Gove ditches the mystery
In November, the Express revealed that Michael Gove had failed to publish details of his involvement with a shadowy pro-EU group – the Ditchley Foundation – on his official register of ministerial interests.
Mr Gove, who attended an event in January with arch Remainers Peter Mandelson and David Lammy, is a director of the foundation. Despite previous ministers involved with the group registering their involvement, Mr Gove’s activities were nowhere to be seen.
At the time, sources close to Mr Gove decried the Express’ article as “absolute drivel”.
Imagine Sir Arbuthnot’s shock, therefore, when the updated register of ministerial interests was published this week.
Lo and behold, Mr Gove’s entry now begins with: “Director/Governor, Ditchley Foundation”.
Absolute drivel? It appears to have scared his team into action…
Grant’s flight of fancy
Grant Shapps was on a well-earned holiday with his wife Belinda when he was ordered back to the UK to be made Defence secretary in August.
But after being summoned to Downing Street by the PM’s chief of staff, how did he get back to Blighty? Particularly when every flight was booked up with returning holidaymakers?
An interview online in the Times on Saturday said resourceful Shapps managed to squeeze into the jump seat next to the pilot on a Ryanair flight. A few hours later that was changed to easyJet.
So which is the Defence Secretary’s preferred budget airline?
A source said: “Grant is very much an easyJet man – and he loves planes so being in the cockpit was great. And he of course insisted no one else give up their seat.”
The caper did at least save the taxpayer – it had been suggested as a last option a Government jet could be sent over to pick him up.
A selfie too far
Angela Rayner appeared to begin haunting right-wingers recently, popping up in photos with both Julia Hartley-Brewer and red wall MP Jonathan Gullis.
Gullis and Rayner took the friendly selfie on a train platform they happened to meet at, all very political rom-com.
Less known is the fact short after Mr Gullis tried getting a snap with Ms Rayner’s boss, Sir Keir Starmer.
The leader of the opposition by all accounts was completely up for the selfie, until a bossy aide stepped in and forbade it, fearing the left-wing backlash.
Family fortunes
An interesting name re-entered Westminster this week: Reynolds.
The ERG’s Star Chamber court legal advice on the Rwanda Bill was published on Monday, co-authored by Sir Bill Cash, David Jones, Martin Howe and Barnabas Reynolds.
Barney just so happens to be the brother of Martin ‘Party Marty’ Reynolds, Boris Johnson’s principal private secretary who infamously sent the ‘BYOB’ invitations to No. 10 staff during lockdown.
So one brother, Martin, helped accidentally bring down Boris, while the other, Barney, may unintentionally bring down Rishi.
We three kings of DBT are
Coming through the recent Government transparency releases published this week, as part of the bi-annual ‘take out the trash’ day, Beachcomber was amused to see that Nigel Huddleston – the then Minister of State at Business and Trade – was given an early Christmas present back in September.
The minister received a whopping £415-worth of “Frankincense, perfume and incense” from HE Qais Al Yousef, the Oman Commerce Minister.
Sadly the nativity-themed gift was well above the limit for ministerial presents, and Mr Huddleston surrendered it to his department.
On the plus side, if any civil servant working at DBT wishes to play the part of a wise man this festive season, they know where to find the props…
Kwasi’s mini-discount
It appears the Cost of Living crisis may also be hitting Kwasi Kwarteng.
Following his return to frontline politics after being sacked as Chancellor, the Tory MP raised eyebrows by claiming a whopping £1000 a pop per TV interview with TalkTV and GB News.
From April to August, the former Trussite raked in £16,000 from 16 television appearances, primarily from GB News.
A new entry in his register of interests however shows that in November he took £1000 for two separate appearances, reducing his fee to a mere £500.
We’re all in this together…
