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Peter Mandelson in the Oval Office with Donald Trump in May 2025, when he held the position of British ambassador to the US |
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Martin Evans Crime Editor |
When Lord Mandelson was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Scotland Yard appeared to be moving with lightning speed.
Just weeks earlier, the release of the final batch of documents known as the Epstein Files had appeared to implicate the former US ambassador and Labour Cabinet minister in leaking sensitive government information.
Mandelson was questioned for nine hours by detectives before being released on police bail.
Lord Mandelson in his underwear in an image released in the Epstein Files |
However, The Telegraph has discovered that the pace of the criminal investigation has shuddered to a halt after US authorities refused to voluntarily hand over key evidence to Scotland Yard.
The department of justice (DoJ) in Washington insists the Metropolitan Police lodge a formal mutual legal assistance request to obtain the original documents at the heart of the case, as well as any extra redacted files.
Legal experts believe the investigation could be delayed for as long as 18 months while US authorities deal with the request, causing huge frustration within Scotland Yard.
Sources in Washington believe one reason the DoJ is reluctant to voluntarily hand over evidence is that it could open the floodgates for other requests from law enforcement bodies, including ones that would be less welcome by the White House. Not to mention, prosecuting people named in the files could be embarrassing for Trump, who was friends with the late paedophile for around 15 years.
This exclusive reporting is available only to subscribers.
Continue reading ➤
Meanwhile, Trump threatens Starmer with ‘big tariff’ over tech tax ➤ |
Shabana Mahmood’s deal aims to help French police intercept migrant boats at sea |
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Charles Hymas Home Affairs Editor, in Dunkirk |
Perched on a huge sand dune overlooking the beach in Dunkirk, a French police officer tells me why they must stand by as dozens of migrants clamber on to their departing dinghies.
The officer says that most of the people smugglers’ “taxi boats” that shuttle along the coast now come from Belgium to pick up migrants in France.
As a specialist in public order, his job is to stop migrants reaching the shoreline from the dunes to board the boats. Though, he admits, once in the water – however shallow – it is too dangerous for his officers to intervene and stop them leaving for England.
In this dispatch, I explain why Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, negotiated a “payment by results” deal with the French that includes extra money for maritime officers, a new vessel to intercept small boats at sea, riot police on the beaches and payment to detain and deport migrants for the first time.
Read the full story ➤ |
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Johnny Mercer The fact that the Attorney General says he does not care whether he represents ‘a saint or a member of al-Qaeda’ is extraordinary Continue reading ➤
Sherelle Jacobs Keir Starmer is Labour’s Theresa May – but far worse Continue reading ➤
William Sitwell Having a cleaner has become the ultimate taboo Continue reading ➤ |
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John Phelan was sacked as US navy secretary on Wednesday |
No reason was given for John Phelan’s removal as US navy secretary, writes Connor Stringer, our Chief Washington Correspondent. A loyalist and major donor to Donald Trump whom the US president brought in to shake up the navy, his abrupt firing in the middle of a US blockade against Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz seemed incongruous. However, insiders blamed Phelan’s exit on a personality clash with Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, and a White House struggling to find a way out of the war. For subscribers only ➤ |
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Local elections take place next month, but how many people will actually vote in them? Turnout at the most recent general election was the lowest since 2001, and local elections historically see even less participation. So, what if we made voting compulsory – or forced people to pay a fine – as some are calling for? Rosa Silverman explores what this could mean for Britain and crunches the results of a new Savanta/Telegraph poll that shows a surprising result. Continue reading ➤ |
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Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, with The Telegraph’s Allison Pearson |
Nigel Farage’s march into Labour’s Welsh heartlands is symbolic, writes Allison Pearson. With Keir Starmer’s party sliding in the polls, a century of dominance looks suddenly fragile. Reform’s surge, coupled with Plaid Cymru’s strength, has turned a once-safe landscape into a genuine battleground. If Starmer cannot hold the ground first won by Keir Hardie, his party’s founder, the consequences will stretch far beyond Wales, raising serious questions about Labour’s national coalition and the Prime Minister’s authority. Continue reading ➤ |
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While working for a software company, Leyla Kazim says she ‘developed a nagging suspicion that my role was irrelevant’ |
Fearing my office job might be a farce, and that no one, not even my manager, knew what my role entailed, I decided to conduct an experiment, writes Leyla Kazim. I resolved to stop working and see how long it would take for anyone to twig. A year later, I had a day-by-day itinerary for a 10-month trip, and an important realisation about modern work: it is perceived effort that matters, not actual output. Continue reading ➤ |
