\n<\/p>\n
Douglas Alexander<\/strong> said he understood that Labour MPs would be \u201cdespondent\u201d as a result of two significant departures in the past two weeks.<\/p>\n The Scotland secretary told BBC Breakfast:<\/p>\n Many of us were devastated by Angela Rayner\u2019s departure from the government last week. She\u2019s an extraordinary woman who\u2019s overcome the most extraordinary challenges and we are grieving and feel quite acutely that sense of loss.<\/p>\n Now to have the dismissal of Peter Mandelson just the next week, I totally get it, of course Labour MPs will be despondent that in two weeks in a row we have seen significant resignations from public service.<\/p>\n These are not the headlines any of us in government or in parliament would have chosen or wanted. But the fact is when the evidence emerged, action had to be taken and we are looking forward, therefore, to moving on.<\/p>\n He added that \u201cwhile the politics is really hard\u201d, there were still \u201cpolicy achievements under way\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/span>Scotland secretary Douglas Alexander pets Larry the cat as he leaves after a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday.<\/span> Photograph: Toby Melville\/Reuters<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the new housing secretary has said that the government is \u201cabsolutely committed\u201d to its pledge to build 1.5m new homes in England by 2029.<\/p>\n Steve Reed<\/strong> said the government was standing firm behind the vow, which was part of Labour\u2019s pre-election manifesto, telling the BBC: \u201cIt\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Reed told the broadcaster:<\/p>\n We\u2019ll do it by working in partnership with the developers and with the builders. My job is to get every barrier out of the way that is stopping that construction going ahead.<\/p>\n More on both of these stories in a moment, but first here are some other key developments:<\/p>\n The UK economy flatlined in July, according to official figures, in grim news for Rachel Reeves as she gears up for a challenging budget. <\/strong>It was a slowdown compared with June, when the economy grew by 0.4%, according to the Office for National Statistics.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Britain will not rejoin the EU in the foreseeable future, according to the minister who has piloted Keir Starmer\u2019s recent reset of European relations. <\/strong>Nick Thomas-Symonds said he could not see the country re-entering the bloc in his lifetime, despite the thaw in continental relations that he has helped bring about.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Up to 400 large shops are at risk of closure with as many as 100,000 jobs at risk if the government goes ahead with plans to hit stores with higher business rates, retailers have warned. <\/strong>Some of the UK\u2019s largest retail premises, including supermarkets and department stores, would face higher property tax charges under new rules being considered by the government before November\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Transport for London has invited the RMT to resume talks as the union\u2019s week of strikes comes to a close<\/strong>, with the tube expected to restart gradually, with early disruption, on Friday. The RMT did not confirm whether it would accept TfL\u2019s invitation to further talks next Wednesday, after saying further strikes could follow.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Special needs reforms for children in England could turn into \u201cwelfare reforms mark 2\u201d unless the government can convince parents that it is not aiming to save money, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. <\/strong>The thinktank said any changes to the current system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which mandate tailored support for children with special needs, will be highly controversial among parents, but said reform was \u201clong overdue\u201d as the number of EHCPs issued has ballooned by 80% since 2018.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Hospices are \u201con the brink\u201d and two in five are making cuts this year despite the importance of end-of-life care if assisted dying becomes legal, the sector has warned before the first House of Lords debate on the legislation. <\/strong>The terminally ill adults (end of life) legislation is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.12 EDT<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Sandra Laville<\/span><\/p>\n A coalition of civil society groups is warning of the dangers of cutting safety regulations as the government pushes to \u201crip up the rules\u201d to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power stations.<\/strong><\/p>\n The 25 groups from communities neighbouring nuclear sites have submitted a joint response to a consultation by the nuclear regulatory taskforce, saying its proposals lack \u201cboth credibility and rigour\u201d.<\/p>\n They argue that the plans to relax regulations only serve to undermine confidence in regulators and the UK\u2019s nuclear regulatory regime.<\/p>\n The government is pushing to speed up approvals for new plants and says it needs to \u201crip up rules\u201d to \u201cfire up\u201d nuclear power.<\/p>\n But the groups, in their submission to the taskforce, which published its interim report in August, argue that the government has failed to present any evidence to substantiate assertions about the need to reform nuclear safety regulation.