You can’t bury the news

Good Friday morning. This is Sam Blewett.
EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE: Assisted dying, relinquishing the Chagos Islands and the lingering fuss over freebies — none of these are the subjects Keir Starmer wants to focus on as he gives a big speech this morning. The prime minister will be hyping up £22 billion of green funding aimed at capturing carbon and boosting jobs. But unlike emissions, you can’t bury the news cycle.
Quizzing Keir: The PM’s speech in Liverpool kicks off around 10.45 a.m. and will be followed by a media Q&A. He’s got Chancellor Rachel Reeves in tow, as well as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who is on the morning broadcast round right now. With the Middle East still on the brink, there are multiple major topics of discussion, so let’s take them in turn.
A FOND FAREWELL: Ministers must now navigate the complex and nuanced debate surrounding the legalization of assisted dying after Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater used her first-place draw in the private members’ bill ballot to force the polarizing issue. The PM has long personally supported a law change and promised to make time for it if backed by MPs. Leadbeater will put forward her bill covering England and Wales on Oct. 16, but the decision on when it will be debated and voted on at second reading is in the hands of the government.
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Free but not easy: MPs will get a free vote — with its passage through the Commons and the Lords being determined by the safeguards within the bill. It’ll likely be similar to the legislation brought by Charlie Falconer in the Lords, which proposes allowing terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to get medical help ending their lives. That proposal also requires the individual to be mentally able to make the decision and the approval of two doctors and the High Court. Assisting a suicide currently risks a prison sentence of 14 years. 
The reaction: Naturally the debate makes the front pages of papers including the Times, the Guardian and the Express, which splashes on Esther Rantzen’s delight. The campaigner, who has terminal lung cancer, welcomed the “crucial step forward.” But Tanni Grey-Thompson, the former Paralympian and Lords crossbencher, made the case against the change in the BBC’s comprehensive write-up.
A uniting subject? New Savanta polling shared with Playbook suggests that 48 percent of the public support assisted dying, compared to 21 percent who oppose it. Curiously, it appears to be backed in principle by supporters of each of the big U.K.-wide parties. Fifty percent of Labour voters approve the change, 54 percent of Tories, 58 percent of Lib Dems and 61 percent of Reform voters, according to the study conducted from Sept. 28-30. An “increasing rarity in our politics,” as pollster Chris Hopkins puts it.
Hush, hush: Simon Case has written to ministers to confirm they can vote “however they wish,” since Starmer agreed to set aside collective responsibility in an “exceptional arrangement.” The Cabinet secretary warned them they should take a neutral stance on the debate in public — but made clear they “need not resile” from their previously held views. 
But do ask all the same: Wes Streeting is speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners (also in Liverpool) from 9 a.m. and will be taking media questions. The health secretary voted in favor of assisted dying in the last Commons vote back in 2015 but has declared himself conflicted, warning that end-of-life care is not good enough in the U.K. to truly give people the freedom to choose. 
REMOTE BUT CLOSE TO HOME: The other contentious subject dominating debate is the new government’s decision to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, the remote but strategically crucial chain of islands in the Indian Ocean — a move the Mail’s front page dubs (fairly or not) “Starmer’s surrender.” The deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following years of negotiations secures the U.S. naval base on Diego Garcia. 
The deal: There were fears in government that the islands could’ve been lost given the International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the U.K.’s occupation was unlawful. Playbook hears that not only did the government secure use of the islands for the next 99 years but the treaty with Mauritius (to be published in due course) contains a possible extension of another 40 years if required.
In Planet Tory: There was a circular firing squad of blame for the decision, with Liz Truss’ spokesperson claiming Boris Johnson was responsible for asking her to talk to Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth about the islands at COP26 when she was foreign secretary. “But she was absolutely clear that we would and should never cede the territory,” the spokesperson added. Johnson, promoting his book in a GB News interview to be aired on Sunday, hit out at the government’s “crazy” decision, which he put down to “sheer political correctness” and a “desire to look like the good guys.”
