London Playbook PM: Britain has lost its marbles

Good afternoon.

TUESDAY CHEAT SHEET

— Downing Street accused the Greek prime minister of failing to keep a promise as the Elgin Marbles row ramped up a notch.

— Rishi Sunak’s spokesman admitted No.10 asks counterparts not to go public on awks issues while in the U.K. … and suggested Sunak does the same when he heads out on trips.

— But the Greeks questioned the Downing Street line and said Sunak had “disrespected” the Greek people.

— Cabinet minister Michael Gove apologized for government “mistakes” made during the COVID pandemic.

— SCOOP: There’s been a SpAd reshuffle in Downing Street.

— Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick made pleasing sounds to Conservative MPs about a migration clampdown.

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TOP OF THE NEWSLIST

BRITAIN LOSES ITS MARBLES: There was a giddiness as political reporters gathered in Downing Street for the noon press briefing this morning, cracking jokes about war with the Greeks amid a massive diplomatic row about the Elgin Marbles.

Indeed: The decades-long dispute about the nicked/gifted (delete as appropriate) ancient statues is one of those catnip stories for Westminster correspondents, like squabbles about the Falklands, Gibraltar and the “special relationship” with the U.S. Even the prime minister’s spokesman knows it. He entered the room suppressing a broad grin, well aware Downing Street had handed journos some sweet sherbet to suck on.

But but but: To be fair to all involved, the spat with the Greeks has turned into a genuine diplomatic row — even if it seems confected to distract from migration woes.

How to tell it’s real: It’s not often a foreign prime minister storms out of Britain while his would-be hosts accuse him of failing to keep a promise. “When requesting a meeting with the prime minister this week, the Greek government provided reassurances they would not use the visit as a public platform to re-litigate long-settled matters relating to the ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures,” the PM’s spokesman told the assembled hacks.

Double take: At first, the room struggled to believe what was happening. Downing Street dumping on the Greeks for voicing a long-held position in a weekend BBC interview with Laura Kuenssberg?

But there was more: The spokesman said a meeting would not have been “productive” while the focus was on the marbles, and that the Greek PM was free to raise the issue in private but not hijack his visit with a public row about sculptures. It seems, after the same thing happened when the Greeks came in April 2021, that Sunak decided he didn’t want a repeat of the same. The Sun’s Harry Cole saw the email of complaint from the Foreign Office to the Greek embassy. But the Greeks are claiming the U.K. account is inaccurate, and it wasn’t their fault Kuenssberg asked a direct question about the issue.

Otherwise, we’re all good: The spokesman insisted the PM “of course” still considers his Greek counterpart a friend and said the U.K. and Greece continue to work on important matters. “We will continue to have excellent relationships with Greece,” he added.

Standing firm: It seems Sunak decided to snub the Greeks and offer them second-in-command Oliver Dowden as a consolation (no disrespect, Olive) to make a point of principle about keeping promises. His spokesman wouldn’t confirm whether Sunak had made similar assurances not to bring up awkward topics during his own visits abroad, but insisted the PM seeks “the most productive course of action in furthering the U.K.’s aims.” He added: “If the prime minister was to have made assurances, he would adhere to them.”

Translation: Of course we agree not to raise awkward points in public on foreign visits.

How it’s gone down in Greece: Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told Skai TV the move from Sunak was “not only disrespectful to the Greek prime minister but also to the Greek people.” Sunak’s spokesman dismissed that. Greek paper Kathimerini said it was “no coincidence the meeting was cancelled while Mitsotakis was meeting [Labour leader Keir] Starmer, who is 20 points ahead,” while rival paper Ta Nea said Sunak was “is in a political corner” in Britain. Miaow.

And there’s more: On the World at One show on Radio 4, Greek Minister Adonis Georgiadis said it was “a bad day for our relationship” and that Sunak will no doubt realize he’s made an error when he thinks again. Clip here.

