Rishi goes to Washington — Covid Inquiry begins — On the offense – POLITICO

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Good Tuesday morning. This is Rosa Prince — Eleni Courea will be with you for the rest of the week.

DRIVING THE DAY

GO WEST: Rishi Sunak heads to Washington D.C. this evening for his first bilateral with President Joe Biden in the U.S. capital. And it seems as if all everyone is talking about in Westminster is what they’ll discuss on that zeitgeist topic: artificial intelligence.

Timings: The PM starts his morning by chairing Cabinet as usual. He has meetings at No. 10 for the rest of the day, before taking off for D.C. around 7 p.m. The FT has a good scene-setter on what he hopes to achieve from the trip.

All about AI: It’s the sexy topic of AI, and how the two nations can work together in this realm, which seems to have grabbed politicians’ and journalists’ attention as Sunak packs his bags. POLITICO’s own top team of Laurie Clarke, Annabelle Dickson and Cristina Gallardo have a deeply reported story today on what exactly it is Sunak wants from Biden in the AI sphere — and how he could well be disappointed.

Playing catchup: The trio warn that Britain is “already playing catch-up on the world stage,” after being locked out of key forums such as the Tech and Trade Council following Brexit. They say Sunak will propose his “grand plan” to Biden, with three main tranches: an international AI summit this fall in London; the U.K. hosting a global watchdog for AI akin to the International Atomic Energy Agency; and a “CERN for AI” — an international research body such as the one that exists for international particle physics.

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Gulp: They go on: “Whether Biden is ready to listen remains to be seen.”

S*** got real: In their piece, the team identifies Matt Clifford, interim (and probably soon actual) chair of the AI task force, as the key figure in framing the government’s response to artificial intelligence. And, lo, the man himself popped up on TND’s TalkTV show Monday night warning the technology will be powerful enough to kill “many humans” within two years. The Times splashes his chilling words, which are picked up by all the other papers too.

What Labour would do?: Not to be outdone, Shadow Digital Secretary Lucy Powell addresses the TechUK conference at 3.30 p.m., where she’ll say the government’s AI strategy is out of date two months after it launched. She’ll add: “Labour would put the U.K. at the forefront of global AI regulation. We would act quickly to set the standards for safe and responsible AI, influencing international regulation, attracting investment from those firms looking for guardrails and certainty, and protecting workers and consumers at home.” Tech Minister Paul Scully addresses the same conference earlier in the day.

HAGUE ON BLAIR: In his regular Times column, William Hague has some nice color on Blair House, the president’s guest house where Sunak will stay during his DC sojourn. And the former foreign secretary offers his own thoughts on what Britain and the U.S. can offer each other in terms of cooperation over AI.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS: The i hears Sunak will also seek a digital trade deal worth billions while he’s Stateside, while the Times’ Ollie Wright says Biden is likely to offer a new critical minerals agreement in a bid to help U.K. car manufacturing, which has been clobbered by the administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. There’s also the small matter of Ukraine, which may or may not have begun its counteroffensive depending on which paper you read — more below.

NATO Chief: Following his warm words Monday, it’s obvious Sunak will also lobby Biden on behalf of Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, in his pitch to become NATO secretary-general. And just in the nick of time, too, after Wallace’s main rival for the job, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, rocked up in D.C and was welcomed warmly by Biden. Would it be considered bad form were Sunak to raise the whole Denmark not meeting the 2 percent target thing?

No slouch: Wallace is in France today alongside Chief of the General Staff Patrick Sanders to attend the 79th anniversary D-Day commemoration held by the British Legion and Normandy Trust at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer. The French — currently — are backing Frederiksen, but it’s always worth reminding ’em what happened back in ’44.

