From DC to Doncaster — BoJo honors day? — 60 is the new 80 – POLITICO

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: Former U.S. President Donald Trump was charged over his handling of classified documents after he left the White House, and was summoned to a federal court on Tuesday. Trump — who is the favorite to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — broke the news himself on his Truth Social network and wrote that it was “a dark day for the United States of America.”

Another first: This is the first-ever federal indictment of a former U.S. president — but the exact nature of the charges is unclear as they remain under seal. My Stateside colleagues have the full story.

When the story broke: Rishi Sunak was mid-flight on his way back from the U.S., where he had opted not to seek a meeting with Trump this week.

Good Friday morning. This is Eleni Courea. Rosa Prince will kick things off next week.

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DRIVING THE DAY

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO A DONCASTER RACECOURSE: Rishi Sunak is about touch down in London after two hectic days in Washington, D.C. — and will spend a couple of hours in Downing Street before heading north to a gathering of Red Wall Tory MPs.

Having just spent 48 hours with top U.S. politicians including Joe Biden … the PM will address the Northern Research Group conference in Doncaster, which features panel discussions on post-16 skills and east-west rail. Talk about coming back to earth.

Before he took off: Sunak was interviewed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who asked him what his relationship with Trump would be like. The PM insisted that the “special relationship” between the U.K. and U.S. endured “regardless of almost who is sitting in these various jobs, and that’s because the values between our two countries are so aligned that we see the world instinctively in the same way.”

Hmm: Pressed on Trump’s equivocal comments on the war in Ukraine (he’s refused to say whether Ukraine should win), Sunak said that “obviously, it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on domestic politics here” but that he had detected “strong support for the efforts that America is putting in to support Ukraine” at his meetings with both Republicans and Democrats. The interview, conducted at Blair House, aired at 2 a.m. U.K. time. — here’s CNN’s write-up.

Phew: On the plane home the PM will have been prepping to swap all that for questions on things like the Levelling Up Bill. My colleague Esther Webber, who’s been on the trip, says Sunak changed into tracksuit bottoms and a Soulcycle sweatshirt during the flight — but wasn’t exactly in relaxation mode as he was clutching a binder of documents.

What they will have contained: The PM is due to address the NRG conference at 3.20 p.m. Other things on the agenda include the unveiling of the “Northern Manifesto” by NRG Chair John Stevenson (11 a.m.) … “fireside chat” with former Chancellor George Osborne (11.15 a.m.) … closing remarks by former Tory Chair (and Sunak critic) Jake Berry (3.40 p.m.).

Other top Tories lined up to speak: Education Secretary Gillian Keegan … Security Minister Tom Tugendhat … Rail Minister Huw Merriman … Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison … Environment Minister Trudy Harrison … and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.

Worth noting: Sunak’s decision to forego sleep and head to Doncaster feels like a pointed message to these jittery Red Wall MPs, who were up in arms this time last year when Boris Johnson ditched plans to address their inaugural NRG conference. To be fair to Johnson, he was paying a surprise visit to Ukraine in solidarity after Russia’s invasion — but that did nothing to ingratiate him to his mutinous colleagues. (He was forced to resign weeks later).

Fast-forward to today: One leading NRG MP told Playbook the group’s mood was currently “bullish” and added: “The number of MPs and ministers attending shows that the north is high on the government’s agenda and that we are being listened to.”

Capturing the Tory zeitgeist: NRG founder Jake Berry plans to tell Sunak to “blow up Blobonomics” and break up the “Oxbridge PPE clique” who promote it. The Times’ Geri Scott writes up a trail of his speech. Berry also makes his case in an article for Times Red Box.

Northern blob: The Institute for Government has a timely report on the relocation of parts of the civil service to Darlington, which concludes it is proving beneficial for government — but shouldn’t be thought of as a main plank of leveling up. Around 80 percent of staff on the Darlington Economic Campus have been recruited from the north of England and 20 percent have relocated from London. The FT writes it up.

