019t comment on speculation last night.<\/p>\n Stats dump: <\/strong>More things for the chancellor to think about have also just arrived in the form of July\u2019s ONS inflation stats, out here as Playbook went to pixel<\/a>. Reeves will respond shortly, as will Pensions Minister Torsten Bell in a pool clip.<\/p>\n PENTAGON PLANNERS<\/p>\n NO BOOTS, MAYBE SOME MILITARY SUITS: <\/strong>Key military chiefs from across Europe\u2019s \u201ccoalition of the willing\u201d \u2014 including Britain\u2019s own Tony Radakin \u2014 will assemble at the Pentagon later to hash out with America\u2019s top generals exactly what role the U.S. will play in any security guarantees for Ukraine. Donald Trump has already ruled out putting American boots on the ground, but Europe is keen to hear about what else the U.S. could contribute.<\/p>\n Five-side Pentagon: <\/strong>Radakin\u2019s counterparts from Germany, France, Finland and Italy joined him for dinner last night at the Fort Myer military base, near Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff\u00a0Dan Caine. They\u2019ll have a formal meeting in the Pentagon expected this evening U.K. time, focused on \u201csecurity guarantees and peace deal monitoring,\u201d according to one U.K. official.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most importantly: <\/strong>The planning sessions at the Pentagon \u2014 which we aren\u2019t likely to hear much about today \u2014 will be closely watched by those in the know for signs of what the U.S. is specifically willing to offer and commit to on security guarantees. What Trump\u2019s Putin-whisperer Steve Witkoff explicitly meant by \u201cArticle-5 like\u201d reassurances for Ukraine on Monday will be top of the list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on the list \u2026 <\/strong>whether troops from the coalition of the willing can use and rely on U.S. bases in Europe for support and travel is one thing the allies are keen to hear about, alongside the usual ask of intelligence sharing and even the possibility of a no-fly zone. The former Trump adviser Fiona Hill, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, tells POLITICO\u2019s Dan Bloom that CoW officials need to \u201cclarify the degrees to which the United States is willing to support some kind of operation. And to be very clear that this is about fortifying a line.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n From a British POV \u2026 <\/strong>Radakin is expected to confirm to the U.S. the pledges made by Defence Secretary John Healey last week, of being happy to station British troops on the ground in Ukraine to \u201csecure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces\u201d as per Kiran Stacey in the Guardian<\/a>. As the Guardian and Mail report<\/a>, British troops are expected to focus largely on training Ukrainian forces hundreds of miles from the front line.\u00a0My colleagues in Europe have more on the continent-wide negotiations here,<\/a> too.<\/p>\n AND THEN \u2026 <\/strong>there\u2019s the rumbling away in the background and fallout from Monday\u2019s wild scenes in D.C., as ably covered by my colleague John Johnston in Tuesday\u2019s Playbook PM<\/a> and in this ace write-through from the POLITICO team<\/a>. The next thing to look out for is a location for any Trump-Zelenskyy-Putin trilateral, as well as confirmation of a Zelenskyy-Putin bilateral if it comes.\u00a0<\/p>\n A place in the Hun: <\/strong>Amid lots of suggested locations \u2014 Putin wants it to be in Moscow, obvs, and France and Italy have proposed Switzerland \u2014 Trump appears to favor Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s Budapest, Dasha Burns and Paul McLeary report<\/a>.<\/p>\n TODAY IN WESTMINSTER<\/p>\n SCOOP \u2014 ANOTHER CHINA VISIT<\/strong>: Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit China next month to reopen long-frozen trade talks with Beijing, our trade colleagues Graham Lanktree and Caroline Hug report<\/a>. Reynolds will meet with his counterpart from China\u2019s commerce ministry in the second week of September, where the two sides are expected to sign 10 memorandums of understanding. Starmer is also set to visit China early next year. Incoming for the government from China hawks in 3, 2, 1 \u2026<\/p>\n Talking of China: <\/strong>Today marks the deadline for Beijing to explain to Angela Rayner why parts of the blueprint it provided for a sprawling super-embassy in London were redacted<\/a>. The government has to give a verdict on the proposed \u2014 and controversial \u2014 embassy by Sept. 9.<\/p>\n NO SPARK:<\/strong> More than 8,000 people have urged Ofgem to block Tesla\u2019s plan to supply British households with electricity, PA\u2019s Chris McKeon writes<\/a>. Campaign group Best for Britain urged people to lodge complaints claiming that Tesla boss Elon Musk is not a \u201cfit and proper\u201d person to have \u201ca foothold in our essential services.