Prime Minister Keir Starmer will address the Commons this afternoon as questions mount over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
Oppostion leaders have all called for his resignation and there is growing disquiet among his own backbenchers over Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson – a man who had previously been forced to resign TWICE for dishonesty and whose links to disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were in the public domain.
Despite Mandelson’s controversial background, Starmer appointed the lobbyist to a senior diplomatic post only to dismiss him in September when more Epstein revelations came to light.
Starmer is now claiming he was unaware that Mandelson failed security vetting and that, had he known, he would not have appointed the disgraced peer. The vetting process actually took place after the announcement of Mandelson’s appointment.
Exactly what Starmer knew, and when, may just become a little clearer this afternoon. ‘Furious’ Starmer will doubtless come out fighting, and Cabinet colleagues have been circling the wagons to protect their leader, but whether Westminster will believe the Prime Minister’s version of events is another matter.
The Mandelson affair is another self-inflicted wound, and an unwelcome distraction for a government facing elections across the country in just three weeks time.
The Traitors: Drama Expert Reveals the Psychological Tricks That Make a ‘Bulletproof’ Traitor
It’s not the slickest actors who make the best Traitors – it’s the ones who feel the most real, according to a drama expert decoding the hit show’s psychological twists.
Zara Wardrop, a drama expert at Kelvinside Academy, has lifted the lid on the key skills she believes can help Traitors fly completely under the Faithfuls’ radar and, just as importantly, how those same traits can expose them.
Throughout the series, Traitors must present themselves as honest and truthful all while secretly plotting to betray fellow contestants, and sometimes even each other, in pursuit of the cash jackpot.
While it may look like a game of deception, Zara says the biggest mistake Traitors can make is trying too hard to act innocent. Instead, she believes authenticity, even when it looks messy, is the real secret weapon.
Zara points to Stephen’s handling of suspicion as a textbook example. When he threw fellow Traitor Fiona under the bus, he didn’t deliver a perfectly scripted defence. Instead, he let emotion take over, stumbling over his words, allowing his voice to break.
Was it genuine emotion or clever performance? Either way, it worked.
“People under suspicion tend to completely overact in order to try and come across more innocent, and it becomes too rehearsed,” Zara explains. “Being authentic is not the same as being perfect. Just because someone stumbles over their words doesn’t make them guilty, it just makes them human.
“Innocence isn’t always expressed through behaviour; it’s just a state of being when you’re innocent … or acting innocent.”
According to Zara, the most effective approach is what actors call method acting, fully stepping into the mindset of a Faithful, rather than performing one on the surface.
“The best way to do this is by believing the lie,” she says. “Have you ever told a lie that you’ve somehow managed to convince yourself was the truth? You start to live the lie, and it becomes much easier to appear Faithful.
“The goal here is to convince yourself you’re innocent first, before you look to convince others. That way, you’ll come across as authentic as possible.”
But while authenticity can protect a Traitor, Zara warns that the smallest slip can still give the game away, particularly when it comes to eye contact.
“The dead giveaway is eye contact all the time, or not at all. You can always see when someone is not being truthful,” she says. “The eyes are the gateway to the soul, and that can be the first giveaway.”
For the Faithful hoping to catch a Traitor out, Zara says consistency is key, or rather, the lack of it.
“There’ll be a lack of consistency,” she explains. “You can see them reminding themselves to sustain this character sometimes, and then it just drops because, you know, you’re human. That’s my first kind of dead giveaway.
“Also watch how they react to others. Because they’re so wrapped up in their own mind, they sometimes fail to pick up on other people’s cues and body language. They misread the room, which leads to an inconsistent response that can catch them out.”
With suspicion at an all-time high and the final looming, the question remains: will the remaining Traitors take Zara’s advice and stay hidden in plain sight?
All will be revealed when The Traitors concludes tonight.
Women who say they weren’t given fair notice about a rise in State Pension age will NOT receive compensation, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed yesterday.
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) said: “The Government has made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.
