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Presented by Altana By SAM FRANCIS with MEGAN MCELROY SCOOP — PYRAMID SCHEME: Dan Jukes, until recently Nigel Farage’s right-hand man, attended an all-expenses-paid trip to Egypt with the polling company JL Partners in December 2025, my colleagues Esther Webber and Sascha O’Sullivan report, in a fresh glimpse of just how deep the relationship ran. What you need to know: Jukes joined a JL Partners staff retreat at a resort in El Quseir on the Red Sea and gave a talk for the company — which as we now know, subsequently released opinion polls publicly without disclosing that they were financed by supposed donors to Reform. One person with knowledge of the trip said that Jukes was asked on the retreat what a Reform government would want from a polling company and replied: “Showing that we’re winning.” The rules: Members of political parties in Great Britain are meant to register any overseas visits with the Electoral Commission if they are connected with their political activities as a party member — which Reform says it was not.
At the least, it exposes a potential declarations loophole. Official response: A spokesperson for JL Partners said: “No inference can reasonably be drawn from the participation of any individual speaker.” A Reform UK spokesman said Jukes was not at the gathering in his capacity as a member of the party and there had been no breach of electoral law. A representative for Jukes said: “There is an active police investigation which has just been announced and as such our client is not commenting further until that is concluded.
For the record he denies any allegations of wrongdoing.” Read the full story here . Good Thursday morning . This is Sam Francis. **A message from Altana: Altana is the AI network where businesses, logistics providers, and governments are rearchitecting global trade.
With Altana, businesses can prove compliance before goods ship and build more efficient, resilient, and secure supply chains. Logistics providers can automate the full brokerage workflow, and governments can promote economic security, manage borders, and enable the flow of trusted trade. ** DRIVING THE DAY BLUE THURSDAY: After a rough week, Andy Burnham’s beloved Everton scraped through a scrappy Carabao Cup tie with a late winner. Today brings a rather less forgiving scoreboard, with the PM getting a clearer view of the economic terrain six weeks out from an autumn budget he has already called “challenging.” Hold the line: After the U.S.
Federal Reserve hiked rates overnight, the Bank of England will set out its own interest rate decision at noon. Every economist in Reuters’ latest poll said they expect the bank to hold the rate at 3.75%, though my financial services colleagues say markets are beginning to price in a bank rate at 4.1% by year-end and 4.7% a year from now. In the Daily Mail, Jason Groves and James Tapsfield report economists penciling in as many as four rises in 12 months.
Cold comfort: Which sets up a tough few months for a PM who wants to show he can give households breathing room. Rate rises are expected just as household bills start climbing through the colder months. EDF Energy predicted this week that energy bills for a typical household could jump by as much as 26% in January.
FED UP: The Fed set the global mood music last night, defying President Donald Trump with its unanimous quarter-point rise . New Chair Kevin Warsh justified the move by warning that inflation “is too high, and has been for too long.” Economists Playbook spoke to last night said the decision was already baked into today’s BoE calculus — but where the world’s most powerful central bank leads, others have a habit of following. Tokyo drift: Then on Friday Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda is all but certain to raise rates to a 31-year high — an eye-watering (by Japanese standards) 1.25 percent.
His press conference could move the yen and, more importantly for John Healey, the already nervous U.S. bond market that helps set the tone for borrowing costs elsewhere. Reuters has the details . Splitters: Beyond the headline rate decision by the BoE, economists will be scrutinizing the Bank’s updated forecasts — and, crucially, the Monetary Policy Committee’s vote split.
The committee voted 6-3 in July to hold the bank rate at 3.75%. A larger dissenting bloc today would be taken as a sign that further increases are on the way. LIST OF DEMANDS I: Labour-affiliated unions are due to meet Healey today to make their case ahead of the autumn budget, Playbook hears.
The i Paper’s Arj Singh set out the shopping list earlier this week, including unfreezing the personal allowance, dropping EU red lines, “tweaks” to the fiscal rules, and creating war bonds. LIST OF DEMANDS II: Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds is in South Wales this morning for a meeting with the finance ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, hosted by the Welsh government. Each of the nationalist-led administrations will arrive with its own list of demands — including, no doubt, the small matter of breaking up the U.K.
TORIES SMELL BLOOD I: Picking up the baton from Andy Haldane, Kemi Badenoch writes in today’s Express that the U.K. “cannot TikTok its way out of a bond market crisis,” and claims Burnham and Healey are “gearing up to raise taxes again” at the budget. TORIES SMELL BLOOD II : Expect that argument to get an airing as Andrew Griffith makes his first major speech as shadow chancellor at a north London technical college at 11 a.m.
