The disconcerting aspect of the Committee’s enquiry yesterday was how information reported by print media was accepted as fact BUT rebutted by personal testimony of those named. YET it passes without comment.

Has he thrown his hat in the ring for the leadership hoping to show there is an alternative to Starmer? Will it give Tories pause for thought whether they should get rid of Starmer

This is why the King’s visit was necessary. To state the truth and support for international law and institutions

Tom Baldwin, Starmer biographer, on News Agents podcast

UK had it good in EU and blew it because they believed the racist lies. UK is lucky they have Starmer as PM. Look at what he has done and the alternatives. RW will celebrate if he goes. Is UK going to be daft enough again?

What all the political shenanigans in HoC seems to miss, so wrapped up in Westminster psychodrama are they, is the appointment of Trump was seen as a potential major break in the world order which required a different approach. Hence the appointment of Mandelson well suited to the Trump Court

Respect to Prince Harry for his speech yesterday on Ukraine and presser today on dealing with conflicts. He puts all politicians to shame, who appear to be afraid to state the truth or worse deliberately mislead and of course fail to act. As to Trump, sooner he is locked up the better.

Evidence today is that UKSV sent a 10 page document to Olly Robbin's office which must have included the traffic light (template) form it would appear which recommended that security clearance was not granted for Mandelson but Robbins gave evidence he had never seen such a form. Odd

Starmer a blinder at PMQ. BadEnoch totally ineffective, didn’t know that Mandelson as a Privy Counsellor already had access to a level of security material

Peston, Mason & co are saying that Robbins was hard done by and should not have been sacked. The same Robbins who signed a letter to Parliament which stated: “The vetting process was undertaken by UKSV…and concluded with DV clearance being granted…”. A lie of omission. A whopping gap in between.

Odd that Olly Robbins never saw the key document from UKSV denying clearance and the failure to record notes of crucial meetings over the appointment. Something wrong here

Olly is saying that Government should have said appointment was subject to vetting. That is politically naive frankly.

So Olly was told that there was a leaning towards not recommending clearance, but the vetting document itself shows a red box ticked - denied. What a mess. Why did Olly not disclose this at least following the humble address

Robbins does at least corroborate PM's claim that no minister was told of the vetting issue with Mandelson. He confirms he did not share it with them.

If security had been denied, I have no doubt that a way would have been found to have Mandelson depart from his post as ambassador or even to curtail his duties

There does seem to be a worrying lack of paperwork from civil service recording important decisions made about security clearance of Mandelson

Olly says he did not bow to pressure from No 10. He did not give clearance because of pressure from No 10. BUT he never disclosed that the recommendation was to not give clearance.

So No 10 Office was pushing for vetting to be completed. The vetting showed there were concerns but not about issues related to Epstein. FO considered it could manage the risk and so gave Mandelson clearance, w/o disclosing that vetting had recommended not to proceed.

In the middle of wars in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine and with the prospect of adverse effects on economy of closure of the Straits opposition and media are in a Westminster psychodrama whilst people worry about the cost of living and NHS. In US the madman still hell bent on destroying US and RoW

Starmer is right .. again. UK security now requires closer cooperation with EU on spending, resources and capability.

Magyar win hopefully will allow EU to grow, defeat Russia in Ukraine and bring an end to far right in Europe.

The Pope says that leaders should not glorify war but seek peace and listen to the children echoing Christ That great theologian Trump, known for his life of purity, good works and humility, disagrees and warns the Pope he is too liberal.

Whilst Farage peddles Hate and Polanski Hope, both based on fantasy politics Starmer gets on with the hard grind of fixing UK after 14 years of Tories. BadEnoch still trying to figure out who was responsible for the mess.

Well … Obama reached a deal with Iran Trump can’t

Australians now have better mobility into the EU than Brits “Under the new scheme, Australians can live and work in Europe for up to four years without needing a job offer before arrival.” Second class citizens in our own continent www.skynews.com.au/lifestyle/tr...

We have known this for a while, but the evidence is becoming more and more damning. Putin is helping Iran try to kill US forces. And Trump is protecting and helping Putin at the same time. MAGA is perverse. kyivindependent.com/russia-sendi...

