The prawns have been defrosted, the Marie Rose sauce decanted and the lettuce shredded: Labour is once again wooing big businesses. Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have stepped up their efforts to win over the City, with one lobbyist revealing he had been invited to breakfast with shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds “about a dozen times in the past few months”.
Of course, meetings are one thing, cash is another matter. Labour raised less than half as much as the Tories in the first quarter of this year, but it did include £500,000 from Gary Lubner, the former boss of Autoglass. It will hope for more to fund its general election campaign.
The reality is that Labour politicians often have to work harder than their Tory counterparts to reassure business. But the shadow chancellor’s advantage is that, unlike John McDonnell, she does not scare the City. Nor does she have plans for the sort of “mini-Budget” that spooked the markets last autumn. Indeed, business may wonder what the Conservatives have delivered in recent times. It may be over its “f*** business” phase, but from Brexit red tape to higher taxation, it has been a bumpy period for wealth creators — giving Labour space to make its case.
Ultimately, business likes to back a winner. With a double-digit lead in the polls, it’s wise to have breakfast with Reynolds, lunch with Reeves and supper with Sir Keir.
Be clear on net zero
The signals are mixed at best. One day, Rishi Sunak appears to back away from the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. The next, Michael Gove doubles down on the policy. Meanwhile, drivers are left scratching their heads, wondering if now really is the right time to take the plunge and go electric.
The target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is not just an all-government endeavour — it will require buy-in from the whole country. That includes consumers, manufacturers, investors, local and national government.
What is needed more than anything else is a firm direction of travel, not briefing and counter-briefing while Rhodes burns.
Much ado at the Globe
Shakespeare’s Globe has no official dress code, which on reflection may have been an oversight after a man attended a mid-afternoon performance of The Comedy of Errors while dressed in a full-body latex outfit, replete with mask.
Of course, The Bard himself wasn’t averse to costumes, what with male actors dressing up as women dressing up as men. As such, a gimp costume is not necessarily out of place.