Griffith will also launch a small-business taskforce made up of Tory peer Craig Mackinlay and outgoing CPS Director Robert Colvile — who will report back before Christmas with recommendations to help SMEs. Griffith will no doubt be asked how far the new low-tax Conservatives intend to cut inheritance tax after Badenoch confirmed the party is looking into the rate . BLUE BROTHERS: After a 45-minute bilateral in the directors’ clubroom, Burnham and Canadian PM Mark Carney pulled on crisp new Everton scarves to watch the Toffees beat Wolves 1-0 in the Carabao Cup.
The pictures show the pair in good spirits, posing for photos with fans. Both PMs wore Alzheimer’s Society forget-me-not pins in memory of Burnham’s father, who died on Monday. Roy Burnham was also remembered on the stadium screens before kickoff and at half-time as a “Lifelong, diehard Blue, much loved by Eileen, Nick, Andy, John and all the family.” Big kick energy: The low-octane football at least gave the pair plenty of time to talk politics.
According to the official readouts, Burnham and Carney discussed defense, trade with Europe and AI, with further talks planned. The two Everton fans were seen embracing after Charly Alcaraz’s jinking 80th-minute winner, which could yet go down as the most valuable goal in British football history if the mood helped nudge them towards more favorable trading terms. JEF we CAN: Following the meeting, Carney formally applied for Canada to join the U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force and “welcomed the U.K.’s support.” The JEF focuses on military cooperation in the High North, and Canada’s bid could become a significant example of middle powers strengthening their own resilience to Russian aggression beyond the U.S. sphere of influence.
Reuters has a write-up . Another interesting detail came in the Downing Street readout, which said the leaders discussed “the complementary work of the Multilateral Defence Mechanism and the Defence Security Resilience Bank.” That reads like a diplomatic rebuff to this week’s reporting that Britain was inching towards joining Carney’s DSRB — and No. 10 was not exactly steering reporters away from that interpretation last night. Dis associate?
Carney heads to the European Parliament today, where he will set out Canada’s response to Ursula von der Leyen’s surprise offer to make it the EU’s first “associate member.” My colleagues Sebastian Starcevic and Max Griera report the idea has landed badly across parts of Europe — while Canada has been busy tamping down expectations. Donald Trump had some... thoughts overnight . Speaking of EU deals: The Guardian’s Lisa O’Carroll and Jessica Elgot report the planned U.K.-EU reset summit now looks likely to slip to late November “or beyond,” as the British government struggles to get “Made in Europe” procurement rules onto the agenda. **Your next Playbook speaks Spanish.
Madrid Playbook brings POLITICO’s original reporting, sharp analysis and essential political agenda to Spain every morning. Learn more and sign up here . ** TODAY IN WESTMINSTER THE KING AND AI: King Charles will tell some of the biggest names in AI that the pace of the technology is “deeply concerning” and that industry leaders must give the public “reassurance” humanity will not “lose control of our destiny.” Guests at today’s summit at Dumfries House include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis and OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, alongside AI Minister Kanishka Narayan. The gathering, which POLITICO’s Joseph Bambridge reported has been in the works for weeks, may also offer the monarch a useful distraction from the family spat dominating many of today’s front pages .
And with perfect timing: We’re launching Decoded by POLITICO, a briefing on the people, power moves and massive policy fights shaping the AI era, drawing on nearly 50 journalists around the world. The first Decoded Summit took place in Washington yesterday , and more are planned in other key capitals in the months ahead. Anthropic’s policy chief Sarah Heck told the U.S. gathering that “you can’t do safety from second place” — backing chip export controls — and warned that AI firms “can’t be checking our own homework.” A new daily newsletter and audio podcast launch on Oct. 5.
Sign up here . POWELL BROKER: Jonathan Powell explicitly warned Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband against sanctioning Israel before the country’s Oct. 27 election but was ignored, according to Tim Shipman’s latest dispatch from the center of government. The Spectator scribe reports that Powell, Britain’s national security adviser, and Simon Walters, ambassador in Tel Aviv, gave an explicit warning that acting early could strengthen Benjamin Netanyahu politically.
LOCAL ENERGY FOR LOCAL PEOPLE: Government-owned energy company Great British Energy is rolling out £30 million of funding to back things like solar panels on schools and local wind farms, DESNZ said. Energy Minister Martin McCluskey is on the morning round to talk up the proposals. But will he say net zero?