Waspi campaigner Jan Fulster told BBC Breakfast she feels feels “very let down” by the government. “We’d expected that the government would do the decent thing,” she said.
She adds she was shocked by the decision not to pay compensation because many senior Labour figures had been supportive of the Waspi campaign while in opposition.
“It just feels as if it’s all been a lie,” she says.
WASPI’s response to the Minister’s statement:
“The Government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate WASPI women nine months ago.
“This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.
“The idea that an ‘action plan’ to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year Ombudsman’s investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.
“An overwhelming majority of MPs back WASPI’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table.
“Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done.”
UNITE General Secretary Sharon Graham, said: “@GOVUK’s decision not to compensate the @WASPI_Campaign women despite the Ombudsmen’s recommendations is a disgrace.
“Ministers are making the wrong choices – they need to turn back now because voters will not forgive them.”
Labour MP John McDonnell said yesterday: “I am not in Parliament today as I have the flu that’s going round & I am just feeling too ill but having heard of the government’s rejection of any compensation for the Waspi women I believe they will consider this to be a betrayal & I doubt if they will just go away quietly.”
The Scottish Ministerial Code has been updated to further strengthen transparency and propriety.
Updates to the Code include:
New text reflecting the updates to the procedure for handling complaints by civil servants about the behaviour of a Minister or former Minister, making clear that for future complaints certain information about concluded cases will be made public, including the Minister’s name, the nature of the complaint and the outcome of the complaint, even after a Minister has left office, and setting out the obligation on Ministers to cooperate with the procedure.
The introduction of an annual review of Ministers’ private interests, and proactive publication of these interests on an annual basis, to enhance integrity and transparency around actual or perceived conflicts of interest. In addition, new text has been introduced to provide additional clarity for Ministers on managing overlaps between their Ministerial responsibilities and constituency interests.
General updates on provisions for maternity leave and to reflect the introduction of the Bute House Agreement, as well as minor amends to take account of digital developments, new published strategies and changes in Ministerial titles and responsibilities.
The First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “This new edition of the Ministerial Code sets the highest standards of propriety and transparency for Government Ministers.All Scottish Ministers, including myself, are bound by its terms and are committed to uphold the Principles of Public life, ensuring integrity, accountability and honesty at every level of leadership.
“Scottish Ministers are committed to building a better future for the people of Scotland while facing the profound challenges of our time. This will mean taking some tough decisions to ensure that we support those in greatest need, and it is vital that we are guided in this mission by a clear set of principles.”
Scottish Building Society, the world’s oldest building society, has today been announced as Edinburgh Rugby’s Main Club Partner in a deal that will last for the next four seasons.
The partnership is the biggest agreement of its kind in the history of both organisations and follows a successful back of shirt deal which has been in place since 2020.
The partnership will see Scottish Building Society feature on the front of the capital side’s home and away match jerseys, and training shirts, as well as having prominent branding within Edinburgh Rugby’s brand-new purpose-built stadium, located in the grounds of BT Murrayfield.
As part of the agreement, Scottish Building Society will also be increasing its work in local communities with involvement in Edinburgh Rugby’s community programmes, including disability inclusive rugby and homeless rugby programmes.
The partnership will also see the two organisations working together to develop a family zone to enhance the match-day experience at the new 7,800 capacity stadium.
This substantial investment in Edinburgh Rugby continues Scottish Building Society’s ongoing commitment to Scottish sport which has included sponsorship of the Scottish Women’s Premier League as well as support for both Heriot’s Rugby and the Southern Knights.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer for Scottish Building Society, said: “Scottish Building Society is the world’s oldest building society so we wanted to work alongside a partner with a proud heritage that shared our values.
“As a mutual building society, Edinburgh Rugby’s core principles of honesty, discipline and togetherness were the perfect fit.
“The club’s focus on supporting and integrating with its local community was central in our decision to support them and dovetails perfectly with our own approach of giving back and we are excited to start supporting Edinburgh Rugby’s fantastic initiatives in order to further enhance the impact.
