Lucy Fisher

Farage misses out on Trump meeting as their relationship cools British populist politician aimed to reinforce his view about the UK’s Chagos Islands deal in conversation with US president

Farage misses out on Trump meeting as their relationship cools

w/ @annasophiegross.bsky.social & @joemillerjr.ft.com

www.ft.com/content/9391...

Thanks and great to hear!

Iran shock for Starmer Podcast Episode · Political Fix · 6 March · 35m

🚨 Iran shock for Starmer

The latest Political Fix has just dropped 🎙️ 📻🎧

This week @robertshrimsley.bsky.social, @greenmirandahere.bsky.social & Sam Fleming join to discuss war in the Middle East, the Spring forecast & the govt’s new immigration policy

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

China spying arrests raise awkward questions about Labour Party links Sir Keir Starmer’s government is trying to deepen economic ties with Beijing

More details here about David Taylor, and the awkward questions that the three arrests today — all of former Labour advisers — raises for the party

W/ @pickardje.bsky.social, @reporterrwright.ft.com & @samgadjones.bsky.social

ft.trib.al/Qi4bODx

👀 Labour MP Joani Reid said today that she was “not part of my husband’s business activities” after her spouse David Taylor was arrested on suspicion of spying for China

But her former company was loaned money (interest free and with no set repayment terms) by his companies

Honoured to be on the #WiW100 list alongside such a talented group of women across Westminster

Thanks to @thehousemag.bsky.social for a great party last night with so many top journalists, politicians, mandarins & campaigners

Green grief for Starmer: by-election special Green Party beats out Reform UK in ‘the ‘worst possible outcome’ for Labour

Green grief for Starmer 💚🥀

The Political Fix by-election special has dropped

@georgewparker.bsky.social, @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social & @annasophiegross.bsky.social join to discuss the prospects for Polanski’s party, fallout for Labour, & what results mean for Reform

www.ft.com/content/75ec...

UK has slipped from being Nato’s third biggest spender on defence proportionally in 2021… to 12th place last year

MoD revised forecasts were uncovered via PQs by Tory shad defsec James Cartlidge

They highlight ‘gaping chasm between Labour’s defence spending rhetoric and reality’, he says

Changes reflect fluctuations in estimates of size of UK economy in 2027-28, rather than alteration to govt cash settlement for MoD

BUT is at odds with PM’s pledge this month to ‘go faster’ on funding rise for military

& marks contrast w/ European allies accelerating major cash uplifts for defence

UK military spending set to account for smaller share of GDP in 2027-28 [FREE TO READ] Changes are in stark contrast with rearmament push by European allies in face of growing geopolitical tensions

EXC: UK spending on armed forces and materiel is set to account for a smaller share of GDP than estimated last year

Govt spending on ‘core’ defence in 2027-28 will be just 2.13%, acc to MOD figures this month

Figure revised down from 2.2% that was forecast last Sep

as.ft.com/r/ddbad600-0...

Home Office denies report is being shelved and says it will be published 'in due course' and, regardless of timing, will receive a formal govt response

Govt figure also claims no decision taken on whether to publish Fisher review or fraud strategy first

Official says report contains recommendations tricky for govt to implement (eg on increasing max sentences) and conclusions (incl around jury trials) that may be viewed as unhelpful for govt

Fisher says he'd understood his report would be published before other govt policy documents on fraud

Leading barrister Jonathan Fisher KC submitted his report on fraud offences in the digital age to Home Sec back in December

But ministers are unlikely to publish it before rolling out their fraud strategy next month, and may not publish it at all, acc to official familiar with matter

UK government accused of shelving fraud report Recommendations in independent review include doubling the maximum sentence to 20 years

EXC: Home Office accused of shelving an independent report into prosecuting fraud that includes recommendations tricky for govt to implement - including doubling the maximum sentence for the offence

w/ Alistair Gray and Suzi Ring

www.ft.com/content/6626...

BUT could MoD record-keeping undermine attempts to unveil truth?

Officials say the RAF routinely destroys passenger manifests after 3 months, and daily air traffic control movement sheets (detailing aircraft tail number or radio callsign) are usually only retained for c.2 years

Labour chair of the House of Commons defence select committee @tandhesi.bsky.social said “MoD must reveal what they know”.