How it’s gone down over here: One minister told Playbook PM it was “a ridiculous piece of foot stamping” from Downing Street, while Sunak’s mentor William Hague told Times Radio it was “not a great advert for diplomacy” — although he criticized the Greek behavior too. The Sun’s Noa Hoffman has more scorn from Conservative MPs about the Sunak snub.

Spare a thought for … new Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who’s holed up in a room with the Greek Foreign Minister at a NATO meeting in Brussels. Ol’ Dave probably didn’t expect war with Greece in his first weeks in the job.

WAIT, WHAT? Playbook PM readers will be forgiven for having no idea what all the fuss is over a bunch of small balls meant to be run through intricate contraptions for a bit of fun.

Just kidding: Those who haven’t bothered ever to read up on this (and kudos to those who haven’t) … the Elgin Marbles are a collection of Greek sculptures the Brits took from the Acropolis in Athens between 1801 to 1812 and plonked in the British Museum. The British claim is the Ottomans allowed them to be taken, but the Greeks reckon otherwise. The U.K. argues giving them back would undermine other museum collections and that it’s nice having them in London. Sunak’s spokesman said even a loan deal to return them would be a “slippery slope.” But the Greeks argue the marbles are, erm, Greek … so should be in Greece.

You decide: Almost 50 percent of Brits reckon the stones should be kept in Greece, while 15 percent argue for keeping them in Britain and 26 percent (kudos once more) don’t care, according to this snap YouGov poll. Half the population also thinks the British Museum should decide (chair George Osborne reckons a deal handing them back to Greece should be made) and 66 percent think Sunak was wrong to ditch his meeting with the Greek PM, compared with 11 percent who backed him.

PANDEMIC DIARIES

GROVELLING GOVE: Michael Gove came armed with an apology when he rocked up at the COVID inquiry this morning, Andrew McDonald writes. “I want to take this opportunity to apologize to the families who endured so much loss,” he told the inquiry, admitting “mistakes” were made by the government and that as a minister he has to take a “share of responsibility” for that. 

You don’t hear that every day: “I also have a high opinion of Matt Hancock as a minister,” Gove said, as he declined to add to the inquiry Hancock pile-on.

Also rare: Gove defended Boris Johnson’s — again oft-criticized — style of decision-making at the start of the pandemic, where he often veered from one view to another. He said it was “only fair” that Johnson wanted to test theories. 

Just throwing that out there: He also appeared to suggest the U.K. might have struggled to cope and prepare for the pandemic because it … might have been man-made, as he went further toward suggesting the lab-leak theory is valid than any other U.K. minister has done. Andrew has a write-up of that slightly odd line here. 

Areas of improvement: The Tory veteran set out in a handy concise way the areas where he felt the government could have done better during the pandemic, saying it; was too slow to lock down in March 2020 … Was too slow to introduce stricter measures in October … Didn’t think through the process of test and trace enough … Didn’t consider enough the impact of restrictions on children … and should review its PPE procurement processes. 

WhatsAppening in there: On the less serious side, the inquiry revealed some very sweary texts between Gove and Dominic Cummings in March 2020, where the latter suggested (joked?!) “people should be shot” over the shoddy response. Write-up here — and view the WhatsApp thread here.

More tomorrow: U.K. Health Security Agency chief Jenny Harries got through the pleasantries and job descriptions at the inquiry after Gove finished up around 4.15 p.m. The inquiry just started digging into her controversial public comments from the start of the pandemic as PM went to inboxes — there will be more from her tomorrow morning.

DRIVETIME DEBRIEF

SPAD SHUFFLE SCOOP: There have been a few internal job moves in Downing Street. Head of Policy Eleanor Shawcross is taking on a new role in the policy unit focussing on delivery and policy implementation for the PM with an emphasis on public sector productivity and health. Colleagues say she’s been instrumental in talks with health unions and “will continue her work on a wide range of policy objectives” on behalf of Sunak.

