The joys of going back to school

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Good Monday morning. This is Sam Blewett.
SUMMER’S OVER! The sunbeds, the sangria and the Ibizan dance floors will be all but a distant memory as MPs file back into Westminster for a frantic fortnight of legislating before the conference break. And Keir Starmer is planning to make the most of the back-to-school vibe by … well … actually visiting a school. Yes, the prime minister is celebrating his 62nd birthday by unveiling a major policy change on Ofsted inspections. Will the doom-monger-in-chief also be seeking to blow out a few more candles of hope for the year ahead? 
Hip hip hooray: The PM will visit a school in London this morning with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who’s bagged the 8.10 a.m. slot on the Today program as part of her morning broadcast round. Starmer will record a pooled interview with broadcasters at around 11 a.m., just ahead of the first Downing Street Lobby briefing of the new term. There’s no shortage of questions for the PM, particularly as he faces continued pressure from rivals, campaigners and even some of his own MPs over his plans to ax winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners. 
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Really sending the Tory blood pressure soaring … is Commons Leader Lucy Powell’s claim on the Sunday shows that there could’ve been a “run on the pound” if the new Labour government hadn’t taken tough decisions like that one. Shadow Treasury minister Laura Trott calls it a “chicken little strategy,” while the Express’s front page screams: “How ludicrous!” 
Not me, guv: Of course, it’s all part of Labour’s strategy to blame the last lot for the grim decisions on taxation and spending to come in the autumn budget, but we’ll see how hard Starmer chooses to lean into that particular hot take — particularly as even allies start to call for “hope, not more misery” (h/t the Sunday Times). POLITICO’s Sunday Crunch newsletter had a great roundup of all the gloom yesterday.
There’s also … fury over gig tickets being resold at sky-high prices after Oasis tickets surged. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said last night that the use of “dynamic pricing” will be reviewed under the upcoming consultation on consumer protections, since she said it was “depressing to see vastly inflated prices.” The FT has more.
All that smoked salmon, for what? Businesses are already getting antsy about the direction of the Labour government, despite Reeves’ endless pre-election breakfasts in the City to reassure bosses that everything was going to be alright. The Mail splashes on a survey by the Institute of Directors suggesting their members’ confidence in the economy is waning (Telegraph write-up here). Then there’s a warning from the Federation of Small Businesses in the Times about the upcoming overhaul of workers’ rights. Geraldine Scott reports firms could be fined thousands of pounds for failing to comply. 
Cheers?! Fears over Labour’s mooted proposal to ban smoking in pub gardens again make the Sun’s splash, with 60 percent of respondents in a poll of 1,032 Brits saying the move would heighten the risk of landlords going bust. However, reporter Jack Elsom points out that 52 percent of those surveyed said they *do* support such a ban, with 30 percent opposed. Look away now, Nige.
Speaking of landlords: There are also awkward questions for Labour MP Jas Athwal, the Commons’ leading landlord, after a BBC investigation found black mold and ant infestations in some of the 15 properties he owns. The Ilford South MP, who has described himself as a “renters’ champion,” said on Sunday he was “shocked” by the findings and that he’s sacked the letting agent who managed the properties. It’s not a great look for Labour as it pledges to boost renters’ rights.
DREAMING OF GOING BACK TO SCHOOL: New Labour’s prince of darkness, Peter Mandelson — who was loudly lobbying for that Oxford University chancellor gig on the BBC’s Westminster Hour last night — appealed to Starmer and Reeves to “show what the sacrifice is about” by offering some light at the end of the tunnel. 
Not present: Luke Sullivan, Starmer’s former political director — who, having previously been a senior adviser to every Labour chief whip since Gordon Brown was PM, really knows where the bodies are buried — has turned down a role in the government, Playbook is told. Starmer issued a statement last night praising Sullivan for having “played a vital role in our project” to get Labour back into power. “I’d like to thank him, and I hope he’ll continue to be a big part of Labour politics whatever he chooses to do next,” the PM said. Sullivan is said to be pursuing “other challenges.” Watch this space …   
But *really* absent from the roll call: As Lindsay Hoyle conducts his register in the Commons, there will be one glaring absence — Starmer isn’t planning to make a ministerial statement on the riots. We’ll see if any opposition MPs push for an urgent question on the disorder that blighted England and Northern Ireland last month, but as it stands Playbook hears the government isn’t expecting to address the riots in the chamber until later in the week. Statements today look more likely to center on the infected blood scandal and the Middle East, while there’s a slew of 12 written statements listed on the order paper.
