The mercury is rising in Westminster. Not the political temperature, though that is always high. No, this is the real thing. A heatwave. And it is set to break records.
Whitehall sources confirm the Met Office has issued a red warning. The highest level. Essentially a national emergency protocol.
Heathrow is the epicentre. The airport, already a pressure cooker of delays and staffing rows, now faces a logistical meltdown. Runways could soften. Tarmac buckling is a real risk. Not since 1976 have we seen temperatures this extreme.
The narrative is shifting. The government is sensitive. Any failure to manage this will be weaponised by the opposition. Labour is already pointing fingers. 'Austerity cuts to emergency services,' they claim. Unfair, say ministers. But the optics are terrible.
Here is the inside baseball. The Cabinet Office is running COBRA meetings. But the real action is in the backrooms. Chief Scientific Advisers are locked in with Transport officials. They are gaming out scenarios. Worst case: widespread transport collapse. Not just roads and rails. The grid itself could come under strain.
Downing Street is worried. Not about the heat. About the fallout. The PM wants a 'resilience' narrative. 'Britain is ready,' they say. But off the record? They are praying the electricity holds.
This is a test. For the government. For the civil service. For the country. How we cope with a changing climate. The political impact could last longer than the heatwave.
The polling data is telling. Voter concern about the environment is high. But so is distrust in government competence. A mismanaged heatwave cuts both ways.
Expect briefings. Expect leaks. Expect blame games. That is how Westminster works. The sun might shine, but the shadows are where the real stories brew.
