Annabelle Dickson

EXCL: Ministers are poised to announce they will scrap Ofwat next week Two people with knowledge of the planning tell me an announcement on ditching the water regulator is being lined up for Monday (A long-awaited independent report on the state of the industry drops at 7am)

V timely scoop from top colleagues 👇

"A British diplomat responded to the suggestion London had been overly subservient to Washington with a large eye-roll emoji." The great @estwebber @cleacaulcutt with some great snark as 🇬🇧 and 🇫🇷 differ in their approaches to The Donald. politico.eu/article/keir-s…

NEW interviews by me and @NewsAnnabelle — Rachel Reeves has no good choices. It's tax rises, *more* spending cuts by 2029, or even breaking manifesto pledges @econJaredB, Ruth Curtice, Luke Sullivan, @GavinBarwell @rbrharrison @meadwaj give their tips politico.eu/article/uk-cha…

Nice piece from @johnjohnstonmi on how the Labour govt has fared on its promise to clean up British politics. politico.eu/article/labour…

BIG READ: Why Year 2 looks even harder than Year 1 for Keir Starmer Qs over MP discipline, overall direction, political strategy, the economy, Wales/Scotland elections, Reform UK, unions and pay, Ukraine, Iran, Gaza By me, @NewsAnnabelle and @estwebber politico.eu/article/keir-s…

🎤With the welfare revolt in full swing, here’s my March ep of Westminster Insider looking at how to launch a successful backbench rebellion - a wild ride through some of Parliament’s most mutinous moments! 😎 open.spotify.com/episode/63j2Wl…

Very excited to say I'm going to be taking on a new gig covering foreign policy and defence from the lobby for @POLITICOEurope Apparently there are a few things going on and I can't wait to get stuck in. First up: NATO summit ✈️

Seven reality checks on Britain’s sunshine spending review from the great @danbloom1 politico.eu/article/britai…

Leveling up 2.0: Rachel Reeves makes her pitch to Britain’s left-behind voters politico.eu/article/rachel…

Our look at life in Cabinet after the spending review wrangles. With the great @danbloom1

A nice moment in the Commons this morning as Commons leader Lucy Powell pays tribute to @richard_kaputt on his final day as Parliamentary Editor, after 12 years in the gallery for the Press Association. He'll be hugely missed.

“Everyone has fought dirty and everyone is going to walk away covered in shit.” The ace @JoeBambridge1 has a brilliant read on how the initially uncontroversial data bill became a political football — and radicalized Elton John. politico.eu/article/ai-cop…

Keir Starmer can’t stop the migrant boats either politico.eu/article/keir-s…

In the context of the UK defense review and the need to reverse our dwindling armed forces numbers ... support & conditions for veterans have got so bad in recent decades that a bit more cash for forces housing won't be enough More here: politico.eu/article/britai…

NEW: Tory shadow minister for AI takes second job with AI firm. Comes amid ongoing scrutiny over peers' outside interests. Baroness Jenny Jones said the crossover between the Tory peer's parliament brief and new advisory gig is "particularly egregious". politico.eu/article/tories…

As usual, @g_lanktree is ahead of the pack ... Reynolds will talk tariffs with Jamieson Greer next week. Many British firms not exporting, or paying duties as they await clarity on tariff relief. politico.eu/article/uk-tra…

It's been a while... exercising my Playbook muscles again, and writing this afternoon's edition. Send your tips, tales and moral support my way.

🔬🎙️NEW: Westminster Insider: "How to run your Cabinet" with ex-Cab Mins David Owen, Malcom Rifkind, Clare Short, ex-No10 advisor @cleowatson88 ex-HMT spad Sonia Khan + Michael Cockerell @patrickkmaguire @lukesullivan w/insight into Keir's cabinet&style open.spotify.com/episode/524grq…

EXC: How an EU company supplied advanced tech for Putin's surveillance state — even after waves of sanctions came into force — through a network of subsidiaries. My latest for @POLITICOEurope politico.eu/article/german…