<\/p>\n In reality, they say, the problems facing the UK\u2019s nuclear programmes are the result of a multitude of factors, including poor planning, investment difficulties, and slow decision-making by industry and central government.<\/p>\n SharePeter Kellner<\/span><\/p>\n On the morning of 16 March 1976, Robert Worcester<\/strong> \u2013 universally known as \u201cBob\u201d \u2013 received the phone call that converted him from the head of a little-known market research company into the public face of polling in Britain. The call was from Harold Evans<\/strong>, the editor of the Sunday Times. Harold Wilson<\/strong> had just announced his retirement at prime minister. Evans wanted to find out whom voters wanted as the next Labour leader. Who better to conduct the survey than Labour\u2019s own private pollster: Worcester himself?<\/p>\n <\/span>Sir Robert Worcester, founder of Mori.<\/span> Photograph: David Sandison\/The Independent\/REX\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The poll, showing James Callaghan<\/strong> well ahead, provided the front-page lead for the following Sunday\u2019s paper. In those days party leaders were elected by MPs. The poll helped Callaghan\u2019s cause \u2013 and did Worcester himself no harm, for Callaghan was duly elected, and kept him as the party\u2019s pollster.<\/p>\n You can read the full obituary of the founder of the market research company Mori, whose snappy analysis made him the go-to pollster for the British media, at the link below:<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Nigel Farage<\/strong> has suggested Keir Starmer<\/strong> \u201cignored the warnings\u201d about Peter Mandelson<\/strong>, who was sacked from his role as ambassador to the US<\/strong> this week, reports the PA news agency.<\/p>\n Lord Mandelson was removed from his post after emails emerged in which the peer offered support to Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong> even as he faced jail for sex offences.<\/p>\n Starmer, who had said he had \u201cfull confidence\u201d in Mandelson before the emails were published, now faces questions over what he knew and when about the ex-ambassador\u2019s ties to Epstein.<\/p>\n Speaking as part of a Reform UK press conference in Caerphilly<\/strong>, Farage said:<\/p>\n I\u2019m not saying Mandy has done a bad job over there but I think we have the good fortune of a pro-British presidency.<\/p>\n Look, Peter Mandelson \u2013 he\u2019s a very clever bloke, he\u2019s a very knowledgable bloke. But, clearly, he does have one or two demons. Twice before he\u2019s been removed from cabinet. This is the third time he\u2019s been removed.<\/p>\n Mandelson\u2019s friendship with Epstein had been known prior to his appointment, but Bloomberg and the Sun published emails showing the relationship continued after his crimes had emerged.<\/p>\n Farage said:<\/p>\n I just don\u2019t know what the intelligence briefing that Morgan McSweeney, the right-hand man to the prime minister, and the prime minister got, but you sort of begin to get the feeling that the PM ignored the warnings, carried on without really having much support in his own party, and then it took him quite a long time to actually remove Lord Mandelson.<\/p>\n So, it\u2019s kind of left the PM and McSweeney, his right-hand man, in a very difficult position with their own parliamentary party.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Here is the agenda for the day:<\/p>\n Friday:<\/em> Yvette Cooper<\/strong> is in Kyiv<\/strong> for the first overseas visit in her new role as foreign secretary.<\/p>\n Friday:<\/em> Dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland<\/strong>\u2019s troubled past, relations with the EU<\/strong> and Gaza<\/strong> are to be discussed during a meeting between prime minister Keir Starmer<\/strong> and Irish<\/strong> premier Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 10am:<\/em> The assisted dying bill<\/strong> will be debated in the House of Lords<\/strong> for the first time on Friday. Demonstrations outside parliament are expected.<\/p>\n Mid-morning:<\/em> Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch<\/strong> to visit Addenbrookes<\/strong> in Cambridge<\/strong> alongside shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew<\/strong> and mayor Paul Bristow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 6pm:<\/em> Turning Point UK<\/strong> will hold a vigil in Whitehall<\/strong> for murdered US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The House of Commons<\/strong> will not be sitting.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.20 EDT<\/p>\n In case you missed it, here is the Guardian view on Peter Mandelson<\/strong> in Washington<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The Liberal Democrats have called for the Commons foreign affairs committee<\/strong> to scrutinise the next US ambassador<\/strong> after sacking of Peter Mandelson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n The prime minister\u2019s appointment of Mandelson was a clear error of judgment, a mistake that we cannot afford to let him repeat.<\/p>\n With Trump in the White House, we need an ambassador who will stand up to the president and represent British values.<\/p>\n To avoid further national embarrassment for our country on the international stage, the foreign Aaffairs committee must now have a role in scrutinising Mandelson\u2019s successor before they are appointed.