Free thinkers wanted. Discuss and debate today’s biggest talking points, directly with our journalists. |  | Ben Riley-Smith Political Editor | There is a new twist in the saga over whether Rachel Reeves misled the public about the state of the country’s finances before the Budget – the Treasury’s top civil servant has been dragged into the row.
James Bowler was named by senior figures at the OBR as approving its effort to correct “misconceptions”. Specifically, Mr Bowler signed off a letter from the OBR that showed the Chancellor had known she was not missing her borrowing targets when she held a press conference 22 days before the Budget.
In that doom-laden press conference, Ms Reeves indicated that she would have to break Labour’s manifesto promises on tax because the state of the public finances was so challenging.
But after that, on Friday, the OBR published a letter indicating that she had been told before the press conference that her fiscal headroom was £4bn, only a little down on the £10bn in the spring. This letter, that Mr Bowler signed off, highlights the tension that still remains between the OBR and the Treasury.
Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, has written to Mr Bowler asking if an inquiry into Budget leaks is under way.
We could get some answers on Wednesday next week when both Ms Reeves and Mr Bowler are expected to answer questions before the Treasury committee, but in the meantime, the row rumbles on.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to be pinned down on the Budget at Prime Minister’s Questions at midday today, ensuring another day of coverage about the row as the Tories call on Ms Reeves to go.
Read the full story here ➤
Exclusive: The Chancellor’s hidden £1.3tn debt bomb ➤ | | Credit: Alexander Kazakov | .png) | Iona Cleave | Just hours before Vladimir Putin sat down with Donald Trump’s envoys to discuss peace in Ukraine, he declared Russia was “ready” to go to war with Europe.
Accusing continental leaders of sabotaging negotiations, the Russian leader dismissed Europe’s tweaks to the 28-point peace plan as “absolutely unacceptable”.
The US, Ukraine and Europe worked frantically over the weekend to make the proposal more palatable to Kyiv, removing its most contentious points concerning major territorial concessions and a ban on Nato membership.
Those changes did not satisfy Putin, who spent the day boasting of his country’s successes on the battlefield and economic resilience.
As he met with an unconventional US delegation – Steve Witkoff, a property developer, and Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law – Putin had two tasks: convince them Russia has the upper-hand so peace should be set on his terms and drive a further wedge between the Trump administration and Europe.
| Credit: Alexander Kazakov | The thorniest issues of the peace plan, including security guarantees and possible land swaps, have so far been left blank, to be filled out during direct talks between Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Trump.
And yet, around a large white table in the Kremlin, the possible future of Ukraine was being talked over late into the night.
Read the full story and follow the latest updates here ➤ | | Ed Cumming Justice Secretary branded a ‘court jester’, but his Commons history class is short on entertainment Continue reading ➤ Alan Cochrane Glaswegians have never been able to master English Continue reading ➤ Celia Walden Lucy Connolly’s daughter does not deserve to be punished for her mother’s actions Continue reading ➤ | Enjoy our best experience. Join us today and you’ll also unlock our award-winning app. | | ★★★☆☆
Last night, the BBC aired the three-part series What’s the Monarchy For?, an authored piece by David Dimbleby, critical in tone of the Royal family’s power, influence and financial affairs. Reviewing the programme, Chris Bennion notes that Dimbleby is scathing of the Royal family and “discomfited by the BBC’s close working relationship with the monarchy”. Yet, this is airing on the BBC. Would the corporation have put this out if Queen Elizabeth II was still on the throne? The Palace will surely feel under siege from Auntie. Continue reading ➤ | | | After her stalker ordeal in February, Emma Raducanu says that she has shaken off her fears of going out in public, regularly taking the Tube and train across London. “I think I’ve learned a lot about myself this year,’’ she says. “I went through some very difficult times, on and off the court ... but I think it really taught me, like, the strength that I have to pull myself out of it.’’ Continue reading ➤ | | | Police intercepted a ship loaded with cows in 2023 | It is perhaps the most ingenious, and nauseating, method of drug trafficking yet. South American cartels are smuggling cocaine to Europe on ships packed with disease-ridden cattle. Police do not seize the vessels because it is a “logistical nightmare” to deal with the thousands of cows, intelligence sources have said. Max Stephens, our International Crime Correspondent, has the full story.