“With Edinburgh Rugby set to move into its new home and celebrate its 150th year during the course of this sponsorship, it is certainly going to be a really exciting time and we’re incredibly proud that we will be part of that journey.”
Douglas Struth, Managing Director at Edinburgh Rugby, said: “We’re thrilled to announce Scottish Building Society as our new Main Club Partner. They are a recognisable brand and leader within their industry, who have a clear and historic association with the city of Edinburgh.
“Having already been part of the club’s sponsor family for a number of seasons, Scottish Building Society have played an integral role in the club’s journey to date – they now back us ahead of what is set to be a momentous, inaugural year in the club’s new home.
“With record-breaking Season Ticket numbers and the hugely exciting United Rugby Championship launching this September, today’s partnership announcement provides us with further momentum heading in to the 2021/22 campaign.
“This is going to be a hugely exciting partnership for all connected to Edinburgh Rugby and it’s an association that we’re immensely proud of too.
“We can’t wait to kick-off the new season in our brand-new home, and represent the Scottish Building Society brand around the world as we compete in both the United Rugby Championship and European Challenge Cup.”
Openness and transparency are the key foundations of any democracy. But today we find too much of our politics is shrouded in secrecy. Too often voters remain unsure about who is behind the messages they read, who is behind the information that shapes their political views, and ultimately their votes. In no area is this truer than online campaigning (writes JESSICA BLAIR).
Nine months on from the general election, we still have little idea how much money was spent in the campaign. But even when the data is published by the Electoral Commission, huge gaps will remain in our understanding of how voters were targeted – and by whom.
Democracy is about empowering citizens so that they can actively take part in our political processes and make an informed decision at the ballot box. Transparency, fairness and accountability in political campaigning are key to ensuring this is possible. But while technology offers huge opportunities for political engagement, the current system – if it can be called that – is an unregulated Wild West.
Indeed, the Electoral Commission’s own post-election research found that ‘[m]isleading content and presentation techniques are undermining voters’ trust in election campaigns’ and that the ‘significant public concerns about the transparency of digital election campaigns risk overshadowing their benefits’.
Democracy in the Dark, a new report commissioned by the Electoral Reform Society and written by Dr Katharine Dommett and Dr Sam Power, sheds light on campaigning in the 2019 general election.
For the first time, the authors reveal how much was spent on social media platforms by campaigners and parties during the election, and track the rise of non-party ‘outriders’, with all the associated secrecy.
However, it’s not enough to just point out the risks. Dommett and Power also summarise the many sensible, proportionate and easily implementable recommendations, around which there is broad and cross-party consensus, as to how we can restore trust in our democratic processes.
These reforms would shine a light on the murky world of unregulated online campaigning, focusing on five key areas: 1. Money; 2. Non-party campaigns; 3. Targeting; 4. Data; 5. Misinformation.
Many of the recommendations in this report echo existing calls to modernise electoral law to help rebuild trust in our democratic system. Recommendations include closing funding loopholes, creating national standards for social media ad transparency and ensuring voters can easily see who is targeting them and why.
Since we published our report Reining in the Political Wild West in 2019, countless calls have been made across the political spectrum in support of reform and there continues to be strong and long-standing cross-party support to tame the unregulated Wild West of online political campaigning.
Yet despite repeated calls for reform, little action has been taken. Strikingly, far from becoming more transparent, the authors find that in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, parties and campaigners have become even more cautious about disclosing information about their campaign activities online.
In terms of progress, the most significant step has been the launch of a consultation on extending the use of imprints to include online election material – a necessary step, but which on its own is woefully insufficient.
Such limited efforts have further been undermined by alleged threats to abolish the Electoral Commission if it cannot be ‘radically overhauled’. Rather than enhancing the Commission’s powers and resources so that it can tackle the challenges of the modern age, the body tasked with protecting our democracy is under unprecedented attack.
With elections due to take place across the UK in May 2021, we cannot let the urgent task of ensuring our electoral integrity be kicked into the long grass once more.
