We hold power to account. Our journalists investigate, interrogate and report without fear or favour. | | Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool |  | Ben Riley-Smith Political Editor | As Westminster chews over what Sir Keir Starmer will do next after surviving a coup, one of the unknowns is where he will end up on policy.
So, it is striking that there are already moves afoot to bounce him into different positions – often to the Left – from prominent names in Labour. Take the two figures tipped as future leadership contenders, who spoke out in favour of more tax support for pubs at an event yesterday.
Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, singled out the VAT regime for the hospitality industry and said the party had to put “rocket boosters” on its business rates reforms. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, said he wanted a “VAT rate more consistent with what you find in Europe”, which could benefit pubs. The Telegraph is, of course, vocal on this very issue. It is interesting that Left-wingers – traditionally keen on higher taxation levels – seem to want tax cuts for pubs.
Elsewhere, the Prime Minister is facing backbench pressure to soften his immigration crackdown, with 35 of his MPs, largely on the Left, signing a letter calling the approach “deeply unfair”. Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, used an interview with The Guardian, after Starmer clung on to power on Monday, to say that her party’s record in office had been “unforgivable”. | Union chief Maryam Eslamdoust says Rayner should replace Starmer and become Labour’s first female leader | Then, there is the boost to Rayner’s leadership ambitions, as a trade union leader called for her to replace Starmer, saying it was time that Labour was led by a woman. Maryam Eslamdoust, the general secretary of the Transport and Salaried Staffs’ Association, told The Telegraph: “Angela Rayner is a credible figure ... I think she can show real leadership; she resonates with people. She can speak in a way that resonates with workers, with working-class communities, with women.”
The unknown? Where the Prime Minister is on all of this. In the coming days, keep an eye out for any indication of what Starmer really stands for.
Read the full story here ➤
Plus, will the Prime Minister’s women problem hand Rayner the keys to No 10? ➤ | | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard The Government’s misjudged pandering towards the Continent will harm agriculture Continue reading ➤ Judith Woods Conflating the St George’s flag with ‘terror’ is grotesque Continue reading ➤ Rakib Ehsan Jim Ratcliffe is more in touch with the British public than Keir Starmer Continue reading ➤ | | To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. | | Chihuahuas, dachshunds and poodles were found living on top of each other in a “filthy” Devon home | | Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s claim that Britain has been “colonised” by immigrants provoked outrage from Downing Street and the footballing world. Britain’s biggest industrialist, who co-owns Manchester United, later apologised for his choice of language. However, as Hans van Leeuwen explains, Sir Jim’s point that Britain’s economy is not in a good state is hard to argue with: the benefits bill is ballooning and the economy is flatlining.
Continue reading ➤
Nigel Farage: Jim Ratcliffe is right. Immigration is out of hand ➤ | |  | | The new film adaptation, starring Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie, modernises the mood, but Brontë’s words remain central | | Sales of Wuthering Heights have skyrocketed as readers get ready to see Emerald Fennell’s star-studded film adaptation. For some, it’s not without complications. Emily Brontë’s novel, with its tricksy plot, wild characters and detailed language, isn’t proving an easy read for swathes of Gen Z, who are turning to TikTok “reading guides” to help them understand one of English literature’s greatest works. Liam Kelly digs into what the trend means for our wider reading crisis. Continue reading ➤ | | | | | Change in price between Jan 2000 and Dec 2025 (Source: ONS) | | Energy bills weren’t always cripplingly high. Houses weren’t always this expensive. Childcare used to be more affordable. Successive governments have promised time and again to rein in prices, but inflation has only accelerated. As price rises push Britain into an era of political turmoil, we look at how it started and why it could get even worse. Continue reading ➤ | | | Bliss Cunneen racked up £40k of debt doing an anthropology degree before she realised she’d made a mistake. So, instead, she trained as a plumber and hasn’t looked back. As the job market dries up, an increasing number of graduates are swapping more traditional white-collar office roles for the trades, secure employment and more money. Continue reading ➤ | | | When I began teaching during the 1990s, the term “school readiness” simply didn’t exist, writes Dominic O’Regan. Today, the reality is starkly different. Children arrive in nappies. They are unable to use cutlery. They try to “swipe” books as if they were screens. A profound shift in modern childhood has fundamentally changed the rhythm and challenges of the classroom. Continue reading ➤ | | | We all know poor diet, alcohol and stress are wrecking balls to our health. One of the biggest killers, however, is our approach to ageing, with those who view their glass half empty faring worse than those with their glass half full. From sitting on your money to obsessing over ailments, here are the most common pitfalls. Continue reading ➤ Here are two more helpful articles for you this morning: | | Tucker Carlson is the subject of a new book by political reporter Jason Zengerle | Book Hated by All the Right People ★★★☆☆ Tucker Carlson is one of the world’s most powerful Right-wing pundits, but is the US podcast host actually a conservative, or – as many on “his” side have angrily claimed – a shameless opportunist whose beliefs are near-impossible to pin down? An intriguing new biography takes us through Carlson’s rise, from early cable-TV controversies to media superstardom, that interview with Vladimir Putin, and a seeming indulgence of anti-Israel conspiracies. Read on, and you may find that you didn’t know Tucker Carlson at all.
