Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has publicly condemned anonymous government briefings as “dripping with misogyny” and demanded the practice be stopped, as detailed by The Independent. She stated that such briefings, including those from the prime minister’s office, are often held against women and cited examples where women are labelled as lazy or criticised for their childcare commitments. Ms Nandy asserted that this is designed to keep women down and prevent them from being heard.
Female MPs demand end to ‘boys’ club’
The intervention comes as several female Labour MPs called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to end a perceived “boys’ club” culture in Downing Street. Outraged women MPs blasted the government’s handling of Peter Mandelson and Matthew Doyle during the recent scandals. In a meeting of female Labour MPs and peers, Harriet Harman urged Sir Keir to resurrect the position of first secretary of state—a de facto deputy prime minister—and appoint a woman to the role to tackle misogyny and transform the political culture for women and girls. MPs inside the meeting reported that the prime minister promised to consider the idea.
This followed a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions session where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the PM of “stuffing government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists”. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also called out Sir Keir over the appointment of a “pedophile supporter”, labelling it a “catastrophic lack of judgement”.
Government reviews vetting processes
Amid the turmoil, the government is looking at changes to its vetting system. Justice Minister Jake Richards stated that something is “clearly going wrong” in government vetting processes and confirmed that reforms are being considered to make the system more vigorous. His comments follow advice from former Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Simon McDonald, who urged Number 10 to do “more due diligence” when replacing the cabinet secretary.
Starmer demands apology over immigration remarks
In a separate development, Sir Keir Starmer has demanded an apology from billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the Manchester United co-owner said Britain is being “colonised by immigrants”. Mr Ratcliffe claimed immigration is “costing too much money” due to the number of people on benefits. The prime minister hit back in a statement on X, calling the comments “offensive and wrong” and stating that Britain is a proud, tolerant, and diverse country.
Prime minister meets the King
Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at a Windsor Castle reception to honour UK carers. This was the first time the prime minister and the King have appeared together since the release of the Epstein files. King Charles praised the millions of unpaid carers and acknowledged the estimated 1.6 million people employed in the adult social care sector.
Foreign Office pressed on Mandelson departure
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has yet to answer a parliamentary question from SNP MP Stephen Gethins regarding when Peter Mandelson ceased his government employment. Mr Gethins told The Independent that it is “astonishing” the government cannot answer basic questions weeks after the crisis erupted, suggesting either they do not know or do not want to disclose the information.