\u201d<\/p>\n CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE LOWER FARES: <\/strong>The Lib Dems argued for an urgent freeze on rail fares, ahead of today\u2019s inflation figures expected to determine the price increase for next year. \u201cHiking fares yet again would be a betrayal of passengers who are simply trying to get to work, travel to school or visit family and friends,\u201d said the party\u2019s transport spokesperson Paul Kohler.<\/p>\n NOT JUST TREES THAT ARE FALLING: <\/strong>Ministers are using Brexit to \u201cactively go backwards\u201d in some areas of environmental regulation, the Institute for European Environmental Policy\u2019s Michael Nicholson told the Guardian<\/a>. Analysis by the IEEP and the paper found that the U.K. is falling behind the EU on protecting rare species, cleaning up the air and water and removing dangerous chemicals from products.<\/p>\n WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:<\/strong> Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is charging up to \u00a328 a minute for video consultations offering \u201cexpert advice\u201d on anti-Islam activism, the Times\u2019 Shanti Das reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n FURTHER STAT DUMPING: <\/strong>As well as inflation stats, we\u2019re also getting monthly private rent and house price data dropping here<\/a> at 9.30 a.m.<\/p>\n STAT NON-DUMP: <\/strong>The Office for National Statistics stalled the publication of July\u2019s monthly retail sales figures to allow for \u201cfurther quality assurance.\u201d It\u2019s the latest in a series of problems that have raised questions about the quality of the agency\u2019s figures. Read more on the FT<\/a>.<\/p>\n REPORTS OUT TODAY: <\/strong>Educational inequalities in England have grown \u201cwider and more pronounced\u201d since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to IFG research<\/a>.<\/p>\n BEYOND THE M25<\/p>\n MIDDLE EAST LATEST: <\/strong>Israel is demanding Hamas release all 50 hostages it is holding in Gaza, the BBC reports<\/a>, casting doubt on whether it will accept a new proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that the militant group has agreed to. Despite the demand, Israel hasn\u2019t explicitly rejected the proposal and Reuters reported<\/a> that officials are studying Hamas\u2019 response. <\/p>\n Coming up:<\/strong> Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s Cabinet is expected later this week to approve the military\u2019s plan to occupy Gaza City, the BBC reports<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tensions rise:<\/strong> Netanyahu attacked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese as a \u201cweak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia\u2019s Jews,\u201d as a diplomatic dispute about the war in Gaza escalated between Israel and Australia. The Guardian has more<\/a>.<\/p>\n TO ME, TO YOU: <\/strong>More than 40,000 people have signed a petition to stop the French government lending the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain, the Times reports<\/a>. The petition, started by art historian Didier Rykner, argues the existence of the fragile medieval artwork could be threatened by the exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n FINLAND SHAKEN BY MP\u2019S DEATH: <\/strong>A 30-year-old Finnish MP, Eemeli Peltonen, was found dead in the country\u2019s main parliament building on Tuesday, and is believed to have died by suicide. The Telegraph has a write-up<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n **A message from Goldman Sachs:<\/strong> European equities \u2013 and German stocks specifically \u2013 have benefitted this year as investors are looking for global alternatives to the US market. But rising tariff rates and fiscal policy changes have sparked a realignment not just in geography, but in sector focus as well. In Germany, investors have been moving towards defense infrastructure, financials, and the tech sector, according to Wolfgang Fink, CEO of Goldman Sachs Bank Europe and head of Goldman Sachs Germany and Austria. Market uncertainty hasn\u2019t stopped deal making, however. \u201cWe are seeing a lot of deals happening, though I would say in the category, more mid-sized transactions rather than large-sized transactions,\u201d says Fink. Listen to the full conversation on Europe\u2019s market landscape today in Goldman Sachs Exchanges.<\/a>**<\/strong><\/p>\n MEDIA ROUND<\/p>\n Security Minister Dan Jarvis broadcast round: <\/strong>Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) \u2026 Sky News (7.15 a.m.) \u2026\u00a0 BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) \u2026 LBC (7.50 a.m.) \u2026 Today (8.10 a.m.) \u2026 GMB (8.30 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Wild broadcast round<\/strong>: Talk (7.20 a.m.) \u2026 GB News (7.30 a.m.) \u2026 Sky News (8.15 a.m.) \u2026 LBC News (8.45 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on Times Radio Breakfast:\u00a0<\/strong>Reform UK Deputy Leader\u00a0Richard Tice<\/strong>\u00a0(7.35 a.m.) \u2026 former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy\u00a0Jim Townsend<\/strong>\u00a0(7.45 a.m.) \u2026 Director of More in Common UK\u00a0Luke Tryl<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Conservative peer\u00a0Daniel Finkelstein<\/strong>\u00a0(8.05 a.m.) \u2026 former Russian Prime Minister\u00a0Mikhail Kasyanov<\/strong>\u00a0(8.35 a.m.) \u2026 Epping Forest District Council Leader\u00a0Chris Whitbread<\/strong>\u00a0(8.45 a.m.) \u2026 historian\u00a0Dominic Sandbrook\u00a0<\/strong>and former Conservative Minister\u00a0Edwina Currie\u00a0<\/strong>(9 a.m.).