London Playbook PM: Two-speech Starmer

Good afternoon. This is Andrew McDonald, savoring the train back from Liverpool with assists from Noah Keate in London.
— Keir Starmer just made his second big speech in two days — this time at the United Nations.
— The PM hit out at Russia and called for a cease-fire in Lebanon as the situation rapidly deteriorates.
— Labour conference voted to reverse Starmer’s winter fuel cuts. The vote was non-binding, but the anger is real.
— Michael Gove is the new editor of the Spectator.
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TWO DAYS, TWO SPEECHES: Keir Starmer took aim at Russia and made a plea for the violence to end in Lebanon and Gaza — as he delivered his second big speech in two days, this time in New York.
Taking aim: Addressing the U.N. Security Council, of which Russia is one of five permanent members, Starmer said he doesn’t know how the country can show its face at the U.N. after treating its own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder.” He branded the Ukraine invasion the “greatest violation” of the U.N. charter in a generation. Foreign Secretary David Lammy sat to his side as the PM addressed world leaders.
MAKING HIS MARK: Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for the world to act and support Ukraine in his own speech to the U.N. General Assembly. He laid into “half-hearted settlement plans” for giving Russian President Vladimir Putin too much leeway.
THE PM THEN MOVED ON TO: The hot-button issue of the day: intensifying rocket fire between Israel and Hezbollah which is bringing the Middle East ever closer to all-out conflict. Starmer’s already told British nationals in Lebanon to “leave immediately.” 
He called for … an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza — including the release of Israeli hostages (no gaffe this time) — plus a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. With little new language, the PM urged the Security Council to press for “a political route to that agreement.”
But but but: It doesn’t look like anyone in the Middle East is listening to urgent pleas from the U.K.’s new leader.
On the ground: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a meeting of his security cabinet a little after this email hits your inbox, and just before he flies to the U.N. General Assembly. His spokesperson said the country favors a diplomatic solution “but we have tried for a diplomatic resolution for eleven and a half months.” At least 51 people have been killed and 223 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Lebanese officials told local media. Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad told Sky “we are already at war” and accused Israel of trying to create a “state of panic and terror.” The U.N. said more than 90,000 people have been displaced since Monday.
One to watch: Israel’s military called up two additional reserves battalions to the northern border with Lebanon for “operational missions” in the area.
Oh and another massive crisis on the PM’s radar: Starmer called on both parties in the war in Sudan to commit to a cease-fire. “This is now the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today, and the worst displacement crisis, with over 10 million people driven from their homes,” he warned.
ALSO JUST BREAKING: A barrel load of post-Labour conference Starmer interviews with broadcasters have just dropped. Here’s a quick run-through of the best lines — all of which you’ll see on television and radio screens near you shortly.
On not being gloomy: The PM told the BBC it is “not right” to say his language in recent weeks has been talking the country down — after economists including Andy Haldane had a go and suggested the whole black hole thing is generating “fear and foreboding” among investors. Starmer pushed back: “We have to have an accurate diagnosis of what the problem is, and then our job is to say, what are we going to do about it?”
On being unpopular: Starmer — whose popularity has taken a massive hit in recent weeks — also told the BBC he isn’t fussed about being unpopular. Clip here.
On winter fuel: The Labour conference motion reversing the winter fuel allowance cuts — more on all that below — “doesn’t dictate government policy,” Starmer told Channel 4 News, as he defended his “difficult decision.”
On the budget: In his Channel 4 interview, Starmer also hinted that Rachel Reeves might have found more space to borrow in her October budget — as he talked up the importance of “borrowing to invest.” He didn’t deny Gary Gibbon’s suggestion that the government might have found more scope to borrow.
And on migration: People who are worried about immigration are “absolutely not far right”, Starmer told GB News’ Chris Hope — as he suggested he agrees that migration into the U.K. is too high. He promised to cut net migration, but didn’t wanna put a number on it. 
Earlier in the day: Starmer faced questions about his use of Labour peer and mega donor Waheed Ali’s £18 million penthouse, which was initially revealed by the Telegraph last week. He told the Today program — in an interview recorded yesterday and broadcast this morning — that he had promised his son a quiet place to study for his GCSEs away from the hacks loitering outside his house.
But there’s more: Guido has done some digging and worked out that Starmer used Alli’s penthouse for a Christmas video message during the pandemic, in December 2021. In the video, Starmer called on Brits to get jabbed, wear masks and work from home while … not working from home. The Tories have just fired out a release with some questions on all this, including a quote popping off at the PM for not being “honest about passing off someone else’s house as his own.”
