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Donald Trump and the King both spoke at a state dinner in the White House |
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Hannah Furness Royal Editor, in Washington |
It was all going so smoothly.
Donald Trump and the King had swapped compliments, patted backs and had such an apparently mutual love-in that pundits had started calling it a “bromance” – but did the US president fall at the final hurdle?
At the state dinner in the White House last night, where Trump and the first lady rolled out the red carpet for His Majesty and the Queen, the US president gave a warm speech in praise of his guests.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump and the King and Queen arrive for the state dinner at the White House |
Then he said the King supported him on Iran: “Charles agrees with me... We’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”
There was a sharp intake of breath from the British journalists in the room. His Majesty cannot be seen to support a political position, particularly when it puts him at odds with his own Government.
The Palace chose not to react.
The King, a little croaky from a long day in which he delivered an address to Congress, continued with his own speech as if nothing had happened. He made a few jokes – including some, unusually, at Trump’s and America’s expense.
The King is warmly applauded during his speech |
Mentioning that the US president had recently said that “if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German”, His Majesty added: “Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French...!” (“Very funny,” one of the American dinner guests was heard to say.)
The day in Washington ended with the royal couple and the Trumps still on the best of terms. The Palace will be relieved, to say the least, that there were no further crises.
Read the full story and Hannah’s analysis, exclusively available to subscribers here ➤
Plus, sign up to the Your Royal Appointment newsletter for daily updates during the state visit ➤ |
Angela Rayner backed Sir Keir Starmer in a key vote yesterday after it had been suggested she would defy him |
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Tony Diver Political Editor |
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Daniel Martin Deputy Political Editor |
Sir Keir Starmer has privately offered Angela Rayner a return to the Cabinet in an attempt to head off a leadership coup, The Telegraph can reveal.
The Prime Minister extended the olive branch to his former deputy earlier this month, amid speculation that he was considering a reshuffle after the local elections.
Starmer heaved a sigh of relief last night after he dodged a Commons inquiry into his role in the Mandelson affair.
Only 15 Labour MPs voted with the Tories for an investigation by the privileges committee into whether he misled the House of Commons when he claimed the appointment of Lord Mandelson had followed “due process”.
Most of those who voted for an inquiry were serial Left-wing rebels including John McDonnell, who was shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn.
He was joined by Rebecca Long Bailey, the former leadership contender, and other hard-Left figures including Richard Burgon, Nadia Whittome and Andy McDonald. One of the rebels, Emma Lewell, was considered a relatively reliable backbencher.
However, the majority of Labour MPs remained loyal and the party’s dominance in the Commons meant the Conservative motion for an inquiry was rejected by 335 to 223 – a majority of 112.
The Prime Minister will be glad to see that the rebellion was so minor and largely limited to the usual suspects.
That does not mean Starmer’s troubles are over.
After MPs return from recess next month, another batch of Mandelson files is due to be published, which could cause further headaches for No 10.
Labour sources believe that Starmer could face a leadership challenge within weeks, after a torrid fortnight with MPs openly discussing potential pacts between Rayner, Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband.
Appointing his former deputy to the Cabinet would be seen as an attempt to shore up Starmer’s premiership. With a drubbing in the local elections expected next week, it might be the Prime Minister’s only route for survival.
Read the full story here ➤
Starmer avoids ethics inquiry after ordering MPs to back him ➤ |
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Allison Pearson If Labour turns to the gobby trade unionist following an annihilation at the polls next week, this country is finished Continue reading ➤
Jeremy Warner Miliband plumbs new depths in condemning BP Continue reading ➤
Tom Tugendhat The brutal facts about Britain’s Armed Forces are now too alarming to ignore Continue reading ➤ |
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Sussex Police are trying to tackle the ‘tsunami of business crime’ |
Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor, joined a Sussex police operation to catch and deter shoplifters. One suspected thief was seen acting suspiciously, and plain clothes and uniformed officers were able to confront him when he lit a joint behind a store. The cannabis gave police the reason they needed to stop and search him. They found two wraps of cocaine, a pair of Nike black trainers with their security tag still on, and a balaclava, screwdrivers and a monkey wrench – all the tools you might use for a burglary. The force says its strategy has doubled detection rates. For subscribers only ➤ |
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Timeline for rent arrears eviction from May 1 |
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The United Arab Emirates’ dramatic Opec exit is more than an oil story, writes Hans van Leeuwen. By breaking from the cartel, Abu Dhabi has not only accelerated Opec’s slide towards irrelevance but also rebelled against Saudi dominance. Far from uniting against Iran, the Gulf is fracturing further. As war reshapes the region, this rupture could redraw Middle Eastern power politics – and the global energy order – for years to come. Continue reading ➤ |
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Dr Florence Comite explains how you can change your health trajectory |
We often think of ageing as wrinkles, thinning hair and an expanding waistline, writes Dr Florence Comite. However, the real story lies beneath the surface. For example, the fat around your middle may signal insulin resistance which can lead to heart disease and dementia. The good news? Some simple changes can turn things around: eat protein-rich meals, do a couple of strength workouts every week and get enough sleep. Here are the most common patterns of ageing I see in my patients, and how to reverse them. Continue reading ➤ |
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Georgina Fuller now avoids certain routes near her home because of the dire state of the roads |
“Lady Land Rover” drivers attract their fair share of criticism, writes Georgina Fuller. However, where I live, on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, the dismal state of the roads makes an SUV essential. In fact, the problem has become so acute, residents have renamed the region “the Potswolds”. Doing the school run in my husband’s little Mazda is no longer an option. Continue reading ➤ |
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Nick Harding is coming to terms with his wife’s trendiness |
When Nick Harding’s wife, Stephanie, came downstairs squeaking like a “balloon sculptor” in PVC trousers, he assumed she was having a midlife crisis. However, her revamped wardrobe – complete with new ear piercings – isn’t a crisis. It’s a rebellion against the invisibility of menopause. Nick and Stephanie give their takes. Continue reading ➤ |
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Red meat is brilliant for your muscles, brain and bones because it’s packed with protein, iron and zinc. However, eat too much and your risk of bowel cancer and high cholesterol shoots up. We’ve created a tool to check if your intake is optimal and shared the healthiest types of red meat to tuck into. Continue reading ➤ Below is another article I hope you’ll find helpful this morning:
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The Bible hath risenIt’s hard to keep track of what’s in and what’s out when it comes to Gen Z. In today’s edition, LA Robinson, our youthful Lifestyle Writer, investigates the younger generation’s renewed interest in faith.