Bad news back home: No wonder Sunak is looking forward to leaving these shores: the latest polling by Redfield and Wilton Strategies has Labour up 1 percent on 44 percent, a lead of 14 percent over the Tories, who are up 2 percent on 30 percent. Keir Starmer leads Sunak in every leadership characteristic including: “Can bring British people together,” (47 percent to 29 percent) “Can build a strong economy,” (42 percent to 36 percent) “Is a strong leader,” (38 percent to 33 percent) “Can work well with foreign leaders,” (40 percent to 38 percent) and “Can wear appropriate footwear,” (OK I made that one up.)

Important sartorial update: The PM has been given the @dieworkwear treatment. Just remember, chaps: never pair skinny jeans with giant work boots. Footwear with a slim shaft such as a jodhpur or Chelsea boot is preferred to £150 bloody great Timberlands.

Think it’s called cut through: The Star splashes on Sunak’s helicopter ride to Dover Monday to update us on his small boats plan. It’s not the smutty headline that will bother No 10. — “Fishy Sunak gets his chopper out again” — but the scathing subhead: “PM takes 74-mile helicopter trip … instead of getting the train like the rest of us oiks.”

PARLIAMENT ACT: The Telegraph splashes on Ben Riley-Smith’s interview with the PM, in which Sunak threatens to use the rarely deployed device of the Parliament Act to get the Illegal Migration Bill through if the Lords attempt to vote it down. The Bill is back in the upper house Wednesday.

Heading this way: After Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman hailed the government’s success in reducing arrivals from Albania, the Telegraph has got hold of a poll by Swiss Contact for the British government showing more than half of young Albanian men want to cross the channel to the U.K. this summer.

LABOUR LAND

SWINFORD SCOOP: Times Pol Ed Steven Swinford reports that ACOBA has cleared Sue Gray to start working for Labour as soon as this fall, rejecting calls for her to remain on gardening leave until after the election.

KEIR BY THE PIER: Keir Starmer is in Brighton today, where he will address the GMB Congress at 10.30 a.m., and as Sunak heads to Washington, the Labour Leader is doing his best to lay his own claim to the U.S. president’s affections.

The context: Starmer addresses the brothers and sisters as unions criticize the party’s plan to nix new North Sea oil and gas projects. He’ll make the case, as Biden did Stateside, that green jobs are a boon to working people. “President Biden once said, ‘when I hear climate change, I think jobs,’ he’ll say. “When Labour sets out its mission for Britain to become a clean energy superpower next week, we are thinking jobs too. Jobs — good, union jobs — will be fundamental to cleaner, safer work, new and better infrastructure.”

Wot Joe said: Starmer will lash his Green Prosperity Plan firmly to Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, saying that: “because we are Labour it is also a plan for working people, their jobs and their prosperity.” And he’ll stress his commitment to the link between his party and trade unionism, saying: “Labour in government will work with unions. We will always see the fight for working people as our driving purpose.”

Watch out Jeff: “So we will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society, and I want to see Amazon and businesses like it recognize unions,” Starmer will add.

Meh: Responding to Starmer’s pre-briefed words, a Conservative spokesman pointed to the party’s donations from Just Stop Oil funder Dale Vince, saying of Starmer: “Even his union paymasters have slammed his policy.” The Mail goes for the jugular, splashing on a claim that Treasury figures suggest Labour’s climate change plans would add 0.75 percent to interest rates. Pat McFadden isn’t having it.

Gary says no: More worrying for Starmer, GMB Leader Gary Smith also seems unconvinced, telling the conference Monday Labour should provide “plans not bans,” and the U.K. needs energy security to avoid becoming vulnerable to hostile regimes. The Sun has more.

Good for business: Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar were pressing flesh last night in Edinburgh at a “networking event” with Scottish business chiefs, including North Sea oil and gas firms. Sarwar later repeated his message on LBC, telling Andrew Marr: “Oil and gas will play a major part of the energy sector for decades to come.”

Biden his time: The FT has a well-timed major analysis of Labour’s economic plans, which they hear are far bolder than anticipated. Of the Green Prosperity Plan, authors Jim Pickard and George Parker write: “In fact, the Labour plan, as currently conceived, is even more ambitious than the U.S. IRA in relative terms. Labour’s green subsidies would cost £28 billion a year against Washington’s proposed $37 billion a year — even though the US has five times the population and eight times the GDP.”

