An awful lot of wind

THOSE RUMORS ANSWERED: Playbook has been out on the road with Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick, and today brings you a day in the life of one of the main contenders vying to rebuild the Tory party. My top colleague Dan Bloom watches as a Jenrick gag about burning down CCHQ wins unintended applause from Conservative members (possibly not a great sign), hears all about Jenrick’s plan to win back Reform voters — and gets him to clear up those rumors that a certain leadership contender has been taking the trendy weight loss drugs all the celebs are on.
Fair play: “I took Ozempic for a short period of time — didn’t particularly enjoy it,” Jenrick tells Dan. (He declines to spell out if any of the rather grim side effects reported by some others were the problem.) Read Dan’s postcard from the campaign trail lower down in the email for all the details … The offer is open to other Tory leadership contenders to take on the Playbook summer challenge.
Good Tuesday morning. This is Sam Blewett.
NOT JUST HOT AIR: Keir Starmer is visiting a wind farm in Wales to vent about how his plans to make Britain a “clean energy superpower” will help reduce household bills — but while one hand giveth, the other taketh away. His government is simultaneously trying to minimize the effect of its decision to end the universal winter fuel payment for pensioners. Add this to the heat Labour’s facing over how its environmental and economic plans can come into conflict and it’s a day when the complex trade-offs that come with governing are sharply in focus. 
In a spin: The prime minister will gaze at the turbines with Eluned Morgan on his second day on tour with the new Welsh first minister. The extended engagement is an early boost for Morgan as she seeks to outlast her scandal-hit predecessor Vaughan Gething’s dismal 118 days on the job. It also sends a carefully calibrated message to voters in Scotland, where Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar is telling voters it’ll be way easier for him to whisper in the Westminster government’s ear as first minister than it is for the SNP. 
**A message from Google: Family Link can help you manage your child’s digital habits this summer holiday – no sweat. Personalise their device use, view screen time, set daily limits, schedule downtime, and more. So while school’s out, a fun and balanced summer’s in. Learn more at g.co/familylink.**
Putting a daff on it: Downing Street’s trail into today makes a lot of Starmer looking to “reset” relations with Cardiff and deliver a “genuine partnership of collaboration and respect.” And it certainly strikes a different tone to that between, say, Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson. But it is a bit easier when you’re in the same party … Expect Starmer to speak approvingly of the Welsh government’s Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru green investment company as he seeks to get Great British Energy up and running.
Hear Keir: Starmer will be speaking to regional broadcasters later this morning, but first we’ll hear from Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, who takes on a lesser-spotted mid-recess morning media round. She’ll be on the Today program at 8.10 a.m. (Full timings, as ever, are further down the email.)
Steely resolve: Questions loom for Starmer and Stevens about how Labour in Wales has struggled to deal with hospital treatment waiting lists, which hit record highs in May. Expect them to be asked too about how they can save Welsh steel jobs, with Tata’s last blast furnace in Port Talbot due to be shut down next month. Keir told Morgan on the first leg of his visit that “we’re going to need more steel,” according to PA’s account of their meeting (via this decent BBC article on the troubles facing Wales). 
But but but: Fixing either of those problems could require vast public investment — but Chancellor Rachel Reeves is spending much more time talking about fixing the financial “black hole” when it comes to the October budget. 
Here’s another tricky one: A short while before No. 10 sent out its trail hyping up Starmer’s visit to Wales to “supercharge” clean energy plans, the government slipped out its decision to allow London City airport to increase its capacity from 6.5 million passengers a year to 9 million by 2031. This has, naturally, angered environmentalists, with their comments being highlighted in the Guardian’s coverage.
Of course … it’s a decision linked to Starmer’s key driving mission of boosting economic growth — but the Climate Change Committee has warned that there shouldn’t be any net airport expansion if the U.K. is to hit its net zero target by 2050. The move also raises questions about other decisions to come over Gatwick, Luton and the particularly thorny third runway at Heathrow.
And while talking about cutting bills … Reeves has of course decided to means test eligibility for winter fuel payments, meaning significant hikes for around 10 million pensioners who will no longer be entitled to the payments of up to £300. 
