We speak your mind. Enjoy free-thinking comment that champions your values. | | Folded arms and grim faces as Starmer spoke in the Commons | Angela Rayner has forced Sir Keir Starmer into an about-turn over his handling of the Lord Mandelson scandal.
The files were set to be released by the Prime Minister’s most senior civil servant, but in a severe blow to Sir Keir’s authority, Downing Street was forced to hand the process to Parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC) after Rayner and senior Labour MPs insisted No 10 should not decide what material is published.
It is the latest climbdown by Sir Keir after several Labour rebellions and more than a dozen about-turns during his time in Government.  | Gordon Rayner Associate Editor | Could we be in the final days of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership? There is a growing sense in Westminster that we might be, after a disastrous day in which the Prime Minister was forced to back down not once, but twice by his own MPs over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
Labour backbenchers, already disillusioned with the least popular prime minister on record, are incensed that his inexplicable decision to make Mandelson the ambassador to Washington a year ago has put his party at the centre of a Profumo-sized scandal.
Sir Keir has never looked weaker. He was forced to cave in to demands that he publish details of the vetting process that failed to uncover Mandelson’s habit of leaking government documents to Jeffrey Epstein. The Prime Minister then caved in again when Labour backbenchers said the process should be handled by Parliament’s intelligence and security committee.
Faith in Sir Keir was already in short supply. Now trust in him has also gone. The mood in Labour circles has shifted, perhaps permanently, against the Prime Minister, who faces a battle for survival. MPs on the fringes of the party are already calling for his resignation. A growing number of their colleagues seem to be privately hoping for it.
Read Gordon’s analysis in full ➤
Catch up on the main story here ➤ | | Allister Heath The grotesque Mandelson scandal is an epoch-defining indictment of the Labour establishment Continue reading ➤ Annabel Denham Starmer’s successors will prove just as clueless as him Continue reading ➤ Liam Kelly The British taxpayer is funding our greatest museums. Time to make the tourists pay Continue reading ➤ | | Royal Marines unfurled a Union Flag after their boat was lifted out of the water by an RAF Chinook helicopter | | In Liverpool, people still find it painful to talk about Lucy Hargreaves and Liam Kelly, two young people who were killed more than 20 years ago in separate attacks, writes Patrick Sawer, Senior News Reporter. The person wanted in connection for both is Kevin Parle, a large, red-headed man who has seemingly vanished – despite sightings in Spain, Tenerife, and the United States. Working with my colleague Andrea Hamblin in Australia, we followed a tip that Parle was hiding out on his relatives’ farm near Perth. They spoke for the first time about the fugitive who so many police forces now seek. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | Kristen Stewart is known for her blockbuster successes ranging from Twilight to Spencer – and for being the long-standing face of Chanel. Now, for her directorial debut, she’s switched to the other side of the camera. In an exclusive interview, the actor tells Sasha Slater about turning into an “absolute animal” during the process, the misogyny still rooted in Hollywood and the lasting effects of playing Princess Diana. Continue reading ➤ | | | With a dazzling smile and the six-pack of a Hollywood heartthrob, 30-year-old Tom Trotter is the image of a modern influencer. His 69-year-old mother Sally, a working midwife, less so. Yet together, they’re teaching 800,000 followers that exercise doesn’t stop in old age. Tom and Sally sit down with The Telegraph to explain how they became cross-generational health inspirations, discuss the challenges they’ve faced and reveal their three favourite exercises. Continue reading ➤ | | | Train driver Jason Thomas wouldn’t change his job for the world – but it’s far tougher than most realise. Years of strikes have shaken public trust in the rail industry, but drivers “bend over backwards to keep things moving”, he explains. Here, the Caledonian Sleeper driver offers a behind-the-scenes look at his job on the London to Scotland route – and reveals his trick to stay awake when caffeine and sugar don’t cut it. Continue reading ➤ | | | For one anonymous writer, growing up with her twin brother always felt like walking on eggshells. “Even the tiniest hint of something being unfairly divided between us could cause him to fly off the handle,” she recalls. Decades later, at a family wedding, an argument escalated into a frightening assault leaving her with bruises and a ringing ear. An hour later, her brother was delivering a charming speech to the guests. Here, she reveals how she came to terms with cutting ties with her twin. Continue reading ➤ | | | Cardiologists have long cautioned patients with heart issues against drinking coffee, but now a growing body of evidence is transforming expert advice. Research suggests that your morning cup could actually bring a whole host of heart benefits, from the latest discovery that it can reduce your risk of irregular heartbeat, to aiding weight loss and reducing high blood pressure. Read on to see why everyone can, and should, keep up their coffee habit. Continue reading ➤ Here are two more helpful articles for you this morning: |  | Sarah Knapton, our Science Editor, and Joe Pinkstone, our Science Correspondent, demystify your supernatural experiences. From ghoulish encounters to bizarre coincidences, there’s always a scientific explanation and nothing is as strange as it seems...
A baffled reader writes...
“One morning, I woke from a dream of unusual vividness. I was walking across a field at dawn. As I reached the lane, I encountered a friend of mine – someone I knew through the local chess club.
“He smiled, shook my hand and asked politely after my family. Only then did I notice something profoundly unsettling: his face was hideously disfigured, as though by some catastrophic injury.
“That evening, shortly before bed, an email arrived from the chess club. The subject line read: ‘Tragic news about one of our members.’ Before opening it, a chill ran through me and I found myself thinking, I hope this isn’t about who I think it’s about.
“It was. My friend had died in a road traffic accident the previous day. Quietly, but with a sudden, dreadful certainty, I said to myself: I already knew that.”
— David
To solve David’s apparent precognition, it is necessary to delve a little deeper into the science of sleep and look at how dreams are formed in the first place.
We are constantly bombarded by stimuli from the outside world, half-finished thoughts, scenes briefly glimpsed or hurried conversations, and the brain needs to sort through and correctly file away these tidbits overnight.
A chess club is likely to occur weekly, so chances are David will have seen his friend in the six to eight days previously.
Read the full answer here ➤
Plus, send in your questions for Sarah and Joe here ➤ | Hot potatoes 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...
Germany has a potato problem. There are far too many. Despite being a nation whose cuisine takes a famously liberal approach to starch, it has been struggling to shift the glut. Farmers in Saxony, at risk of being subsumed by avalanches of spuds, have resorted to giving them away.
What a waste, argued Michael Mosbacher: they would have been put to far better use elsewhere. After all, whoever heard of German dauphinois – or indeed roasties? Telegraph readers, however, have come to the defence of German potato cookery.
“I’ve eaten the most delectable new potatoes – akin to Jersey Royals at their best – in Westphalia,” wrote Simon Playle. “These were grown near the North Sea coast and were beautifully prepared by my host’s chef.”
Simon did concede that “they are not so good at other vegetables”. He added: “During an asparagus festival, I was obliged to eat asparagus spears that had been dipped in milk chocolate and allowed to set. It is on my list of foods never to be tried again.”
That sounds fair enough to me. Stan Labovitch added: “Michael is critical of Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), pommes (chips) and Kroketten (croquettes) – but, to his credit, recognises the superiority of potato salad dressed in stock over our gooey mayonnaise version. As a regular visitor to Germany, I’d like to put in a word for the delicious Kartoffelklösse (dumplings) and Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes). However they’re eaten, potatoes are still superior to pasta or rice.”
I agree with Stan about the pancakes – though not about pasta. Yes, potatoes have given us countless gastronomic gifts, but there’s no doubt in my mind about which is the top carb. What’s the best use for a potato? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up 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 CLICKABLE. 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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