Passes for glasses: The Tories really want an urgent question on the cronyism allegations Starmer’s fledgling administration is facing. Science Secretary Peter Kyle is expected to face questions from his Conservative shadow Andrew Griffith surrounding the appointment of Emily Middleton as a civil servant (as revealed by POLITICO) despite her close party affiliations. 
Quite the headache: Hot out of the DJ booth, Angela Rayner is in the chamber for oral questions on her housing, communities and local government brief after the Commons kicks off at 2.30 p.m. Labour’s billing it as a packed week for its legislative agenda — but the biggest moment in the Commons should be on Wednesday when the Grenfell inquiry publishes its final report. 
One thing ministers aren’t calling a vote on … is the means testing winter fuel payments, as both the Tories and the Lib Dems are calling for a Commons debate.
Shooting for the moon: With parliamentary scrutiny of Starmer’s five missions returning, my POLITICO colleague Abby Wallace has a great look at perhaps the PM’s most ambitious of his five missions — decarbonizing the country’s electricity grid by 2030. Read Abby’s look at the climate “moonshot” here.
WHAT LABOUR ACTUALLY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT: Bridget Phillipson has announced the immediate scrapping of one and two-word Ofsted inspection grades for England’s state schools. Overall markings of outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate are over. The major change, announced as pupils return to classrooms after the summer break, makes the front pages of the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Metro.
Remember: The DfE said the scrapping of “reductive single headline” grades was being made after engagement with educators and with the family of headteacher Ruth Perry. A coroner’s inquest found that an inspection by the education watchdog “contributed” to her suicide. Perry’s family is “delighted” about the move, sister Julia Waters told the BBC — read the broadcaster’s write-up for more.
What next: For now, parents will see four grades across the existing categories of quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management. But from September next year, ministers plan to bring in “report cards” providing a more comprehensive assessment — with consultation still required to determine the final look.  
Who’s in charge? The change was first outlined by Phillipson at a conference last year and was pledged in the Labour election manifesto — though dropping the single-word assessments with immediate effect is still a big move. Teachers’ unions have been demanding this shift for some time, as Tes’s John Roberts outlines here.
Debating soc: Phillipson describes it as a “generational reform” that’ll give parents a clearer and broader picture of how schools are performing. But her Conservative shadow Damian Hinds argued the single word grades are “vital indicators for parents.” Hinds is on the (official) broadcast round for the Tories, but he’s vying for attention with another Conservative frontbencher this morning as the race to replace Rishi Sunak heats up …
LIFTOFF: The summer’s slumbering Tory leadership gives way to a frantic dash for MPs’ votes kicking off with two campaign launches today. Both Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly are setting out their stalls with speeches followed by media questions this morning. 
Elite-on-elite warfare: Shadow Commons Leader Chris Philp is on the airwaves right now giving interviews about his endorsement of Badenoch in an op-ed for the Telegraph as a “ferocious” defender of conservative values, one who can tell the “difficult truths” to the “Guardian-reading elites” (as opposed to the Telegraph-reading elites, presumably). Badenoch’s team is lapping up the shadow Cabinet endorsement, which follows rising star Laura Trott’s at the weekend — but this drawn-out contest isn’t making it easy for Sunak’s top team to broadcast a single coherent message.
First speech first: Badenoch will take to a stage in Westminster at 11 a.m. Playbook was tantalizingly told it’s a “modern” pick for a location that relates to an aspect of Badenoch’s career — but that it is most definitely not at a McDonald’s. A fresh endorsement was being touted, with the expectation being it’ll be Shadow Energy Secretary (and long-term Sunak ally) Claire Coutinho.
Who’s the hardest? The speech will be broadcast on Badenoch’s X account — where last night she published a teaser in which she said the Tories need “someone like me who’s not afraid of Dr Who” when it comes to taking on the “cultural establishment” supposedly trying to keep conservatives down. The clip kicks off with actor David Tennant’s cringy award acceptance speech in which he said Badenoch should “shut up.”
