Further to Guido’s reporting earlier today on Louise Haigh, it is only fair to mention that she is not the only sitting government minister who voted against renewing Britain’s nuclear defences in 2016. All while Burnham reheats a previous announcement to prove how serious he is about this…Angela Rayner, Lisa Nandy, Ian Murray and Vicky Foxcroft (both junior DCMS ministers) also voted against Trident’s renewal. That’s three Cabinet ministers who are in favour of nuclear disarmament. Certainly both Haigh and Rayner still hold considerable influence over the Cabinet and the wider PLP. Before the 2024 election, Rayner admitted she “hadn’t changed her mind“, and then gave some waffle designed to stop the ming vase breaking:“I haven’t changed my mind.