And in her place … Deputy Chief of Staff Will Tanner takes on the head of policy role, while also retaining his current role alongside Rupert Yorke (who leads the PM’s political and parliamentary operation.) Tanner will work with Shawcross on policy development and delivery to support the PM.

Meanwhile … James Nation remains deputy head of the policy unit but with an expanded portfolio to cover more departments and policy briefs.

PLAYING TO THE GALLERIES: Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick showed a bit more ankle to Conservative MPs than his boss James Cleverly when he was dragged to the Commons to respond to a Labour urgent question on soaring migration numbers. He said the government is working on a “package of fundamental reforms” aimed at cutting the figures, adding there were “strong arguments for using caps, whether in general or on specific visas.” 

There’s more: He also said overseas students and migrant workers bringing in dependents is an issue that needs to be tackled, but he said no decisions had been made on that or the caps question.

Who is in charge here? “The time for tinkering is over,” Jenrick declared to the Commons, as if he hadn’t been immigration minister for over 12 months and the Tories hadn’t been in power and promising to cut immigration for more than a decade. He added that his own plan to reduce the numbers (now well-briefed to the press) “would have been brought to the House before last Christmas if it could have been.” Heads were scratched all round.

It goes on: When Conservative MP Edward Leigh said wages in the care sector should increase to reduce the cheap labor coming in from abroad, Jenrick said his colleague was “absolutely right and I agree with everything he said.” Someone should tell the immigration minister!

By the way: Top colleague Annabelle Dickson has a must-read piece on how putting Cleverly into the Home Office job has so fair failed to quell Tory unrest. “Inevitably it’s all blown up in their face because James is in the completely wrong department for him, and he knows it,” one ex-official said.

IS THIS THE LINE? The government plan to strip benefits from people who refuse all schemes to get them into work is “not fair or compassionate” and “could punish those stuck on waiting lists” for NHS treatment, according to Conservative MP Stephen McPartland. But a spokesman for Rishi Sunak insisted the plan was “a fair and balanced approach.”

MARK A MOMENT: Transport Secretary Mark Harper held meetings in a metal tube soaring across the Atlantic, including with bearded Virgin boss Richard Brandon, plus managers from Air BP and the chief engineer of Rolls Royce. In a couple of hours he’ll be touching down in New York on what will have been the world’s first transatlantic commercial flight powered with 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel. What was the in-flight meal, I hear Playbook PM readers ask? It was trout.

It was a bit like … any other flight, according to a Harper aide who text Playbook PM from six miles above the ocean. But the same person said it marked “a huge step — demonstrating that you can decarbonize transport while ensuring peoples’ freedom to fly when and where they want.” Harper will be co-hosting a conference tomorrow with U.S. counterparts about sustainable aviation fuels.

Next on the list: Harper then heads to San Francisco to discuss self-driving cars, among other things. Although that flight will be on normal fuel.

Speaking of green fuels: Former COP President Alok Sharma accused Britain of leaving other nations feeling it has “walked away” on climate commitments.

Oh, and: Former Energy Secretary Jacob Ress-Mogg accused Rishi Sunak of behaving in a “dictatorial” manner for planning to bring in electric vehicle targets without enough (in Rees-Mogg’s view) parliamentary scrutiny. A statement went out this afternoon ahead of legislation in the Commons tomorrow.

RARE NICE MOMENT: The government announced plans to restrict registered sex offenders from changing their names in certain circumstances. Labour MP Sarah Champion accused ministers of nicking the idea from her — but was pleased nonetheless. And Home Sec James Cleverly gave her the credit, to be fair. Nice vid from the Commons here.

THE IDS AXIS OF EVIL: In the last hour or so, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Heritage Foundation in Washington that China, Russia and Iran are part of “a new axis of totalitarian states which now poses the greatest threat to our principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” He said China had been “creating” that axis, adding that “the war in Ukraine, the war in Gaza against Hamas and China’s overt threat to invade Taiwan are all of a piece. They are linked inexorably through this axis.”