That sets the tone … for what’s to come. The trail of the ever-combative former business secretary shows she’ll be using the limelight to fire shots at the “clueless, irresponsible and dishonest” Labour Party that just trounced the Tories at the election. She’ll argue the Tories must regain voters’ trust rather than just sitting around “pointing out how terrible Labour are … fun as it is.” The speech may include excellent use of ellipses but will lack new policies as Badenoch instead focuses on her “renewal” message.
POLICY ALERT: Cleverly, on the other hand, will be brandishing an actual policy at his launch, kicking off an hour later at 12 p.m. The former home and foreign secretary bagged a slot on the front of the Telegraph by pledging to abolish the “bad tax” of stamp duty in an article for the paper. And what with the proposed loss of a revenue raiser, Cleverly will be playing to the Tory crowd by making overtures for slashing government spending, arguing: “The state should focus on doing fewer things very well, not everything badly.”
This one time, at boot camp: The central London venue Cleverly has picked is one with a storied military history — which will help him further talk up his own Army experience. Cleverly’s interview with Tim Shipman in the Sunday Times included multiple military references, including one that appeared to be a jibe at Badenoch: “Bad officers blame their soldiers, bad ministers blame the civil service.” 
Is this a yellow card? In another remark that’ll clearly be interpreted as aimed at Badenoch, on a recording obtained by the Times, Robert Jenrick told young Conservatives last month that the party mustn’t “just go down a rabbit hole of culture wars,” arguing that 90 percent of voters don’t have single-sex spaces as their priority.  
How about this? Leadership rival Priti Patel gave an interview to the Sunday Times magazine questioning why candidates would take the fat-busting drug Ozempic when it “affect(s) your functionality.” In fairness, it seems the interview took place before Jenrick confessed to Playbook he’d tried the slimming injections. 
Next steps: Tom Tugendhat’s official launch is Tuesday followed by a closed-door leadership hustings with MPs later in the day. Then we’ll get an elimination in the first round of voting on Wednesday. Playbook hears two could bite the dust if their combined votes would still see them lagging behind the fourth-placed contender — but that’s a decision for 1922 committee Chair Bob Blackman. 
Where’s Mel? Former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride will be the only contender not to do a launch event before the first round of voting. Playbook hears the candidate tipped to be the first one out of the race is indeed planning a set-piece launch — but not until *after* the final four are announced. One of his campaign team tells the i’s Will Hazell: “Mel is confident that he will come through the ballot. He has the numbers.” In fairness, it is pretty volatile now there are just 121 Tory MPs … 
A glimpse into the real world: More in Common is holding a briefing at 11 a.m. on six weeks’ of focus groups on 2019 Tory voters, including switchers to Labour and Reform. Sign up here to find out just what they thought when shown a glimpse of the candidates. 
FAR RIGHT RISING: Shockwaves are reverberating around Europe as the far right in Germany appears to be on course for its first major election win since World War II. 
Early polls: An initial projection puts the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) as winning the vote in the eastern state of Thuringia, on about 33 percent of the vote. 
Holding the center (right): In Saxony, the center-right Christian Democratic Union looks like it could stave off the far right by finishing with around 32 percent of the vote, but with the AfD trailing close behind.
Cue the soul searching: The results will be a bitter blow for Germany’s political center, my colleagues James Angelos and Nette Nöstlinger write, particularly for the three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, which each appear to have suffered significant losses. It’s also a bit of a boost to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, considering the AfD favors closer ties with the Kremlin and wants to halt aid for Ukraine. Read James and Nette’s coverage here.
To put it bluntly: The results are another nail in Scholz’s political coffin. No wonder Keir Starmer couldn’t tell reporters during his visit to Berlin last week of any progressive allies around the world that he reckons have found a solution to combat the “snake oil” of populism. 
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE MUSK: Lindsay Hoyle has risked provoking the ire of the internet’s chief troll, Elon Musk, by hitting out at X for having “changed for the worse.” Speaking to Matt Chorley for his first 5 Live show since jumping ship from Times Radio, the Commons Speaker says in the past the social media platform complied with requests to take down 92 percent of the threats against MPs — but now “only 8 percent comes down, if that.” Hoyle also laments the use of mobile phones in the Commons as a “distraction” but suggests it’s “too late now” to ban them. 
IN SAFE HANDS: The MoD added six new names to the team working on the strategic defense review — including NATO bigwig Angus Lapsley who, as a civil servant, misplaced secret government papers that were later discovered at a bus stop in Kent. Former Tory defense minister Jeremy Quin, who lost his seat at the last election, also joins the team.
