Andrew takes police to court

Tories pledge to cut £50k from cost of new homes | Commuter trains cancelled after bedbug infestation

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Monday, 5 October 2026 Issue No. 589

Good morning. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in relation to the Epstein files. Martin Evans, our Crime Editor, has the exclusive below. Elsewhere, Kemi Badenoch will unveil plans today to slash the price of a new-build home by £50,000. Her party will launch “the biggest deregulation project in a generation” to scrap net zero rules, cut grocery costs and pave the way for a third runway at Heathrow, Tony Diver, our Political Editor, reports. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. We’re giving you a whole year of The Telegraph for just £29. If you’re already a subscriber, make sure you’re logged in to read today’s stories.   In today’s edition Commuter trains cancelled after bedbug infestation — Emilia Fox: ‘I’ve learnt not to talk about my cousin Laurence’ — Plus, how to protect your property from Labour’s Budget

Try 1 year for just £29 Unlock this newsletter, plus full access to our website and app for less than £2.50 a month. Claim your offer   Andrew takes police to court over Epstein files arrest Martin Evans Crime Editor   Eight months after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office he is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police, The Telegraph can exclusively reveal. The former Duke of York has lodged a judicial review to determine whether the search warrants granted to the force were obtained lawfully. Few of us will be able to forget the image above showing the King’s younger brother looking shell-shocked as he was driven away from Aylsham police station in Norfolk after 12 hours of questioning on his 66th birthday. His arrest followed the publication of the Epstein files, which suggested the former prince may have shared sensitive information with the convicted paedophile when he was working as the UK trade envoy. He was released under investigation with no obvious end in sight. Andrew told friends he felt like he was “living in limbo”. His lawyers have now lodged a case at the High Court and have asked a judge to assess the conduct of Thames Valley Police. It is thought to be the first time a member of the Royal family has challenged the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649. This report is available only to subscribers. Continue reading ➤   Tories pledge to cut £50k from cost of new homes Tony Diver Political Editor   The Conservatives will unveil a plan to reduce the price of a new-build home by £50,000 in a bonfire of red tape. Senior Tories will use the second day of their annual conference to launch “the biggest deregulation project in a generation” to scrap net zero rules, cut grocery costs and pave the way for a third runway at Heathrow. Yesterday, in her first speech at the conference, Kemi Badenoch declared her party was “for the future” and revealed a plan modelled on Margaret Thatcher’s years in opposition to bring the Tories back to power. Today, Andrew Griffith, her shadow chancellor, will announce plans to scrap the Future Homes Standard, which requires developers to include heat pumps or other low-carbon technology in their designs from next year. He will also pledge to abolish the “Grocery Tax” – a packaging levy that has pushed up food inflation by 0.5 per cent under Labour – and simplify Britain’s tax systems, which he will say have become a “cat’s cradle of complexity”. Badenoch said she had been inspired by Thatcher to write a 90-page pamphlet on her plan to rebuild the Conservatives, modelled on a similar book published in 1976. She said her party “governed for 18 years after that, because we started with the right foundations” and pledged to “do the same again”. In the pamphlet, called The Right Way, the Tory leader criticised her more recent predecessors for their approaches to immigration, net zero and post-Brexit trade policy, by “[leaving] the European Union without the economic plan that should have gone with it”. She also warned that “little ghettos of separatist communities” risked “ruining” Britain and called for the “return of consequences” for criminals. Read the full story ➤ Telegraph View: Badenoch needs to follow The Right Approach ➤ Plus, here is what is happening today at the conference: • 9.45am: Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy secretary, sets out the Tory solution to the energy crisis • 12.15pm: Andrew Griffith, the shadow chancellor, delivers his keynote conference speech • 1.30pm: Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, is in conversation with Michael Gove, the