Tory shadow defsec James Cartlidge said “Anything else relating to Epstein must be disclosed, esp if there is any chance that he used RAF bases for his own private flights.”

Jet linked to Epstein landed at RAF base in 2013, documents show MPs urge Ministry of Defence to publish any information it has about the use of air bases by the convicted sex offender

EXC: An RAF airport was used by a private plane linked to Jeffrey Epstein as late as 2013, DoJ files show

Pressure is growing on MoD to reveal info on Epstein use of military airbases

w/ @reporterrwright.ft.com

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Not this week as we recorded last night!

Farage against the machine Podcast Episode · Political Fix · 20 February · 37m

Farage against the machine

On Political Fix this week, @annasophiegross.bsky.social, @robertshrimsley.bsky.social & @stephenkb.bsky.social discuss whether Reform can broaden its appeal

Plus: local elxn delay u-turn, fresh Chagos drama, & battles ahead on SEND

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

Three people reached out to the Cabinet Office due diligence team, after Lord Simon McDonald tried to contact No 10 last week, FT told

CO said allegations were thoroughly investigated at the time and found Romeo had 'no case to answer'

Some officials say she's been the victim of a smear campaign

Concerns were raised with Cabinet Office before Antonia Romeo appointment Three individuals contacted Whitehall over past conduct after former consul emerged as cabinet secretary frontrunner

EXC: Four people with knowledge of the 2017 investigation into alleged bullying by Dame Antonia Romeo raised concerns about her with govt this month, ahead of her appointment as cabinet secretary today

www.ft.com/content/bee4...

Mandarin mayhem Podcast Episode · Political Fix · 13/02/2026 · 31m

Mandarin mayhem!

Latest episode of Political Fix has just dropped

Feat @stephenkb.bsky.social @greenmirandahere.bsky.social & @chris-smyth.bsky.social

This week we discuss the Whitehall briefing wars, gender politics in No 10, & if govt will lurch leftward

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

Exc: Ministers and civil servants have been told to report any future conversations with Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson, in latest fallout from his ties to Epstein

From @pickardje.bsky.social, @aarmstrongsays.bsky.social & me

Starmer urged to go slow on replacing ousted head of civil service Several ex-mandarins say full process should take place rather than swift appointment of frontrunner Romeo

The battle of the mandarins rumbles on

Starmer is facing pressure to conduct a full process to appoint next cab sec, amid warnings a rush job will undermine winner - even from supporters of Antonia Romeo

Former cab sec Lord Wilson, and raft of ex-perm secs speak to FT

www.ft.com/content/43e9...

Starmer set to call for multinational defence initiative to cut cost of rearmament UK prime minister expected to push the idea of enhanced co-operation at the Munich Security Conference

EXC: Starmer is set to call for new multinational defence initiative, which could finance & oversee joint weapons procurement, driving down cost of rearmament

PM will use Munich Security Conference to make the case for the new mechanism

w/ Sam Fleming

www.ft.com/content/28e1...

Thanks!

Mandelson, money - and the risk to the prime minister Podcast Episode · Political Fix · 06/02/2026 · 34m

Latest episode of POLITICAL FIX has just dropped...

Mandelson, money - and the risk to the prime minister

Feat @PickardJE, @stephenkb & @AArmstrong_says

Available here, or wherever you get your podcasts 📻🎧

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

- the failure to disclose critical security assessments during the public inquiry amounts to a procedural unfairness

- decision was improperly influenced by “immaterial considerations”, including broader criteria regarding UK-Chinese relations and UK embassy in Beijing

Royal Mint Court Residents Association set out five grounds on which they believe approval shd be overturned, incl:

- approval is legally flawed because protocols around diplomatic inviolability make it impossible to enforce the safety conditions

Neighbours of proposed Chinese ‘mega’ embassy seek judicial review Residents of properties with Beijing-owned freehold set out legal arguments

EXC: Residents living next to China’s proposed “mega” embassy in London have taken the first formal step in pursuit of a judicial review of govt’s approval for the diplomatic complex

www.ft.com/content/c5ca...