Whatever next?! Tom Tugendhat’s campaign tried to pin the blame on rival James Cleverly for starting the negotiations. Tugendhat wrote an op-ed in the Telegraph raising concerns about the Falklands and Gibraltar, pleading: “Will the buck stop with surrendering Chagos?” Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told BBC Newsnight the case “sets absolutely no precedent whatsoever” relating to the overseas territory. 
¡Dios mío! But in Argentina, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino welcomed the “step in the right direction” and vowed to “recover the full sovereignty” of the Falkland Islands. Falklands Governor Alison Blake sent a message to islanders reassuring them of the U.K.’s “unwavering commitment.” 
Lamb led by lions: But look past the political saber-rattling and it’s another nuanced subject. Peter Lamb, the new Labour MP for Crawley, where several thousand Chagossians live after the British clearances of their homelands, accused Foreign Secretary David Lammy of failing to listen to the wishes of the community that’s long campaigned for the right to return. Lamb told BBC Newsnight the behavior was “the last vestiges of our colonial policy by the Foreign Office.”
A view from the States? The Times reports in its splash that U.S. representatives privately raised concerns that handing over the islands could give China a strategic spying post — but officials pushed back fiercely. One person in Whitehall said “it’s complete nonsense,” pointing to President Joe Biden publicly praising the “historic agreement.”
Getting MAGA mad: Regardless of what the Democratic government in the U.S. thinks, the British move has angered Republicans across the pond, my POLITICO colleague Emilio Casalicchio reports from D.C. Idaho Senator James Risch, a senior member of the Senate foreign relations committee and a vocal Donald Trump supporter, told Emilio the decision “gives in to Chinese lawfare.” Full write-up coming soon on our site.
PAIN, AU CHOCOLAT: The ethics stories keep coming, with the Sun’s Harry Cole revealing Labour sought up to £30,000 from potential sponsors of a Manchester business breakfast with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds that was billed as “a rare chance to gain insights” from a government minister. A Labour spokesperson insisted: “The business secretary isn’t involved in this, was completely unaware, and isn’t attending.”
Free for all: There are numerous questions for Starmer to clear up, too, after he paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts — as covered in Thursday’s edition. The Times has helpfully done the math to find that Cabinet ministers took more than £250,000 in freebies in the past 18 months. So will they be paying any back? 
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT REALLY WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT: A pledge to spend £21.7 billion over the next 25 years on carbon capture and storage projects, involving catching harmful emissions from heavy industry and burying them underground, such as in disused oil fields below the sea. The aim is to store 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, Labour says — with the first projects up and running by 2028.
So far so good: Starmer is confirming the funding for two sites in Teesside and Merseyside, insisting the green drive will boost economic growth and deliver jobs — 4,000 of them, according to the chancellor.
But but but: It is worth checking the small print, POLITICO’s energy reporter Nick Earl writes in. The cash commitment is actually less per year than promised by the Tory government (which pledged £20 billion over 20 years). Labour is not committing to keeping the Boris Johnson-era target of storing 20 to 30 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year by 2030. And some projects, previously shortlisted for support, appear to have been ditched from funding.
Starm offensive: Writing in the Sun, Starmer tries to sound all Tony Blair by insisting there’s a “third way” to achieve net zero while creating jobs — while vowing to take on the “blockers” at Extinction Rebellion and other campaign groups. “To those drum-banging, finger-wagging extremists I say: I will never sacrifice Great British industry.” 
Not just the hippies: Greenpeace criticized the plans for putting the country at risk of “locking ourselves into second-rate solutions,” but scientists are concerned, too. Just the other day leading climate experts warned that unproven technologies could lock Britain into fossil fuel use and even make it harder to reach net zero.
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: There were giant explosions just outside Beirut’s international airport as Israel unleashed further airstrikes against Hezbollah, which will raise concerns in Whitehall about the ability to continue evacuations of British citizens. (The BBC has more.) The New York Times, citing Israeli officials, said Israel had targeted an underground bunker where senior Hezbollah officials were meeting, including Hashem Safieddine, a cousin and possible successor to Hassan Nasrallah who was assassinated in a similar attack last week.
Touchdown: Another flight carrying U.K. nationals from Lebanon landed in Birmingham last night, with the Foreign Office saying officials had “chartered a limited number” of flights for the coming days.