The remedy: Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is launching a drive today for pensioners and their families to check whether they can sign up for pension credit, the benefit that now confers entitlement for the fuel allowance. Some 1.4 million are already signed up but an estimated 880,000 eligible households are not.
Fifty shades of gray vote: The decision to cut the payments to wealthier pensioners has of course enraged the Conservatives. Shadow Treasury Minister Laura Trott is accusing the government of “desperately trying to mitigate the impact of their own decisions” with the awareness campaign. The Tories have been trying to link the move to the government’s decision to give above-inflation pay rises to striking public sector workers — today leadership hopeful Priti Patel uses an Express article to accuse Reeves of turning a “blind eye” to vulnerable pensioners in order “to please her union mates.” 
Unhelpfully for the Tories: As spotted by the Guardian, former Tory rail minister (and now ex-MP) Huw Merriman has published a thread apologizing for not being able to reach his own agreement while in government and said he can understand why Labour has “decided to cut a deal to end the uncertainty and move on with goodwill.” 
In a way … the deal-making ties in conveniently with how Starmer plans to tackle the riots. My POLITICO colleague Esther Webber has a very interesting article out today on how the PM’s allies believe the far right can be defeated by fixing potholes and tackling hospital waiting times. It’s all influenced by Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s close adviser who has first-hand knowledge of how the BNP was driven out of Barking over a decade ago partly by a project of solving the problems that plague everyday life. Read Esther’s piece here. 
Here’s a novel prescription: Tony Blair’s think tank has proposed closing most local GP surgeries and replacing them with super primary care centers, according to an eye-catching report obtained in advance by my POLITICO colleague Laurie Clarke. A centralized library of NHS data that can be shared with third parties is also suggested by the Tony Blair Institute to help drive wider reform. Find all the details on our site.
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: U.S. Democrats projected buoyant enthusiasm in Chicago last night as they kicked off their national convention with an appearance from their new presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a (forced) torch pass from President Joe Biden and even a raucous speech from Hillary Clinton. POLITICO has a live blog from the DNC up and running, and our Stateside colleague Joe Schatz has sent over the following dispatch from the ground.
Biden’s bittersweet moment: Harris surprised the crowd when she briefly took the stage overnight, walking out to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” and immediately receiving a standing ovation. Biden, meanwhile, became emotional when he walked on stage to thunderous applause, wiping away tears.
But despite the public jubilation, in private and smaller settings around town, top Democrats are clear: This is a 50-50 race. Even amid polls showing Harris moving into stronger positions in battleground states, Democrats are all too aware of how quickly fortunes can change.
Reality check: It was just over a month ago that Donald Trump and Republicans were in Milwaukee confidently plotting an electoral landslide in November. And only 28 days ago, Biden was insisting he would persevere as the Democratic nominee into a November rematch with Trump. Instead, Biden spoke to thousands of Democratic delegates here Monday night and will now disappear to California for the rest of the week.
Now, with Harris in Biden’s place, “it’s a sprint, not a marathon — which is great,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told POLITICO’s Emily Ngo Monday afternoon.
There’s some easy logic to that enthusiasm. Republicans who’d prepared an arsenal of attacks for Biden have been forced to recalibrate — and have less time to unload on Harris. And Democrats, spared a divisive primary, are uncommonly focused on the general election. As Jonathan Martin puts it, it’s a role reversal for the American parties. “The Democrats have become what Republicans once were: brutally efficient, on-message, establishment-driven and singularly committed to winning general elections.”
But fortunes can change: Harris and Trump will debate in September. Other events may intervene. But it will have to happen quickly. In reality, the campaign is even shorter than it seems. Early voting begins in several states in just a month.
WRATH OF KHAN: The New Statesman’s George Eaton has an interesting interview with Sadiq Khan in which the London mayor says Labour “shouldn’t pretend” it wouldn’t rather the Democrats trounce Donald Trump in the election. Khan says he’s worried about the threat to him and his family if the Republican returns to the White House. He argues that politicians need to be “bolder and braver” on immigration and to challenge the idea that “all our problems are because of immigrants.”