<\/p>\n Also on Sky News Breakfast: <\/strong>Lib Dem transport spokesperson Paul Kohler<\/strong> (7.45 a.m.).\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on LBC News: Paul Kohler<\/strong> (8.20 a.m.).<\/p>\n TODAY\u2019S FRONT PAGES<\/p>\n POLITICO UK<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>UK business minister will travel to China to reopen trade talks in September.<\/p>\n Daily Express<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Asylum hotel closure is \u2018a victory for the mums.\u2019<\/p>\n Daily Mail<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Labour\u2019s migrant hotels policy in disarray.<\/p>\n Daily Mirror<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Brit troops \u2018to keep the peace.\u2019<\/p>\n Daily Star<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Tipping point!<\/p>\n Financial Times<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Trump hints at US air role in push to seal Ukraine peace.<\/p>\n Metro<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Fury at Reeves \u2018\u00a3500k wealth tax on homes.\u2019<\/p>\n The Daily Telegraph<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Migrant hotels facing closure.<\/p>\n The Guardian<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong> High court rules asylum seekers must be moved from protest hotel.<\/p>\n The Independent<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>UK preparing to send troops to Ukraine if peace deal is struck.<\/p>\n The i Paper<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Migrant policy in disarray as court rules protest hotel must evict asylum seekers.<\/p>\n The Sun<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>Noel: I\u2019m so proud of Liam.<\/p>\n The Times<\/strong><\/a>: <\/strong>High Court puts asylum hotel policy into turmoil.<\/p>\n LONDON CALLING<\/p>\n WESTMINSTER WEATHER: <\/strong>Cloudy morning changing to nice and sunny by afternoon. High 23C, low 14C.\u00a0<\/p>\n GOING DIGITAL:<\/strong> A whole host of digital jobs are going at the ever-online No. 10, including chief videographer \u2026 senior content producer \u2026 video editor \u2026 and photo editor. No. 10 Head of Digital Content Alice Hodgson<\/strong> has all the deets<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n MOVING ON: <\/strong>IPSOS CEO Ben Page<\/strong> is stepping down from his role<\/a>, handing over to Jean Laurent Poitou<\/strong>.<\/p>\n WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: <\/strong>Mason Boycott-Owen.<\/p>\n WRITING PLAYBOOK THURSDAY MORNING: <\/strong>Dan Bloom.<\/p>\n HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: <\/strong>Chichester MP Jess Brown-Fuller <\/strong>\u2026 NHS England\u2019s National Director for Digital Transformation Matthew Gould <\/strong>\u2026 New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne <\/strong>\u2026 DUP peer Nigel Dodds <\/strong>\u2026 Labour peer and former leader of the House of Lords Janet Royall <\/strong>\u2026 North Thanet MP Roger Gale <\/strong>\u2026 SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing <\/strong>\u2026 former No. 10 infrastructure SpAd Nick Williams <\/strong>\u2026 former Daily Mirror Deputy Political Editor Ben Glaze <\/strong>\u2026 crossbench peer and former No. 10 Policy Unit head Camilla Cavendish <\/strong>\u2026 South Down MP Chris Hazzard <\/strong>\u2026 Google exec and former Labour adviser Michaela Neild<\/strong> \u2026 Total Politics chief exec Mark Wallace <\/strong>\u2026 former Chatham House Director Robin Niblett<\/strong> \u2026\u00a0POLITICO\u2019s Sanya Khetani-Shah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n PLAYBOOK\u00a0COULDN\u2019T HAPPEN WITHOUT:<\/strong>\u00a0My editors Zoya Sheftalovich<\/strong> and Alex Spence<\/strong>, diary reporter Bethany Dawson<\/strong> and producer\u00a0Dean Southwell<\/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 Goldman Sachs By ANDREW MCDONALD with BETHANY DAWSON Good Wednesday morning. This is Andrew McDonald. DRIVING…\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-358819","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\/115059847104832025","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358819","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=358819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358819\/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=358819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358819"}],"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\/wolfgangexchanges-aat_V1_LearnMore_EN_wolfgangexchanges_NEWS_300x250-1.jpg\")
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