One theme bubbling in the background: For the NRG, championing the leveling up agenda isn’t just a point of principle but politics — the group argues that it’s the key to winning northern seats that are in turn integral to a Tory election victory.

The question is … do Tory strategists agree or will they be focusing on shoring up support in Lib Dem-facing constituencies in an attempt to recreate David Cameron’s narrow 2015 election victory?

MEANWHILE IN SW1: Boris Johnson’s trimmed-down and long-awaited resignation honors list could be published as soon as today, the Times reports in a p2 story.

… BUT THERE’S A CATCH: A Whitehall source tells Steve Swinford and Lara Spirit that there has been an eleventh-hour decision to take Nadine Dorries and Alok Sharma off it, to swerve the prospect of two damaging by-elections in a few months. A “source familiar with the process” tells the Times that Dorries and Sharma had been “resubmitted” for vetting and would be granted peerages at a later date … which is pretty convenient. The Lib Dems have been talking up their chances in Dorries’ seat to the Telegraph.

Also taken off the list: Boris’ dad Stanley Johnson after No. 10 objected. A government source tells the Times “it would have just looked terrible.”

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP UPDATE

SCOOP — SUPER SPAD TURNS AI ADVISER: Rounding off a week of AI diplomacy, Playbook hears Downing Street has appointed “super-SpAd” and entrepreneur Henry De Zoete as artificial intelligence adviser to Sunak and his deputy Oliver Dowden. One person familiar with the appointment told Playbook de Zoete would help organize the AI summit the U.K. is hosting in the fall. The story was confirmed by No. 10 — de Zoete will keep his current role as a non-executive director in the Cabinet Office and is a civil service appointee rather than a political one.

More on this guy: De Zoete is a former education SpAd who worked for Michael Gove alongside Dominic Cummings, before quitting aged 32 to found a startup (more in the Standard). Together with Will Hodson, he pitched an energy cost-fighting company that ended up being one of the most successful deals in the history of “Dragon’s Den.” They wrote about it here.

OVER IN THE STATES: Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have been having a bit of a love-in — after they spent 40 minutes talking one-on-one and another 40 minutes with their aides, they held a joint press conference at the White House where there was a lot of mutual backslapping. To the delight of No. 10, Biden bigged up the U.K.’s overtures on AI, said that Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was “very qualified” to run NATO and generally spoke warmly of British leadership.

The ultimate age-gap relationship: Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have been trying to make a virtue of the conspicuous generational divide between them, Esther Webber and Eli Stokols write in their fun wrap of Sunak’s trip. If anything, Sunak’s deference to Biden based on his experience has endeared him somewhat to the octogenarian president, according to multiple U.S. officials.

Sage advice: Sunak told CNN: “I find that President Biden’s experience is incredibly helpful, particularly on issues like China. I think there are, you know, few leaders anywhere who have spent as much time talking to President Xi,” he said. Similarly, a No. 10 official said Biden sees in Sunak someone to “carry on the mantle” of defending their common values. And despite two changes in its leadership in the past 12 months, the U.K. has remained at the forefront of nations supporting Ukraine, coming second in total financial support only to the United States.

Of course: It’s not just views on Russia and China that the pair have in common — but also the need to guard against blond tormentors in their domestic political scene. While U.K. government officials insist they are not worried about the prospect of a second Trump presidency in the U.S., Sunak’s bipartisan congressional meetings appear to have been designed with an eye on building connections beyond the White House.

Luckily for Sunak: Biden feels like investing time getting to know him. Of the three British prime ministers he’s dealt with as president, Sunak’s temperament seems best-matched to the U.S. president, who perhaps didn’t appreciate Johnson’s clownish persona and laddish cracks about taking off their shirts at the G7.

It was not all a success story: The whole trip was tightly controlled to a fault, with no unscripted moments to capture headlines — a common feature of Johnson’s forays abroad and David Cameron’s before him. “It’s both his strength and his weakness,” admitted another No. 10 aide. Sunak and Biden are both keenly aware they are running out of time to leave a mark as memorable as their predecessors.

