The Liberal Democrats, who apparently enjoy reading old government documents almost as much as they enjoy being outraged by them, have confirmed that Prince Andrew was handed a trade envoy role without so much as a background check. Wendy Chamberlain, the Lib Dem chief whip, described the revelation as "shocking and deeply troubling" - which is diplomatic for "we can't believe nobody thought to ask the obvious questions." "Nobody should be above such standards," she added, presumably looking directly at the Palace.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has announced that if he becomes prime minister, he will overhaul the electoral system to make politics "less point-scoring, more problem-solving." This is a bold promise from a man who has spent considerable time mastering the art of political point-scoring.
In other government business, a £50 million Metropolitan Police deal with controversial data-mining company Palantir has been blocked by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who cited a "clear and serious breach" of procurement rules. That's one way to say "we don't want a tech company that helps spy on people handling our data."
The Department for Business and Trade has announced a £350 million support package for the chemicals industry and £120 million for ceramics - because apparently plates and smartphones are considered strategic assets now. The funding is designed to help firms stay competitive, modernise infrastructure, and decarbonise, which is government-speak for "we're throwing money at a problem and hoping it sticks."
Chancellor Rachel Reeves took to the Commons to announce a series of measures, including a temporary VAT cut on summer attractions from 20% to 5%, free bus travel for children in August, and tariff cuts on over 100 food items. She also confirmed a fuel duty freeze until the end of the year, a 12-month road tax holiday for HGVs, and a 10p per mile increase in tax-free mileage rates. Reeves was careful to note that the measures would not be funded by higher borrowing, but by changes to how energy companies are taxed - specifically, closing a loophole that allowed some oil and gas groups to pay little or no corporation tax on their UK energy trading profits. "We expect these reforms to raise hundreds of millions of pounds a year," she said, which is the Treasury equivalent of finding loose change in the couch cushions.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride responded by saying the measures would bring "little comfort" to the jobless and struggling businesses. Reeves, ever the optimist, noted that she has had enough rainy British summers to know that indoor attractions like soft play areas are still worth supporting. She also predicted she'd soon see Lib Dem leader Ed Davey visiting one, presumably to slide down a ball pit while pondering VAT policy.