Letter: Prunella Scales obituary

Prunella Scales was not only a brilliant comic and dramatic actor, she was a great, deeply political citizen.As an active, and often leading, member of her trade union, Equity, she demonstrated solid commitment to, and earned respect from, her fellow professionals. And, like her beloved husband, Tim West, she was a dedicated member of the Labour party.She also supported CND, the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Anti-Nazi League and the women of mining communities, as well as undertaking extensive charity work. She would say: “Sometimes, dear, it’s useful to stand up and show that you are taking action and not acting

Lancashire’s Reform-run council plans to close care homes and day centres

Lancashire’s Reform-run council has been accused of “selling off the family silver” with plans to save £4m a year by closing five council-run care homes and five day centres and moving residents into the private sector.One of the care home residents, a 92-year-old woman, said she would leave only by “being forcibly removed or in a box”.The Reform-voting son of another resident said any move would “kill” his mother, and vowed to quit the party if the closures went ahead.Questions are also being asked about a potential conflict of interest involving Reform’s cabinet member for social care in Lancashire, who owns a private care company with his wife.Reform UK took control of Lancashire county council (LCC) from the Conservatives in May, winning 53 of the 84 available seats

Reeves refuses to say she will stick to manifesto pledge on tax rises and insists she must face world ‘as it is’ – as it happened

It is probably now all but certain that Rachel Reeves will break Labour’s manifesto promises and put up income tax in the budget. That is where the commentariat consensus is, five hours after the chancellor’s speech this morning.That is not something we can report yet as fact. But the hints in the speech this morning went beyond “the clearest sign yet (that income tax will rise)”, to use one of the essential cliches of political journalism.There is a category of information where something isn’t quite a fact, but it is so widely assumed to be right that it might just as well be

Reeves wants to talk about the budget, but she’s taken a vow of white noise | John Crace

It’s this season’s fashion accessory for every politician. Outside election campaigns, press conferences usually signal major set piece events or a national emergency. Now you can’t move for them. Reform have had four inside a week with another one lined up for tomorrow. Even Kemi Badenoch has been at it with a bizarre outdoors show-and-tell last Thursday

French taxi driver cleared of stealing from David Lammy after fare dispute

A French taxi driver accused of stealing money and luggage from David Lammy has been acquitted due to lack of evidence, a prosecutor said.Nassim Mimun, 40, drove the deputy prime minister and his wife, Nicola Green, more than 600km (370 miles) from Forli, near Bologna in northern Italy, to the ski resort of Flaine in the French Alps on 11 April.But at the end of the journey the “tone escalated” over the cost of the fare, the Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau said in May.The driver, from the south-eastern city of Avignon, then left with his passengers’ bags in the boot of his car. “He dropped them off the next day at a municipal police station” but that was considered theft due to the length of time he had them in his possession, Duffau said

Starmer was briefed on Mandelson’s Epstein links before appointing him, say civil servants

Keir Starmer was briefed on details of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before he decided to make him US ambassador, senior civil servants have said.The prime minister received a Cabinet Office report that contained “a summary of reputational risks” associated with appointing Lord Mandelson, including his “prior relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and past resignations as a Labour minister.Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, told MPs that the report contained “direct extracts from media reporting and notes a general reputational risk” arising from making the appointment.Speaking at the foreign affairs select committee, he said the “judgment about whether to make the appointment or not” had ultimately been one for Starmer.Mandelson’s longstanding friendship with Epstein, which continued after the disgraced financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, was a matter of public record before his appointment was made