Why Rishi’s gone to Iceland — Time mag, for a change — Latest from NatCon – POLITICO

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TUESDAY CHEAT SHEET

— Rishi Sunak spoke to reporters after landing in Iceland for a big foreign summit.

— Keir Starmer offered a strange definition of “Starmerism” in a big interview with Time mag.

— Michael Gove confirmed the “feudal” (his words) leasehold regime won’t be scrapped after all.

— SCOOP: Home Secretary Suella Braverman lost a Cabinet spat over migrant workers on farms.

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TOP OF THE NEWSLIST

SHOPPING FOR HELP IN ICELAND: Rishi Sunak has landed in Iceland for his whirlwind Council of Europe summit with fellow leaders and is soon to appear on TV.

Ali-vision: The PM did an arrival pool clip with Ali Fortescue from Sky News, in which he was asked how he hoped to reform the European Court of Human Rights in a bid to get his controversial small boats plan up and running.

Indeed: Sunak has a bilateral meeting with ECHR president Síofra O’Leary in the next hour, and ahead of the trip promised to ask her about reforming the infamous Rule 39 — the one that blocked deportation flights to Rwanda at the last minute.

I’m not kidding around: The assumption is that Sunak will make clear the U.K. could withdraw from the convention if Britain can’t work out how to swerve the deportation blockages. Expect questions on that in the Sky clip, as well as whether the whole row is just rhetoric for domestic consumption.

Hope springs eternal: At the Downing Street briefing this morning, the PM’s spokesman told Playbook PM the Council of Europe is “open” to reform of the Rule 39 issue, and that the U.K. has been pressing its case that it doesn’t meet “a reasonable standard of natural justice.”

Meetings, meetings: Sunak also has bilats with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in about 40 minutes from now, and one with the PM of the Netherlands at about 6.10 p.m. U.K. time.

And speakings, speakings: He’ll deliver a speech at the opening summit, which expected from 6.45 p.m. U.K. time for an hour, and will be broadcast here. He’ll also speak at a roundtable later.

But but but: Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadottir told Radio 4’s the World at One that the summit won’t be all that focused on immigration. “This summit has not a big focus on that,” she said.

And don’t forget: Sunak is also there to talk about Ukraine, in the hope of lining up further support for the war-torn nation ahead of the G7 summit in Japan, where the PM heads tomorrow morning.

Speaking of the G7: Sunak will be the fifth British minister in Japan this past week, after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary Steve Barclay, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Science Minister George Freeman all made appearances with their G7 counterparts.

And speaking of Freeman: He was there to sign a science and tech colab deal with Japan, including on semiconductors, but risked a diplomatic incident when posing for a photo with his fellow (all female) science ministers. When the EU representative complained about being at the end of the line, Freeman said: “You aren’t a nation.”

LABOUR LAND

TIME MAG, FOR A CHANGE: Yasmeen Serhan interviewed Labour leader Keir Starmer for a profile for Time magazine — his first big sit-down with an international publication since becoming the opposition boss. “Working people want change,” he said of his missions for government. “They don’t want politicians talking about it. They don’t want false promises. They want it fixed. It’s a very simple thing for most families.”

First principles: Asked what “Starmerism” is, Starmer pointed to his determination to fight for what he believes in — which is kind of a strange credo. “Some people think that passion is only manifested by shouting and screaming,” he told Serhan. “For me, the passion and determination to change the country for the better runs very, very deep. And I think once people understand that, then they’ve got a much better sense of who I am.”

But but but: The most cut-the-crap assessment in the profile came from U.K. in a Changing Europe think tanker Anand Menon: “Sunak and Starmer are mirror images of each other,” he said. “There’s a technocratic feel about them. Neither of them feels viscerally political or able to connect with what voters are really interested in.”

So the question is … if it’s technocrat Sunak vs technocrat Starmer at the next election, will the desire for change be enough to get the Labour leader over the line?

