Minority view I know, but I wonder if @BorisJohnson will come out of today better than many expect? Bloodied but unbowed etc.
Famous last words but politics has a habit of not following a script.
Try this on for size:
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In #PMQs he is sure to use VanTam opposition to circuitbreaker to counter-attack Starmer.
Plus (if he's smart) he cd unilaterally give £60m to GManchester to avoid punishment beating charge.
He also has South Yorks deal agreed now.
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Tory MPs' unhappiness with Burnham cd avoid big rebellion on 1st Opp Day motion
Real problem is @MarcusRashford 2nd Opp day motion. Will govt U-turn late (PMQs wd be perfect forum for such a surprise) or abstain to reduce damage?
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Oh and add in a poss resumption of Brexit talks in coming days and a UK-EU trade deal pulled out of the bag in coming weeks, as both sides privately agree they can sell it as a victory to their respective audiences (ie how negotiations work).
..as I said, famous last words
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Tory MP @DSimmonds_RNP says that @MarcusRashford's experience of child poverty "took place entirely under a Labour government".
"Was he moved, as I was, by the @timesredbox article that @MarcusRashford wrote? Did he feel it quite striking that the anxieties and difficulties that he described growing up with his mum's worry about feeding the children took place entirely under a Labour govt?"
Reminder: @MarcusRashford was actually 11 years old when the Tories came to power in May 2010.
And he actually wrote in his article in June that he understood the importance of free school meals "because ten years ago I was one of them". thetimes.co.uk/article/ending…
In a point of order, @K_Fletcher_MP says: “She has shamed Manchester, shamed this House and she should apologise.”
Deputy speaker reminds MPs of need to "use appropriate language" in the chamber.
Source close to @SadiqKhan tells me: "The PM just lied to the House. Before Covid-19 Sadiq was fixing his mess at TfL, reducing deficit by 71% since 2016.
"Covid-19 is the sole cause of TfL’s financial challenge but he wants to punish Londoners by increasing taxes, fares + C-Chg"
The exact wording in the @grantshapps letter 1 Oct:
"Given the significant rise in congestion in inner London, we also propose the extension of the central London congestion charging zone to cover the same area as the Ultra Low Emission Zone and at the same time, October 2021."
Screenshot of the actual Shapps letter. Makes clear the govt (not Khan) proposed an extension of C-charge zone.
The really baffling thing about all this is why the PM didn't just announce he was giving £60m to Greater Manchester to help local firms, even though it wasn't agreed.
If he'd done that, he would have avoided all the noise about seeming to punish the north.
.@RobertJenrick tells @Marthakearney the £60m has "got greater Manchester's name on it" and the offer is still on the table.
And in new bullish move, says he's ready for talks with local council leaders. Does sound like he's cutting @AndyBurnhamGM out of the talks.
Last time Labour tabled an opposition day motion like this, @BorisJohnson did a U-turn.
Will things be different this time though...?
Children minister Nadhim Zahawi says parents don't like phrase 'free school meals'.
Says re holiday clubs: “The research when we did the pilot, demonstrated families didn’t just want the meals, although they valued the meals, they didn’t like the labelling of them being ‘free’"