Purring over a potential Trump defeat? The late Queen Elizabeth, who had the (dis)pleasure of hosting him twice during her reign, and believed the then-president to be “very rude,” according to a new biography of the monarch that makes the Mail’s splash. “A Voyage Around The Queen,” which is being serialized by the paper, says she “particularly disliked” how Trump looked over her shoulder as if “in search of others more interesting.” Charming! 
MORE FROM CHICAGO: Our globetrotting colleagues Suzanne Lynch and Anne McElvoy are at the DNC writing Global Playbook and recording episodes for POLITICO’s Power Play podcast. Look out for them both.
ISN’T IT GLAMOROUS: Robert Jenrick is alone in an off-white meeting room staring into a laptop (Playbook’s Dan Bloom writes). He nods while councilors on Zoom reel off worries about Reform, Lib Dems, “catastrophic” ill-discipline and 2026 elections. In a neat metaphor, the view out the window is of a brick wall.
Welcome to Sunday in the life of a Tory leadership candidate. It’s 10.20 a.m. at the Great Danes Hotel in Maidstone, Kent. Weddings are just up the corridor. After a jog around the local allotments, Jenrick is in a plain white shirt. His blazer is on the chair. His face is pursed in concentration.
The sell: The Conservative Party is in an “existential crisis” and needs a “fresher, younger leader,” argues Jenrick. As luck would have it, he is the youngest of the six candidates at 42. He wants to end the “division and melodrama.” Tory MPs can’t have “five families” anymore — you could fit them all into one phone box, he jokes.
But but but … how to translate unity into policy is tricky, as the councilors’ questions show. “Don’t forget about the Lib Dems!” one tells him. Jenrick’s right-wing stance — he talks up his resignation as immigration minister, and says he’d leave the ECHR come what may as “I don’t think it’s reformable” — could win Tory voters who picked Reform UK. But the centrist Lib Dems are mentioned, too, by councilors from Inverness to Wimbledon.
So can he ride both horses? Not quite. Regaining a reputation for economic competence, Jenrick argues, would win back Lib Dem and Labour backers. But “the first step, without doubt, is winning back the Reform voters,” he says. “We’ll never get to make the later steps unless we get that first one right. And the way to do that is to have very clear positions on the issues which Reform voters care about the most.” One Nation MPs will be interested to hear that.
And hear it they shall: I’m ushered out at 10.50 a.m. as Jenrick begins another round of MP calls. His strategy seems clear to me: Persuade enough to back him by the time parliament returns that it builds a sense of momentum. That’d boost the polls and odds, and help swing MPs who just want to back a winner. While we wait, an aide walks out to take a call. I catch only the words “is he definitely solid?” (The next day, Matt Vickers backs Jenrick.)
PICTURE THE SCENE: I’ve been invited for a day in the life of one man vying to rebuild a fractured party. (Playbook has offered Jenrick’s five rivals the same treatment.) I watch the councilor call … sweep down country lanes while Jenrick tries to think of jokes … join 50 members at the Weald of Kent golf club … roar up the M25 as part of his entourage spread across a Land Rover and blacked-out Range Rover (with fridge) … and cram with 25 members onto a Thames-side pub balcony in Surbiton, Ed Davey’s seat, above a collection of small boats for rent. Jenrick’s wife, Michal Berkner, a corporate lawyer, persuades her reluctant husband to pose for a selfie beside the golf course. He seems itching to get back in the car. It’s an 11-hour Sunday.
The Garden of England’s garden: It may border red and yellow seats now, but the Weald is blue — and talking points like free speech in universities and a “civil service more woke-ish by the week” dominate many questions here. Jenrick, the third visitor after Kemi Badenoch and Priti Patel, seems in his element. “We have become a party of social democrats,” he says. “We accepted that the Blair inheritance was the new normal.” He suggests a Great Reform Act to review laws like the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act. The Labour government is becoming “authoritarian” — he will speak for the “silent majority.”
Scale of the challenge: One long-time member in the Weald says Nigel Farage is the de-facto leader of the opposition. Another in Surbiton says “everyone I know under 50” voted Reform.
