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Andy Burnham was appointed as Labour leader yesterday |
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Allister Heath Editor of The Sunday Telegraph |
Was that it, then? The great reveal, the sum total of Andy Burnham’s plan for a more hopeful Britain?
A paean to Neil Kinnock, of all people, the failed socialist Labour leader turned Eurocrat extraordinaire?
An almost dementedly egotistical claim that his own coronation, and the death warrant to “neoliberalism” it supposedly entails, heralds “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years” – apparently more momentous even than the supply-side revolution, Big Bang, Blairism, 9/11, devolution, the rise of the Blob, the financial crisis, the expenses scandal, Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of populism?
If that might be dismissed as just a little presumptuous, what about our incoming prime minister’s explicit repudiation of the 1980s, and thus of the consumerism, individual liberation, social mobility, mass home and asset ownership and economic boom that followed – even though Burnham himself was one of its many beneficiaries?
Was this speech for real? Is our incoming prime minister serious? Does he know any history, any economics, any psephology?
Does he really believe that his supposed charm – and the fact that he isn’t Sir Keir Starmer – is enough to overcome these striking lacunae?
Does he really assume that his by-election victory in Makerfield means that the British public wants to turn back the clock to the 1970s, a period that most don’t even remember, a disastrous, bankrupt, impoverished, litter-strewn, strike-ridden decade that turned Britain into the world’s laughing stock and came to symbolise our declinism?
Who did he ask? I can’t remember an election, or a referendum on the subject.
Even given the low bar set by recent prime ministers, this was a shockingly poor speech from our prime minister-designate, a farrago of nonsense, historical revisionism, blatant contradictions, economic illiteracy and character assassination.
This column is available only to subscribers.
Continue reading ➤
Who is the real Andy Burnham? ➤
What Burnham’s policies could mean for your money, from property tax to inheritance ➤
Starmer was the PM who had no idea what to do with his landslide ➤
Sign up to Frontbencher to receive essential analysis from Allister every Saturday ➤ |
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Ben Ross Head of Travel |
Following the success of last year’s 500 Best Pubs in England, Telegraph Travel has expanded its horizons for 2026 with a new guide that includes dozens of new entries for England, plus 75 in Scotland, 50 in Wales and 25 in Northern Ireland.
Every one of the 650 listed establishments has been tried and tested by a panel of six experts, all of whom have very strong opinions about what makes a great pub. Atmosphere, of course; fixtures and fittings that engender warmth, happiness and cosiness; good beer, particularly cask ale; and a sense of place.
The Anchor Tap in Horsham |
As our Welsh pub expert David Atkinson says: “Nothing encapsulates the warm, Welsh welcome like a pub. The cosy atmosphere, the easy conversation and a cracking pint of local ale. Revisiting some of my favourite pubs for this guide has also confirmed how far things have come: the rise of craft-ale microbreweries and community-owned pubs amongst others.”
Our experts have visited all four corners of Britain and every pub on our list. This is not their final verdict. They will be keeping a close eye on their selections, making sure they deserve to remain in future editions of our guide.
We’d love to hear your opinions too.
Find your local ➤ |
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Camilla Tominey I cannot be alone in feeling utterly down in the dumps about the quality of Britain’s leaders Continue reading ➤
Charles Moore Unlike Starmer, Burnham claims to have a vision. The problem is it’s from the 1970s Continue reading ➤
Rowan Pelling This is the most beautiful word in the English language Continue reading ➤ |
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Nirav Modi became the most wanted man in India in 2018 after being accused of committing the largest fraud in the country’s history |
When Nirav Modi, the Indian diamond billionaire, was arrested in London in 2019 following an investigation by The Telegraph, writes Mick Brown, it seemed to be the end of the line for the man known as “the Diamond King”. A year earlier, Modi had fled India after allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank of £1.3bn, one of the largest frauds in history. Now, The Telegraph can tell the full, extraordinary story behind Modi’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall, and how the British courts have failed in their attempts to send him back to India to face justice.
