News

Labour’s Sarah Edwards and her pooch Poykee were crowned Westminster Dog of the Year winners as the event returned on Thursday, 11 September.MPs united across party lines in Victoria Tower Gardens to join forces over one thing — their love of their four-legged friends — as they competed in the annual dog show for politicians and their pets.It is the first time the event has been held since 2023, after the general election caused the 2024 edition to be cancelled.Ms Edwards told The Independent she was keen to enter after being elected, and was  surprised but “absolutely delighted” at their win. More

A Labour MP’s constituency office was reduced to rubble and ashes after it was destroyed in an overnight fire on Thursday (11 September).Officers from Northumbria Police were called to Vermont House, home to the Sunderland constituency office of Washington and Gateshead South MP Sharon Hodgson, following reports of a blaze at just past midnight.Footage from the scene shows large parts of the building charred to the ground. Graffiti which reads “328 days blood on your hands” is also visible on the side of the office.A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and arson.Ms Hodgson’s office said in a statement that they will not be commenting on the incident due to the active police investigation, though stressed that “there is no place for this kind of violence in our society”. More

Steve Darling’s guide dog Jennie won Westminster Dog of the Year’s “pawblic” vote on Thursday, 11 September, after winning the hearts of politicians with her antics in the House of Commons.The pooch can often be seen lying on the floor as her owner, the Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, speaks in the chamber.Outside Parliament, MPs united across party lines to join forces over one thing — their love of their four-legged friends — as they competed in the annual dog show for politicians and their pets.Mr Darling, who has around 3 per cent vision, praised Jennie for the confidence she brings him.On whether her newfound fame has gone to her head, he joked that Jennie thinks “that big palace in central London is “just built for her, for people to come and love her.” More

MPs were told Lord Peter Mandelson was sacked from his role as Ambassador to the United States in light of “new emails” that show “the depth and extent of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”Speaking in the Commons on Thursday (11 September), Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State of the United Kingdom for Europe and North America, insisted the information is “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”He noted Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information. More

Sir Keir Starmer’s upcoming meeting with Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has been slammed by a furious Stephen Flynn.Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (10 September), the SNP’s Westminster leader described Gaza as a “graveyard” and called out the prime minister for inviting Mr Herzog, a man who “has called for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”, into No 10.He said Mr Herzog will “ignore every word you say”, and questioned if Sir Keir would welcome Vladimir Putin or Benjamin Netanyahu to Downing Street.“What does it say of this prime minister that he would harbour this man while children starve,” Mr Flynn asked while raising his voice.Sir Keir said that “we all want an outcome that secures peace” but stressed he would not give up on diplomacy in achieving this. “That is the politics of students.” More

Wes Streeting has defended Peter Mandelson after the US ambassador appeared to refer to Jeffrey Epstein as his “best pal” according to files released by a US congressional committee.Britain’s ambassador to Washington features in a 50th birthday book for the convicted paedophile that was compiled by Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in prison for her role in recruiting and trafficking minors for sex.Appearing on Sky News on Tuesday (9 September), the health secretary said that it was “very clear that [Lord Mandelson] deeply regrets ever having been introduced” to Epstein.Asked if the government would axe Mandelson from his ambassador role, he said: “No, I don’t think we should regard everyone as guilty by association.”The British embassy in Washington has been asked to comment. More

Susanna Reid grilled Nicola Sturgeon on why she was “upset” over flags being raised in Scotland.The former First Minister appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (9 September), admitting that witnessing the saltire being displayed on lampposts in Aberdeen took her by surprise and that she believed the flags were not being flown “to spread that sort of positive view of Scotland”.The broadcaster interjected, asking Ms Sturgeon, “How do you know?””I think we should get less worked up about flags,” the former Scottish National Party leader added. More

Wes Streeting has said that the next deputy leader of the Labour Party should “ideally” be a woman.Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday (9 September), the health secretary said that there are some “brilliant women” that are putting themselves forward in the race to replace Angela Rayner.All the great offices of state, bar the prime minister, are now held by women.“They were appointed on merit, but I think it’s a wonderful thing, that having seen women underrepresented in politics for so long, that women are now rising to the top,” Streeting added, maintaining that different perspectives are essential, not for “tick boxes”, but to run the country and make decisions “that affect the lives of millions of people everyday”. More