Lammy’s soft power council splurge

Is Keir Starmer a Tory? That’s the question much of Westminster is asking after his recent talk of welfare cuts, planning reform and raiding the aid budget to pay for defence. But while the Labour leader seems happy to talk the talk, some of his ministers are less keen to walk the walk. For while the PM was trumpeting his plans yesterday to abolish NHS England, it should be noted that his government has created at least 27 new quangos since July 2024. Hardly a bonfire eh?

Among those new vehicles created is the ironically-named Office of Value for Money: a body whose first act ought to have been recommending immediate self-immolation. Alas, it limps on, under the chairmanship of the man who saw the 2012 Olympics budget treble on his watch. Still, one thing the OVM certainly ought to look into is David Lammy’s new ‘soft power council’, launched to great fanfare in January.