<\/p>\n SharePatrick Wintour<\/span><\/p>\n Keir Starmer<\/strong> has spoken to Abdel Fatah al-Sisi<\/strong> amid reports the Egyptian<\/strong> president has directed his officials to study an internal request to grant a pardon to release the British-Egyptian<\/strong> human rights activist and writer Alaa Abd el-Fattah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Abd el-Fattah\u2019s British-based family are not commenting on developments save to say they are praying for his release.<\/p>\n The readout of Wednesday\u2019s phone call between Sisi and Starmer focused on the Israeli<\/strong> bombing of Hamas<\/strong> members in Qatar<\/strong>, the threat of a mass displacement of Palestinians<\/strong> in Gaza<\/strong> and preparations for the UN conference<\/strong> this month on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian<\/strong> conflict on which the UK and Egypt have been closely cooperating. Sisi welcomed the UK decision to recognise a Palestinian state.<\/p>\n The Downing Street<\/strong> readout also referred to steps to strengthen bilateral ties in the future. The release of Abd el-Fattah is a Foreign Office<\/strong> priority. The two leaders last spoke in July.<\/p>\n Hopes of a pardon were ignited by Egypt\u2019s official National Human Rights Council<\/strong> making a call this week for his release and six other named prisoners, arguing a pardon would contribute to the stability and psychological balance of his family.<\/p>\n It is expected a decision will be taken in a few days. The move represents the most optimistic development in his ordeal since he was arrested six years ago for endorsing a social media post about the death of a prisoner. He was charged with broadcasting false news.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.51 EDT<\/p>\n Michael Savage<\/span><\/p>\n The BBC<\/strong> has come under renewed pressure over the amount of coverage dedicated to Reform UK<\/strong> after an analysis showed Nigel Farage<\/strong>\u2019s party featured in a quarter of all News At Ten bulletins<\/strong> over six months.<\/p>\n Reform featured in 49 bulletins between January and July this year, whereas the Liberal Democrats<\/strong> \u2013 the third party in parliament with 72 MPs \u2013 featured in 17.9% of bulletins, with 35 references.<\/p>\n The Cardiff University<\/strong> study found Reform was referenced in just under a fifth of ITV News At Ten bulletins<\/strong>, compared with 6.2% for the Liberal Democrats, meaning Reform was covered three times more.<\/p>\n The study of the two bulletins also raised questions about the scrutiny of Reform. In just under a fifth of cases, there was no analysis of Reform\u2019s policies or claims. They were rigorously scrutinised in just under four in 10 cases, and to some extent in another four in 10 cases.<\/p>\n More than two-thirds of references to Reform featured some footage of its politicians, including Farage in a pub.<\/p>\n The corporation has already released a lengthy riposte to claims it was giving too much attention. It pointed out earlier this month that Reform had been the main beneficiary of a collapse in polling support for the two main parties and performed strongly in local elections, as well as leading opinion polls.<\/p>\n Confronted over the issue this week, the BBC director general, Tim Davie<\/strong>, insisted the corporation was not trying to ingratiate itself with Reform with increased coverage.<\/p>\n The study, however, raises questions about the relative coverage given to the two parties. On the rare occasions when stories included substantial Liberal Democrat claims, they received either high-level or some degree of scrutiny in half of them.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Peter Mandelson<\/strong>\u2019s career was described as durable to an audience of foreign policy top brass just five days ago, writes the Guardian\u2019s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Here he writes about the ambassador whose panache made him a big hitter in Washington DC<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Speaking at the Reform press conference in Caerphilly<\/strong>, Nigel Farage<\/strong> said he had a \u201cvery expensive week\u201d seeking advice from tax experts, reports the PA news agency.<\/p>\n The Reform UK leader said last year he had bought a home in his Essex<\/strong> constituency, but it was later reported that his partner had actually made the purchase. Questions over the home have resurfaced after Angela Rayner<\/strong> resigned last week over underpaying stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought this year.<\/p>\n Farage said his partner Laure Ferrari<\/strong> is the sole owner of the Clacton<\/strong> property but has faced calls to explain the situation amid suggestions he could have structured the purchase in order to avoid paying additional tax.<\/p>\n He said:<\/p>\n The money was legally hers, she bought the house. I don\u2019t have any financial stake in it whatsoever \u2013 other than she lets me stay there.<\/p>\n Farage told reporters he had sought the advice of a King\u2019s Counsel (KC) tax expert about the situation. He said:<\/p>\n I have paid a lot of money to make sure we have done everything right.<\/p>\n He added that he was \u201creally concerned\u201d that some media reports were \u201cbeginning to stray\u201d into \u201clibel territory\u201d. Farage added:<\/p>\n I have done everything I can to prove everything I have done has been legal and correct.