Bideonomics on steroids: One current Labour adviser tells the FT duo: “It’s going to be Bidenomics on steroids,” when it comes to mega subsidies for tech and green energy.

PLAGUE ON BOTH THEIR HOUSES: No. 10 won’t like this: the Sun’s Ross Clark has a pop at Starmer’s North Sea oil and gas pledge — but equally lambasts Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and the Conservatives’ net-zero drive, which he says risks costing “ordinary people” dear. “Our leaders are living in an eco-bubble, oblivious to the way ordinary people live,” he concludes. Ouch.

COVID INQUIRY BEGINS

COVID RECKONING: More than three years after life as we knew it ground to a halt, the COVID Inquiry into the pandemic finally opens this morning with a statement from chair Heather Hallett at 10.30 a.m. The hearings will be livestreamed here.

NUMBER CRUNCH: It certainly feels like quite a moment. Playbook reporter Noah Keate sets the scene for us in numbers: The first two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the U.K. 1,223 days ago … The first national lockdown began 1,170 days ago … £70 billion was spent on furlough … 11.7 million jobs were furloughed … More than 226,000 people died with COVID-19 on the death certificate … More than 151 million vaccines were administered … Almost £9 billion was spent on substandard or overpriced PPE … £37 billion was spent on Test and Trace … More than 100,000 WhatsApps were leaked from Matt Hancock’s phone … and the COVID-19 inquiry has demanded hundreds of thousands of documents.

LET THE CHILDREN SPEAK: Leading children’s rights organizations including Save the Children make their submissions to the inquiry today, and will warn it cannot understand the full impact of the pandemic if it doesn’t hear evidence from children. Currently no under-18s are due to give evidence, and the form on the inquiry website for people to share their experience explicitly excludes children.

JUSTICE DELAYED: The i splashes on anger expressed by families of the bereaved that key stages of the inquiry, including how COVID was handled in care homes and hospitals, will not be examined until after the election. The Mirror and others say Hallett will have to resign if the courts agree with the government’s challenge to her demand for WhatsApps exchanged between then-PM Boris Johnson and his ministers and officials.

Coming soon: In response to a Commons UQ Monday, Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin told MPs the Covid Inquiry judicial review would be heard “very soon and in a very timely fashion,” with the first hearing slated for “on or shortly after 30 June.” He added that it would be “welcome” if some other means than court could be found for resolving the impasse. Could it be a prelude to a climbdown? Conservative MPs including Edward Leigh criticized the delay. The Telegraph has more.

Raking it in: After veiled threats were made to Boris Johnson that his government legal funding could be withdrawn were he to continue to defy the Cabinet Office by handing over his messages willy-nilly, his backer Tory peer Peter Cruddas tells the Express he could crowdfund to raise the cash to pay for new lawyers “in half a day.”

Now read this: The New Statesman’s Freddie Hayward has a fun profile of Johnson’s WhatsApp feud bête noir, Cabinet Office Secretary Oliver Dowden.

UKRAINE UPDATE

THE COUNTEROFFENSIVE BEGINS: Or does it? If it wasn’t so serious, the papers’ varying takes on whether or not the much-trailed Ukrainian counteroffensive against the Russians has started would be almost comical.

Yes: In the Mail, Defense Editor Mark Nichol declares confidently: “Ukraine has begun its big push to drive out Russian troops from its territory — 16 months after Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion.” The Times concurs, with Catherine Philp in Kyiv writing: “Ukraine went on the offensive against Russian forces along its sprawling front line yesterday.”

No: The Telegraph’s Dominic Nicholls says Kyiv is keeping its options open and preparing the ground for a potential pushback, adding: “We should immediately discount reports from Russia about Ukrainian activity and losses. Until independently verified, we exist in the frustrating but entirely normal fog of war.”

