𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Politics typically slows down a notch or two during Easter recess. A time for MPs to spend some quality time in their constituencies, catch the last throes of winter ski season or top up their tans somewhere hot.

But this is 2026. War is raging in the Middle East, while on the domestic front crunch May elections are just five weeks away.

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, talk of looming Labour and Tory reshuffles has intensified – more of which later.

Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the soaring energy costs in the wake of the Iran war has left many opponents pulling their hair out.

Labour has taken only minimal, targeted, action to help people deal with rising bills so far.

While Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and Sir Ed Davey have repeatedly urged the Prime Minister to take much more significant measures.

All Sir Keir appears to have done this week is hold meeting after meeting to discuss the crisis.

He even convened a press conference in Downing Street on Wednesday to announce that the UK would hold a summit – which is effectively another meeting – later this week on security in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

No wonder that Reform UK are calling him “Inaction Man”.

Back on the home front, I spent a grueling but enormously fun day on the campaign trail in Norfolk with Nigel Farage on Tuesday.

The Reform UK leader allowed me to have pretty much unfettered access as we jumped in a private jet from Farnborough to the key local election battleground.

It was fascinating to get a behind-the scenes look at what makes Farage tick and how he operates.

And it will come as no surprise to anyone that he is every bit as you would imagine.

He is engaging, forthright and enjoys a drink and cigarette or few.

But what comes through most of all is his passion to bring about change and the passion with which his supporters adore him.

Reform UK is widely expected to storm the elections on May 7 – which Farage insists is a “referendum” on Sir Keir.

The results are going to be particularly bad for Labour and the Tories with many believing they will trigger major shake-ups.

I was told this week that Kemi Badenoch could promote Claire Coutinho to Shadow Chancellor in a “quickfire” reshuffle.

It wasn’t that long ago that Coutinho was tipped as a Chancellor in waiting under Rishi Sunak when the Tories were in government.

That would mean the likeable Sir Mel Stride getting the chop.

Another name tipped for a move is Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, perhaps paving the way for Katie Lam to get a big job.

Food for thought over the Easter weekend.