WINTER, DISCONTENT: Labour conference fruitlessly voted to reverse the government’s cuts to winter fuel, in a final act of defiance against Keir Starmer as delegates headed home.
Carried: Playbook PM was in the room as the Unite union-tabled motion — which is non-binding, obvs — was carried after a raising of hands in the conference room. The show of hands was actually relatively tight, and a handful of angry members called for a proper card vote to no avail.
Introducing the motion … was Unite boss Sharon Graham — who delivered arguably the punchiest speech of the conference as she hit out at Starmer for taking away the universal winter fuel allowance while “leaving the super-rich untouched.” It was a shame — for everyone except the Labour leadership — that most of conference had already gone home when Graham delivered her lightning-quick address.
Barnstormer: “Friends, people simply do not understand, I do not understand, how our new Labour government can cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and leave the super-rich untouched,” Graham said — in a speech that quoted the 1945 Labour manifesto … hit out at Rachel Reeves’ fiscal rules … and called for a wealth tax. “This is not what people voted for. It’s the wrong decision and it needs to be reversed,” she said. The small army of union activists watching on loved that stuff, and both they and the hall gave her multiple standing ovations. Graham was wearing a “defend the winter fuel payment” t-shirt.
Hitting back: Responding on the BBC’s Politics Live, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government doesn’t “have the luxury of ducking the difficult choices and decisions.” He added: “I’m not sure we were ever going to persuade Sharon.”
It might help, honest: Also speaking to the BBC — on its World at One show — Welfare Minister Stephen Timms argued that over time the winter fuel cut may reduce pensioner poverty, since it is encouraging eligible pensioners to claim pension credit. The problem with that is that around 800,000 pensioners who are eligible are still yet to claim the benefit.
But either way: The hoo-hah underlines Graham and Unite’s key leadership role in the leftie resistance to Starmer within Labour — after a quiet conference for the increasingly marginalized Socialist Campaign Group. Other potential critics to the left of the leadership are keeping a close eye on Reeves’ budget next month as they prepare to be critical if needed.
ALSO AT CONFERENCE: Streeting bigged up the whole NHS “reform or die” thing again in his keynote speech … Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced that extra school-based nursery places will begin opening next year … and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall insisted that Labour has done more to help pensioners over the last two months than the Tories did in 14 years — despite the winter fuel cut.
COMING AND GOVING: Michael Gove is coming in as the new editor of the Spectator — as Paul Marshall’s new regime starts to take effect. The Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner got the scoop this afternoon, with Freddie Sayers (CEO of Marshall’s media company) confirming the story with a statement on X. Fraser Nelson is leaving after 15 years as editor, while Thatcher-lover Charles Moore will become the new chairman. Nelson penned an article here on the move for the mag’s website.
The move marks … the first big public statement of intent from Marshall — of GB News, former Lib Dem and controversial tweets fame, innit — since his £100 million pound purchase of the magazine earlier this month. And it marks a pretty big shift in direction, replacing the popular Nelson with the Tory big beast who has a reputation as a bit of a schemer. All eyes now are on how the new regime will shake things up — and how a Gove-edited Spectator will treat the Conservative leadership race and his former protégé Kemi Badenoch.
Official: Gove’s former cabinet colleague Eric Pickles — now heading up ACOBA — has just cleared Gove to take on the job. So it’s happening.
SLAMMERS SLAMMED: Dozens of prisoners were accidentally released early under the government’s scheme to free up space on the prison estate, Ministry of Justice “sources” tell the Mirror.
HONEYTRAP UPDATE: A Labour member who was arrested in connection with the Westminster honeytrap scandal has had his police bail extended to late November, the Met Police confirm to my colleague Dan Bloom. The man in his 20s was arrested in Islington in June on suspicion of harassment and committing offenses under the Online Safety Act. No charges have yet been brought. 
SUNLIT UPLANDS: The OECD said the U.K. economy was set to grow by 1.1 percent this year, up by 0.7 percentage points from its last update in May. The revision is the largest for any G7 economy this year with the OECD also expecting U.K. growth to be 0.2 percentage points higher next year at 1.2 percent. POLITICO’s James Fitzgerald has a write-up.
NOT REEDING THE ROOM: Environment Secretary Steve Reed faced criticism for accepting £1,786 in tickets and hospitality from bosses linked to CK Hutchison Holdings in December 2023 to attend a football match. The company owns 75 per cent of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, the owner of Northumbrian Water, which spilt sewage into England’s waterways for 280,000 hours in 2023. The details come from the register of members’ financial interests, and the Telegraph has a full writeup.