Ministers should ditch the phrase “net zero” when speaking to the public and drop it from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s name, the House of Commons’ Labour-led energy committee reckons. In a new report , the Energy Security and, er, Net Zero Committee warns the term “has lost much of its significant positive association.” NEWT IN MY BACKYARD: Piddington may have voted to leave the U.K. in its symbolic referendum aiming to stop more than 1,000 asylum-seekers being housed in the area — but great crested newts could scupper plans for the migrant camp anyway. The Telegraph’s Charles Hymas reports that campaigners have unearthed records showing protected wildlife around the Oxfordshire village.
The Home Office’s ecological assessment of the area found no evidence of protected newts, bats or reptiles. Piddington campaigners say the Home Office could face a legal challenge that would block the camp unless it redoes its ecological assessment. PAINT THE TOWN RED: ThinkLabour reckons the Greens could take as many as 40 urban seats from Labour, after a sharp shift towards the party since the 2024 general election.
The think tankers also warn Labour against going too hard at the Greens, arguing that previous electoral battles suggest direct attacks risk looking like “kicking a puppy.”Timely reading ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The Guardian has a write-up . CAPITAL IDEA: Kemi Badenoch has given Tory London mayoral hopefuls until Sept. 30 to apply, before a panel whittles the field down to two for party members to choose between.
The Standard’s Nicholas Cecil has a write-up , which Playbook hears is on the money. END OF DAYS: Male peers will be allowed to take off their ties in the House of Lords under a new dress code, the Times’ Ben Clatworthy reports . He writes that the rule book has been updated and now only dictates that “members are expected to wear business attire” when they are debating or voting.
GOOD LORD: Former Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald will be introduced into the House of Lords at 11 a.m. His record £860,000 payout could pay for a rather dapper ermine cloak. Dave McCobb will also be introduced as a Lib Dem peer.
The man who coined the Lib Dem’s “ Gail’s Strategy ” will surely be pleased to have a new branch down the road on Victoria Street. RADICAL IDEAS: PoliticsHome’s Ben Gartside reports that the U.K.’s ambassador to Washington, Christian Turner, asked U.S. officials for advice on combating the radical right in Britain in the days before Burnham took office. DRINKS ARE ON THE HOUSE: Labour hosted drinks for high-level donors in No. 10 following Reform’s record £72 million cash haul, the Guardian’s Jessica Elgot and Pippa Crerar report .
The pair cite a Labour source who says the event was organized before Nigel Farage’s windfall. CASEY ON THE CASE: The annual Alzheimer’s Society Conference takes place in east London today, with speakers including Care Minister Alison McGovern (11.40 a.m.), social care reviewer Louise Casey (4.20 p.m.), and Shadow Health Secretary Damian Hinds (5 p.m.). SW1 EVENTS: Bright Blue hosts author David Starkey to discuss whether Britain is a successful multiracial society (12 p.m.) ...
The Institute for Government hosts a discussion on corruption in public life (5.30 p.m.). HOUSE OF COMMONS: In recess. HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 11 a.m. with the introduction of the two new peers ... oral questions on topics including the G20 summit in 2027, funding defense and the impact of extreme weather on the U.K.’s food supply ... debates on topics including the impact of VAT on independent schools and prison services in England and Wales.
BEYOND THE M25 LAST ORDERS: The ballot closes today in the Scottish Labour leadership elections, with candidates Michael Marra and Joe Fagan vying to replace Anas Sarwar. Results will be announced on Saturday. SHIP HAS SAILED: Plans to bring back a ferry service linking Scotland and mainland Europe have been scrapped .
Operator Forth Ports said it had concerns about the “long-term viability” of the proposed route between Fife and Dunkirk. STREET ATTACK: RTÉ reports Kerry Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has been released from hospital after he was assaulted by a lone man while his car was stopped in central Dublin traffic. AROUND THE WORLD LEFT TURN: Sweden’s Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson is on course to become prime minister after a nail-biting election.
AI ON THE PRIZE: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged global cooperation on AI, warning the world can’t afford “a race to the bottom.” He’s said AI will be a major topic in talks with world leaders at next week’s high-level session of the U.N. General Assembly. **A message from Altana: The rules of global trade have changed.
Tariffs are tools of statecraft. Supply chains are leverage. And the old frameworks — built for a world of open markets and stable alliances — no longer hold.
Policymakers need a new architecture. One that enables enforcement and trade simultaneously. One that lets governments collaborate across borders without compromising what's sovereign.
Altana is that architecture. Our AI-powered network maps supply chains to the product level, verifying origin, process, and compliance before goods ever ship. Government agencies across the UK, US, Australia, and Singapore already connect through Altana to design and enforce trade and economic security policy — while businesses manage trusted trade on the same shared platform.