SCOOP — ON HIGH ALERT: Senior Home Office figures are deeply concerned about the domestic security threats posed by Monday’s anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas in Israel, Playbook’s Stefan Boscia writes. This has led to Britain’s policing and security services ramping up precautionary measures.
Ripple effect: One Home Office insider told Stefan: “Even if the fighting in the Middle East miraculously stopped today, the impact will still be felt for years over here. That’s why the anniversary of Oct. 7 is deeply concerning for us, particularly considering the latest escalations.”
OIL BE BACK: The price of crude oil jumped 5 percent after Joe Biden revealed the U.S. was talking with Israel about possible strikes on Iran’s oil industry. Fears about the hike make the front of the i. However, according to Reuters, Biden said he was confident there wouldn’t be a full-scale war. “How confident are you it’s not going to rain?” he told reporters who pressed him on it Thursday. “Look, I don’t believe there is going to be an all-out war. I think we can avoid it.”
NOT ANOTHER ONE: Not content with the ructions of Brexit, Boris Johnson has called for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights. The former prime minister insists he’s not backing a candidate in the Tory leadership race — but the front page interview with the Telegraph amounts to a significant intervention on the clearest dividing line in that contest.
The intervention: The ousted PM said there’s a “strong case” for a referendum, telling Gordon Rayner the ECHR “has become much more legally adventurist.” Kemi Badenoch argues that quitting the convention wouldn’t address “the root of the problem,” Tom Tugendhat first wants reform and James Cleverly has said the treaty is not to blame for the legal failings of the Rwanda scheme. Robert Jenrick is the only candidate to explicitly back quitting the ECHR. 
Non-endorsement endorsement: Johnson’s spokesperson said: “He is not backing any of the candidates.” But Jenrick’s allies were pretty happy, describing the intervention as “not unhelpful” — as well they might, with it coming just after a Tory conference in which Jenrick was perceived as lacking and ahead of next week’s two rounds of elimination. 
Elsewhere in the interview … Johnson refused to rule out another tilt at No. 10 and suggested Vladimir Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump had been president. And in another extract the former PM claims that a listening device was found in his personal bathroom at the Foreign Office after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu used the facilities. The former foreign secretary said “it may or may not be a coincidence.” But the Telegraph points out that around the same time, Israel was accused of planting bugs in the White House.
Non-stop BoJo: There’s more Johnson to come. He’s got an interview on ITV1 with anchor Tom Bradby at 7 p.m. — a hastily arranged replacement for Laura Kuenssberg’s BBC interview, which was pulled after she accidentally sent Johnson her briefing notes. The circus never stops when there’s a memoir to promote.
NOW HEAR THIS: My editor Jack Blanchard sat down for a long lunch with Graham Brady for a new episode of Westminster Insider. Over rare roast beef and Argentine Malbec, the former chair of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories recalls Boris Johnson’s time-wasting tricks, Theresa May’s rage at her MPs and Liz Truss’ final words to him before she left No. 10 to resign. Tune in to the podcast here.
THE BUSINESS END: Months of cream-cracker-dry “round tables” between unions and businesses and the government are about to culminate with the Employment Rights Bill (Dan Bloom writes). Labour’s flagship workers’ rights law is due to be published next week, likely Thursday, before the self-imposed deadline of Keir Starmer’s 100th day in office on Oct. 13. 
Essay crisis: But talks are still ongoing despite what, by all accounts, will be a thick sheaf of paper going to the printers soon — and despite long wrangling and watering-down before Labour even won on July 4. Those involved expect lots of the thorny details to be kicked into the consultations that were promised as part of all this. One says next week’s bill will only be the “start of the process.” Yikes!
The most contentious … will be the promise to give workers rights from “Day One” on the job — particularly to sue for unfair dismissal, which currently has a two-year waiting period. Two people this week told Playbook the talks are heading firmly toward effectively shortening that to about six to nine months. TBF, it’s less than the 12 months industry groups wanted. (When the FT reported a six-month period two weeks ago, a source told the BBC it was “jumping the gun.”) 