But once again … Other members ask about Lib Dems and how human rights will be protected if he leaves the ECHR. A member in Surbiton tells Jenrick it would put Britain in the company of Russia and Belarus. He may be more of a Tom Tugendhat guy; he’s due to see him in an Indian restaurant on Wednesday.
At least they’re united on this: Jenrick jokes that the party machine is so in need of reform that a member recently “heckled at me to burn down CCHQ.” It gets an unexpected round of applause.
Yellow card? “I’m not a platitudes candidate. I’m not ‘unite to win,’ I’m ‘unite to win and deliver for this country,’” Jenrick tells members in Surbiton. Take that, Priti Patel!
Bank Robert: All this traveling around costs money, and Jenrick declared £137,000 of donations last week — of which £50,000 came from a small firm, The Spott Fitness. One of its directors, Mark Dembovsky, was not long ago chief exec of Doughty Street Chambers, formerly headed up by Keir Starmer. Funny old world.
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: Over scallops and sea bream in a Kent gastropub, Jenrick insists he’s the guy for all wings. He points out he served five Tory PMs, says there’s more common ground than you’d think between Lib Dem- and Labour-facing areas, and argues the “10 propositions” he unveiled this week are only a “first draft.” He wants his party to “coalesce around a set of principles,” though he seems fixed on migration — resolving it, he argues, will open up room to tackle things like education, welfare and the environment.
On net zero: He leans away — a bit — from his September 2023 tweet that we “will still get to net zero by 2050.” It will be “very challenging,” he says: “The U.K. is only 1 percent of the world’s emissions. There’s no prizes for being the first country in the world to decarbonize. We should be working towards net zero 2050, but we shouldn’t be decarbonizing faster than our major competitors in the world.”
On other policy: He won’t be drawn on what taxes he’d change, though he singles out stamp duty, oil and gas windfall taxes and income tax thresholds … still thinks the zoning he proposed as housing secretary is the best planning reform (and brands Labour’s plans “nakedly political” by aiming for the green belt) … and argues fewer teenagers should go to uni. “We should be moving some of our state subsidy for universities towards apprenticeships and vocational education,” he says. You can hear vice chancellors screaming from here.
On Suella Braverman: He also chooses his words diplomatically for his former colleague, several of whose former backers are now behind him. “I respect Suella. I’ve known her for 20 years. I’d like to continue working with her. She was right on a lot of very important issues,” he says. It’s helpful to him, though, that she pulled out? “I want to build a very broad coalition of support across the parliamentary party. I have friends on each and every wing of the party.”
On those weight loss jabs: He finally answers the long-running rumors: “To be honest, I was overweight. I took Ozempic for a short period of time, didn’t particularly enjoy it, but it was helpful. Since then I’ve just lost weight in the normal way by eating less, eating more healthily, doing some exercise — going to the gym, going running. I’ve lost four stone in 12 months.” He won’t be drawn further, including on whether he suffered side effects — though when I ask later I’m told his usage was for six weeks in autumn 2023.
And the rest: The naughtiest thing he’s done (Speeding? “Probably, yes, I regret that”) … favorite films (“Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago, great epic films”) … food (“Chinese or Indian? I don’t eat very healthily”) … and music (“I’ve got three young daughters, so my music tastes at the moment are dictated by them. I know the lyrics to almost every Taylor Swift song. Actually I’m not going to say that — that’s a hostage to fortune.”)
BUT BACK TO THE MEMBERS: What do *they* think of Jenrick — and does it look like he could win? The contest is just too wide open to tell. Many tell me they’re waiting until they see all six candidates (who will be whittled down to four, then two, by MPs) in person, with associations jostling to invite them one by one. A few tell me Jenrick will make the Tories a proper Conservative Party again. Other members are less sure. “I want to see some ‘hows,’” says one. Whoever pulls it off, they will have — in Jenrick’s own words — a mountain to climb.
PARLIAMENT: Checking last-minute holiday deals.
