EXCL A firm that gave £100k worth of donations to Labour in opposition has won £10m of govt contracts post-election Public Digital seconded a staff member to write Labour's tech policies pre-election. The firm has since seen a surge in govt contracts. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

EXCL Sadiq Khan has been informally advising the Democrats’ left-wing New York mayoral candidate on how to win his election. But sources close to Khan say the self-avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani must moderate if he wants to become NYC mayor. www.thetimes.com/article/0de1...

EXCL UK is No 1 target for Russian cyberattacks since Trump’s election Government officials say Trump’s warmer posture towards Putin has led to a surge in attacks on British instead of American targets. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

EXCL A row between Sadiq Khan and Rachel Reeves is brewing thanks to concerns London will be shafted at the spending review. City Hall figures believe London won’t get any of Reeves’ £113 billion of new infrastructure spending More in this morning’s Playbook www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Beyond excited to be moving to The Times next month to work for Wesmintster's best lobby team. I'll be taking charge of the daily politics newsletter, while also finding stories for the paper.

EXCL India has privately warned the UK and US that last month’s terror attack in Kashmir was a “turning point” for Narendra Modi — and that future attacks will be dealt with by increased force against Pakistan. More in Playbook www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

Very strange for a shadow foreign minister, Wendy Morton, to complain Keir Starmer is spending too much of his time on foreign affairs. #PMQs

EXCL Ex-No 10 foreign policy guru John Bew has been brought back to write the UK’s national security strategy. Bew (previously sacked by Starmer in ‘24) will outline how UK can keep its security partnership with Europe and US w/o choosing sides. More in Playbook: www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

The West's most successful political party is steeling itself for a second electoral wipeout in 10 months. But despite the Conservative Party's proud history of regicide, there's no internal appetite for leadership change...yet. Via @politico.eu www.politico.eu/article/brit...

🚠 IN LONDON PLAYBOOK PM TONIGHT 💤 Keir Starmer frustrates senior MPs on select committee 🏗️ SCOOP from @stefanboscia.bsky.social on Reeves dropping steel nationalization block 👑 SCOOP on Rishi Sunak's resignation honors coming this week

New piece out on the govt's final battle with Premier League bosses over the independent football regulator. One football executive said: “Starmer is really saying the only sector that is not subject to such a deregulation initiative is football. Why?” www.politico.eu/article/keir...

EXCL The government is drawing up contingency plans to rescue Thames Water, which is at risk of crashing into administration later this month. The debt-laden water firm could run out of money on March 24 thanks to a legal dispute. More in Londno Playbook www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

And it will be funded by slashing the overseas aid budget. Down from 0.5 to 0.3 percent of GNI.

NEW Keir Starmer announces the UK will spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence (up from 2.32 percent) by 2027. A full three years earlier than promised by the last Tory government.

EXCL Keir Starmer has told his cabinet Labour must stop looking down on working class voters and their immigration concerns. In a letter to the cabinet, the PM wrote “good faith paternalism has too readily become looking down at people.” More in London Playbook www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

🎄For some festive morning reading, Playbook has asked Westminster's biggest names about their favourite Christmas cooking tip. Find out which ex-PM thinks you shouldn't parboil potatoes and which pollster is making a separate turkey for their dog.🎄 www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

New piece on Starmer reset w/@estwebber.bsky.social - Two New Labour Cabinet ministers say attacks on civil service a mistake - A Labour MP says PM has no vision and another calls him "painfully slow" - Backlash from civil servants as one calls No. 10 "chaotic" www.politico.eu/article/keir...

EXCL In this morning's Playbook. Number 10 is not interested in reaching out to Elon Musk to improve the very fractured relations between the UK government and Donald Trump's close confidante. Read more here: www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

NEW There are fears about the AUKUS sub programme in Trump’s second term via @politico.eu - Defence industry sources worry Trump may delay due to crunch on US sub manufacturing - Ex-Trump aide warns US needs to be more “American-centric” www.politico.eu/article/dona...

EXCLUSIVE The UK's announcement of when it will spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defence has been pushed back as senior officials push Rachel Reeves to agree to a 2027 target. Read all about it in this morning's Playbook below. www.politico.eu/newsletter/l...

EXCL UK could hit back at Trump with tariffs on Harley Davidson/Jack Daniel’s/Levi’s UK has been wargaming how to respond to potential Donald Trump tariffs on UK goods, with officials briefing ministers they can immediately repurpose ex EU measures against the US www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NEW Peter Mandelson, favourite to be Starmer's ambassador to the US, says UK government should end its feud with Elon Musk. . He said on his Times Radio podcast: "You've got to get over it. You've got to, he's got to be reintroduced to the British government."

One of several MAGA men spotted at today’s Westminster farmers protest

Dispatch from the Xi-Starmer meeting in Rio from Sam Blewett @politico.eu Xi gave a win to Starmer by repeating Labour's slogan that the UK govt is "fixing the foundations". www.politico.eu/article/keir...

Being on Blueky is like being in that episode of the Simpsons where they all go to Shelbyville.

NEW from my Politico colleagues: How Trump ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk fell out with the UK www.politico.eu/article/dona...

This place is...different. All very FBPE