80 IS THE NEW 50 … BUT 60 IS THE NEW 90: At the same time as it spins Biden’s age of 80 as a virtue, No. 10 apparently hopes to turn Keir Starmer’s age — 60 — into a political attack line. Katy Balls writes in her Times column today that as a 43-year-old Stanford grad Sunak thinks he’s well-placed to lead the charge on AI in a way that Starmer isn’t. “A lot of people are worried about the future and AI. Starmer is old. Rishi gets it,” a senior government figure tells her. Presumably the Tories are mocking up attack ads where the Labour leader is asking his kids to help him log onto online banking.

What Playbook enjoyed reading: The Times’ Anna Murphy on Sunak’s sartorial failures during this trip including his decision to gift Biden a custom “Mr President” Barbour jacket.

Also fun: After Sunak shied away from the baseball pitch and told anyone who’d listen that “they should put a bat in my hand, that’s more my thing,” Biden actually gave him a bat. His gift to the PM was a cricket set.

PLANET BORIS

JUNE IS ABOUT TO GET HOTTER: A full 14 months after it was launched, the Commons privileges committee’s probe into Boris Johnson’s Partygate statements is drawing to a close. After the Times revealed the committee has handed Johnson its findings and given him two weeks to consider them, the Tel’s Chris Hope says they’ll be put to a Commons vote on June 29. The committee will rule on whether Johnson was in contempt of parliament — and how long he should be suspended for if he was.

Quick refresh: A suspension of 10 days or more would almost inevitably trigger a by-election … and suspension of less than that would mean Johnson swerves one.

So which will it be? A close confidante of Johnson’s tells the Tel that the committee is “successfully keeping its deliberations secret.” More as we get it.

What Playbook wants to know: The committee’s recommendation will be voted on by the whole Commons and the Times reported in March that Sunak would give Tory MPs a free vote on Johnson’s future — but which way will the PM himself vote?

The other question is: What the government will do if Labour amends the motion to impose a longer punishment than the committee has recommended — a point made by the Tel and the Mail.

As for those diary entries recently handed by the Cabinet Office to police: The Times reports they only “slightly” delayed the privileges committee’s deliberations. The Telegraph says the committee decided not to consider them.

What the public thinks: An overwhelming proportion of voters — 85 percent — think Johnson lied about breaching lockdown rules, according to YouGov polling out today. That breaks down into the 56 percent of people who think BoJo lied and should be held accountable, and the 29 percent who think he lied but that we should all move on.

LABOUR LAND

BEATING THE GREENS IN BRIGHTON? Caroline Lucas’ decision to stand down from parliament at the next election means Labour is eyeing up her seat (after all, in a hung parliament situation every seat counts). A Labour official tells Playbook today that some local members have been talking up trans comedian Eddie Izzard — who grew up nearby in Bexhill and campaigned for Labour in Brighton ahead of this year’s local elections — as a potential candidate.

SPEAKING OF GREEN-NESS: The i paper’s Paul Waugh digs into suggestions that Keir Starmer has cooled on his own promise to spend £28bn a year on green infrastructure projects.

Blame game: Waugh speaks to senior figures who — instead of blaming Ed Miliband — say Rachel Reeves failed to anticipate the dangers when she unveiled the plan at Labour conference in 2021. “It’s almost as if they thought we could get away with quietly announcing a massive increase in borrowing and no one would notice,” a frontbencher tells him. “It was obvious that the Tories would one day badge it as “Labour’s borrowing bombshell.”

Mili-spin: For his part Miliband has been “shrewdly reframing” the policy to emphasize how it will generate good new jobs, Waugh writes.

The bottom line: A senior Labour figure tells Waugh that if there’s any conflict between the green investment plan and the fiscal rules, “the fiscal rules will come first.”