But but but … The devil will be in the detail and the spin. Labour’s plan promised “basic rights of protection against unfair dismissal” on Day One, and one union official insists there will be something that shows this promise is being kept. The debate, they argue, will be over how it interacts with probation periods — these are what could last six to nine months, and the talks are looking at putting them into statute (compared to mere contract law, as now). Unions will be anxious to iron out any loopholes in that.
Brace! Day One rights are “likely to be the totemic issue some unions claim betrayal on,” a second union official predicts. “Some initial rights like a fair process may be the solution, which is a pragmatic choice, but Labour will be under pressure.”
Nest of singing birds, honest: Despite this, people from union and business land — who have found sitting next to each other in meetings a novel experience — insist the talks have been broadly positive. There is broad agreement on the pledge to extend eligibility for statutory sick pay. But one business leader says firms are seeking a “quid pro quo” in the Oct. 30 budget, such as tax breaks for firms that give employees access to private dentistry, physio or GP services. Best of luck with that.
As for the rest … The pledge to ban “exploitative” zero-hour contracts (no longer all zero-hour contracts) could take the form of letting workers request a more stable contract once they have 12 weeks of service to base their hours on. As previously reported, it’ll be harder for firms to reject requests for flexible working (like hours “compressed” into a four-day week) … while the “right to switch off” will be in a code rather than directly written into the bill. Expect plenty of chatter about the details in the days ahead.
NOT WESTMINSTER BUT … Wes Streeting will use his Royal College of GPs speech mentioned above to tell doctors that “collective action will only punish patients.” He’ll instead plead with them to “work with us” rather than shutting their doors in industrial action. We’ll see how well that goes down. PA has a write-up.
OVER TO THE LIB DEMS: Leader Ed Davey is on a visit to a charity supporting children and adults with Down syndrome as he calls on the government to boost support for unpaid carers. Research from the House of Commons Library commissioned by the party suggested carers are a sixth less likely to be employed — with one in four being classed “economically inactive.”  
LOBBYING LATEST: Former Labour minister-turned-lobbyist Jim Murphy offered private access to an event at Treasury HQ for his agency Arden’s clients, according to an invite seen by POLITICO’s Vincent Manancourt. 
Vague thought bubble: The invite for firms to share their “thoughts and ideas” with top Treasury officials is just the latest sign of the influence that Arden, whose logo was inescapable at Labour conference in Liverpool last week, wields as the new government tries to build links with business. Vince and London Influence author John Johnston take a look here.
OVER TO AVELLINO: Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s got the second day of her G7 interior ministers meeting in Italy, discussing migration and people smuggling with counterparts.
BORN TO RUN: Bruce Springsteen has come out in support of Kamala Harris in the presidential race, warning that Donald Trump is the “most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.” The Guardian has more.
FROM THE STATES TO BRITAIN: California’s failed AI safety legislation garnered high-profile support from Hollywood A-listers and scores of employees at AI developers, but it was undone by an aggressive campaign spearheaded by deep-pocketed tech firms and venture capitalists, Vince Manancourt writes. London’s efforts, which ministers have repeatedly stressed will be both lightweight and narrowly targeted, could spark similar pushback. Read the story on what London can learn from Sacramento’s experience here.
A VERY DIFFERENT LIZ: Former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney campaigned alongside Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and said Trump is “not fit to lead” the U.S. 
AND IN TRUMPLAND: A former Trump aide told POLITICO the ex-president refused to approve disaster aid for California wildfires in 2018 until he was told numerous people in the impacted area voted for him. President Joe Biden issued a damning response to the allegation.
IN BEIJING: Chinese shares rallied after the government announced help for the real estate sector and stock market as well as a welfare boost for the poorest. Beijing announced the measures in a bid to tackle its economic woes as the nation prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of its Communist revolution. The BBC has a good feature. 
