It’s the week of Valentine’s Day, but it seems that love is in short supply for many in the Labour Party. Last week saw the release of private WhatsApp messages that culminated in the dismissal of Health Minister Andrew Gwynne, as well as the withdrawal of the Whip from his fellow Labour MP Oliver Ryan. Now sitting as an Independent in the Commons, Ryan joins Gwynne and 11 other Labour councillors suspended over their involvement in the WhatsApp group. If Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership needed testing, this week has certainly delivered: it’s clear from this episode that any hint of unsavoury behaviour is a red line in Starmer’s government. 

Today’s PMQs took place against the backdrop of mounting scrutiny over the UK’s agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands and a fresh diplomatic storm following Donald Trump’s assertion that the US should ‘take over’ Gaza to create a new economic hub. While the government had intended to spotlight its £2.65bn investment in flood defences, these international developments proved likely to dominate proceedings. It comes also on the backdrop of news of a newly formed group of 89 Labour MPs looking into the “threat” to Labour from the rise of Reform UK.

Today, the government announced its next move in a broader strategy to reignite the UK’s economic engine. By unlocking £160 billion in surplus funds from defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, the plan aims to boost investment in innovation, infrastructure, and growth—just in time for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ big moment at the podium tomorrow.

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