| Unlock full access to our free-thinking journalism for less than 50p per week. | | The Jewish actress is entirely unfiltered |  | Judith Woods Features Writer | Nowadays, we’re used to celebrities spouting inane platitudes.
So hooray for actress and writer Dame Maureen Lipman: smart, sharp and still intensely funny. I’m pleased to report the 79-year-old was forthcoming on a range of subjects.
There was her Judaism, of course, which, she admits, feels more important to her than ever before “now my tribe is under attack”. And her view on Keir Starmer: “I’m sure he would like to say to the Jewish community ‘We have your back’, but he can’t because there are so many Muslims in this country, so he’d be handing over votes to the Greens.”
There is also a delicious, pointed potshot at Miriam Margolyes involving Graham Norton’s sofa, and a revelation about exactly what happened when she last called the BBC anti-Semitic.
Unsurprisingly, Dame Maureen has refused to play the predictable pensioner – she got married again last year “to the third-nicest man who’s ever been” – and had a riotous hen night involving a Sevillean folk dance, followed by a wedding that was interrupted by the Government’s emergency alarm system. A nuisance? No, more like a triumphal siren in honour of this outspoken, irrepressible national treasure.
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Continue reading ➤ | | Janet Daley If a Kennedy or Reagan were president, they would be clearly setting out the mission of the United States Continue reading ➤ Kemi Badenoch Drilling the North Sea is the answer to the energy crisis Continue reading ➤ Liam Halligan Artificial intelligence won’t solve Britain’s looming fiscal crisis Continue reading ➤ | | To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. | | The Energy Secretary has been blamed for crippling the UK’s domestic industry with his net zero policies | | As the conflict in the Middle East convulses global oil and gas supplies, Labour’s crackdown on North Sea production has been blamed for crippling the UK’s domestic industry, while also cratering tax revenues and pushing up carbon emissions. As Matt Oliver and Jonathan Leake report, it’s prompting opposition from surprising quarters and leaving Ed Miliband increasingly isolated. For subscribers only ➤ | | | Writer Alexandra Meyer (left), the eldest of three sisters, pictured with Jessie, her fearless middle sister, and Eleanor, the youngest | | From Princess Charlotte to Sir Tony Blair, a middle child is often unique. Yet with birth rates plummeting, families of five are facing extinction. Alexandra Meyer, a self-confessed rule-loving eldest sibling, reflects on the looming loss of the demographic that produced her wild, rebellious middle sister.
Continue reading ➤ | | | Britain’s golden girl of athletics, Keely Hodgkinson, could win her first world championship title today in Poland. At the M11 Track Club in Manchester where Hodgkinson trains, her coaches are taking a more sports-science, female-focused approach as the 24-year-old looks to make 2026 her big comeback year. They revealed all to Telegraph Sport. Continue reading ➤ | | | When they needed a passport photo, for decades celebrities flocked to one specialist studio on Oxford Street. Sean Connery and Errol Flynn, Kate Winslet and Ava Gardner all sat for Philip Sharkey and his father. Of Kenneth Williams, Sharkey recalls: “I had to take the shot quite a few times because he was so particular.” Muhammad Ali insisted his snap should be the only one pinned on the studio’s walls, declaring: “I am the greatest.” Melissa Twigg takes a closer look at his unique archive. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | Nick Endacott-Gibb, 57, photographed at his music studio in Bognor Regis | | Lulu caused a scandal this week by musing that Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees might, just might, have fathered a secret son while they were married, writes Guy Kelly, Features Writer. Unhelpfully, she wasn’t entirely sure, but I tracked down the one person who could shed light on the matter: Nick Endacott-Gibb, the lovechild in question. He’s spent half his life wondering who his family is. Slowly but surely, he’s finding out. Continue reading ➤ | | | Baroness Helena Morrissey, who has nine children, shares her hard-won advice on dressing with comfort and confidence for family weddings | Dressing to be mother of the bride or groom is a style dilemma most mums might face once or twice, but Baroness Helena Morrissey has just completed her fourth turn at putting together an outfit for a child’s wedding, and with five more children yet to marry, she’s becoming a seasoned expert. Whether you want to plan something extravagant or go low-key and shop your own wardrobe, Lady Morrissey’s tips will help you put together a look which feels elegant and comfortable. Continue reading ➤ | Everyone is wrong about: Dog walkers Every week, one of our writers takes an unfashionable position, either defending a subject that’s been unfairly maligned or criticising something that most people love.  | Naomi Greenaway Deputy Editor, Telegraph Magazine | For the 17 years I’ve been a mother, very few people have ever inquired how often I take my three children out for fresh air. However, in the six months I’ve been mother to Ronnie the maltipoo, I get asked about his exercise regime on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
The more time you spend outdoors with your dog, the better a dog owner (and human being) you are deemed to be. Whatever the temperature, precipitation situation or wind speed, the Great British Public deems daily exercise for dogs absolutely non-negotiable, and quite right too.
Or at least it would seem quite right, if the Great British Public had equally high standards for our nation’s little humans. How many children in this country go from bed, to car, to school, back home and then onto the sofa without so much as a hop, skip or a jump in between? A lot, is the answer. According to Sport England, 30 per cent of children in the UK are now classed as “inactive”. With so many at secondary school having smart phones in their pockets, children are now more sedentary than ever. For so many teens, it’s no longer necessary to leave the house or join a club to connect with friends. They are all just a tap away. So why bother?
As mental health issues among children and teenagers soar, we need to become as obsessed and judgey about our nation’s kids getting a daily run around, as our country’s canines. Even a short burst of fresh air and exercise is hugely beneficial. A study published this week found that just 10 minutes of outdoor activity a day can have a measurable impact on mental health.
Many of us try to prioritise and encourage our children to get outdoors, but if I’ve learnt anything in these last few months, it’s that social norms and expectations can have a huge influence on our actions. I certainly didn’t choose to get a tiny sausage-legged maltipoo because I wanted to go for long walks, but as I’ve connected with other dog mums, Ronnie has frequently been dragged on longer walks than I ever thought he would even be capable of. He may sometimes end up being carried half-way home, but I’m sure it’s always a fabulous adventure for him.
So let’s not lose that Great British judginess when it comes to taking our dogs out, but let’s start being more judgy about taking our children out too.
Do you agree with Naomi? Send your replies here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Bobby Cummines: ‘I really get the hump with Guy Ritchie making the crime business look glamorous in his films. That world is hell’ | When Bobby Cummines, who died aged 74 in a road accident, was given his OBE by Queen Elizabeth II, the late monarch remarked that he had “a really colourful background”, writes Andrew M Brown, our Obituaries Editor.
That was an understatement. Cummines’s “form” was a life of violence, including manslaughter and holding a prison governor hostage with a knife to his throat.
However, extortion rackets and armed robberies meant a life of paranoia and loneliness. He slept with a gun under his pillow and would rarely drink anything stronger than bitter lemon.
While serving time in Parkhurst, in the company of some of Britain’s most savage criminals, he studied for an Open University degree in sociology and psychology and began to turn his life around.
Once free, he went to work with the charity Unlock, the National Association of Ex-Offenders, serving as chief executive for 12 years. He campaigned for businesses to take on ex-cons, called for prisoners to be given the vote, and set up a specialist insurance broker service for reformed criminals.
Readers’ comments include one from ex-detective Jackie Malton, who says: “Fair play to Mr Cummines.”
Read the full obituary here ➤ | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was BULLDOZER. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Allister Heath, Sunday Telegraph Editor
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