TORY CONTEST RUMBLES ON: If you still haven’t had your fill of Robert Jenrick, he’ll be on LBC at 8.30 a.m. followed by Talk at 11 a.m. Then it’s onto Somerset where he’ll take part in a 5 p.m. hustings against rivals Priti Patel, James Cleverly and Mel Stride. It’s being held behind closed doors for Tory members, hacks will have to wait for the bigger events to tune in (or for rival camps to brief out damaging lines). 
Whiskey over cider: Tom Tugendhat won’t be taking part because he’s too busy lapping it up in Scotland after securing the backing of a third of all eligible Conservative members of the Scottish Parliament (that’s a grand total of eight MSPs). The shadow security minister will be visiting a distillery, though he’s been off the booze for a year. Kemi Badenoch is also skipping the hustings as she’s still on holiday. 
FIRS-TRATED EFFORTS: The government has announced yet another delay to plans for a U.S.-style lobbying register, with a recess-cloaked admission the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) was “no longer expected” to come into force this year, my colleague John Johnston writes in to say.
Nuthin’ but a Xi thang: As the i’s Arj Singh points out, this is already concerning Beijing-bothered MPs such as Iain Duncan Smith because the scheme was seen as key to tackling Chinese interference in the U.K. “I’m worried they will backtrack and that there is a shift in policy on China,” says the former Tory leader, an arch-critic of President Xi Jinping.
Worth doing well: Though the scheme has been bouncing around ministerial inboxes for years, Transparency International UK’s director of policy Duncan Hames told John that while there was “growing evidence” of foreign actors meddling in British politics, the delay offered a “valuable opportunity” to strengthen the measures.
But but but: Hames said ministers should use the downtime to introduce a “comprehensive lobbying register” to ensure better transparency and accountability in the domestic lobbying scene.
BUDGET HOLIDAY BLUES: EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has confirmed that Brits traveling to the EU next summer will need to fork out  €7 for a visa waiver, similar to a U.S. ESTA, per the Telegraph. SW1 EVENTS: The Fabian Society member policy group on local government and housing (catchy!) is hosting its London summer reception with Labour MP Chris Curtis at 6.30 p.m. (sign up form here).
JUSTICE HITS HARD: Five men from Hull, Sheffield, and Teesside will be sentenced for their involvement in the recent rioting, with offenses including arson, violent disorder, burglary and the possession of an offensive weapon. They’re lucky to get the court appearances!
OFCOM RAISES AN EYEBROW: Media regulator Ofcom is investigating Sky News’ general election interview with former Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross, in which he discussed the race in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East and his resignation. Under Ofcom rules, during an election period “due weight must be given [by broadcasters] to the coverage of parties” and “due impartiality must be strictly maintained” when a constituency is discussed.
ELECTION DRAMA: Bulgarian President Rumen Radev refused to appoint a caretaker government on Monday, indefinitely delaying a parliamentary election that was previously set for Oct. 20. It stems from a dispute over the nomination of Kalin Stoyanov to continue serving as interior minister. The president and parliamentary opposition regard Stoyanov as a confederate of Delyan Peevski, a Bulgarian oligarch sanctioned by the U.S. and U.K. for corruption.
PRINCELY INTERVIEW: My ace colleague Seb Starcevic has interviewed Prince Paul of Romania, the 76-year-old grandson of one of Romania’s last kings. He’s been hunted across the Continent over his role in a scheme to allegedly illegally reclaim royal lands that belonged to his ancestor. Paul spoke to POLITICO from Malta, where he was arrested earlier this year. The bizarre saga is ongoing, but “I am not beaten,” Paul said. Read the wild piece here.
UKRAINIAN EVACUATION ORDERED: Ukrainian officials have ordered people in the eastern city of Pokrovsk to evacuate as Russian troops siege forward in the region, the BBC’s Ido Vock reports. The head of the city’s military government, Serhii Dobriak, told citizens they have a maximum of two weeks to relocate.
CEASE-FIRE HOPES ON EDGE: ​​After a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge the differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. He called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether the concerns cited by the militant group had been addressed.