Maybe: The Guardian doesn’t seem quite sure, in a take that appears somewhat lost in that fog of war … The Beeb is equally uncertain.

CLEVER MOVE: Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is in Ukraine today, continuing his surprise trip to Kyiv where he met Volodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged that he could count on U.K. support. The Independent has a writeup.

Change of scene: From Ukraine, Cleverly is scheduled to go on to Paris, where he is due to chair the annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting; theme: “Securing our future: shared values and global partnerships.” The FCDO wouldn’t say whether his plans have changed due to his Ukrainian adventure. Never fear, if he bails Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is also due to attend, and is hosting a roundtable with French investors.

More OECD fun: Science Secretary Chloe Smith will chair talks at the first ever OECD Global Forum on Technology in Gran Canaria. They will discuss “responsible, values-based and rights-oriented technology with a focus on emerging technologies and the role of Artificial Intelligence.” Hope she has time to hit the beach.

BACK IN UKRAINE : Hackers broadcast a fake emergency appeal from a computer-generated Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring martial law — my POLITICO colleague Gabriel Gavin has the write-up.

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TODAY IN WESTMINSTER

SETTLE DOWN: The Independent Monitoring Authority publishes its findings following its inquiry into delays in the issuing of Certificates of Applications to the EU Settlement Scheme. The inquiry was launched to establish whether the Home Office fulfilled its obligation to issue the certificates immediately.

WILD AT HEART: The inaugural Future Countryside event takes place at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, with speakers including Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey, Shadow DEFRA Minister Daniel Zeichner and former government food czar Henry Dimbleby. Polling ahead of the event found 93 percent of people agreed the countryside should be regarded as part of our national heritage.

WRONG ‘UNS CHARTER: The House of Commons Commission has now published its proposals for dealing with MPs accused of violent or sexual offenses. As Playbook told you last month, errant parliamentarians would be subject to a formal risk assessment once the parliamentary authorities were alerted to a potential offense; an adjudication panel would then rule on whether they should be barred from the parliamentary estate. The staff union Prospect welcomed the plans — MPs will vote on them on June 12.

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN: The U.N.’s Committee on the Rights of the Child said it “remains deeply concerned about persistent discrimination” in schools, youth justice and the health system. The Mirror has a report.

BUILD BIG: Ahead of its conference in Doncaster later this week, the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs is urging Rishi Sunak to build 500,000 new homes in the next parliament. Not all by himself, obvs. The Sun’s Jack Elsom has more.

LET PING-PONG COMMENCE: Organizations including Which? and the TUC have written to the prime minister and secretaries of state urging compromise over last-ditch amendments to the Retained EU Law Bill. Peers debate Commons amendments to the legislation today, potentially forcing votes on parliamentary scrutiny and environmental protections.

GENDER PENSION GAP: Women reach 55 with a third less saved into their private pensions than men, according to a government report. Lower pay and unpaid caring hinder their ability to save — the Mail has a writeup. Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “These figures show the gender pension gap widening on the Tories’ watch — from a quarter at the start of the last decade to over a third by the end.”

SW1 EVENTS: Chatham House holds a virtual breakfast for early birds on Turkey-EU relations at 8.30 a.m. … The Institute for Government hosts an event with Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary Alex Chisholm and public accounts committee Chair Meg Hillier discussing her annual report on how the government can prepare for crises, from 1 p.m. … U.K. in a Changing Europe holds a lunch hour on leveling-up, with speakers including Harvard Kennedy School’s Dan Turner, also from 1 p.m. … there’s an Unlocked event with former Labour Leader Neil Kinnock at 7 p.m. … and the Adam Smith Institute holds a discussion with author Mark Skousen from 6 p.m. questioning who is winning the battle of ideas — Smith, Marx or Keynes?

HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 11.30 a.m. with health and social care questions followed by Labour MP Dan Carden’s 10-minute rule bill on care supporters … and then the main business is all stages of the British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill. Labour’s Debbie Abrahams has the adjournment debate on the inquiry into the death of Errol Graham.