editor of The Spectator, for a special episode of the Quite Right! podcast • 1.30pm: Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, attends a fringe event on how to end youth inactivity and tackle the unemployment crisis • 4.15pm: Senior Tories including Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, appear on a panel organised by the More in Common think tank about whether Badenoch can reverse Tory fortunes   Opinion Tim Stanley The true, decent British Right must be like Jacob Rees-Mogg, not Tucker Carlson The Tories have a unique opportunity to distinguish conservatism from nativism and discredit the barbarians in our midst Continue reading ➤     Nicole Lampert The Greens are now the most openly racist mainstream party in British history Continue reading ➤     Christopher Williams Manchester City’s disgrace proves Britain is in hock to the UAE Continue reading ➤   To make sure you don’t miss our newsletters when they land in your inbox, click here. In other news • The US has withdrawn all of its bomber jets from RAF Fairford after air force commanders received new reports of an Iran-backed plot against the base. • Andy Burnham will need to scrap VAT on private school fees if he presses ahead with plans to rejoin the EU, because it forbids levying VAT on the provision of education. • The Prime Minister also faces questions over a Manchester land deal for the UAE that led a senior council official to quit in protest. The official was allegedly instructed to write a report recommending that the council buy a property for more than he thought it was worth. • Bedbugs have infested trains across the South of England, The Telegraph can reveal. Trains run by Southeastern have been removed from schedules after staff discovered the bugs inside carriages. • Protesters gathered in Hampshire last night as more than 100 migrants arrived in Gosport after crossing the Channel from Normandy in a dinghy. • Finally, Olivia Colman has made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week, where she walked Miu Miu’s royal purple catwalk alongside her The Crown co-star Emma Corrin.   Your essential reads Flydubai hijacker avoided vetting at British university through loophole The attempted hijacking of an Israel-bound flight last week sent shockwaves across the Middle East but has also raised questions much closer to home. It is understood that Hamam al-Hammami, 29, who is accused of using an axe to try to hijack the Flydubai Boeing 737 Max, was not subjected to Foreign Office vetting before studying aviation online with a British university, because the scheme did not apply to students taking part in courses remotely. For subscribers only ➤   Ben Ainslie and Christian Horner: ‘We are joining forces to build a new America’s Cup’ Christian Horner was not in Malaysia this weekend for the Formula One race, writes Tom Cary. The ex-Red Bull team boss is still making waves outside the paddock, though. He has replaced his old nemesis Toto Wolff as an adviser to Sir Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup team. I sat down with Ainslie and Horner in Naples to discuss yachts, superyachts and what sailing can learn from F1. Continue reading ➤   Fox has played the role of Dr Nikki Alexander in Silent Witness since 2004 Emilia Fox: ‘I’ve learnt not to talk about my cousin Laurence’ For more than 20 years, Emilia Fox has been one of television’s most familiar faces. The Silent Witness star remains guarded, however, about life beyond the screen, not least when it comes to her controversial cousin, Laurence. She talks to Ed Cumming about growing up in an acting dynasty, her parents’ advancing years and why she has no intention of leaving behind Dr Nikki Alexander. Continue reading ➤   The failing substation that explains Britain’s power crisis Britain’s wind farms are multiplying, but the cables needed to carry the electricity they generate are not. The result is a £1.9bn-a-year bill for consumers, as turbine operators are paid to switch them off while gas plants fire up elsewhere. At the heart of the fiasco lies an unassuming substation near Carlisle. Jonathan Leake investigates how Britain built a renewable energy boom without the grid required to make it work. Continue reading ➤   Seize the day Baroness Morrissey: ‘I feel more stylish and confident at 60 than at 25’ After a few wobbles, Baroness Morrissey has found direction in her style once again, buoyed by a “plural” career balancing non-executive board roles with grandmother duties. Dressing up and experimenting with clothes is a joy, perhaps more so now than when she needed clothes to deliver the confidence she lacked. Read on for her seven tips for feeling more fabulous than ever. Continue