PURGE CHAT: Michael Crick has an interesting take on Starmer’s purge of the Labour left for Unherd. Selections have been conducted with such ruthlessless that perceived leftists are excluded for the most tenuous-sounding reasons (or sometimes no stated reason at all) — Crick hears of one case where someone’s transgression was liking a tweet in which Nicola Sturgeon said she’d tested negative for COVID.

WHOOPS: Labour is handing back some of the donations it got in the first quarter of 2023 after they were revealed as problematic. The Times and the Mail report that Davide Serra, who gave Labour £100,000 in February, was ordered to pay a female colleague in a harassment tribunal. The party said it would return his donations.

And another one: Labour has said it will return a £16,000 donation from Ian Rosenblatt, who founded a law company which has represented a sanctioned Russian bank. The party has demanded the Tories return all donations from anyone who “made money from Russia.” The Telegraph has a write-up.

POINT OF HONOR: Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for honors rules to be reformed so her constituent Rob Burrow and fellow MND campaigner Kevin Sinfield can be knighted, the Mirror’s Ben Glaze reports. Both got honors in 2021 which bar them from being recognized again until several years have passed.

TWITTER DING-DONG: Tory Chair Greg Hands boasted that CCHQ has sold 500 pair of its Keir Starmer “flip-flops” in two months … Labour hit back that more than 500 mortgage deals have been pulled in the last few weeks. Mortgage chaos splashes the Times.

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POLICY CORNER

BIG WINDFALL TAX NEWS: The government is planning to scale back its windfall tax on oil and gas producers’ profits to boost investment in the North Sea, the Financial Times reports. Jeremy Hunt is planning to introduce a “floor” on the levy so that it only kicks in if oil and gas prices trade above a certain level, according to the story. Plans to do this were mooted before but shelved.

How low will they go? Unclear according to the FT, which speaks to an industry source who says the sector would like to see the floor set at around 120 percent of the long-term average price.

It comes as: Minister Gareth Davies and Treasury officials are due to meet the oil and gas industry on Friday at a forum in Aberdeen.

PATEL POLICY JUNKED: Ministers are dismantling a key part of Priti Patel’s Nationality and Borders Act (one of the government’s earlier attempts to deal with Channel crossings). The Home Office said it would not longer treat people who arrived by irregular means — like Channel crossings — differently from other asylum seekers. It’s expected to help cut the asylum backlog by speedily processing around 55,000 claims. The Guardian has a front-page write-up. The Sun’s Natasha Clark picks up backlash from some Tory backbenchers — one tells her “the consequences of this will be phenomenal. We don’t know the security status of any of these people.”

On top of that: The policy of approving the claims of asylum seekers from certain countries without a face-to-face interview is being extended to cover 12,000 more people. The Telegraph has backlash to that from a senior Tory MP who calls it a “de facto amnesty.”

ESSENTIAL LISTENING: This week on Westminster Insider, host Ailbhe Rea has the ultimate guide to Rishi Sunak’s fateful promise to “stop the boats.” She dives inside how and why these crossings have shot to the top of the PM’s to-do list with the help of pollster Scarlett Maguire, disgruntled Tory MP Matt Warman, immigration lawyer Colin Yeo, former head of the UK Border Force Tony Smith and an asylum seeker who’s made that crossing himself, Ali.  

Warning to Rishi: Warman — the MP for East Midlands constituency Boston and Skegness, which is far from the Kent coast — explains that the asylum backlog and overspill into hotels in his constituency means this is the “No. 1” issue for his voters going into the next election. “A lot of people are saying to me, I’ve voted Conservative all my life, or I certainly voted conservative last time round. But if you don’t get a grip on this issue in particular, I’m going to think very seriously about who I vote for next time round.”

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES: Approvals to build new homes collapsed to their lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, government figures showed on Thursday — after ministers ditched plans for mandatory housing targets late last year. The Times has a write-up.

HUNTING FOR CUTS: The i’s Jane Merrick reports that Jeremy Hunt’s officials when he was health secretary blocked requests for PPE in the years before the pandemic due to austerity. Heather Hallett, the COVID-19 inquiry Chair, will scrutinize the Hunt’s time in the Department of Health when full hearings start next week.