Continue reading ➤ | | Councils across Britain are struggling, with public services being stripped to the bone. As a result, many once-proud towns are looking worse for wear, negatively impacting the happiness of locals and making them less appealing to tourists. There is a town in North Yorkshire bucking the trend, though. Eager volunteers in Pickering are taking matters into their own hands, making it a model for other communities. Continue reading ➤ | | | Frankie Graddon has been self-conscious about her thinning hair since she was in her early 20s. After 15 years of spending time and money attempting to thicken her locks, she finally found a Scandi scalp treatment that worked. At her six-month check-in she was told she had 40 per cent more hair than she started with. Continue reading ➤ | | | Born into poverty in Nepal, Hari Budha Magar’s dreams came true when he was selected to join the Gurkha Regiment, training for nine months in Britain before embarking on his military career. In 2010, he lost both his legs in a blast in Afghanistan. After battling depression and fighting through rehabilitation, Hari gained a new sense of focus. Proving he was not ready to be written off, he set out to climb Everest. Here, he tells The Telegraph how he did it. Continue reading ➤ | | | The drop in temperature during winter means a complete 180 when it comes to the rules that govern your plant care. Watering schedules, plant food and light exposure all need an overhaul. From rehoming them in the bathroom for humidity to pruning instead of repotting, learn the dos and don’ts of looking after your house plants to ensure they make it through the colder months. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more helpful articles for you this morning: - Here are the nine supplements that an immunologist recommends for healthy ageing.
- If you’re looking for some meat-free options for Christmas, Diana Henry has some show-stopping vegetarian mains that might interest you.
| | Francesca Hayward will appear in the Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker later this month |  | Mark Monahan Chief Dance Critic | Everyone, I suspect, has a vivid if perhaps rather fixed idea of what a ballerina looks like: the slender, lyrical frame; the tutu and pointe shoes; the hair scraped up in a mercilessly tight bun. However, watch these astonishing artists tackle any given role and the variety is as fascinating as it is infinite.
So, what differentiates one from the other? What separates the merely good from the truly great? Who are the finest the art form has ever seen?
As the Royal Ballet dusts off its particularly magical Nutcracker, it is an ideal time to attempt the near-impossible and round up my 10 favourite female ballet dancers of all time, as well as explore what makes each one so special and delve into their sometimes breezy, sometimes desperately poignant back-stories.
See the full list here ➤ | |
What brought this motorway near Northampton to a grinding halt yesterday? | Let them eat cake? 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...
Recently Mr Kipling, the baking behemoth, was on the receiving end of a polemic by William Sitwell, who wondered why so many people – half of British shoppers, according to a recent survey – were still buying its wares. “They’re vile,” he declared.
I could see where he was coming from. There are many things I would rather eat than a Mr Kipling mini Battenberg, such as a long-discarded bicycle tyre retrieved from a canal. Unfortunately for the brand, Telegraph readers agreed.
Audrey Wilkinson, for instance, wrote: “I haven’t consumed these cakes for donkey’s years. They are utterly inedible – sweet to the point of sickliness. There are others on the market that offend in the same way. I always try to buy a store’s own make, although several seem to have stopped producing a lot of cakes and small pies, leaving us with the beastly Mr Kipling versions.”
Not everyone felt this way, though. Caroline Uden described happy memories: “My sister and I, who are both in our 70s, used to look forward very much to visiting our Aunty Grace, where we always enjoyed an afternoon spread of Spam sandwiches, tinned peaches with evaporated milk, and Mr Kipling’s French Fancies. Our mother was a marvellous cook, and made wonderful homemade cakes. It wasn’t that we didn’t appreciate them; it was just thrilling to enjoy a shop-bought alternative sometimes. We still indulge occasionally, but Mother, who is now nearly 96, would give us a clip round the ear if she ever found out.”
Mike Weir added: “Leave Mr Kipling cakes alone. With afternoon tea, they are one of my daily highlights. They also accompany morning tea with a rich tea biscuit, prunes in apple juice, and two significant evening vodka and tonics, and are vital contributors to my enjoyable 88-year-old life.” Exceedingly good or exceedingly unpalatable? Let me know here, and the best responses will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up to here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | 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.
Yesterday’s Panagram was GELIGNITE. Come back tomorrow for the solution 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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