Read Jessa Crispin’s review ➤ Television How to Get to Heaven from Belfast ★★★★★ Producing a follow-up to Derry Girls was a tough ask, but writer Lisa McGee has delivered. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast is a murder mystery infused with the comic brilliance of her earlier work. It’s a madcap chase through rural Ireland, a hilarious thriller and a celebration of friendship. The twist at the end of episode one is so good that I could not wait to dive into episode two. This is your new binge-watch.
Read Anita Singh’s review ➤ Book The Crown’s Silence ★☆☆☆☆ All sane people agree that slavery was wicked. It is right, however, to question the sense and legitimacy of imposing guilt and shame on those who had no responsibility for it. Such an imposition pushes virtue signalling and grandstanding to the point of absurdity. In The Crown’s Silence, Brooke Newman is demanding reparations from the Crown. This assault on the Royal family is utterly shameful and the author’s arguments are illogical, irrelevant and historically illiterate.
Read Simon Heffer’s review ➤ | |
What did a jewellery thief in Turkey use as an unconventional means of escaping the scene of a crime? | Pride of place Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
There was some controversy over Chris Moss’s recent article ranking the 20 biggest British cities. Many Londoners, for instance, felt miffed that the capital didn’t score higher – even though, in reality, we spend much of our time complaining about it here (I will spare you a fresh lamentation about how much I paid for a pint last weekend).
Meanwhile, a Southampton MP felt moved to write a Letter to the Editor, a sure sign of feelings running high. Undeterred, Chris has now assessed this country’s 25 largest towns. How have your favourites fared?
Readers have been far from unanimous in their responses, but many felt the top spot had gone to the right place. Michael Gates wrote: “Blackpool is a Marmite choice, but a good one. Thinking about which town on this list I would get most excited about visiting, it would be Blackpool.
“Yes, it’s loud and tacky, but it brings back memories of childhood visits: the bracing sea, the breeze, the smell of donkeys, cockles and brown shrimps, and screaming down the old wooden big dipper. Crowning it all, for me as a Northerner, is a secret feeling that most Southerners just wouldn‘t ‘get’ all of this.”
John Turner added: “I’m happy to see Blackpool at the top. I live about 12 miles away in Preston. Anyone visiting should also pop into Lytham, which is only down the road.”
There was some dissent, however. Andy Page, perhaps striking back for the South, was blunt. “Yuck. I don’t think so.”
Another reader felt the prize should have gone to “Cheltenham, which has vibrant nightlife and restaurants, theatres, festivals, beautiful parks, a classic lido, world-class racing and amazing architecture. It is safe and welcoming, and has better weather than Blackpool.”
Finally, Andrew O’Connor stuck up for Crawley, which came rather further down the list at a distinctly unflattering 24th: “I lived there for two years, and actually found the small town centre to be very amenity-rich – and busy. It had a surprising amount of nightlife, along with dining options, an unusual amount of parkland nearby, a decent theatre, and of course fantastic connections.” What do you think? Send your responses 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. | | 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 MITIGATED. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here.
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow.
Chris Evans, Editor | |
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