Even before the Sunday lunch of short knives saw Gray ousted from the top team, Morgan McSweeney was a deeply controversial figure within the Labour Party, a man who has attracted an almost pathological hatred from the left. But what is now fascinating many within the Westminster bubble are the comparisons between McSweeney and that recent Svengali figure at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government, Dominic Cummings.
Given that Johnson in his new autobiography Unleashed has compared Cummings to a fictional “homicidal robot” bent on destruction, this may not be the most comfortable comparison for the newly installed regime around Starmer.
But the comparisons are there to be seen. Both men earned their reputations masterminding extraordinary victories at the ballot box. Cummings headed Vote Leave to victory in the infamous EU referendum in 2016, and McSweeney first engineered Starmer’s leadership election victory in 2020, then the general election this year.
These alone do not link the two men in terms of personality. What really raised eyebrows were the briefings from McSweeney supporters over the weekend and at the start of this week as he took control of the levers of power in Downing Street.
A significant comparison is the idea that it was Cummings who is believed to have decided that Johnson was the man to get his agenda through, rather than the other way round. Similarly, McSweeney is understood to have decided that Starmer would replace Jeremy Corbyn before the thought had settled in Sir Keir’s mind.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 09, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 09, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Tuchel left with big calls to make after Carsley refresh
No pressure, Thomas. Lee Carsley hands over to Thomas Tuchel promising to give England’s next manager a comprehensive debrief on the three autumn camps but perhaps also elevating expectations. Not so much with the results – promotion in the Nations League was anticipated for a team ranked fourth in the world and who reached the final of Euro 2024 – as with his assessment of England’s prospects for the time covered by Tuchel’s 18-month deal.
Wiegman calls up uncapped trio for injury-hit Lionesses
England manager Sarina Wiegman is confident Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace can both make the most of their first senior call-ups to an injury-hit squad.
Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland
Wales won Nations League promotion as Liam Cullen’s first two international goals helped them to a 4-1 victory over Iceland.
Retail bosses gifted excuse for when things go wrong
It’s not just British farmers who are hacked off by the latest Budget some of the biggest names in retail have now joined forces to send one of those angry, multi-signature letters to the chancellor, scolding her for the imminent tax hikes coming their way.
Jaguar pounces on new logo
Car giant Jaguar has unveiled a new logo and a rebranded range of electric cars alongside marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary,” “live vivid,” and “copy nothing.”
OF UNSOUND MIND
A disquieting mood permeates the BBC's 'The Listeners', the complex story of a teacher whose life unravels after she starts hearing a ceaseless, mysterious hum, writes Nick Hilton
It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties
Protest, poverty and privilege - The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain offers an exciting, if partial, view of a decade that remains highly polarising, writes Mark Hudson
Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track
Nationalisation is often touted as a golden ticket to a better train service. Simon Calder is less optimistic it will work
CAFFEINE FIX
Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.
Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance
It is four decades since A Room with a View’ made Merchant Ivory a household name. Sarah Sands recalls a world in which her brother Kit and her then husband Julian were central
