Police will include sex claims in Andrew investigation

Burnham’s Cabinet is already taking shape | Labour prepares £1bn stealth tax on family holidays

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Friday, 22 May 2026 Issue No. 453

Good morning. In the past couple of hours, the police have announced they will assess allegations of sexual misconduct as part of their investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The former prince was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Thames Valley Police is currently examining one allegation that a woman was trafficked into Britain by Jeffrey Epstein in 2010 to have sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor at Royal Lodge in Windsor. Will Bolton reports. Elsewhere, Angela Rayner has become embroiled in a row linked to alleged electoral fraud at her local council. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. Did you know, you’re eligible for our email-exclusive offer? Try All Access today for just 25p per month. If you’re already a subscriber, make sure you’re logged in to read today’s stories.   In today’s edition Burnham’s Cabinet is already taking shape — The dark truth about geisha girls from one who escaped — Plus, six foods that raise your heart attack risk (and what to eat instead)

Try 4 months for 25p per month Save on an All Access Subscription with your email-exclusive offer Subscribe now   Police will include sex claims in Andrew investigation Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on his 66th birthday Will Bolton Crime Correspondent   Thames Valley Police (TVP) has revealed that, following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest in February on suspicion of committing misconduct in public office, it is now also considering allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption. Police sources said the investigation was continuing at pace. Potential evidence collected from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s home following his dramatic, unprecedented arrest is being studied by officers. TVP is currently assessing one allegation that a woman was trafficked into Britain by Jeffrey Epstein in 2010 to have sex with Mr Mountbatten-Windsor at Royal Lodge in Windsor. The force has been in contact with the woman’s legal team. Officers also urged any women who had been abused by Epstein to contact them if they had information that could assist their investigation. Yesterday, following the publication of newly released documents, it emerged that the former prince had told officials he would prefer to visit “more sophisticated countries” while working as a trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. The documents also detailed the late Queen’s desire for him to take on a “prominent role in the promotion of national interests”. Whatever happens next, it will not be the last time revelations about the former Duke of York make their way on to the front pages. Continue reading ➤ See more of our coverage below: • Andrew preferred to visit ‘sophisticated countries’, trade envoy files reveal ➤ • Andrew refuses to give up freedom of the City of London ➤   Rayner embroiled in ‘election fraud row’ Angela Rayner with Atta Ul-Rasool, the successful Labour council candidate in Tameside, in 2022 Gordon Rayner Associate Editor   No sooner has Angela Rayner been cleared of deliberately avoiding tax than another investigation into alleged wrongdoing has sprung up uncomfortably close to home. Atta Ul-Rasool, the chairman of Rayner’s Constituency Labour Party in Ashton-under-Lyne, is alleged to have benefited from an illegal attempt to influence the outcome of this month’s local elections. Ul-Rasool was elected to the St Peter’s ward on Tameside council, defeating independent candidate Ahmed Mehmood by just 177 votes. Mehmood has cried foul, claiming that two other independent candidates – who between them gained 291 votes – were stooges “planted” by Labour to draw votes away from him. A whistleblower has told the local Manchester Mill website that a Labour activist discussed the idea of putting up bogus candidates to split the opposition vote during a barbecue at Rayner’s house. It is not suggested that Rayner was present during any of the alleged conversations. Five people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud as part of a police investigation into how candidates were put forward. Both Rayner and Ul-Rasool have dismissed suggestions of a plot as baseless. Read the full story here ➤   Opinion David Frost Rachel Reeves’s economic farce is about to become a tragedy The socialist policies hardening beneath the Chancellor’s meddling with market prices are no laughing matter Continue reading ➤     Sherelle Jacobs On the ground in Makerfield, Andy Burnham doesn’t feel like a winner Continue reading ➤     Helen Down I loved my dog more than anything – but I gave her away after four years Continue reading ➤     To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. Headlines Labour prepares £1bn stealth tax on family holidays Death of ‘shoplifter’ restrained by security guards ‘Ireland’s George Floyd moment’ Don’t challenge trans women about their gender, says Phillipson’s new guidance England World Cup squad: Toney in, but Foden, Palmer and Maguire out (and his mother isn’t happy) Everest clogged with climbers on record-breaking day Nepal has issued a record 492 permits for Everest this season Essential reads Burnham’s Cabinet is already taking shape Last night, The Telegraph revealed that Wes Streeting would likely have a place in Andy Burnham’s Cabinet were he to become prime minister. It has become clear that, even though Burnham is yet to seal his return to Westminster, the contours of his future top team are already beginning to take shape. Labour’s major players have begun jostling for position in the expectation that the Mayor of Greater Manchester will win the Makerfield by-election and launch a bid for No 10. Nick Gutteridge assesses the potential future frontbenchers. Continue reading ➤ Burnham expected to include Streeting in future Cabinet ➤   The dark truth about geisha girls from one who escaped As a young woman in the closeted and deeply traditional world of Kyoto’s “geiko”, Kiyoha Kiritaka was expected to pour drinks, perform dances handed down through generations and laugh demurely at businessmen’s bad jokes, writes Julian Ryall. However, it did not take long for the dark side