AT THE TIMES EDUCATION SUMMIT … Former Tory leader William Hague said the government must “speed up and scale up” the roll out of artificial intellligence in education … and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Labour would make state schools more attractive to middle-class parents who could not afford private education for their children.

TODAY IN WESTMINSTER

PARLIAMENT: Not sitting.

ON THAT SUBJECT … With such little business in the Commons this week MPs have been wandering off to the pub by mid-afternoon (unlike the Lords, which has been working Playbook-style hours). It’s led to claims that this government just isn’t interested in passing legislation aside from a few core bills. One senior MP tells ITV’s Harry Horton that “this is a zombie parliament, and it’ll be like this until the election.”

Distinctly unimpressed: Former Commons clerk Robert Rogers — who now sits in the other place as Lord Lisvane — told Luke Jones on BBC Radio 4’s “World Tonight” it was “desperately disappointing” to see the Commons like this. He said it was being left to peers to pick apart bills and “do the job that … the House of Commons should be doing on behalf of its constituents.”

NOT IN WESTMINSTER BUT: The FT Magazine’s investigation, detailing sexual assault and harassment allegations made by 13 women against asset manager Crispin Odey, is an essential read. The FCA may now widen its existing investigation into Odey Asset Management.

BEYOND THE M25

LAST MAN STANDING: Rhun ap Iorwerth is set to become the next leader of Plaid Cymru after the BBC was told no other members of the party’s Senedd group will stand. Since 2018, ap Iorwerth has been deputy leader and a Senedd member since 2013.

SECOND STRING: DUP MPs and MLAs choose the party’s deputy leader this morning, with the result announced later today. East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson, an ally of current leader Jeffrey Donaldson, is up against Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley, who was chief of staff for Edwin Poots, Donaldson’s predecessor as leader. Poots was ousted as leader after less than three weeks in the job — an even shorter tenure than Liz Truss’. The Belfast News Letter has the details.

WILDFIRE LATEST: Officials warned toxic smoke from Canada’s wildfires could remain over the U.S. for days, with millions of Americans under air pollution warnings. The wildfires meant New York City had the worst air quality globally of any big city on Thursday morning — the Guardian has a write-up. CNN posted some striking before and after images of major American landmarks showing the smoke’s impact.

REPUBLICAN WRANGLING: A Bloomberg analysis piece explores the consequences of House Republican divisions, with hard-liners putting future spending bills and an aid package for Ukraine up for question. It comes as my POLITICO colleagues report U.S. lawmakers are putting pressure on President Biden to send controversial long-range munitions to Ukraine.

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MEDIA ROUND

Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock broadcast round: GMB (6.40 a.m.) … Sky News (7.20 a.m.) … LBC News (7.30 a.m.).

Times Radio: Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen (8.35 a.m.)

Also on Good Morning Britain: Tory peer Ed Vaizey and former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith (both 6.20 a.m.) … HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke (7.50 a.m.) … Food Standards Agency CEO Emily Miles (8.10 a.m.).

Also on Sky News Breakfast: U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Chief Scientific Adviser Isabel Oliver (7.45 a.m.) … Former HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham (8.30 a.m.).

Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Network Rail Chair and crossbench peer Peter Hendy (8.20 a.m.) … Andy Cooke (8.50 a.m.) … Iceland Foods Group Executive Chair Richard Walker phone-in (9 a.m. until 9.30 a.m.).

TODAY’S FRONT PAGES

POLITICO UK: The generation game: Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak try to bridge a 37-year divide.

Daily Express: British girl, 3, knifed in park horror.

Daily Mail: Patients ‘have no right to know if doctor is trans.’

Daily Mirror: Hero who fought to save the innocents.

Daily Star: You’re talking out of Uranus.

Financial Times: City regulator broadens probe into Odey firm after sexual assault claims.

i: Britain and U.S. rewrite the special relationship.

Metro: Stabbed in their pushchairs.