Orban is blocking a €90 billion loan to Ukraine - money that it urgently needs for its defence against Russia. To damage the EU even more and to appease his friend Putin, Trump has expressed his unconditional support for Orbán. This is no coincidence, as there are soon elections in Hungary. 1/2

BBCr4Today interview of UK Defence Secretary is an example of the drop in journalistic standards. Silly questions, trying for gotcha moments w/o any appreciation of the issues. There are two wars involving Russia and USA, and the Q "when will it end?" is fatuous.

This is really significant. Its long been suspected that Trump has long has strong ties with Moscow But now it seems that Witkoff and Kushner are also now Putin supporters. Witkoff’s: “we can take him at his word” comment seems particularly stupid

He's so sensitive

Costa: EU must find legal response to Orbán’s unprecedented Ukraine veto

BREAKING: Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends military summit in Helsinki

There’s been some genuinely significant, positive business news for the UK this week — investment, job creation, and stronger control over key tech sectors — but you wouldn’t know it from the media coverage. Interestingly, it’s outlets like Reuters and Bloomberg covering them.

DEBUNKED: Carbon Brief has fact-checked some of the most common misconceptions about North Sea oil and gas, including the oft-repeated notion that opening the basin to new drilling would “lower people's bills”. @carbonbrief.org @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org

Communities secretary Steve Reed told the Commons this PM: "Wherever necessary, we will be amending the [Representation of the People] Bill to ensure our defences against foreign interference are robust." So the crypto ban and cap on donations from overseas voters is, potentially, just the start.

Donald Trump's attacks on democracy are a warning. We can't allow the same to happen in the UK. "In 2025, the Trump administration launched what turned out to be the swiftest decline in the health of any significant democracy in recent times."

Sam Coates might as well wear a rara skirt, hold enormous pom poms and sing give us a R give us an E give us an F, he cheerleads Reform so much. He's dreadful.

I’m not sure Farage can sack his leader in Scotland for homophobic ‘jokes’ without resurrecting the (imo) much worse homophobic ‘joke’ that Farage told at his brother’s wedding.

As expected. RW trying to smear Labour - that theft of phone was an alleged cover up, but as any decent journalist would know Government phones are expected to be backed up on Government server. Not so with Johnson and Sunak lost WhatsApp’s in Covid Inquiry

I said when Trump started the War, it will end his presidency “Empires rarely recognise when they begin to lose. They escalate, double down, and insist victory is near. But by the time the costs become undeniable – economic crisis, political fragmentation, global isolation – it is already too late”

Badenoch's cheap shot about Mandelson's phone being stolen (which the police have confirmed is true) fell flat, just as well for her as many of us haven't forgotten how many Tories had deleted their WhatsApp messages relating to Covid dodgy PPE contracts.

The assumption is that messages disappeared with the phone. It was a Government phone so presumably automatically backed up on a server.

I see RW are making mischief now about McSweeney’s loss of phone which he immediately reported to police, advising that it was a Government phone. But nothing then about both Boris Johnson and Sunak losing their phone with all WhatsApp messages, so not available to COVID Inquiry.

Keir Starmer confirms suspension of crypto-donations to political parties. “I can tell the house, we will act decisively to protect our democracy – that will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies.”

Childish Reform.

🚨Keir Starmer: "The most important thing to get energy security is to ensure we de-escalate this war. "I know where I stand on this. We are not joining the war."

Badenoch has a touching faith in PM powers. Couple of weeks ago, it was to increase number of Type 45 destroyers. This week it is to create operational North Sea gas drilling wells in North Sea. Starmer can be criticised for many things, but being unable to time travel is not one of them. #PMQs

It's difficult to believe Badenoch is in her mid 40s. She conducts herself like a stroppy teenager being told to be home by 10pm. #PMQs

hashtag unitary executive

BREAKING: “The leader of the oppositions approach is to out source our foreign policy and let the U.S decide when we go to war, to out source our energy policy to Russia and Iran and let them set the price of energy. I will never do that because it’s not in the British national interest” #PMQs