Blair’s intervention falls on deaf ears

HMRC gives trans people access to VIP hotline | How to fix poor sleep, according to a psychotherapist

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Thursday, 28 May 2026 Issue No. 459

Good morning. Sir Tony Blair’s intervention has not been received warmly by Labour. Members of the former prime minister’s old party have called his ideas “mad” and ill-timed. Where does this leave Labour’s new leading lights? No further forwards, says Tony Diver, our Political Editor, while Allister Heath explains why he refuses to join the fashionable Blairite adulation. Elsewhere, Noah Eastwood reveals that HMRC has awarded transgender taxpayers lifetime access to its VIP hotline, which is usually reserved for MPs and members of the Royal family. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. Try All Access today for just 25p per month, but hurry, this email-exclusive offer must end soon. If you’re already a subscriber make sure you’re logged in to read today’s stories.   In today’s edition Taryn Thomas was a committed member of the pro-Palestine movement. Then she went to Israel — How the ‘Boriswave’ of 4.2m immigrants will shape Britain for generations — Plus, ‘I’m a psychotherapist with ADHD and insomnia. Here’s how to fix poor sleep’

Ends soon: Four months for 25p per month Save on an All Access Subscription with your email-exclusive offer Subscribe now   Blair’s intervention falls on deaf ears Tony Diver Political Editor   Sir Tony Blair’s excoriating intervention in the Labour leadership debate yesterday has ignited intergenerational warfare. The former prime minister provoked fury by criticising the leading lights of his old party, who are currently mired in speculation about the next occupant of No 10. They include Sir Keir Starmer, whom Blair accused of lacking a plan for Britain, Wes Streeting, who was told he had proposed foolish tax policies, Andy Burnham, who would oversee a “delusional” shift to the Left, and Ed Miliband, who had a “quixotic” obsession with net zero. Unsurprisingly, Blair’s plea that Labour should focus on policy, not personality, went unheeded. Those in the current Labour Party hit back, calling the former PM’s ideas “mad”, accusing him of being stuck in the past and saying he was “not understanding what is going on”. There is a feeling of widespread frustration on the Labour benches that a former leader would wade in so publicly, at such a dangerous moment for their party. Perhaps it is to be expected that Blair, a prime minister known for his ruthless technocracy, should continue to call out ideologues from retirement. With no obvious heir to Blair’s ideas, where do his latest comments leave Labour’s new big hitters? Still fighting among themselves, obviously. Below, my colleague Allister Heath gives his take on the former prime minister’s intervention. Allister Heath Sunday Telegraph Editor   There must be two Tony Blairs, the one who ruined Britain after he spun his way to power, and the semi-conservative thinker winning plaudits for debunking policies that originated during his namesake’s time in office. Oh, to be a fly on the wall were the two Blairs to meet! Our bien-pensant elites have memory-holed the New Labour years, conveniently forgetting that today’s pathologies – feeble growth, an imploding welfare state, excessive immigration, low trust, the triumph of anti-democratic technocracy, culture wars – can be traced back to the vandalism and failures of an agenda they supported. That is why I refuse to join in the fashionable Blairite adulation. Yes, he is a colossus, and his warning against Labour’s Leftwards lurch is sensible, but so what? Continue reading ➤ See more of our coverage below: Burnham: Blair just doesn’t understand ➤ Former PM mocks Miliband over net zero ➤ Plus, sign up to our Frontbencher newsletter for more exclusive, live analysis ➤   HMRC gives trans people access to VIP hotline Noah Eastwood Money Reporter   Debate over the “VIP hotline” to HMRC used by the Royal family and MPs was reignited this month after it emerged Angela Rayner used the service during the scandal over her tax affairs. So-called “Public Department 1” (PD1) is a special service that allows high-profile taxpayers to get help with their taxes about twice as quickly as the general public. When I investigated who else qualifies for the perk, I discovered it extends to anyone who legally changes their gender. Officials insisted this was necessary to protect people with sensitive tax records, but contributors to an online transgender forum praised the policy as “awesome” because there was “almost no wait time”. When The Telegraph called PD1, there was a six-and-a-half minute wait to speak with an adviser. Taxpayers to the general line waited more than 16 minutes on average in the year to January. This exclusive report is available only to subscribers. Continue reading ➤   Opinion John Curtice Why there won’t be a Tory-Reform pact Farage’s party is unlikely to join with its rivals on the Right at the next election but the Reform leader may regret falling out with Rupert Lowe Continue reading ➤     Allison Pearson The deliberate leniency towards two teenage rapists sent chills down my spine Continue reading ➤     Kara Kennedy If Alan Cumming hates America so much, why doesn’t he just leave? Continue reading ➤     To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. Headlines Latest updates | Iran targets US base in retaliation for overnight strikes Mandelson told Cabinet how to do their jobs Britain faces ‘lost generation’ as youth worklessness heads for 1.25m Crystal Palace 1-0 Rayo Vallecano | Glasner secures Palace immortality as Croydon conquers Europe Sadiq Khan takes pilgrimage to Mecca The Mayor of London has joined more than 1.5 million Muslims for the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia Your Essential reads Taryn Thomas joined the pro-Palestinian movement aged 19 while studying at Stanford University in California Taryn Thomas was a committed member of the pro-Palestine movement. Then she went to Israel At Stanford University in California, Taryn Thomas found “instant community” by joining an encampment of pro-Palestine activists. However, after attending an exhibition that honoured the Jews