Peter Mandelson’s consultancy advised Shein until early 2024

Peter Mandelson’s consultancy Global Counsel advised the Chinese fast fashion company Shein until earlier this year, the Guardian can disclose.The retail company contracted Global Counsel until earlier in 2024, though it never appeared on Global Counsel’s list of clients published by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists (ORCL).Lobbyists are only required to declare clients to the ORCL if they communicate directly with ministers or permanent secretaries on their behalf. A spokesperson for Global Counsel said: “Global Counsel’s submissions to ORCL reflect the requirements of the [2014 Lobbying] Act.”Shein declined to comment, but a company source confirmed that its government relations team contracted Global Counsel until earlier this year

Sue Gray rejects envoy role amid warnings Keir Starmer was to withdraw offer

Sue Gray has decided not to take up the post of nation and regions envoy after it became clear Keir Starmer was planning to withdraw his offer, the Guardian understands.Sources said the prime minister’s former chief of staff, who was on a “short break” between roles after standing down almost six weeks ago, had been told No 10 was likely to rescind the job offer before she had even taken it up.Downing Street insiders had grown concerned about the media attention that would follow Gray, which could have made it harder for her to carry out the role. They were also unclear about what exactly the job would entail.Sources told the Guardian that Starmer, who is in Baku at the Cop29 climate summit, was expected to give Gray a peerage

Green party says Starmer must do more to cut energy use to meet net zero targets – as it happened

The Green party has said that, if Keir Starmer wants to achieve his net zero targets, he will need to do more to get people to cut their energy use. Responding to Starmer’s announcement about a new emissions reduction target for 2035, the Green party MP Ellie Chowns said:The announcement of an 81% cut in emissions by 2035 is welcome – we need to remove fossil fuels from our economy as rapidly as possible.However, the transition to clean energy needs to be matched by moves on energy reduction. We need a mass home insulation programme and large-scale investment in public transport and active travel. Instead, we have seen Labour downgrade the retrofitting of homes, fail to make solar panels on new builds mandatory, hike bus fares by 50% and offer only loose change for walking and cycling

Jet-setting Starmer graces Cop29 with bold claims and few plans | John Crace

If it’s Tuesday, it must be Baku. Keir Starmer’s Rolling Thunder Permatour has now hit Azerbaijan for Cop29. Next week he will be off to Brazil for the G20. And who knows, he might even drop in to see Joe Biden and Donald Trump on the way back.After all it’s been almost a month since he was last in the US having dinner with The Donald in his understated golden penthouse

Rise in NICs will endanger public health services | Letter

Your article outlining the extra strain on council budgets that the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) will cause highlighted the likely impact on adult and children’s social care services (Adult social care in England needs urgent help from ministers, say bosses, theguardian.com, 6 November).There will also be a significant impact on public health services, including sexual health and addiction services, health visitors and school nursing. In England, these (and other) vital services are paid for by the public health grant, which is managed by directors of public health. While the NHS has quite rightly been given an exemption to the NIC increase, health services commissioned outside the NHS have not

Pay for NHS chiefs to be linked to performance with ‘no more rewards for failure’, Wes Streeting says – as it happened

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has announced that pay arrangements for NHS trust chief executives will be changed so they are linked to performance.Commenting on the announcement, which is due to be confirmed in a speech later this week, Streeting said:I’m prepared to pay for the best and I will defend financial incentives to attract and keep talented people in the NHS. It’s a big organisation that should be competing with global businesses for the best talent.But there will be no more rewards for failure. We have got to get a grip on runaway spending and make sure every penny going to the NHS benefits patient – changes will not be popular but it’s a case of reform or die