WESTMINSTER HALL: Debates from 9.30 a.m. on topics including support for Afghan women and girls (led by Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain) … improving children’s access to books (managed by Tory MP Alexander Stafford) … and government policy on reaching net-zero by 2050 (headed by the Tories’ Kwasi Kwarteng).

On Committee corridor: The culture, media and sport committee questions TV executives (10 a.m.) … Information Commissioner John Edwards is questioned by the public administration and constitutional affairs committee (10 a.m.) … Tory peer David Willetts gives evidence to the treasury committee on intergenerational inequality and social mobility (10.15 a.m.) … Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is probed by the European scrutiny committee on the Retained EU Law Bill (11.15 a.m.) … Development Minister Andrew Mitchell is before the international development committee (2.30 p.m.) … and DCMS Secretary Lucy Frazer is questioned by the culture, media and sport committee (3 p.m.).

HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with oral questions on the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights, Scottish government expenditure and the recent unrest in northern Kosovo … and then the main business is the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill at committee stage, consideration of Commons’ amendments to the Retained EU Law Bill and the first day of the Financial Services and Markets Bill at report stage.

Baby steps: The Lords also has an oral question on baby-changing facilities in cafés, restaurants and other businesses serving food and drink — it’s part of Lords’ Comms Officer Lucy Dargahi’s campaign to get baby changing stations in locations that serve food and drink. Dargahi and baby Annie will be in the public gallery to watch.

BEYOND THE M25

FLOODING INTO SHROPSHIRE: The Flood & Coast Conference and Exhibition kicks off in Telford, with DEFRA Minister Rebecca Pow and Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell giving speeches. Lovell will stress the importance of building and maintaining strong defenses to reduce the risk of flooding.

PETITION LIMIT: A petition to stop the Wales-wide introduction of the 20mph speed limit closed early because it received so many signatures. WalesOnline has a writeup.

LOST DEPOSIT: The Daily Record splashes on Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf warning the flagship deposit return scheme is likely to be scrapped unless the U.K. government makes a dramatic U-turn.

GREEN DAY: The Green Party in Northern Ireland secured its first ever mayoral post, with Áine Groogan appointed Belfast’s deputy lord mayor — the BBC has a writeup.

NO LOVE LOST: Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence officially filed paperwork to run for U.S. president, setting up an unprecedented contest between a former vice president and former president for the Republican nomination. Pence’s entry comes after two years in the political wilderness. My POLITICO colleagues have more.

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MEDIA ROUND

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth broadcast round: GMB (6.40 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.50 a.m.) … Sky News (8.05 a.m.) … LBC News (8.50 a.m.) … GB News (9.05 a.m.).

Also on Good Morning Britain: Tory peer Ed Vaizey and former Labour MP Luciana Berger (both 6.20 a.m.).

Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Adviser to the Minister of Defense in Ukraine Yuriy Sak (6.00 a.m.) … Former Tory Leader William Hague and Labour peer Joan Bakewell (both 9.10 a.m.).

Also on Sky News Breakfast: Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (7.20 a.m.) … Culture, media and sport committee Chair Caroline Dinenage (7.30 a.m.) … Former White House Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci (8.30 a.m.) … Labour peer Alf Dubs and Tory peer Andrew Robathan (both 9.20 a.m.).

Also on LBC News: Director at Barclays Esme Harwood (6.50 a.m.).

Also on GB News Breakfast: Former Lib Dem minister Norman Baker (6.30 a.m.).

TalkTV Breakfast: Former U.K. Border Force Director General Tony Smith (7.05 a.m.) … Tory MP Craig Mackinlay (8.05 a.m.) … Tory MP Natalie Elphicke (9.05 a.m.) … Tory peer James Bethell (9.45 a.m.).

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Labour peer Carralyn Parkes (7.20 a.m.) … Former House of Commons Youth Policy Adviser Paul Oginsky (8.05 a.m.) … Tory Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire Festus Akinbusoye (8.35 a.m.) … Ecotricity Founder Dale Vince (9.20 a.m.).