murdered by Hamas on Oct 7, her worldview was shattered. When a trip to Israel cemented her change of heart, the personal cost was devastating: her best friend instantly blocked her, her therapist dropped her, and a vicious campaign of online harassment and death threats began. Continue reading ➤   Out-of-control employees are blowing AI budgets alarmingly fast As companies rush to embrace AI, a new corporate culture has emerged: employees racing to prove their enhanced productivity are burning through budgets – paid for through “tokens”. This unbridled digital enthusiasm has blown corporate forecasts, and now some bosses are starting to panic over the cost of workers’ AI zeal. Continue reading ➤   Andrew Watt with Keith Richards: The producer has worked with the Rolling Stones on their upcoming new album ‘Wait till you hear the stuff Keith’s playing on the new Stones album’ Andrew Watt is the hottest producer in rock, writes Neil McCormick, our Chief Music Critic. At just 35 years old, the bleach-blond-haired former session guitarist for Justin Bieber has become the go-to man for legendary artists, from Sir Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones to Ozzy Osbourne and Sir Elton John. I got the lowdown from Watt on his role in shaping Macca and the Stones’ new albums. Continue reading ➤   How the ‘Boriswave’ of 4.2m immigrants will shape Britain for generations After Brexit, immigration was supposed to fall. Instead, the “Boriswave” brought in a record 4.2 million people. Yet while wealthy European families quickly packed their bags, low-paid African workers decided to stay for the long haul. This year, thousands of low-skilled migrants will become eligible for indefinite leave to remain, just as the true, long-term cost to the taxpayer is laid bare. For subscribers only ➤   Seize the day ‘I’m a psychotherapist with ADHD and insomnia. Here’s how to fix poor sleep’ After retraining as a psychotherapist, Heather Darwall-Smith realised her undiagnosed ADHD was at the heart of her insomnia After years of crippling insomnia, panic attacks and losing the career I loved, writes Heather Darwall-Smith, I discovered the real cause: undiagnosed ADHD. So much of the conventional sleep advice fails, not just for neurodivergent people, but for anyone lying awake with a racing mind. To fix my sleep, I had to change the way I thought about sleep altogether. This is what I learned. Continue reading ➤ Here’s another article that I hope you’ll find helpful this morning: Nostalgic foods have never been hotter, and a chicken Kyiv is still one of the best. Here is Xanthe Clay’s verdict on the best and worst supermarket offerings.   Travel diary Visiting friends abroad this summer? Here’s how not to be the house guest from hell Anthony Peregrine Destination Expert   With money tighter than ever this summer, some of us might be heading off to stay with family or friends abroad for what has been termed a “no-pay-cation”. This arrangement can work perfectly for both hosts and guests alike, so long as it is done correctly. The following guidelines should ensure that any faux pas are avoided:   Your say Flattery will get you somewhere While Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, is away, Kate Moore is on hand to share an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Kate writes... Good morning to you, gorgeous readers. Forgive me if you think I am being over-friendly. You see, I’m joining Rowan Pelling’s mission to make harmless “banter” acceptable again. In some ways, things have changed for the better. Back when King’s Cross had a grubby reputation, my mother would fend off any attempt at rapprochement with a fast walk and a lowering expression. Less chance of that happening now. However, there was a sense that, with the decline of compliments between strangers, an important aspect of male-female contact had been lost.   “Offering polite compliments on the appearance of someone not known to oneself is human,” said Charles Rear. “Lumping that in with ogling/creepy remarks is misplaced and will result in a duller, joyless world.”   Several readers agreed. “I think it’s true that British people, and not just the mad youngsters, have a problem giving and accepting compliments,” said Michael Walker. “I found it rather strange, and very pleasing, when I moved abroad and people started throwing compliments around like confetti.”   Happily, the flirtatious arts have not wholly disappeared from these shores. “Where I live men and women seem to get along, young people are getting together and having kids, etc,” reported Ryan Brighton. “Mind you, I suppose it’s hard to get too precious when every retail worker over 40 here seems legally obliged to call you ‘love’.”   Familiarity need not breed contempt. As Alex Robb pointed out, there can be real therapeutic benefits. “My father-in-law, not far from dying of oesophageal cancer at 78, was walking the hospital corridor mulling over his condition when a passing nurse remarked ‘hello handsome’. The pleasure that gave him certainly put a brake on his departure.” What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received? Let us know 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.   On this day 1936 | Alan Turing’s On Computable Numbers is submitted for publication, paving the way for modern computers 1937 | Neville Chamberlain becomes prime minister (you can see how we covered it on page 15 of the following day’s paper below) 2016 | Harambe, a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, is shot dead after a toddler falls into its enclosure, sparking international debate and viral internet posts Birthday: Carey Mulligan (41), Kylie Minogue (58), Gladys Knight (82) Plus, in today’s news, England’s first official “cycle street” has been built at a cost of £2m. The road gives bicycles priority over cars – where is it located? 1. Manchester 2. Oxford 3. Bristol 4. Cambridge Click one of the options to reveal the answer...   Puzzles 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 BALLPOINT. 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. Ends soon: Four months for 25p per month Save on an All Access Subscription with your email-exclusive offer Subscribe now

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