Free speech lives here Enjoy journalism that’s proud to share your values Enjoy four months’ free access to The Telegraph. Cancel at any time. |  | Tony Diver Associate Political Editor | Sir Keir Starmer has certainly carried out a “reset” of his Government – but perhaps not quite as he planned. A very difficult few weeks for the Prime Minister are in the offing.
Less than a fortnight after he declared the beginning of “phase two” of his premiership, he has lost two of his most senior colleagues and embroiled himself in yet another sleaze scandal. This time, it involves the world’s most notorious paedophile.
On Thursday morning, Sir Keir met Yvette Cooper in Downing Street and they decided to sack Lord Mandelson, who was revealed to have supported Jeffrey Epstein through his legal battle over child sex offences.
The departure appeared inevitable to some in Westminster. Mandelson is, after all, a man who has twice been forced to resign from previous governments in disgrace.
Sir Keir is therefore facing questions from his own party about his judgment – and why he decided to appoint a man who appears to have more skeletons in his closet than business suits.
Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir’s powerful chief of staff, encouraged him to appoint Lord Mandelson while Downing Street figures also involved in the decision were aware of the Epstein relationship. Two senior members of Donald Trump’s cabinet are understood to have expressed concerns about Lord Mandelson’s ties to Epstein.
With many of his own MPs demanding answers as we report today, the Prime Minister must put on a brave face and welcome Mr Trump to the UK next week for a state visit.
The famously freewheeling US president is unlikely to let the trip pass without a swipe at the departure of Lord Mandelson, whom he has come to admire.
There is an ideally timed opportunity for Labour members and disgruntled MPs to air their grievances later this month, when the party hosts its annual conference in Liverpool.
It was already feared that the jamboree would be overshadowed by dire economic forecasts and the looming Budget, but Sir Keir now runs the risk of losing the trust of the party faithful at the time he most needs support, and there are whispers about whether the time has come for a different leader. The Prime Minister ran to be leader on the manifesto that “another future is possible”. If he looks around, Sir Keir will find many Labour members thinking the same thing.
Read the full story here ➤
How Mandelson scandal undid a year of wooing Trump ➤
Mandelson pleaded with Epstein: ‘I’m in a terrible situation – please stick with me’ ➤ | | David Frost He is a clever man, a clever networker, but he has no judgment about people Continue reading ➤ Sam Ashworth-Hayes Trump is right: The Left has fanned the flames of political violence Continue reading ➤ Matthew Lynn Labour’s assault on property rights is blowing up the housing market Continue reading ➤ | Get the full experience Unlock our award-winning website, app and newsletters Enjoy four months’ free access to The Telegraph. Cancel at any time. | | He may never have stepped into 007’s shoes, but Charles Dance has had the last laugh. Now one of Britain’s best (and busiest) film and TV actors, he is taking on Strindberg on stage. Here, he talks about the “parlous” state of the BBC, how the world is dumbing down and why he’s obsessed with what’s happening in the Middle East. Continue reading ➤ | | | An estimated 1.5 million UK adults are taking weight-loss drugs, cutting their appetite and their waistlines drastically. Yet it’s not just the number on the scales that’s affected. Our writer explores the far-reaching effects of the booming fat jab industry, from the holidays we’re booking to the end of dinner parties. Continue reading ➤ | | | Our writer was excited to watch her daughter in a university theatre performance. She arrived there and spotted her child in the programme – but under a new, male name. Here, she shares her experience of discovering her child was transgender, how she shows support and the advice she would give to any parent in a similar position. Continue reading ➤ | | | Political hubris, indecision, incompetence and militant environmentalism – HS2 has it all. Sally Gimson spoke to former ministers, civil servants, engineers and ordinary residents for her new book, Off the Rails, to try to understand how the grand rail project has gone so badly wrong. Her conclusions make for painful reading.
Continue reading ➤ | | She was the golden girl of the Paris Olympics, winning Britain’s only track and field gold before being named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. But then Keely Hodgkinson disappeared from competition after a succession of injuries aggravated by her journey to collect her MBE. She is now back for the World Championships which start on Saturday. Continue reading ➤ | | | Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health, but one poll found that only 25 per cent of Britons actually manage to get the recommended eight hours. From getting the right mattress to not exercising before bed, here’s how to fall asleep quickly. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more articles I hope you find helpful: | | Film Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale ★★★☆☆ How can you have a grand finale without your grande dame? The third Downton Abbey film reunites the Grantham clan for a fond, frivolous farewell, but the absence of Maggie Smith’s incomparable Violet Crawley takes its toll, writes Tim Robey.
(In cinemas now) Film Spinal Tap II: The End Continues ★★★☆☆ More a worthwhile set of low-key reunion sketches than a proper film, the long-awaited sequel to Rob Reiner’s majestic 1984 mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band doesn’t come close to the genius of the original, writes Robbie Collin. But some great comic lines and an inspired climactic concert save it from disaster.
(In cinemas now) Books The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown ★★☆☆☆ Though Dan Brown isn’t reinventing the wheel in his sixth Robert Langdon novel, or even bothering to polish it, there’s still campy fun to be had in reading it, says Jessa Crispin. This time, the setting is Prague, the plot involves a “Golem” who believes he’s on a holy mission and, once again, whenever it looks like the brilliant Langdon might be wrong about something, it turns out that he was right.
| Do they know it’s not Christmas? Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Well, that’s it. Summer’s gone – and forget about autumn too, while you’re at it. “As I write this,” reported Gary Griffiths from Northumberland on August 31, “I am listening to Delius’s On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, as a balm to my recent shopping trip. I am considering composing a companion piece: On Seeing the First Christmas Cake in Tesco.”
How early is too early? I’m all for eating, drinking and being merry, but the festive season is a full quarter of a year away. We have months of mists and mellow fruitfulness to get stuck into first.
Michael Blishen was less concerned: “I have just purchased my first pack of mince pies for Christmas,” he wrote a few days later. “Will the Church of England count this as evidence of a quiet revival?”
It’s possible that I’d feel differently if I actually liked mince pies. Were pizza sales restricted to a few months each year, I’d stockpile like a carb-crazed survivalist. Patricia Reid, however, was unimpressed for a different reason: “Rather than buy mince pies, Michael would be better employed making mincemeat at home; this will mature in time for December. The results will be far superior to any shop-bought offerings, and you can always ‘cheat’ by using ready-made pastry.”
Don’t expect supermarkets to promote deferred gratification, though. According to Paul Bowdidge, “our local Tesco has a splendid display of Christmas puddings, pies and cakes, but I was somewhat bemused to discover that the mince pies had a best before date of September 18 2025”. Have you spotted signs of Christmas creep? Let me know here, or join the debate on our Your Say page, exclusively on The Telegraph app. | Plan your day with the telegraph | Set your alarm to catch up with journalists on the Your Say page and listen to their analysis on our latest podcasts.
| | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
The solution to yesterday’s clue was BANDICOOT. Come back tomorrow for the answer to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow.
Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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