 **A message from Google: Britain has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in AI – and add £400bn to our economy by 2030. Google’s new report, “Unlocking the UK’s AI Potential,” sets out a clear path forward. It highlights the importance of investing in vital AI infrastructure, like a National Research Cloud, and equipping our workforce with the skills of the future through a National Skills Service. By embracing AI responsibly across all sectors, we can unlock incredible economic growth, create jobs, and power breakthroughs in areas like healthcare and scientific research. Let’s work together to drive economic growth in the UK with AI. Learn more: goo.gle/uk-ai-opportunity-keyword.**
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband broadcast round: Sky News (7.05 a.m.) … GMB (7.15 a.m.) … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today (8.30 a.m.) … Radio 5 (8:35 a.m.) … Times Radio (8.45 a.m.).
Also on Talk: Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick (8.30 a.m.)
Also on Times Radio Breakfast: Labour peer Charlie Falconer (7.05 a.m.) … Special Envoy for negotiations between the U.K. and Mauritius Jonathan Powell (8.05 a.m.) … Israeli Embassy spokesperson Orly Goldschmidt (9.30 a.m.) … Labour MP Peter Lamb (9.45 a.m.).
POLITICO UK: The Labour-linked lobbying firm boasting invite-only access to the UK Treasury.
Daily Express: ‘I never thought I’d be alive to see the law change, but perhaps I will.’
Daily Mail: Starmer’s surrender.
Daily Mirror: Making special memories with Kate.
Daily Star: Brace yourself, Bessie!
Financial Times: Oil surges after Biden remarks over possible attack on Iran.
i: Energy price scare after Biden says Israel could attack Iran’s oil.
Metro: ‘Poison jab murder plot by doctor in disguise.’
The Daily Telegraph: Johnson: UK needs referendum on ECHR.
The Guardian: MPs to be given historic vote on the legalization of assisted dying.
The Times: PM defies US to cede Chagos.
The Sun: Flintoff to host Bullseye.
Westminster Insider: Jack Blanchard speaks to Graham Brady about his storied career as chair of the 1922 committee.
Power Play: Tony Blair speaks to Anne McElvoy about Israel’s response to coming under attack — and how he’s a big fan of pop star Raye.
EU Confidential: Host Sarah Wheaton and professor Theresa Kuhn from the University of Amsterdam discuss the factors driving voter support for Austria’s far-right FPÖ in the latest election. Plus, POLITICO’s Jamie Dettmer reports from Tel Aviv, and Stuart Lau scored the final exit interview with NATO’s former Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Plus 6 of the other best political podcasts to listen to this weekend:
For the Many: Former Tory MP Penny Mordaunt and host Iain Dale talk about the military, foreign affairs and hats.
Political Thinking: Scottish First Minister John Swinney joins host Nick Robinson to discuss how he’s still close to Nicola Sturgeon, doesn’t have the foggiest how his father votes and still plans to lead the SNP into the 2026 election.
Political Party: Former Labour General Secretary Iain McNicol talks to host Matt Forde about running the party during some of the most tumultuous times in its history.
The Rundown: Tory peer Graham Brady and MP Rebecca Smith speak to host Alain Tolhurst about the leadership election.
Social Market Foundation: Health Secretary Wes Streeting discusses the “sniffiness” around the private sector in the NHS.
Lord Speaker’s Corner: Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Bishops in the House of Lords Justin Welby talks to Lord Speaker John McFall about his faith, career and being such a public figure.
WESTMINSTER WEATHER: High 17C, low 11C; sunny intervals changing to partly cloudy by early evening.
JOB ADS:  Sky News is looking for a political reporter. Apply here.
WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Andrew McDonald.
WRITING PLAYBOOK MONDAY MORNING: Dan Bloom.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Tory peer Diana Eccles … Lord Speaker John McFall … former Shadow Home Secretary and MEP Ann Widdecombe … Sky News’ Security and Defense Editor Deborah Haynes … former Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti … former Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter … former Aldershot MP Leo Docherty.
CELEBRATING OVER THE WEEKEND: Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi … Today program presenter Nick Robinson … Crossbench peer Adair Turner … Strand Partners’ Jessica Seldon … London Communications Agency’s Nick Bowes … Good Morning Britain producer Kieron Clarke … the Express’ Steph Spyro … former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams … former Foreign Office Minister Mark Field … former Immigration Minister Seema Kennedy … Labour peer Melvyn Bragg… No. 10 Deputy Communications Director Steph Driver.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell.
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