<\/p>\n ShareJakub Krupa<\/span><\/p>\n Poland<\/strong>\u2019s Rados\u0142aw<\/strong> Sikorski<\/strong> has met UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper<\/strong> in Kyiv<\/strong> earlier this morning, the Polish ministry of foreign affairs<\/strong> confirmed.<\/p>\n The pair talks about the situation in Ukraine<\/strong> and the eastern flank of Nato<\/strong> following the Russian<\/strong> drone incursion into Poland<\/strong>, the ministry said.<\/p>\n UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell<\/strong> also joined the meeting, it added.<\/p>\n You can follow more updates from Europe<\/strong> in Jakub Krupa<\/strong>\u2019s live blog:<\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.52 EDT<\/p>\n Reform UK has selected a former communications chief as its candidate in a by-election in Wales<\/strong>, reports the PA news agency.<\/p>\n Llyr Powell<\/strong> has been chosen to run for the party in the vote in Caerphilly<\/strong>, expected to take place on 23 October. Powell previously worked as a communications specialist for the party in Wales.<\/p>\n The byelection was called after the death of Labour politician Hefin Wyn David<\/strong>, who had served as member of the Senedd<\/strong> for Caerphilly since 2016.<\/p>\n ShareMark Sweney<\/span><\/p>\n Peter Mandelson<\/strong>\u2019s advisory firm is cutting ties with him after his firing as US<\/strong> ambassador<\/strong> after the extent of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong> was revealed in emails.<\/p>\n Global Counsel<\/strong>, which Mandelson co-founded in 2010 alongside Benjamin Wegg-Prosser<\/strong>, is in the process of selling off his multimillion pound stake to a new investor. The sale is expected to conclude within the next two months.<\/p>\n Mandelson\u2019s ties to Global Counsel came under fresh scrutiny after the depth and extent of his relationship with Epstein was revealed by the emails, including the suggestion that his first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged.<\/p>\n His relationship with Epstein extended to labelling him his \u201cbest pal\u201d, and a photograph emerged this week of Mandelson lounging in a white bathrobe with Epstein.<\/p>\n One of Mandelson\u2019s emails to Epstein said: \u201cYour friends stay with you and love you.\u201d<\/p>\n The company, which helps clients \u201canticipate regulatory and political change\u201d, has advised firms including JP Morgan<\/strong>, Barclays<\/strong>, Open AI<\/strong>, Anglo American<\/strong>, fast-fashion retailer Shein<\/strong> and social video platform TikTok<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Archie Norman<\/strong>, the chair of FTSE 100<\/strong> retailer Marks & Spencer<\/strong>, is its vice-chair.<\/p>\n Mandelson, who was a minister in Sir Tony Blair<\/strong>\u2019s Labour government but was forced to resign twice, stepped back from Global Counsel after being appointed by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer<\/strong> as UK ambassador to the US in December.<\/p>\n In January, he entered into an agreement with Global Counsel to sell his stake in the business over time, but recent Companies House filings have shown he still retains a 21% stake. In May last year, Mandelson resigned as a director.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.32 EDT<\/p>\n Jamie Grierson<\/span><\/p>\n The UK government has implemented 100 new sanctions designed to hit Russia<\/strong>\u2019s revenues and military supplies, including against its so-called shadow fleet carrying oil and electronics companies.<\/p>\n The move announced by the UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper<\/strong>, as she travels to Kyiv<\/strong>, comes as Vladimir Putin<\/strong> continues to obstruct peace efforts by launching the largest air attack of the war against Ukraine<\/strong>, with more than 800 missiles and drones fired in a single night.<\/p>\n <\/span>Yvette Cooper greets the Ukraine foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha.<\/span> Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko\/EPA<\/p>\n The numbers of Russian drones and missiles launched against Ukraine \u2013 6,500 in July alone \u2013 are 10 times the level of a year ago, with recent strikes directly hitting the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers, damaging the British Council<\/strong> and EU<\/strong> delegation buildings in Kyiv and a violation of Nato<\/strong> airspace over Poland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On Friday, sanctions were imposed on 70 more ships in Russia\u2019s \u201cshadow fleet\u201d that transport Russian oil, while 30 entities and individuals supporting Russia\u2019s war machine by supplying key equipment such as electronics, chemicals and explosives used to manufacture missiles and other weapons systems were also targeted.<\/p>\n Sanctions have also been imposed on the China<\/strong>-based Shenzhen Blue Hat International Trade Co<\/strong>, and its Russian co-owners, Elena Malitckaia<\/strong> and Alexey Malitskiy<\/strong>, and Turkey<\/strong>-based MastelMakina \u0130thalat \u0130hracat Limited \u015eirketi<\/strong> and its chief executive, the Azerbaijani<\/strong> national Shanlik Shukurov<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Cooper, appointed UK foreign secretary in Keir Starmer<\/strong>\u2019s reshuffle one week ago, said:<\/p>\n The UK will not stand idly by as Putin continues his barbaric invasion of Ukraine. His complete disregard for sovereignty has been shown this week when he recklessly sent drones into Nato airspace. The security of Nato and Ukraine are crucial to the UK\u2019s security \u2013 an integral part of the prime minister\u2019s plan for change.