The next era of trade won't be won by those who build the highest walls. It will be won by those who build the deepest trust. Visit altana.ai to learn how Altana can support your trade and economic security objectives . ** MEDIA ROUND Local Energy Minister Martin McCluskey broadcast round: Today (6.50 a.m.) ...
Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) ... Sky Mornings (7.15 a.m.) ... BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) ...
LBC (7.50 a.m.) ... BBC Radio Scotland (8.15 a.m.) ... Good Morning Britain (8.40 a.m.).
Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith broadcast round: BBC Breakfast (6.50 a.m.) ... Today (7.50 a.m.). Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Richard Fuller: Talk (7.35 a.m.) ...
Times Radio (7.45 a.m.) ... GB News (8 a.m.) ... Sky Mornings (8.40 a.m.).
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Iceland Executive Chairman Richard Walker (7.40 a.m.). Also on Good Morning Britain: Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika (8.45 a.m.). Also on Talk: Reform UK Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick (9 a.m.).
Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Defense analyst Tom Sharpe (8.20 a.m.). Also on Sky Mornings: Author Keir Giles (9.30 a.m.). Politics Live (BBC Two, 12.15 p.m.): Ayesha Hazarika ... i Paper columnist Andrew Fisher ... journalist and author Ross Clark ... former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci .
TODAY’S FRONT PAGES POLITICO UK : Reform aide caught in donor sting attended Egypt retreat with JL Partners. Daily Express : We are ‘paying the price’ for Labour’s economy failure. Daily Mail : ‘Rest assured, we will forget her soon enough.’ Daily Mirror : Heartbreak.
Daily Star : Face of Putney pusher suspect. Financial Times : Fed raises rates despite Trump pressure in bid to tame prices. Metro : ‘Putney pusher’ suspect dead.
The Daily Telegraph : Palace hits back at Diana’s brother. The Guardian : Prisoners to ‘double up’ in single prefab jail cell units. The Independent : Palace on Spencer’s Diana claims: ‘Grief can cloud reason’ The i Paper : Burnham warns of ‘challenging’ Budget after 3.1% inflation.
The Times : King: Grief has coloured earl’s claims over Diana. The Sun : Recollections may vary ... again. LONDON CALLING WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Thundery showers and rain throughout the day.
High 21C, low 10C. PINTS AND POLITICS: More details have dropped for our POLITICO Pub Labour conference lineup, with Cabinet ministers, mayors and other top political figures heading to the boozer for a packed program of interviews. Whose round is it?
Sunday, Sept. 27 kicks off with Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram , Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and City Minister Lucy Rigby ... Monday has Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds , Education Secretary Lucy Powell , Mayor of London Sadiq Khan , Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander , Wales Secretary Stephen Kinnock and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson ... and Tuesday, Sept. 29 has AI Minister Kanishka Narayan , welfare inquisitor Alan Milburn , Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig , Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant , Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Emily Thornberry , Energy Minister Michael Shanks , Europe Minister Hamish Falconer and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. More details here — and those without a conference pass can watch our livestream .
Brighton days ahead: We’re also hosting a series of Speakeasy drinks parties — and the next one at the Lib Dem conference is this Sunday. There’s still time to register . SPOTTED ...
At Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty ’s party at the Victoria and Albert Museum: Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer ... former Chancellor Rachel Reeves ... and her partner Nick Joicey ... former Home Secretary James Cleverly ... former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ... Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo ... Victoria and Albert Museum director and former MP Tristram Hunt.
HIRING: Labour is hiring for a string of policy roles, including head of policy development and an adviser ... More in Common is looking for at least one research manager. NOW WATCH: How does Britain really appoint its government, and why are there no interviews?
Robert Buckland and Alun Evans get into it on Hidden Wiring . THURSDAY’S POD PICK: Starmer SpAd Matt Langford joins Matt Forde’s Political Party to discuss working for the former PM, what the final weeks were like, and the true extent of Larry the Cat’s influence. WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Sam Blewett.
WRITING PLAYBOOK FRIDAY MORNING: Sam Francis. BIRTHDAYS: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ... Women and Equalities Chair Olivia Bailey ...
Labour peer Deborah Mattinson ... former Woking MP Jonathan Lord ... retired crossbench peer Alec Broers ... crossbench peer Indarjit Singh ... crossbench peer David Craig ... Indian PM Narendra Modi . PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Matt Honeycombe-Foster , Alex Spence and Dan Bloom , reporter Megan McElroy and producers Dean Southwell and Hugh Kapernaros .
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Source: politico.eu
