Chinese whispers — at home and abroad

Sir Keir Starmer is 5,000 miles away in China, meeting President Xi Jinping to drum up investment and deepen relations, but back on the home front the PM’s leadership looks increasingly beset. Manchester mayor Andy Burnham’s ambitions may have been thwarted for now, but the plotting continues in rival contenders’ camps. In a bid to wrestle back control of the agenda, the government is pressing on with fresh policy announcements. Meanwhile, the Tories have seen more MP defections to Reform, as senior centrist figures seek to drag the Conservatives away from the right. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Jim Pickard, Jennifer Williams and Robert Shrimsley – plus George Parker is on the ground in Shanghai.

Follow Lucy: @lucyfisher.ft.com or @LOS_Fisher (x.com/LOS_Fisher); George: @georgewparker.bsky.social (bsky.app/profile/georgewparker.bsky.social), or @GeorgeWParker (x.com/GeorgeWParker?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ct…); Robert: @robertshrimsley.bsky.social (bsky.app/profile/robertshrimsley.bsky.social) or @robertshrimsley (x.com/robertshrimsley?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7…), Jim: @pickardje.bsky.social or @PickardJE (x.com/PickardJE) and Jennifer: @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social or @JenWilliamsMEN (x.com/JenWilliamsMEN)

Want more?
Donald Trump warns Keir Starmer against closer business ties with China (ft.com/content/1f6504be-9ee3-4a71-ab46-1e9fb13…)
China rolls out the red carpet for Keir Starmer (ft.com/content/0ac69fd8-e2ab-4a94-8c64-05ed3c6…)
Government plans to tighten scrutiny of Chinese influence in UK (ft.com/content/9bfe5659-751b-43b2-b69d-93d49c8…)
The prisoner of Downing Street (ft.com/content/f2e9a815-dc8d-4e3e-ada5-36bce90…)
Labour triggers early by-election to limit fallout from Andy Burnham row (ft.com/content/c553a072-432b-42ca-aa9f-bfb4df9…)
Reform UK picks Matt Goodwin for Gorton and Denton by-election (ft.com/content/550c3c74-36a0-427a-bc13-16e6b99…)
UK government caps ground rents paid to freeholders (ft.com/content/81e95e72-b59e-44b4-9639-e33c407…)

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Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher. The producer is Clare Williamson and the executive producer is Flo Phillips. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

Our email address is politicalfix@ft.com

Clip from:
Reuters

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com (ft.com/content/f8536698-eb27-4ce0-ba33-58073b3…)

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