Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Ministers tried to focus today on getting things done for the people. Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, announced that he would cap ground rents for leaseholders at £250 a year. Dan Tomlinson, the Treasury minister, announced a 15 per cent discount on business rates for pubs and music venues for three years. 

There were quibbles. The leasehold reform seems a fair compromise, but the legislation for it is still some years away. The relief for pubs seems small beer – or else Rachel Reeves would have come to the Commons to announce it herself – and may create some interesting incentives: will cafes get a guitarist in and claim to be music venues?   

But Andy Burnham distracted journalists from these attempts to improve people's lives by escalating his feud with the prime minister, claiming it was "untrue" that No 10 had warned him in advance that his bid to return to parliament would be blocked. 

And 50 Labour MPs joined what I called a destructive and self-indulgent protest on his behalf. 

Who was the last British prime minister who went to Cambridge University?

Answer at the bottom of today's email 

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Voters should be able to use the existing recall system to force by-elections on MPs who change parties mid-parliament

Reform UK in November 2019 

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Quiz answer: Stanley Baldwin, prime minister 1923-24, 1924-29 and 1935-37

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