UK Politics

Peter Mandelson has broken his silence over the unfolding scandal around his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, warning there are more “very embarrassing” revelations to come after it was revealed he maintained ties with him after he was jailed for a child sex offence. Britain’s ambassador to Washington said he was “very embarrassed” to read a birthday message to the late paedophile in which he described him as his “best pal”.The messages, part of a 50th birthday book compiled for Epstein by convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, also saw Lord Mandelson express “love” for the financier and joke about entertaining his “interesting” friends. Epstein referred to Mandelson as ‘Petie’ in email correspondence More

A number of MPs are wearing sheaves of wheat on their lapels in the House of Commons during PMQs.The wheat sheaf pin badges are worn in support of Back British Farming Day, which falls on 10 September this year.Organised by the National Farmers’ Union for England and Wales (NFU), the event is aimed at celebrating the British food and farming sector and encouraging politicians to ensure it is prioritised.Launched back in 2016, the day provides an opportunity for politicians and the public to show their support for farmers and growers in feeding the nation and caring for the UK countryside.Lindsay Hoyle wore a wheat sheaf pin badge during PMQs More

The attorney general has trashed calls from Nigel Farage and some senior Conservatives to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), saying that abandoning it would send “an immensely damaging signal” to Britain’s allies.Lord Richard Hermer said abandoning the human rights convention would leave Britain “in the company of Russia and Belarus” (Russia was expelled from the ECHR after its invasion of Ukraine, while Belarus has never joined the Council of Europe).Sir Keir Starmer’s top lawyer said one of the complaints often made against the ECHR is that it makes it impossible to deport people overseas who may then face the risk of death or torture. Lord Hermer said Britain abandoning the ECHR would send ‘an immensely damaging signal’ More

Sir Keir Starmer has launched a “Budget board” to boost economic growth and keep businesses and City leaders appeased, according to reports.As part of his reset following Angela Rayner’s resignation last week, the prime minister plans to refocus the Cabinet on pro-growth policies with a new board that will link top ministers and 10 Downing Street officials with the Treasury.The board will be chaired by Mr Starmer’s new economic advisor Baroness Minouche Shafik, a former Bank of England deputy governor, and Treasury minister Torsten Bell, who will meet weekly, according to the Financial Times. The panel will face the task of coordinating pro-growth policies between now and the Budget, which is set to take place on 26 November. The prime minister’s new board will also comprise of key business voices in a recognition that the next few months could strain relations with corporate Britain.Baroness Shafik will play a key role on the panel, as will Darren Jones, former Treasury minister and current “chief secretary” to the prime minister. Morgan McSweeney and Katie Martin – chiefs of staff to Starmer and Reeves respectively – will also form the budget team in order to improve the handling of politics around the Budget. Business advisor Varun Chandra will also sit on the panel.Ben Nunn, the chancellor’s press chief, will sit alongside Tim Allan, former press aide to Sir Tony Blair and the new Number 10 communications chief, in order to improve the media handling of the Budget, which is seen as pivotal for Starmer’s government.This comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first Budget last October caused a rift with the business sector as she increased employers’ national insurance by £25 billion and sanctioned a big rise in the minimum wage. Already, Business and the City are bracing for higher tax, according to the FT, as Reeves seeks to fill a fiscal hole of at least £20 billion.Rachel Reeves’ previous budget proved unpopular with the business sector More

Former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps and ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith have signed a letter along with other politicians and former senior military officers to Donald Trump asking him to intervene to block the Chagos deal.Serious concerns remain over the impact on UK and US defence and security with threats to the operational ability of the Diego Garcia case in the Indian Ocean, which Sir Keir Starmer’s government claims it is protecting.The US president has already given the deal with Mauritius his blessing but it was sent to the White House as Sir Keir Starmer pushed through a vote on ratifying the deal in the House of Commons.Trump gave the deal his blessing More

Rachel Reeves has been warned that the decision by a corporate mining giant to close its London HQ and head to Canada should be a “wake up call” on the impact of her economic policies.London-listed mining giant Anglo American has agreed a deal to merge with Canadian rival Teck Resources to create one of the world’s largest copper producers with a combined value of close to £40 billion.But the deal will see Anglo American move its headquarters away from London, with the combined group to be led out of Vancouver in Canada, although it will retain corporate offices in the UK and Johannesburg, South Africa.The move comes as businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also announced he is shifting billions out of the UK, in a further blow to the chancellor.Chancellor Rachel Reeves was present as Sir Keir Starmer told his Cabinet that economic growth is the top priority (Toby Melville/PA) More

The UK is seeking to ramp up efforts to crackdown on those profiting from online child sexual abuse.New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled new plans for the UK to disrupt criminal networks that exploit children during a summit with Britain’s “Five Eyes” allies – America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.The Home Office said ministers are working with the group to develop new tools to crack down on ways for abusers to make money such as live streaming, selling access to content and hacking accounts.The work could also include being able to find AI-generated images, and limit the exposure of law enforcement officers to abusive material by using AI to categorise the images instead through the Child Abuse Image Database.Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: “Child sexual abuse is a horrific abuse of power that causes devastating harm to lives.“The chance to profit from this suffering fuels these crimes. That’s why we’re taking action to stop those who try to make money from it.“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re working closely with our international partners, but we also need tech companies and the financial sector to step up and help detect and disrupt abuse.”The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reported earlier this year that AI-generated videos of child sexual abuse have skyrocketed in numbers and are now “indistinguishable” from real footage.In July the charity said confirmed reports of the images to the IWF had risen by 400 per cent.The move comes after the Five Eyes nations signed up to an agreement on Monday that will see closer co-operation on tackling irregular migration and returning people with no right to remain in any of the allied countries. More

Sir Keir Starmer’s approval rating has hit an all-time low despite last week’s reshuffle designed to help reset his struggling government. The prime minister is now one of the most unpopular leaders in the West, falling below Donald Trump and Japan’s newly resigned leader Shigeru Ishiba, according to an analysis of polls from their respective countries. Sir Keir’s net approval rating has plummeted from 11 per cent last July to -44 this week, according to pollsters More in Common, while a whopping 62 per cent say he is doing a bad job and only 18 per cent think he is doing a good job.Luke Tryl, UK director at More in Common, said: “A week meant to signal a reset for the government ended instead with a dramatic resignation and reshuffle. More voters than ever now see the government as chaotic, and the prime minister’s approval rating has slumped to its lowest point yet.”According to More in Common’s poll conducted between 5-8 September – in the middle of Sir Keir’s cabinet reshuffle prompted by the shock resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner – his approval rating has sunk by 54 points since the general election.His rating is lower than that of all other party leaders in the UK. And when compared with approval rating polls on leaders in other countries, Sir Keir is now one of the West’s most unpopular leaders, even trailing behind US president Donald Trump. Mr Trump, who entered his second term as US president earlier this year, remains one of the most popular leaders, with a -13 per cent approval rating – despite a steady decline in support since January. Even former Japanese leader Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned last week after a series of political defeats, maintained a higher net approval rating than Sir Keir, at -19 per cent, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo. Giorgia Meloni is also more popular in Italy than Sir Keir is in the UK, despite the right-wing leader dropping in the polls since being elected in 2022.Only French president Emmanuel Macron is more unpopular than Sir Keir, at -53 per cent on average, after eight years of presidency and recent losses in the legislative election.Starmer is suffering worse approval ratings than several European leaders, in addition to Donald Trump, and Mark Carney More