For subscribers only ➤
Listen to the first two episodes of The Diamond King podcast ➤ |
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Philip North: ‘We’ve been forced to take a binary position, and whatever binary position we take, one side celebrates and the other feels bitterly betrayed’ |
On the streets of Lancashire, the Middle East conflict looms large. The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Philip North, warns that a “tiny, beleaguered” local Jewish community is close to feeling welcome in Britain no longer. He fears the General Synod’s decision to hear an inflammatory document describing Israel as a “colonial enterprise” has betrayed British Jews, fuelling a rising tide of anti-Semitism. Continue reading ➤ |
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Matt Damon plays Odysseus in The Odyssey |
Compressing 24 books of Homeric epic is no mean feat. So who can blame Sir Christopher Nolan for allowing himself some creative licence with The Odyssey? From the Cyclops’s “joke” to Odysseus’s happy (if violent) ending, Tim Robey explains what the director has changed, and why.
Continue reading ➤
Read Robbie Collin’s five star review ➤ |
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Lindsey Harrad from Somerset converted her garage into a small self-contained apartment |
The tiny holiday let business is booming, writes Lindsey Harrad, as people ditch arduous trips abroad for solo holidays and staycations in shepherd huts, sheds and converted outhouses. I first listed my converted garage on Airbnb last summer, and it has been busy ever since. Now, I hope to use the healthy income to clear my mortgage early. Continue reading ➤ |
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This week, Simon Calder dials in from Patmos to reveal the best ways to explore the Greek islands, and, after a hectic 48 hours in Dubai, Greg Dickinson shares his findings as geopolitical tensions ramp up in the Gulf. Plus: why has Heathrow lost its crown as Europe’s busiest airport to Istanbul’s megahub?
Continue reading ➤
Sign up to Travel with Simon Calder for weekly inspiration and advice ➤ Here is another article that I hope you’ll find helpful this morning:
- Stamp duty can add thousands of pounds to a property purchase. Avoid the hassle by following our guide to reducing, or skipping, the bill.
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Do you have plans for this weekend? Whether you’re staying in or going out, we’ve got you covered. Every week, Diana Henry, The Telegraph’s award-winning cookery writer, brings you three recipes for a perfect weekend meal. Meanwhile, William Sitwell shares his view from the culinary world – and a recommendation or two.
If you’re staying in...
Cumin-roast aubergines with dates and chickpeas |
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Diana Henry Food writer |
A long time ago, I started to make vegetable dishes that weren’t just served on the side but were cooked for their own sake, their own deliciousness and their own purpose. There have been a lot of barbecues recently and I need a rest from gnawing at meat, so it’s a weekend of greens in my house. I could write a book about vegetable dishes – I have so many in my repertoire – so it was hard to make selections. Aubergines are rightly considered to be steak-like – melting in texture and full of umami – so if you live with people who need meat at every meal, serve them cumin-roast aubergines with dates and chickpeas.
Burrata with roast peppers, raw fennel, capers, anchovies and herbs |
This is a treat dish, the silky cheese melting over the peppers and fennel, with lots of contrasts, especially salty and creamy. It’s a good summery lunch or supper. Even meat eaters are happy with this burrata with roast pepper, raw fennel, capers, anchovies and herbs.
Rajas con crema and black beans |
This is a packed dish – layer upon layer of flavour – and should please everyone in your house as they have the option of adding chorizo or bacon. “Rajas” are cooked vegetables cut into strips and are often paired with “crema”, a Mexican dairy product, but you can use crème fraîche or sour cream instead. Rajas con crema and black beans is great for a summery Sunday night supper, deep and satisfying. You definitely won’t leave the table craving meat as the black beans are pretty hefty.
Find me here every Saturday and in my Recipes newsletter, which you can sign up to here.
If you’re eating out, be careful when making a complaint. William Sitwell’s column this week might make you think twice before leaving a scathing review.