<\/p>\n International action to increase economic pressure on Russia and to cut off critical cashflows which he desperately needs to pay for this illegal war is vital. These sanctions form the next stage in the UK\u2019s leading efforts to ramp up economic pressure alongside our security support and our work alongside the coalition of the willing for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Heather Stewart<\/span><\/p>\n The UK economy flatlined in July, according to official figures, in grim news for Rachel Reeves<\/strong> as she gears up for a challenging budget.<\/p>\n It was a slowdown compared with June, when the economy grew by 0.4%, according to the Office for National Statistics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n GDP expanded strongly in the first half of the year, making the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7, but it had been widely expected to slow in the second half.<\/p>\n The ONS said that growth in the services and construction sectors in July was offset by a 0.9% fall in the production sector, which includes manufacturing.<\/p>\n The downbeat data will raise questions about Labour\u2019s promise to kickstart the economy.<\/p>\n A Treasury<\/strong> spokesperson said:<\/p>\n We know there\u2019s more to do to boost growth, because, whilst our economy isn\u2019t broken, it does feel stuck. That\u2019s the result of years of underinvestment, which we\u2019re determined to reverse through our plan for change.<\/p>\n The ONS said that GDP grew by 0.2% in the three months to July, compared with the three months to April, down from 0.3% in the three months to June. Statisticians see three-month figures as a better guide to the underlying health of the economy than one-month data, which tends to be more volatile.<\/p>\n ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n Growth in the economy as a whole continued to slow over the last three months. While services growth held up, production fell back further.<\/p>\n Within services, health, computer programming and office support services all performed well, while the falls in production were driven by broad-based weakness across manufacturing industries.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Peter Mandelson<\/strong>\u2019s appointment as ambassador to the US<\/strong> was a \u201cjudgment\u201d that an \u201cunconventional presidential administration\u201d required an \u201cunconventional ambassador\u201d, a cabinet minister has said.<\/p>\n Scotland secretary Douglas Alexander<\/strong> told Sky News he had reacted with \u201cincredulity and revulsion\u201d to the publication of emails between Lord Mandelson and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong>, adding he was \u201cnot here to defend him\u201d.<\/p>\n Alexander said:<\/p>\n What is important is to know that when the prime minister became aware of the content of those emails on Wednesday, by Thursday morning Peter Mandelson was dismissed as the ambassador.<\/p>\n The reason he was appointed was a judgment, a judgment that given the depth of his experience as a former trade commissioner for the European Union, his long experience in politics, and his politics and doing politics at the highest international levels, he could do a job for the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n We knew this was an unconventional presidential administration and that was the basis on which there was a judgment that we needed an unconventional ambassador.<\/p>\n Alexander reiterated that Keir Starmer<\/strong> had acted \u201con the basis of evidence\u201d when dismissing Mandelson.<\/p>\n The Scotland secretary told Sky News:<\/p>\n New evidence emerged on Wednesday evening and the prime minister dismissed Peter Mandelson on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n I have worked in Downing Street in the past closely with prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and others. Prime ministers are making a whole range of decisions each and every day. I actually want a prime minister who works on the basis of evidence.<\/p>\n When those emails emerged, that was materially new evidence in relation to the extent of the character and the nature of the relationship between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein. When that reached the prime minister\u2019s desk, he acted and dismissed the ambassador.<\/p>\n Alexander added that he was not aware of what had been revealed during Lord Mandelson\u2019s vetting as it was \u201cnecessarily a secret matter\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.28 EDT<\/p>\n Rowena Mason<\/span><\/p>\n Keir Starmer<\/strong> is facing serious questions about his political judgment after he was forced to sack his US ambassador<\/strong>, Peter Mandelson<\/strong>, over his friendship with \n
Farage suggests that Starmer ‘ignored the warnings’ about Peter Mandelson<\/h2>\n
Today’s schedule<\/h2>\n
UK imposes 100 new sanctions targeting Russia\u2019s revenues and military supplies<\/h2>\n
UK economy flatlines in July in grim news for Rachel Reeves<\/h2>\n
Mandelson’s appointment was ‘judgment’ that ‘unconventional ambassador’ was required, says Alexander<\/h2>\n
Spotlight falls on Starmer\u2019s political judgment after Mandelson sacking<\/h2>\n