Right of reply: A government spokesman said: “This story is complete nonsense. Steve has taken the toughest action against water companies of any minister in decades.”
STAYING DOWN UNDER: Only 23,000 people came to the U.K. last year to work as part of a British youth mobility scheme according to Home Office data obtained by the Guardian.
**Be part of the conversation at the Financial Services UK Summit, happening November 28. Gain insights into the future of financial policy and regulation in the City of London, with high-impact discussions and debates. Secure your spot now!**
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.: An interim Senate report found sweeping failures by the Secret Service that allowed a gunman to carry out an assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania in July. The bipartisan report accused the Secret Service of “failing to clearly lay out responsibilities or plan security.” POLITICO D.C. Playbook colleagues have the rundown.
FROM CHINA: An intercontinental ballistic missile was launched into the Pacific Ocean in what appeared to be China’s first public test for four decades. Bloomberg has more.
IN GERMANY: The leaders of Germany’s Greens, Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour, will step down following poor election results which saw the party crash out of Brandenburg’s state parliament in eastern Germany Sunday. More from my colleagues Nette Nöstlinger and Jürgen Klöckner.
LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) and BBC News at Six both lead on escalation in Lebanon … as does Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) which has interviews with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, until 7 p.m.): Former U.K. Permanent Representative to the U.N. Mark Lyall Grant … Israeli Embassy in London spokesperson Orly Goldschmidt … the Sun on Sunday’s Kate Ferguson and the Mirror’s Mikey Smith (both 6 p.m.).
BBC PM (Radio 4, 5 p.m.): Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband (5.10 p.m.). 
News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Amnesty MENA’s Deputy Regional Director Aya Majzoub (5.45 p.m.). 
Iain Dale (LBC, 7 p.m.): Tory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch phone-in (9 p.m. until 10 p.m.). 
Farage (GB News, 7 p.m.): Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng … former Labour MP Denis MacShane.
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Former U.K. Ambassador to Iran Rob Macaire … Tory peer Ed Vaizey … RMT General Secretary Mike Lynch.
Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Former Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale … former Tory Chair Greg Hands … the Telegraph’s Liam Halligan … broadcaster Christina Patterson.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation (GB News, 8 p.m.): Former Tory MP John Redwood. 
Peston (9 p.m. on Twitter, 10.45 p.m. on ITV): Keir Starmer … Green Co-Leader Carla Denyer … Kwasi Kwarteng … GMB Union General Secretary Gary Smith.
Patrick Christys Tonight (GB News, 9 p.m.): Reform UK MP Lee Anderson.
TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: George Mann.
REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): Journalist Julia Langdon and Talk’s Peter Cardwell … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire and the Telegraph’s Annabel Denham. 
NOT HERE BUT: U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the White House. It looks like Zelenskyy won’t be meeting Donald Trump while in the States.
Also at UNGA: Benjamin Netanyahu will address the U.N. General Assembly.
CONGRATS TO … living legends Aggie Chambre and Dan Bloom on their nomination for Investigation of the Year at the Society of Editors Media Freedom Awards — following their agenda-setting POLITICO scoop on the Westminster honeytrap scandal. The full list of nominees is here.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: New Lib Dem MP Steff Aquarone has a really nice piece on his first impressions of Westminster — and a parliament “built for boozing and back-stairs power” rather than serious decision-making — after two months.
ON THIS DAY IN POLITICS: The Hutton Inquiry into the death of weapons expert Dr. David Kelly heard its final arguments on this day in 2003.
WRITING PLAYBOOK TOMORROW MORNING: Stefan Boscia.
THANKS TO: My editor Matt Honeycombe-Foster, reporter Noah Keate and the POLITICO production team for making it look nice.
**A message from Google: AI could add £400bn to the UK economy by 2030, but only if we act now. We’re excited to share a new report, ‘Unlocking the UK’s AI Potential’, which outlines the steps we can take together to make Britain a global AI leader. This includes investing in critical AI infrastructure, equipping workers with essential skills, and promoting responsible AI adoption across all sectors. The report recommends a National Research Cloud to boost computing capacity, and a National Skills Service to train the workforce of the future. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow our economy, create new jobs, and drive breakthroughs in health and science. Let’s work together to drive economic growth in the UK with AI. Learn more: goo.gle/uk-ai-opportunity-keyword.**
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