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William Sitwell |
He’s the new hero of hospitality, the Cypriot restaurateur of Ashby de la Zouch, who has bitten back at an amateur restaurant critic. As I write in this week’s instalment of Sitwell’s Restaurant (recounting the tales and traumas of the critic who opened his own place), Pejman Zamani decided he would not take one particularly adverse review on the chin. “Over salty, dry,” moaned the guests on Google, “the pizza was disappointing, we left most of it.”
“Oh no you friggin’ didn’t,” exploded the Cypriot, posting a photo from his CCTV showing a happy family, giving a thumbs up to a server. He also revealed that they asked for the pizza to be boxed so they could take it home.
Bravo, Zamani. Because I, too have CCTV, and very clean and clear the motion pictures are. So if you’re thinking of dining at my gaff, telling my staff all is tickety-boo and then, in the safe confines of your home, slagging us off on the internet – think again. I’ve got the footage to prove it…
Read William’s full column ➤ |
WordplayEvery 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...
In Tuesday’s edition of this newsletter, discussing the most fine-worthy phrases to have entered day-to-day conversation in recent years, I concluded with an appeal from Ali Williams: given that the word “awesome” has been overused to the point of meaninglessness, what’s the best way to describe something that truly merits it?
By midday, my inbox was audibly creaking under the weight of replies. “I suggest ‘breathtaking’ or ‘magnificent’,” wrote Kathy Wootton.
Another reader concurred: “Awesome has been a lazy-person adjective for far too long, only surpassed by ‘iconic’. My humble offerings to describe a wonderful experience or sight would be ‘majestic’, ‘phenomenal’ or simply ‘idyllic’.”
A further suggestion was “‘awe-inspiring’, as it shifts the object from passive possessor of a trait (boring) to active giver of a feeling”.
I also enjoyed this, from Shannon Carr: “How about Dan Maskell’s ‘Oh, I say’ when an exceptional tennis shot was played. Covers it all, I feel.”
Horticultural concerns have also loomed large this week. Namely, where have all the runner beans gone? Readers have reported abundant flowers, but relatively little edible produce.
“It’s probably the temperature,” replied one. “I know that in the southern states of the US, they grow runner beans just for the flowers, as they produce insignificant numbers of beans. I’ve given up trying to grow them anyway, as they always get eaten by the local deer.”
Amy Gray, meanwhile, described her family’s gardening strategy in times of heat and hosepipe bans: “The evening bathwater does three of us, and we leave it in overnight to absorb some of the heat in the house. In the morning, we use the watering can and assorted other jugs to carry the water downstairs and pour it on to the trees and roses, which seem to need the most help. So far, the slightly soapy water seems to be doing them a lot of good.” That’s all from me for this week, folks. I’ll be back on Monday to bring you the best Telegraph talking points. In the meantime, you can contact me here. |
Andrew Baker’s Saturday quiz |
Have you been paying attention to our newsletters this week?
1. Emily Wilson, translator of Homer’s Odyssey, has a tattoo of what animal to represent the character of Odysseus?
2. One-hundred-nine years ago this week, King George V changed the surname of the Royal family to Windsor. What had it been previously?
3. What is the name of Andy Burnham’s wife?
4. To control her cholesterol, Liz Hoggard, our writer, ate nothing but what?
5. What is the name of the Army’s new armoured vehicle, road-tested by our man Hamish de Bretton-Gordon?
Plus, can you tackle The 1% Club? Scroll down to see if you got the questions right – and play for free on our website and app.
P.S. Yesterday’s Mini Panagram was PADDLED. You can play today’s Panagram here. |
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1925 | Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
1953 | Elvis Presley pays $3.98 to make his first demo at Sun Studio in Memphis
2018 | Sir Cliff Richard wins privacy case against the BBC on the same day Elon Musk apologises for calling a British diver in a Thai cave rescue “pedo guy” (you can see how we covered both stories in the following day’s paper below)
Birthdays: Kristen Bell (46), Nick Faldo (69), Sir Richard Branson (76)
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Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. Please send me your thoughts on this newsletter. You can email me at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. |
Quiz answers:
- Octopus
- Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- Marie-France van Heel
- Porridge
- Boxer
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1% Club answers:
- B: Red circle in green square
- £3.00
- Romania
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