Wednesday, March 18, 2026 |
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Mandelson returns to haunt Starmer
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Keir Starmer spent PMQs dodging a simple question – did he speak to Peter Mandelson before appointing him as the UK's ambassador to Washington? The prime minister had a number of pre-written lines ready to hit back at his questioner, Kemi Badenoch, including criticism of her judgement over the Iran war. He did reiterate that he had made a mistake in appointing the former Labour grandee to the role, and repeated his apology to Epstein's victims. But he repeatedly refused to say whether he had personally spoken to Lord Mandelson about concerns over his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In response, the Tory leader told him he had failed "to do his duty" in appointing the now ex-peer. All this comes as pressure builds following Angela Rayner's extraordinary intervention – or "well-timed", as John Rentoul put it – raising fresh questions about Starmer's authority. To add to Sir Keir's woes, there will be more of this to come. The government has been forced to agree to release many more documents about Lord Mandelson's appointment, meaning Sir Keir is likely to face many more apparently simple questions. |
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Which Celebrity Traitors star is set to reprise their role in BBC detective drama Line of Duty? |
Answer at the bottom of today's email |
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| Polanski takes aim at the government's 'failing fiscal rules' as he set out plans to overhaul the UK's tax system |
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| The row, sparked by Angela Rayner's comments on Tuesday night, has already seen major divisions within the Labour Party |
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| Sir John Curtice and other polling analysts have noted the average for Nigel Farage's party across polls has dropped in the past month |
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What else you need to know today | |
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- Former Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has been charged with four drugs offences, prosecutors have said
- The government's new £1bn "life-changing" youth unemployment scheme risks doing little for young people not forced to search for work, a leading think tank has warned
- Controversial legislation that would have made Scotland the first nation in the UK to legalise assisted dying has been defeated at Holyrood
- What are Trump's 'special' relationships with prime ministers really like? In this clip from The Independent's politics podcast In The Room, Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson reminisce on – and cringe over – some of the awkward presidential-ministerial relations they witnessed during their time in politics
- Like it or not, Britain and our European allies have a dog in this fight. While we are right not to be dragged in, it's time for the 'middle powers' to unite, share ideas, and prevent the escalation of our worst fears, writes General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Nato
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Angela Rayner is now out to bring Keir Starmer down – but will she pay the price for treachery? |
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The former deputy prime minister has launched a full frontal attack on the Labour leader – but her timing is inexplicable, writes John Rentoul Read more |
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Latest news headlines from Bulletin: |
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As a party, and as a movement, we cannot hide, we cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline |
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Quiz answer: Mark Bonnar will be reprising his role as ex Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden |
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