“Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be failing victims if he continues to refuse to testify about his relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The prime minister urged the former prince to give evidence before a US congressional committee that first requested his testimony in November. “Epstein’s victims have to be the first priority,” he said. The remarks signal a significant increase in the political pressure on the disgraced royal. Starmer had said en route to the G20 summit three months ago that he would not comment on whether Andrew should respond to Congress’s request as “in the end, that will be a decision for him”. He made his changed position clear on the final leg of his visit to China and Japan on Saturday after millions of new documents were released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ).” – Sunday Times
“Angela Rayner has secured a ‘war chest’ of more than £1million to fund her bid to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, her allies have claimed. Amid growing expectations that Sir Keir will soon face a challenge to his leadership, the former deputy prime minister has moved her stealth operation up a gear, with sources also saying she has started to promise Cabinet jobs to her supporters. It comes as Ms Rayner has set up a new company called The Office of Angela Rayner Ltd to conduct her business. An ally said Ms Rayner had been cultivating donors as part of a ‘personal charm offensive’ since she was forced to resign from the Cabinet five months ago over her underpayment of stamp duty. The ally said: ‘She has received more than a million in firm pledges and is ready to go.’ – Mail on Sunday
“The White House is concerned that Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands will expose the United States to spying by Chinese boats. Senior members of Donald Trump’s administration fear handing control over the waters around the Diego Garcia military base to China-allied Mauritius would open the door to espionage by sea. It is thought that Beijing operates a fleet of vessels disguised as fishing boats to carry out espionage missions in its neighbours’ exclusive economic zones. Mr Trump is under rising pressure to sink the deal for good, with allies attempting to convince him that the Chagos deal would compromise a vital military asset in the Indian Ocean.” – Sunday Telegraph
“A Labour MP who decried the lack of affordable homes in her constituency is living in a council flat, The Telegraph can reveal. Apsana Begum, who earns a salary of £94,000 as the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, in east London, has spoken out about the “housing crisis across London” and rising rates of homelessness. But The Telegraph can reveal that she continues to live in a council flat, despite admitting almost five years ago that she “probably” did not need it any more. On Saturday, the Tories said Ms Begum’s “hypocrisy is staggering”. Ms Begum’s council flat is in the borough of Tower Hamlets, which stipulates that any single person or couple earning over £90,000 are not eligible to apply for council housing.” – Sunday Telegraph