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Abstract

Copies of the Tribune were delivered to David Cameron’s door yesterday (Thursday) after the Prime Minister this week revealed he is one of our most loyal readers.

And as we arrived in Westminster, we were not surprised to see high-flying civil servants, MPs and their advisors, tourists – and even Fleet Street’s own Quentin Letts – engrossed in last week’s edition.

After all, it was the day after Mr Cameron said he “regularly subscribes” to the Tribune during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday as he clashed with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Asked by Islington North MP Mr Corbyn about the government’s lack of progress in providing free child care, the Prime Minister defended the government’s record on early years provision and the economy, before he quipped: “What a contrast it would be if we listened to the Right Honourable gentleman. Because I regularly subscribe to the Islington Tribune, I can announce to the house his latest economic advisor, one Mr Yanis Varoufakis. He was the Greek finance minister who left his economy in ruins. That is Labour’s policy in two words: Acropolis now.”

Mr Corbyn replied: “That is not much help to the 41,000 children who are not benefiting from what they were promised by the government.”

The Prime Minister was referring to an article in last week’s Tribune, in which Mr Corbyn said that Mr Varoufakis, who resigned during the negotiation on an EU bailout package for the debt-stricken country last year, has met Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and would advise Labour, though he remained unclear on precisely what basis this would be.

The mention of the Tribune before the House was hailed as a “triumph” by Mr Letts, who was fresh from writing his Daily Mail sketch. He was seen walking past two Spanish tourists standing in front of Big Ben reading our sports page.

However, writing in Newsweek, Mr Varoufakis said he was never asked, nor would he have accepted if asked, to be an advisor to Mr Corbyn or his team.

He wrote: “As a full-time politician, and initiator of DiEM25 [Democracy In Europe Movement] it is not my job to advise other politicians.”

But he added: “Engaging with parties and organisations across Europe is another matter. It is in this capacity that I am involved in Britain with Jeremy Corbyn, his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, and also politicians from other political parties.”

Of Mr Cameron’s quip, Mr Varoufakis wrote: “One senses that our economies are faltering and our governments are clueless when zero interest rates produce lower investment and leading politicians resort to personal insults in response to legitimate questions about their treasury’s falling tax take or the unaffordability of housing.”