of the nation’s legendary entertainment industry to emerge. The memoirs of this geisha are of being groped, narrowly escaping being forced to take a bath with a client and having her virginity put up for auction. Still a teenager, she fled the “willow world”, she tells me, to help other young women shocked at what really happens behind the sliding paper doors of the ancient capital. Continue reading ➤   George Skeggs, 83, has been dressing the same way since he was a teenager British eccentricity is dying out when we need it more than ever Dressed in a houndstooth suit, bowling shoes and a bolero hat, 83-year-old George Skeggs certainly stands out in a crowd. He is also a London institution. However, in an age of algorithms, branding and bland conformity, might “Soho George” be the last of his kind? Abigail Buchanan reports. Continue reading ➤   Why thousands of house sales across Britain risk falling apart Mike Cox was on the brink of buying his first home when he was told there was a problem. The collapse of his council’s land search system meant property sales were made all but impossible. Sixty miles away, in Hampshire, an almost identical issue had occurred a few months earlier. With nearly 1,000 transactions across the two councils affected, there are growing fears that others could be susceptible to the same chaos. Continue reading ➤ Brick factory closes after 139 years as housebuilding collapses ➤   Seize the day Six foods that raise your heart attack risk (and what to eat instead) How much harm could a glass of orange juice or a fruit-flavoured yogurt really do to your health? A fair amount it seems, according to a new study which showed that people who ate the most preservatives – often added to ultra-processed foods – faced a 22 per cent increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Here Telegraph Health recruits the help of Dr Federica Amati to reveal the main offenders and what to swap them for. Continue reading ➤   Reviews of the week Admit it, art snobs: Winston Churchill was a surprisingly decent painter Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech, 1943, painted by Winston Churchill and later given to US president Franklin D Roosevelt Exhibition Winston Churchill: The Painter The Wallace Collection ★★★☆☆ Although Winston Churchill didn’t take up painting as a hobby until he was 40 years old, to distract himself following the disastrous Dardanelles campaign of 1915, he became besotted with the medium. By the time of his death aged 90, he had produced more than 500 oil paintings. A new Wallace Collection show suggests he was a more accomplished artist than critics have long insisted. Until Nov 26 (wallacecollection.org) Read Alastair Sooke’s review here ➤ Theatre Care Young Vic ★★★★★ Care is a profoundly moving, beautifully acted portrait of life and death in a nursing home for the elderly. It’s the best thing writer-director Alexander Zeldin, 41, has done, which is saying something since his previous plays comprise a damning dossier about society’s most vulnerable. Yet he emphasises the complex humanity behind the topical headline agendas; and does so magnificently here. Until July 11 (youngvic.org) Read Dominic Cavendish’s review here ➤ Film The Mandalorian and Grogu ★★☆☆☆ Disney has been trying to turn Star Wars into another Marvel-like franchise for some time. In that respect The Mandalorian and Grogu is a roaring success, insofar as it feels like a skippable new episode in a soap opera you lost interest in years ago. Unfortunately, most of this feature-length escapade for Pedro Pascal’s masked bounty hunter and his infant sidekick is hopeless. Read Robbie Collin’s review here ➤   Your say A divisive botanical beverage 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... I spent many years automatically accepting gin and tonics – before lunch, before dinner, at parties, at my grandparents’ house – before I finally asked myself: “Do I actually like this stuff?” It felt subversive, although of course it shouldn’t have. After all, if most people were offered a big glass of perfume with a wedge of lime floating around in it, they’d have no qualms about turning it down. I was pleased, anyway, to learn that Evgenia Siokos shares my aversion, and readers have been persuaded by her case against mother’s ruin, whether neat or mixed.   One replied: “I agree. G&Ts have an ugly taste, although I do drink them myself due to peer pressure. However, there are also drinks that I think are delicious that others probably find disgusting – white Russians, for example.”   Susan Dudley seemed to me to have the right idea: “I am now too old to mix my alcoholic drinks, and I also have less capacity for booze. So, sadly, it’s nothing but Champagne for me.”   The drink still has its defenders, of course. Roger Dyer wrote: “I enjoy a G&T in the summer. Here in the United States, we fill a tall glass with ice cubes, then pour in a quality gin, plus a decent tonic, Fever-Tree being my current go-to. Add a chunk of lime, and you are good to go. Also, we keep both the gin and the tonic in our fridges. When it’s in the high 30s outside and humid with it, it needs to be properly cold.”   Jimmy Christian agreed that the variety of gin is crucial: “Top choice? Bombay Sapphire export strength, plus Schweppes with a nice squeeze of lime. My father always used to swear by Gordon’s as a useful cleaning fluid. I agree with him: it’s good for that purpose only.” Are you a gin enthusiast? 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.   On this day 1897 | The Blackwall Tunnel is officially opened 2013 | Fusilier Lee Rigby is murdered near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich by two Islamic terrorists, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale 2017 | Manchester Arena suicide bombing after Ariana Grande concert kills 22 and injures 59 Birthdays: Novak Djokovic (39), Naomi Campbell (56), Morrissey (67) Plus, in the news today, which reality TV star did the Department for Education invite into its headquarters to have a conversation with Bridget Phillipson? 1. Gemma Collins 2. Joey Essex 3. Maura Higgins 4. Molly-Mae Hague   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 BANDAGING. 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 Try 4 months for 25p per month Save on an All Access Subscription with your email-exclusive offer Subscribe now

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