‘Bring it on!’ Keir Starmer says he is ready for election debates with Rishi Sunak
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was in buoyant mood last night as he claimed he is looking forward to live TV debates with Rishi Sunak during an election campaign. “Bring it on” he said at a recording of The Political Party podcast, predicting “quite a few” one-on-one clashes. Boris Johnson did election debates against Jeremy Corbyn, but Theresa May dodged them.
Sir Keir added that Labour could draw up a manifesto for government within 14 days of an election being called. He also confirmed that deputy leader Angela Rayner would be his deputy PM, despite rumours of a rift.
Sipping Camden Hells lager and dressed down in his favourite Stone Island polo shirt (£150) and Adidas trainers, Sir Keir joked about Dominic Raab’s “bulging forehead veins” at PMQs, and said he has swapped numbers with Sunak. What do they text about?
Riri’s first steps to a glittering career
British Vogue editor Edward Enninful has debuted his hottest new model: a cute Boston Terrier, Riri. “Introducing our new puppy,” Enninful wrote online.
The sky’s the limit for the young hound: Enninful’s other dog Ru, also a Boston Terrier, has 17,000 followers on Instagram. Fans can watch Ru get private jets and partying with the stars.
Riri’s name choice is curious: it’s the nickname of singer Rihanna, who is a friend and has just appeared on the cover of Enninful’s Vogue for the third time. We presume she approves.
Holiday in the sun for Truss staffers
Former advisers to Liz Truss have been rarely seen in SW1A since her 49 days as PM. But there were some upsides to the fiasco. Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast reports that Truss’s team went to St Lucia in the Caribbean after her resignation, staying at chief of staff Mark Fullbrook’s villa: perhaps they were tired from their month in charge. Did they find those sunlit uplands we were promised?
Theatres in winter of discontent
Erica Whyman, who is leaving as acting artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, says theatres are in a winter of discontent. “It has never been tougher to run a theatre,” Whyman said as she launched a new season, claiming directors are “worn out”. She adds that theatres need to “take risks” and nurture new talent. Whyman has taken fire for overly ambitious rethinks of Shakespeare’s plays.
Double takes on the catwalk
Londoner’s Diary 21st Feb 23
At the Josh Birch Jones catwalk during London Fashion Week yesterday, aristo twins Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer sported sharp-shouldered outfits. LFW ends today. Elsewhere, Roxy Horner, Bloom Twins and Tia Lee were on the F’row for the Susan Fang show, while Lady Amelia Windsor and DJ TSHA went too. In Berlin, Dame Helen Mirren was at the premiere of her new film Golda, about former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. Reviews so far are at the bad end of mixed.