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LA Robinson Lifestyle Writer |
Whoever is doing the PR for the Bible deserves a raise. Sales are up in Britain – 134 per cent since 2019, according to a survey released earlier this year by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
It attributed the surge to people “searching for meaning and stability in a changing world” while singling out a key demographic: young readers. The report points out: “This often takes the form of renewed curiosity, reflection, and openness to spirituality, even if not expressed through traditional church attendance.”
It’s true: if you open Instagram right now, there are 29 million posts under #bible. On TikTok, @BibleBFF does readings of the Scripture “like it’s tea” (translation: like it’s gossip. To be fair, immaculate conception is fairly brow-raising). Earlier this month, The Washington Post released a buzzed-about article titled “Why Catholicism is drawing in Gen Z men,” zeroing in on a church in New York where attractive twentysomethings are lining up out the door, there to explore their spirituality but also to find romantic partners. Anything to keep boys out of the Manosphere, if you ask me.
Russell Brand may not be the ideal poster boy, and likely spends more time in the confessional booth than in the pews, but he did give the Good Book some strong air time last week when he went viral for flipping through his copy for a whole 90 seconds live on Piers Morgan’s show, painfully trying and failing to find the correct verse. Forgive me for being unchristian, but the schadenfreude was to be savoured.
Russell Brand appeared on Piers Morgan’s show to promote his new book How to Become a Christian in 7 Days |
So, who exactly is behind the Bible’s public image shift from dusty book in the back of the pews to the hottest title on everyone’s Good Reads list? Was it the Hot Priest in Fleabag? Madonna’s Like A Prayer revival at Coachella? Perhaps we should look to Zuckerberg and the tech titans, who helped engineer a social norm where we’re all hyper-connected yet have never felt more alone. Young people, resilient as they tend to be, are fighting back by finding faith.
Somewhere up in heaven, God is nodding at his balance sheet approvingly, pleased to see the Bible risen again.
Have you met any newly faithful young people? Or, are you one yourself? Let me know your thoughts here. |
Tipping tipsEvery 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’s been much talk lately about American imports to Britain, from the politics to (potentially) those gigantic chickens. None, surely, induces as much anxiety in this awkward, gaffe-fearing land as the tipping culture.
So, thank you, Gordon Ramsay, for abetting its advance. The chef, already noted for his distinctly un-British attitude to the concept of subtlety, has introduced a 20 per cent service charge at his Lucky Cat restaurant in Bishopsgate.
Celia Walden, who has been navigating the US tipping minefield for two decades, was unimpressed with this development – as were Telegraph readers.
Brian Hoffmann wrote: “Just don’t go to such restaurants. In America, tipping is essentially mandatory as the staff are so badly paid. Does Ramsay not pay his staff a decent wage?”
Jon Lewis added: “I always thought that a tip was a personal expression of thanks for great service. If there is a low (say 10 per cent) discretionary service charge added to a bill, that still leaves a bit of room to ‘top it up’. If its already 20 per cent, which I’d regard as the height of generosity, there’s nowhere to go... except down.”
Another reader argued: “If the service isn’t up to much, don’t tip at all. I would say that a tip of 10 per cent, rounded to the nearest pound, is fine, given the effect of inflation on the cost of going out to eat.”
Adam Johnson took a different position: “Having lived in America for many years, I am happy to leave a 15 per cent tip, though not 20 per cent. The problem in Britain is that the food is very expensive in the first place, as are drinks at the bar – and the measures, especially for cocktails, are woefully small.”
Andrew Slater, meanwhile, noted that “tips are not expected at all in Australia – and it is a much better experience.” What’s your take on tipping? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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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 The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was ILLOGICAL. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. |
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