The Daily Telegraph: Kyiv begins counteroffensive as Western tanks hit the front line.

The Guardian: PM signs pact with Biden as hope of trade deal vanishes.

The Independent: British toddler stabbed in French playground horror.

The Sun: Brit girl, 3 knifed in park.

The Times: Mortgage deals pulled in rush to raise rates.

TODAY’S NEWS MAGS

The Economist: Ukraine strikes back.

THANK POD IT’S FRIDAY

EU Confidential: The team discuss what’s behind recent large protests in Poland, Hungary’s role in the EU decision-making decision and the night train route from Berlin to Brussels.

Westminster Insider: POLITICO’s Ailbhe Rea investigates Rishi Sunak’s promise to stop the boats, analyzing why ending the crossings is a key part of his agenda.

Plus 6 of the other best political podcasts to listen to this weekend:

Encompass: Paul Adamson explores inclusive patriotism with the director of the British Future think tank, Sunder Katwala.

Holyrood Sources: The team are joined by former First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell to discuss election victories and defeats.

Leading: Alastair Campbell hears from former President of Ireland Mary McAleese about her role as a human rights lawyer and the Troubles.

The Bunker: Hannah Fearn speaks to the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street about leveling up and negotiating with Westminster.

The Political Party: Matt Forde is in conversation with former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

The Rachman Review: Gideon Rachman meets Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss Britain’s relations with China, Ukraine, Brexit and the Commonwealth.

LONDON CALLING

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Sunny with 24C highs. An amber heat health warning is in place from 9 a.m.

LIFE ON THE BACK BENCHES: Matt Hancock spent one minute and 39 seconds ranking his favorite chocolate bars on TikTok.

OVER IN TELEGRAPH TOWERS: In his cartoon Matt depicts the newsroom speculation about potential buyers willing to cough up £600 million for the titles. (“I hear we’re going to be bought by Prince Harry. He’s always been interested in journalism.”)

NEW GIG: Zachary Spiro joins Onward as a policy fellow in the science and tech team.

JOB ADS: The SNP is recruiting a chief executive with “demonstrable experience of financial management” to replace Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell (it even a mischievous Telegraph write-up) … and News U.K. is hiring a producer to join the Times’ podcast team, which includes the Red Box politics podcast.

NOAH’S CULTURE FIX: “Dear England,” a play about football manager Gareth Southgate by rock-star political playwright James Graham — known for “This House, Brexit: The Uncivil War and Sherwood” — opens at the Olivier Theater this Saturday at 7.30 p.m., an 18-minute walk from Westminster.

FRIDAY FILM CLUB: Escape the Westminster horror show with 1973 classic “The Exorcist” on BBC One on Saturday at 12.30 a.m. … or do some cathartic weeping by rewatching “Titanic” on Channel 4 on Saturday at 5.25 p.m.

Or get outside: The National Gallery’s exhibitions “The Ugly Duchess: Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance” and “Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different” both close on Sunday.

COMING UP: “Question Time” has announced to not-inconsiderable backlash that it will mark the seventh anniversary of the Brexit referendum with a special episode on June 22 hosted in former UKIP-voting town Clacton-on-Sea, with an audience of exclusively Leave voters.

NOW READ: “Today” program presenter Nick Robinson speaks to Press Gazette about broadcast news impartiality, the threat posed by podcasts and being a workaholic.

BIRTHDAYS: Independent peer Andrew Cooper turns 60 … Crossbench peer Janric Craig … Former Home Office Second Permanent Secretary Tricia Hayes … Former Defense Minister Peter Kilfoyle … Hanover Communications’ Steph Lis.

Celebrating over the weekend: Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle … Belfast West MP Paul Maskey … Tory peer Simone Finn … Former Times Editor Simon Jenkins turns 80 … Former Archbishop of York John Sentamu … Shadow Social Care Minister Liz Kendall … Labour peer Steve Bassam turns 70 … Former London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton … Former Trade Minister Tim Sainsbury … Labour peer Alan Howarth.

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

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