Politics Live (BBC Two 12.15 p.m.): Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith … Welsh Labour Deputy Leader Carolyn Harris … The New Statesman’s Zoë Grünewald … ConHome founder Tim Montgomerie.

TODAY’S FRONT PAGES

POLITICO UK: Rishi Sunak wants to lead the world on AI. The world ain’t listening.

Daily Express: PM — More barges will help deter migrant crossings.

Daily Mail: Families face £1,000 a year bill for Labour eco plans.

Daily Mirror: Dear Mr Sunak … Please, remember our Jack.

Daily Star: Fishy Rishi gets his chopper out again.

Financial Times: Staff data stolen from BA, BBC and Boots by “hack and leak” cyber gang.

i: Covid families’ fury as inquiry into NHS failures delayed until after election.

Metro: Judge raps absent Harry.

The Daily Telegraph: PM set to overrule Lords on boats Bill.

The Guardian: Ukraine troops intensify frontline raids in apparent shift in strategy.

The Independent: Stop the boats … Fill the barges.

The Sun: That was a Swift one.

The Times: Two years to save the world, says AI adviser.

LONDON CALLING

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny intervals with a gentle breeze. Highs of 20C.

IN MEMORIAM: Former Labour Attorney General John Morris, who served as a Labour MP for more than 40 years, died aged 91. Mr Memory has some great facts about him.

Also in memoriam: Elspeth Campbell, wife of former Lib Dem Leader Ming Campbell, died aged 83. Campbell said: “Her passion for politics, her support of me and her love of her family will be very much missed.”

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Labour’s George Howarth, a Merseyside MP since 1986, announced he would be standing down at the next election. Labour Leader Keir Starmer thanked Howarth for his “decades of service to the people of Knowsley.”

SPOTTED … Labour MPs first elected in 2005 and still there 18 years later celebrated in the House of Commons Members Dining Room: Keir Starmer’s PPS Jessica Morden … Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden … Shadow Minister for Public Health Andrew Gwynne … Shadow Africa Minister Lyn Brown … Home affairs committee Chair Diana Johnson … Shadow Climate Change Minister Kerry McCarthy … Shadow Exports Minister Nia Griffith … Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry … Shadow Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband … Commons finance committee Chair Sharon Hodgson … Shadow Arts and Civil Society Minister Barbara Keeley … and public accounts committee Chair Meg Hillier. Shadow Solicitor General Andy Slaughter was unwell.

DON’T MISS: “The Sleeping Beauty” closes at the Royal Opera House at 7.30 p.m. — a 24-minute walk from Westminster.

NEW POD ALERT: Podmasters has launched “Paper Cuts,” a thrice weekly examination of the national press.

NOAH’S CULTURE FIX: The 2004 film “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason,” directed by crossbench peer Beeban Kidron, is on ITV1 at 10.45 p.m. — Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner has Keir Starmer listed in her phone address book as “Mr Darcy,” played in the film by Colin Firth.

CHILD’S PLAY: The Center for Policy Studies’ Robert Colville posted 20 photos of politicians from their childhood — how many can you identify?

NOW READ: In the Critic, Elijah Granet examines the problem with British public inquiries, arguing they take too long and fail to achieve their aims.

JOB AD: The Department for Education is hiring a head of T Levels Industry Placements Policy.

DOG DAYS: Applications are open for the Patchwork Foundation’s six-week paid summer Labour internship, starting on August 7.

BIRTHDAYS: DESNZ Minister Amanda Solloway … Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker … Bracknell MP James Sunderland … Crewe and Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan … Labour peer and former Home Secretary David Blunkett … Lib Dem peer Jamie Palumbo turns 60 … Former Supreme Court Judge Jonathan Mance turns 80 … Department for Education Permanent Secretary Susan Acland-Hood.

PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editor Sanya Khetani-Shah, reporter Noah Keate and producer Dato Parulava.