INDIAN DOCTORS PROTEST: Junior doctors in India are continuing to strike in their thousands in response to the killing of a 31-year-old doctor who police say was found raped and murdered in a state hospital in Kolkata, per Reuters. The Indian Medical Association described the killing as a “crime of barbaric scale due to the lack of safe spaces for women,” the BBC reports.
**A message from Google: With the summer holidays in full swing, more free time can mean more screen time for your child. By downloading the Family Link app, you can manage and monitor your family’s digital habits to choose a healthy balance that suits you and your child. View their screen time and set daily limits to make sure they don’t miss out on the outdoor fun, schedule downtime for when the BBQ is ready and manage privacy settings so you know they are safe and sound all summer long. Family Link can even help you find age-appropriate apps and games, perfect for that road trip to the seaside or a rainy day. So while school’s out, a fun and balanced summer’s very much in. Learn more at g.co/familylink.**
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … Sky News (7.15 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Today (8.10 a.m.). 
No Conservative broadcast round. Chilling out. 
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick (8.35 a.m.). 
Also on Times Radio Breakfast: CEO of Scottish company Wood Group Ken Gilmartin (7.15 a.m.) … London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Professor Brian Greenwood (7.25 a.m.).
Also on Sky News Breakfast: Former British Ambassador to the United States Peter Westmacott (7.30 a.m.).
POLITICO UK: Keir Starmer’s plan to tackle the far right? Fill some potholes.
Daily Express: Tycoon and daughter missing in yacht tragedy.
Daily Mail: Queen said Trump was ‘very rude.’
Daily Mirror: Hero mum saves baby in sea hell.
Daily Star: Oh baubles. 
Financial Times: Vindicated tech baron Lynch missing after luxury yacht goes down off Sicily.
i: Crime suspects left on streets under ‘one-in, one-out’ prison crowding plan.
Metro: Tycoon missing in yacht horror.
The Daily Telegraph: Tech tycoon feared dead in family superyacht tragedy.
The Guardian: British tech boss among missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily.
The Independent: It’s criminal! Jails too full to cope with 500 rioters.
The Times: Millionaires in yacht tragedy. 
WESTMINSTER WEATHER: Cloudy start but will be sunny by home time. Hold on for it, folks. High 23C, low 12C.
BEST WISHES: Scotland’s Drugs and Alcohol Minister Christina McKelvie will take a period of leave from Holyrood to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer. Announcing the news, McKelvie said: “To all women, please remember to check yourself regularly and always attend your screening appointments.”
CELEBRITY SPOTTING: Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling has told the Daily T podcast that he has to factor extra time into his day for people to take selfies with him and his guide dog Jennie. The Torbay MP said Jennie’s fans come from as far away as Mexico. Who knew a golden retriever-labrador could do so much for the U.K. on the international stage? 
STRUGGLING TO REMEMBER THE NEW FACES? The Parly App has a quiz to identify all MPs and lords, either by face or name. We’re having a wild recess. 
WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio.
WRITING PLAYBOOK WEDNESDAY MORNING: Sam Blewett.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Chichester MP Jess Brown-Fuller … Former NHS England National Director for Digital Transformation Matthew Gould … New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne … DUP peer Nigel Dodds … Labour peer and former Leader of the House of Lords Janet Royall … North Thanet MP Roger Gale … SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing … Former Daily Mirror Deputy Political Editor Ben Glaze … Crossbench peer and former No. 10 policy unit head Camilla Cavendish … South Down MP Chris Hazzard … Google exec and former Labour adviser Michaela Neild … Former Chatham House Director Robin Niblett …  POLITICO’s Sanya Khetani-Shah.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Zoya Sheftalovich, Jack Blanchard and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Dean Southwell.
SUBSCRIBE to the POLITICO newsletter family: Brussels Playbook | London Playbook | London Playbook PM | Playbook Paris | EU Election Playbook | Berlin Playbook | Global Playbook | POLITICO Confidential | Sunday Crunch | EU Influence | London Influence | Digital Bridge | China Watcher | Berlin Bulletin | D.C. Playbook | D.C. Influence | All our POLITICO Pro policy morning newsletters