Worth remembering: It’s surprising reading the profile that Starmer doesn’t brag more about his career achievements (or maybe he does but it doesn’t cut through). The list includes helping abolish the death penalty in the Caribbean and parts of Africa … working on the McLibel trial … opposing the Iraq war … and advising the Northern Ireland Policing Board on setting up a new force as part of the peace process.

LATEST NUMBERS: Labour is back up to a 17-point lead according to the latest polling from Savanta. It also includes good news for Starmer on the personal ratings and not-so-good news for Sunak.

TODAY AT NATCON

TAKING THE MIKE: It was the turn of Michael Gove to speak at the National Conservatism conference at the Emmanuel Center this afternoon, during which he appeared to confirm that the government will not scrap the leasehold home ownership model he’s branded “feudal” in the past. Asked about reports the government will back down on the pledge, Gove said he wanted to reduce leaseholds to “a homeopathic element in the U.K. property market.” Landowners will be pleased.

That was it: Gove didn’t reveal much else during his sit-down chat with the Telegraph’s Madeline Grant. “It’s his specialist talent of Political Just A Minute: talk for 45 mins with as much deviation and repetition as you want, but without creating any news at all,” said the Guardian’s Peter Walker, who has been adding to a must-read Twitter thread from the conference. Yesterday’s thread can be found here.

Speaking of Gove and housing: Playbook PM can confirm the rental reform bill will be introduced to parliament tomorrow, and will include the long-promised ban on no-fault evictions, while at the same time including more powers for landlords to evict tenants who are a genuine nuisance.

Earlier at NatCon: Anti-woke Conservative firebrand John Hayes (a close ally of Suella Braverman) decried “desiccated, hollowed-out, sugar-free conservatism deemed to be just about acceptable by our liberal masters,” according to PA. He added: “Too many conservatives opt out of conflict, instead seeking the approval of the very establishment which wants to grind them into the dust. No, we must look to a genuine, authentic, time-honored, true conservatism, free from the lonely individualism and selfish materialism of liberalism.” Factional politics, much?

NatCon throwback: Rishi Sunak rejected the claim from Conservative MP Danny Kruger that a conventional family, with the mother and father staying together for the sake of the children, is “the only basis for a safe and functioning society.” Kruger made the comments at the conference yesterday. Asked at the noon lobby briefing if the PM agreed, his spokesman said: “No.”

Kicking off on social media: No-one was impressed with commentator Douglas Murray suggesting the Nazis “mucked up” with that whole genocide thing. Just check out the quote tweets.

DRIVETIME DEBRIEF

NOT THE BEST LOOK: The Evening Standard splashes on the revelation that a businessman whose foreign firms were wrapped up in a global dirty money investigation is a big donor to the Conservatives. SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who secured an urgent question into the Javad Marandi case, told the Commons Britain “must not be a home for the world’s dirty money, but has become so under the Tories.” Labour MP and long-term financial crime campaigner Margaret Hodge added that if the allegations are true, “dirty money has well and truly crept into our politics.”

The government line: Home Office Minister Chris Philp defended current political donation rules, but refused to comment on the case while it’s ongoing.

SEASONAL SCOOP: It seems Home Secretary Suella Braverman lost her first Cabinet battle over immigration numbers. Less than 24 hours after she told a conference of Conservative cultists the U.K. should train its own fruit pickers, her colleague Food Secretary Thérèse Coffey told the food summit in Downing Street that the seasonal workers scheme will continue in 2024 with the same numbers as 2023 and on the usual timetable. The current number of annual visas is 45,000, after it was increased by 15,000 this year.

Tussle: One Defra mole told Playbook PM Braverman had been pushing behind the scenes to reduce the numbers coming into Britain on the scheme, and for applications to open later than usual, which could have harmed those who need help from January, such as daffodil farmers. “She’s impossible on this stuff,” the person complained. But it seems Braverman lost out this time.

And will continue to do so: Coffey’s predecessor George Eustice told PolHome’s Adam Payne the number of seasonal worker places will need to increase to 70,000 as more EU nationals leave the U.K. in the coming decades.

It gets worse: Anti-Brexit group Best for Britain spotted that the tweeted link for the now-defunct “pick for Britain website” — set up by the government in a desperate bid to entice seasonal workers back post-Brexit — redirects to a payday loan business.

