Starmer the Incurious asks no questions and sees no Mandy-shaped red flags

Things could be worse. The prime minister can still catch a break. Some had called Monday’s Commons statement Keir Starmer’s judgment day. But that was a category error. Many Labour MPs had long since made up their minds

Is Richard Tice’s picture AI-manipulated? Here are five giveaways

After Richard Tice posted a picture of an apparent Reform campaign event on Sunday, experts and social media detectives took a closer look and concluded from a variety of telltale signs that the image had either been edited or generated by artificial intelligence. Here are some of the elements that critics called into question.One woman has six fingers on one hand and extra long ones on the other. The man in the beige jacket has three extremely long fingers which look like sausages. AI often gets fingers wrong

Mandelson vetting saga reveals flaws in Starmer’s judgment, not process | Letters

The emerging account of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador raises a question not of process, but of judgment (Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision, 16 April). The prime minister was warned repeatedly. Briefings in November and December 2024 flagged reputational risks, including well-documented associations and potential exposure if the appointment went wrong. Keir Starmer’s national security adviser raised concerns directly. Yet the appointment proceeded at pace

Starmer orders inquiry into any security concerns over Mandelson’s tenure in US

Keir Starmer has ordered an investigation into any security concerns relating to Peter Mandelson’s tenure as UK ambassador to the US as he gave his side of events in a politically crucial statement in parliament.“I know many members across the house will find these facts to be incredible,” Starmer told jeering MPs, after setting out how the Foreign Office opted to overrule the initial decision to refuse Mandelson’s security vetting without informing him and other ministers. He said: “To that I can only say they are right. Throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system in government. That is not how the vast majority of people in this country expect politics, government or accountability to work, and I do not think it’s how most public servants think it should work either

What is ‘DV’? Key terms used in the Mandelson vetting row explained

The story of how Peter Mandelson failed his UK security vetting before he took up his post as ambassador to the US – and the overturning of the decision that he should not be given clearance – is full of the abbreviations of the British national security apparatus and the archaic language used to describe parliamentary process.Here are the key terms to understand about the story, as the prime minister, Keir Starmer, faces a vital appearance in the House of Commons in London about who in the government knew what, when.At the heart of the story is Mandelson’s application for a level of security clearance known as “developed vetting” (DV) made after his appointment as ambassador had been announced.According to a government guide to security clearance levels, officials in roles that require them to have “frequent and uncontrolled access” to top secret material and assets need to have DV. That could mean sensitive areas of government buildings as well as classified information

‘Dancing is resistance’: Zack Polanski and the Greens bring the party to the ravers

It was a Sunday evening at one of Leeds’ biggest nightclubs, hot and humid, like walking into a jungle. Dancers pulsated shoulder to shoulder along with the music, riding the optimism of a good night out to come.But the 2,000-plus crowd gathered at Beaver Works were not only there to enjoy house music and abandon themselves to whatever the evening held, they were there to support the local branch of their favourite political party.In a swirl of emerald disco lights, Zack Polanski stepped on to the stage in the main club room to deafening roars from the crowd.“Hey Leeds, how are you doing?” the Green party leader shouted, over rapturous cheers