reading ➤   Money Clinic Your property wealth is in Labour’s sights – here’s how to protect it Every Monday between now and the Budget, this newsletter will bring you useful guides to ensure you are financially fit for the announcement. Maya Wilson Autzen Senior Money Writer   Britain’s homeowners have already endured a bruising run of tax rises. They may soon discover that Labour is only getting started. Andy Burnham has argued that both land and wealth are under-taxed, while John Healey, the Chancellor, needs to find another £10bn to balance the books, leaving property owners braced for a fresh raid at the Budget. Among the possibilities is an expansion of the so-called “mansion tax”. Lowering its £2m threshold to £1.5m would pull another 137,000 homes into the net, including unremarkable family terraces in parts of London and the South East. Landlords and investors have reason to worry, too. Burnham has floated aligning capital gains tax with income tax, potentially pushing the top rate on gains from 24 to 45 per cent. Holiday-let owners could face another crackdown, while previously announced increases to tax on rental income arrive in April. Doing nothing could prove expensive. Our guide explains the threats facing property owners, and the steps they can take now to soften the blow. Continue reading ➤   CAPTION COMPETITION WITH... Matt Pritchett Cartoonist   Hello! We’re back this week with a cartoon of a man and his publisher. Best of luck to all of you. Submit your caption here ➤ P.S. For an inside look at what inspires my weekly cartoons, you can sign up for my personal newsletter here. Catch up on the latest edition here.   Your say Memories of Harpenden In last week’s Pride of Place column, Camilla Tominey rolled back the years with her memories of Harpenden, her hometown. Today, she’s standing in for Orlando Bird to pull out the best of your responses. Camilla writes... My sincere thanks to all who responded to my recent article on Harpenden. The overwhelming feedback from locals – past and present – made for a wonderful read.   Geraldine Palmer’s brother sold ice cream in a van run by my grandfather’s company, Tominey’s City Ices, on Harpenden Common. She said the Tominey name was well known in the local area. A Flake 99 was also enjoyed by Malcolm Dunn, who grew up there (albeit on the wrong side of the road!) Geraldine recalled how Eric Morecambe, who was one of my GP father’s patients, was the town’s resident celebrity.   Julia Fisher-Robins shared that her grandfather, Legh Atherton Fisher, was a parish priest in Harpenden having moved from Higham on the Hill. She remembered Harpenden’s lovely allotments and how accessible the footpaths were. Many readers commented on the town’s beautiful vista.   Karolyne Kerswell flagged the Harpenden farmers’ festival, which takes place once a month. I must pay it a visit myself.   In the 1980s, Mark lived on Ox Lane, which was very close to my father’s two GP surgeries (first Davenport House, then Thompson’s Close). He recalled the “quick and easy” Thameslink service to Farringdon, although I doubt he’d like today’s prices!   Quite a few readers mentioned the Waitrose where I worked. It has now been somewhat usurped by an M&S Simply Food, proving, beyond all reasonable doubt that the leafy Hertfordshire town remains about as middle class as it gets. Let me know if any more memories spring to mind here. 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 1916 | Adolf Hitler is wounded in the left thigh by an exploding shell during the Battle of the Somme 1969 | Monty Python’s Flying Circus premieres on BBC One 1988 | Chile votes against extending Augusto Pinochet’s regime by eight years, ending the dictator’s 16-and-a-half years in power 2014 | French F1 driver Jules Bianchi collides with a recovery vehicle during the Japanese Grand Prix and dies nine months later (see our sports pages the following day below) Birthdays: Travis Kelce (37), Kate Winslet (51), Bob Geldof (75) Plus, in the news this week, Gillian Anderson asked superfans at the stage door to stop repeatedly watching her play from the front row because it was “so distracting”. What production is she starring in? 1. A Streetcar Named Desire 2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 3. Inter Alia 4. Les Liaisons Dangereuses 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 HEADLIGHT. 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 I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback at fromtheeditor@telegraph.co.uk. Try 1 year for just £29 Unlock this newsletter, plus full access to our website and app for less than £2.50 a month. Claim your offer

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