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Joshua Hills is helping his mother recover from anorexia – and challenging the habits that kept her ill |
Growing up, my two brothers and I would tuck into hearty dinners like shepherd’s pie and lasagne, writes Joshua Hills. Our mum sat opposite us eating a bowl of lettuce. As a nutritionist, I am now supporting her recovery after four decades of battling anorexia. We can finally enjoy trips out for coffee and cake – something that was unimaginable in my youth. Continue reading ➤ |
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David Cox’s scan showed 5.6 litres of visceral fat in his liver – enough to fill 10 pint glasses |
A routine scan revealed 5.6 litres of visceral fat flooding my organs, writes David Cox. My liver was already 10 per cent compromised – a threshold that signals the onset of disease. More troubling still, I had no symptoms. With fatty liver disease now one of Britain’s fastest-growing health conditions, I set out to see how far, and how fast, I could reverse it. Continue reading ➤ Here is another helpful article for you this morning:
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‘David Bowie: You’re Not Alone’ is one of the greatest uses of London’s Lightroom to date |
Exhibition David Bowie: You’re Not Alone ★★★★☆ A decade after David Bowie’s death, this enthralling cinematic 3-D scrapbook captures the singer’s inexhaustible creativity while also offering some deeper insights into his motivations. The Bowie we meet here, projected across the venue’s vast concrete walls, is by turns adventurous, funny, profound and lonely. Plus, it’s all wrapped up in some stunning archive footage of live performances.
Read James Hall’s full review ➤ Theatre The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui ★★★★☆ Mark Gatiss continues to evolve from small-screen darling to theatrical heavyweight with a hypnotic star-turn in Brecht’s cartoonish satire on Hitler’s ascendancy. Gatiss is skin-crawling as the ruthless Machiavel in Seán Linnen’s visually striking production. However, in a world now beset by dictators, does this warning from history arrive a little late?
Read Dominic Cavendish’s full review ➤ Book What If Reform Wins: A Scenario ★★★★☆ It’s 2029, the day after Britain’s general election and Nigel Farage is standing victorious in Downing Street. Should we be elated, or terrified? An intriguing new book asks what Britain would look like under Reform, and the result should have us all worried.
Read Lucy Denyer’s full review ➤
Film
Mother Mary
★★☆☆☆
The last notable time Anne Hathaway sang on screen, in 2012’s Les Misérables, it led to an Oscar. Her belated return to the musical genre is unlikely to do the same, although when in full vocal flow – in David Lowery’s beautiful yet ungraspable psychological drama about a reclusive pop star and her former costume designer (Michaela Coel) – she still looks as if she’s liable to shatter when she hits a high C.
Read Robbie Collin’s full review ➤ |
The perfect brewEvery 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...
Like most people, I make my tea the lazy, wasteful way – that is to say, using a tea bag. The etiquette governing this relatively simple process is contested passionately enough. With loose-leaf tea, the connoisseur's choice, whole new vistas of disagreement emerge, as an article by Xanthe Clay recently demonstrated. Not only does the brewer have to navigate the “milk first?” conundrum; they also have to consider such factors as pot choice (and temperature). A veritable minefield.
Readers have been sharing their techniques. David Hickman has refined his down to: “Porcelain tea pot, loose-leaf tea, filtered water, steel mesh strainer. Warm the pot first, use one spoon of tea per cup and put the milk in first. Leave for about three minutes, stir and pour. Anyone who likes a decent cup of tea, not just a hot water placebo, can’t dispute that tea bags are no way to make a decent cup.”
Glenn Ewen had one crucial reservation about that formula: “Milk after. You can’t take it out once you've put too much in.”
Lawrence McNamara had another: “Tea should be brewed for five minutes. I saw an experiment showing that this was the optimum time for releasing antioxidants in the leaves.”
Returning to the milk question, Charles Gibb was not the only reader to retort: “First or last? The answer is never.”
Michael Seibel, meanwhile, favoured a different sequence: “I have found that pouring the boiling water into the pot first, then ‘sinking’ the tea into it in the infuser, produces a brew with a much nicer color and better flavour.”
For Deborah Southwell, however, “tea should not be made with boiling water, as it burns the leaves. It should be between 80C and 90C, depending on the type of tea.”
That, of course, would go against one of George Orwell’s cast-iron rules in “A Nice Cup of Tea”, an essay recommended by Jeff BB: “There is no better guidance.” What’s your method? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
Residents have issued pleas to the public to avoid touching the plant |
Hundreds of people have descended upon the streets of west London to take pictures in front of which blooming spring plant?
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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 The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was TALKATIVE. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
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Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow.
Chris Evans, Editor |
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