LOOKING TO EUROPE: Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. is looking to the success of the AfD and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally for pointers on how to boost their vote. New party Chair Zia Yusuf told the Independent’s David Maddox: “We are a very different party from them but we live in unprecedented times and we have five years not two to double our vote.”
READING LIST: Activists will deliver 650 copies of journalist John Pring’s new book “The Department” — advertised as exposing how the Department for Work and Pensions “covered up its role in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of disabled people” — to the House of Commons. 
ADDING TO THE INBOX: Some 1,080 scientists, academics and medical professionals have signed a letter urging MPs to speed up the Climate and Nature Bill, which was introduced by Labour MP Alex Sobel in May. 
SW1 EVENTS: The Labour YIMBY group hosts a parliamentary reception with MP Chris Curtis at 7 p.m. (register here) … The IfG has a lunchtime webinar on what comes next in British politics (sign up.)
HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with housing questions … followed by a debate on technology in public services. Labour MP Joe Morris has the adjournment debate on access to banking services in rural Northumberland.
HOUSE OF LORDS: Sits from 2.30 p.m. with the introductions of former Labour MPs John Spellar and Rosie Winterton … then oral questions on NHS Continuing Healthcare, reforming social care and a new International Anti-Corruption Court … then it’s the second reading of the Crown Estates Bill (led by Labour peer Spencer Livermore) … and a debate on children vaping (led by Lib Dem peer Michael Storey).
PROTESTS IN ISRAEL: Hundreds of thousands of workers in Israel could walk out today after the head of the nation’s biggest labor union called for a general strike to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a deal to return the hostages from Gaza. Thousands of protesters took to the streets last night after the death of six people abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 was announced. Read Reuters’ coverage here.
MACRON’S DILEMMA: Emmanuel Macron will hold fresh talks today as he tries to find a new prime minister. The embattled French president had been expected to make the appointment over the weekend but has so far come up short. Our team in Paris has the details.
INDEPENDENT STREAK: SNP Leader John Swinney used his conference speech to try to convince the party faithful that the dream of independence is still alive, insisting they will make the case that leaving the union is the way to a “stronger and fairer country.” My top colleague Andrew McDonald has a write-up. 
SUCCESSION: Democratic presidential pick Kamala Harris and the president who made way for her run, Joe Biden, will both hit the campaign trail in an event in Pittsburgh this evening. The Democrats will hope the Labor Day appearance in the vital swing state of Pennsylvania will help bring back some of those blue-collar voters considering backing Donald Trump.  
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Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.)  … BBC Breakfast (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today (8.15 a.m.) … GMB (8.30 a.m.).
Shadow education secretary Damian Hinds broadcast round: Times Radio (7.35 a.m.) … GB News (8.05 a.m.) … LBC News (8.20 a.m.) … ITN (8.40 a.m.)
Chris Philp for the Kemi Badenoch cheerleading round: GB News (7 a.m.) … Talk (7.50 a.m.) … Sky (8.15 a.m.)
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper (8.50 a.m.)
Also on Good Morning Britain: Tory MP David Davis (7.45 a.m.)
POLITICO UK: Keir Starmer channels JFK for his climate ‘moonshot.’
Daily Express: How ludicrous! Labour axed winter fuel help to ‘stop run on pound.’
Daily Mail: Labour is ‘scaring off’ big business.
Daily Mirror: Race hate surge in schools.
Daily Star: Oasis: Some won’t pay.
Financial Times: Alternative for Germany wins its first state poll as voters quit centre ground.
Independent: Eyewitness: Behind enemy lines with Zelensky’s forces.
Metro: Grade big U-turn on schools.
The Daily Telegraph: One-word OFSTED ratings scrapped.
The Guardian: Protesters turn on Netanyahu.
The Times: Germany’s far right has first big win since Nazis.
The Sun: We’re fuming.
WESTMINSTER WEATHER:  Looking a bit gloomy — fancy that! High of 25C.
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DON’T MISS: The return of Politics at Jack and Sam’s, your favorite guide to Westminster is back with you every day after a summer break.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Prime Minister Keir Starmer … Labour peer Mary Goudie … Scottish Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville … News UK Chief Operating Officer David Dinsmore … Broadcaster Moira Stuart.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich, Jack Blanchard and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Catherine Bouris.
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