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: London Minister Paul Scully has a different take on Conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall being pickpocketed and turning it into a campaign point.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: Defense Secretary Grant Shapps this afternoon met counterparts from northern European nations to discuss the risk to national infrastructure in the North Sea. Tweet here, and there should be a readout at some point soon.

LEGAL EAGLES: The government published stats on the court costs paid out to, as well as received from, campaign group the Good Law Project, as well as the number of cases won, lost and settled. See here.

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SOCIAL AFFAIRS

LETTING THE SIDE DOWN: David Cameron arrived at the NATO summit in Brussels late, as this video of him trotting in shows. Representing the nation right there.

SUNAK REMIX: Environmental campaign Ecolog teamed up with Cassetteboy (throwback, much?) for a stitch-together on Rishi Sunak’s climate stance.

AROUND THE WORLD

ISRAEL-GAZA LATEST: The Israel Defense Forces said a number of its soldiers were “lightly injured” by the detonation of three explosive devices in two locations in northern Gaza, which it says violates the “framework of the operational pause.” Hamas said there had been  “friction” but blamed Israel’s “violation of the ceasefire deal.” The BBC liveblog has the latest.

IN BRUSSELS: Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said the country is ready to sign a deal with the U.K. on the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar as early as Wednesday, putting the ball in the U.K.’s court — the Guardian has a writeup.

IN UKRAINE: Marianna Budanova, the wife of Ukraine’s spy chief Kyrylo Budanov, has been poisoned with heavy metals, a spokesperson for the country’s military intelligence told the BBC.

IN RUSSIA: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will spend Christmas in a Russian prison after a Moscow court ruled he should be kept behind bars until the end of January — Gershkovich was arrested at the end of March and accused of espionage by the Kremlin, which he denies. The Times has a writeup.

IN PAKISTAN: Pakistan’s authorities failed to produce former Prime Minister Imran Khan for what would have been his first public appearance in months, claiming it was too dangerous for him to attend a court-mandated public trial — via the Independent.

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TONIGHT’S MEDIA ROUND

LEADING THE NEWS BULLETINS: Channel 5 News (5 p.m.) leads on the rescue of 41 construction workers trapped in a tunnel in India … Channel 4 News (7 p.m.) focuses on the latest in the Israel-Gaza war as the ceasefire extension continues.

Tom Swarbrick at Drive (LBC, until 6 p.m.): Schools Minister Damian Hinds (5.50 p.m.).

News Hour (Sky News, 5 p.m.): Former Tory SpAd Claire Pearsall (6.30 p.m.).

Drive with John Pienaar (Times Radio, 5 p.m.): Culture, media and sport committee Chair Caroline Dinenage (5.05 p.m.) … Damian Hinds (5.35 p.m.) … justice committee Chair Bob Neill (6.45 p.m.).

Sky News Daily (Podcast, drops at 5 p.m.): Former British Ambassador to the U.S. David Manning … the Royal United Services Institute’s Alexandra Walmsley.

Tonight With Andrew Marr (LBC, 6 p.m.): Tory MP Danny Kruger … National Association of Head Teachers General Secretary Paul Whiteman.

Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge (Sky News, 7 p.m.): Foreign affairs committee Chair Alicia Kearns … Labour MP Ben Bradshaw … National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede.

Cross Question with Iain Dale (LBC, 8 p.m.): Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith … Shadow Foreign Office Minister Catherine West … ConHome’s Angus Parsad-Wyatt … economist Vicky Pryce.

TWEETING TOMORROW’S PAPERS TONIGHT: Allie Hodgkins-Brown.

REVIEWING THE PAPERS TONIGHT: Times Radio (10.30 p.m.): The Times’ Michael Binyon and pollster Joe Twyman … Sky News (10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.): Onward’s Sebastian Payne and the Observer’s Sonia Sodha.

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WHERE TO FIND BOOZE IN WESTMINSTER TONIGHT

CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS: Consultants…