LONG EVERYTHING: The government neglected to mention in its statements about the latest workforce stats this morning that the number of people not working due to long-term sickness hit a record high of more than 2.5 million. Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said it was “more evidence that this Tory government is a drag on Britain’s economy.”

Speaking of the world of work: PolHome’s Andrew Kersley revealed union membership among MPs’ staff has been surging like mad.

In unrelated news: Essex Police is investigating whip-less (former Conservative) MP Julian Knight over a “serious sex assault claim,” the Sun’s Noa Hoffman reported.

LEVELING UP LATEST: The government has scrapped plans to appoint 12 “levelling up directors” across the nations and regions of the U.K., PolHome’s Caitlin Doherty revealed.

Speaking of levelling up: Labour wants an independent investigation into the redevelopment of the Teesside steelworks following allegations of backroom deals involving local mayor Ben Houchen, which he denies.

Speaking of the regions: Conservative London mayoral hopeful Susan Hall announced endorsements for her bid from Justice Minister Mike Freer and backbencher Bob Blackman.

Speaking of the race: London Minister Paul Scully told the Standard he would step back from ministerial duties if he runs for London mayor, following pressure from the Lib Dems.

SOCIAL AFFAIRS

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Labour MP Jessica Morden took to Twitter to share a fond recollection of an eventful campaign visit some 22 years ago today.

AROUND THE WORLD

IN UKRAINE: The BBC reports Ukrainian capital Kyiv has been targeted by further Russian air attacks described by one official as “exceptional in density.” Ukraine said all 18 missiles were shot down, with footage showing air defenses destroying targets over the city. It comes as the BBC also reports the head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev was detained by Ukrainian prosecutors for allegedly taking bribes.

IN AUSTRALIA: Officials confirmed U.S. President Joe Biden will address the Australian parliament next week, the first U.S. president in nearly a decade to speak to a joint session of senators and MPs. The Guardian reports Biden’s speech is on May 23, a day before he attends the Quad summit in Sydney with the prime ministers of Australia, Japan and India.

IN HONG KONG: Books about the Tiananmen Square massacre have been removed from Hong Kong’s public libraries ahead of the 34th anniversary of the killings. The Guardian says Hong Kong media has reported an increased number of book and documentary removals since the clampdown on its pro-democracy movement.

IN AMERICA: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned “time is running out” to avert an economic catastrophe from failing to raise the debt ceiling. Bloomberg reports President Biden and congressional leaders have shown limited signs of economic agreement.

IN SOUTH AFRICA: African nations proposed a new initiative to help end Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Bloomberg says a delegation of African heads of state plan to travel to Moscow and Kyiv to present the plan as soon as possible.

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TONIGHT’S MEDIA ROUND

LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) looks at the doubling of food prices over the last year … BBC News at Six examines the food summit and the cost of food … Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) leads on a whistleblowing investigation about a culture of bullying in the Health Safety Investigation Bureau’s maternity program, also including an interview with former DEFRA Secretary George Eustice.

Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): GrowUp Farms Founder Kate Hofman (5.05 p.m.).

BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): National Grid Chief Strategy Officer Ben Wilson … Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales … Former DEFRA food czar Henry Dimbleby.

Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, 5 p.m.): Shadow DEFRA Minister Daniel Zeichner (5.05 p.m.) … Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (5.45 p.m.) … The New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe and the Sun on Sunday’s Kate Ferguson (both after 7 p.m.).

Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): George Eustice … Labour peer George Robertson … Former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield.

Jeremy Kyle Live (TalkTV, 7 p.m.): Former Labour adviser Mike Buckley.

Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC 8 p.m.): Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith … Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy … UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers … Barrister Charlotte Proudman.

First Edition (TalkTV, 10 p.m.): Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith … Institute for Public Policy Research Principal Research Fellow Chris Thomas.

News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Professor of European Union and Employment Law at the University of Cambridge Catherine Barnard (5.30 p.m.) … BookTastic Founder Rachael Rogan (6.45 p.m.).

REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: TalkTV (10 p.m.): Tory MP Bim Afolami and Labour’s Jess Phillips … Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Former Liz Truss Speechwriter Asa Bennett and journalist Julia Langdon.

WHERE TO FIND BOOZE IN WESTMINSTER TONIGHT

DIPLO DRINKS: The U.S. ambassador is hosting drinks at Winfield House with special guests, cast members from The Diplomat, who will take part in a Q&A. Invite needed.

PRIVATE PUBLIC EVENT: Think tank Public First is holding a spring drinks reception from 6 p.m. at the Old Queen Street Café. Invites needed.

HERE’S JOHNNY: Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth is speaking at a Policy in Practice reception in parliament at 6 p.m.

JAW JAW ABOUT WAR: Shadow Defense Secretary John Healey speaks at a drinks reception about British-German co-operation at the RUSI think tank from 6.30 p.m.

MORE DIPLO DRINKS: There’s a Conservative Friends of the Commonwealth reception in the Jubilee Room off Westminster Hall from 7.30 p.m., which numerous diplomats are expected to attend. Invite needed.

**Get daily updates from the highest health summit, the World Health Assembly, with POLITICO Pro’s Morning Health Care coverage. You’ll receive its flagship newsletter, your one-stop source for all the latest happenings in Geneva, from May 21 to 30. Register here. **

TOMORROW’S WORLD

DESTINATION, TOKYO: Rishi Sunak departs in the morning for the G7 summit in Japan. His interview with Farming Today will be broadcast on the show in the morning.

MR SHAPPS GOES TO WASHINGTON: Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps is in Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Jennifer Granholm, with transatlantic energy ties on the agenda. He’ll also be popping up at a U.S. nuclear industry event and giving an interview to the Atlantic Council think tank. Live stream here at 8 p.m. U.K. time.

FOR THE EARLIEST RISERS: Former PM Liz Truss delivers a speech at 3 a.m. London time to the Prospect Foundation think tank in Taiwan (stream here) before taking part in a panel discussion, then holding a press conference at 4.50 a.m. (stream here.) She has landed in Taiwan. Here are the pics to prove it.

ELECTRIC DREAMS: Transport Minister Jesse Norman gives evidence to the transport committee about e-scooters and self-driving cars at 9.30 a.m.

HUNTING FOR BUSINESS: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (9.40 a.m.) Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey (10.50 a.m.) and Labour leader Keir Starmer (3.20 p.m.) address the British Chambers of Commerce conference.

ROYAL RUMBLE: The home affairs committee discusses the coronation arrests with acting second Met commissioner Matt Twist (10 a.m.) and Republic boss Graham Smith (10.45 a.m.)

HUSH, HE’S SPEAKING: Conservative peer (and Commons MP hopeful) David Frost speaks at the National Conservatism Conference from 11 a.m. Tory Deputy Chair Lee Anderson speaks at 5.45 p.m.

IN THE COMMONS: Scotland questions kicks things off at 11.30 a.m. before Oliver Dowden covers for Rishi Sunak at PMQs and MPs hear the second reading of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill.

IN THE LORDS: It’s the second report stage of the Retained EU Law Bill.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

PACKED LUNCH OR PARL LUNCH: Subject to change, here are the lunch menus on the estate tomorrow: Bellamy’s: Soup and sandwiches … The Debate: Beef burger with cheese coleslaw; peri peri tempeh and rice with veg; lemongrass and ginger hake with peanut glass noodles and mint tea dressing … Terrace Cafeteria: Mussels and seaweed risotto; vegan mozzarella, zucchini and lentil cake with chimichurri dressing; lamb and potato madras with trimmings … River Restaurant: Vegetable lasagna with salad and garlic bread; smoked salmon, avocado and dill quiche with new potatoes; roast gammon with trimmings.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: On his Substack, John Oxley argues voting is the weakest method of making change in Britain, and sets out alternatives for how to win the ears of those in power. It’s interesting just for the illustration of how Westminster actually thinks and works.

THANKS TO: My editor Kate Day, Playbook reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.