News

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

Brian Cox has slammed Nigel Farage as a “bully” who is “misinformed” in a scathing assessment of the Reform UK leader.Appearing on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Scottish actor said that he is “dazzled by the way a lot of people have been seduced by him”. Mr Farage’s party is currently 10 points ahead in the polls, according to Techne UK.He said that Mr Farage, who was interviewed by Kuenessberg earlier in the episode, was a “bit of a bully”. He said: “You can tell by the way he conducted that interview with you thought a lot of it was badgering. I just don’t trust the man.”Slamming Brexit, Mr Cox also said that he believes there has “never been a more positive time to be in Europe” due to the ongoing Ukraine war. More

The Labour government is “moving forward with the strongest team” following the resignation of Angela Rayner, the chief secretary to the prime minister said.Appearing on BBC Breakfast on Saturday, newly appointed Darren Jones said that Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet has entered a “second chapter” which is focused on “strengthening 10 Downing Street’s operation”.He said that the prime minister had “already been considering” a reshuffle but it was brought forward in light of Ms Rayner’s resignation following her admission that she failed to pay the correct stamp duty on her Hove £800,000 flat.“We are moving forward with the strongest team that we have around the Cabinet now”.Mr Jones also dispelled Reform’s claims that there will likely be an election in 2027, calling the party “one that fees off dismay and problems”. More

Dame Andrea Jenkyns walked onstage at the Reform UK conference, belting out a song entitled “Insomniac” that she said she wrote.The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, walked onstage at the party’s two-day conference at Birmingham’s NEC on Friday (5 September) in a sparkly jumpsuit before breaking into song.She said: “Are this awful Labour government giving you sleepless nights as well?,” adding that she co-wrote the song 20 years ago with a friend.Dame Andrea’s website says she is a soprano who has been singing since her childhood. More

Nigel Farage mistakenly said Angela Rayner had avoided paying £40,000 in council tax after the deputy prime minister resigned on Friday, 5 September.Ms Rayner quit after ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found that she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.She had faced mounting pressure to stand down over recent days after admitting she had neglected to pay stamp duty by £40,000 on the flat.”You simply can’t get away from being the housing secretary and avoiding £40,000 of council tax, and it screams to entitlement,” Mr Farage told conference attendees in Birmingham. More

Nigel Farage said he thinks there is “every chance now of a general election happening in 2027” as he addressed Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham shortly after Angela Rayner resigned on Friday, 5 September.The Reform leader warned of a “big rift” in Labour and told attendees in a keynote speech: “Before long, there’ll be Labour MPs that reckon they’ve got a better chance on the Jeremy Corbyn sectarian ticket … they’ve got a better chance of being re-elected under that ticket, under Corbyn, than they do under Sir Keir.”His comments came following the deputy prime minister’s announcement that she would step down after ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found that she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex. More