The fatal weakness that left Keir Starmer in thrall to Peter Mandelson Even as a lawyer, Starmer was a ditherer and a pedant, says Chris Blackhurst – and it is becoming obvious that he saw in the disgraced ambassador a natural politician he was desperate to impress

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Keir Starmer is the man who knew too little… which is one thing we can be sure of After the prime minister’s Commons statement outlining precisely what he didn’t know about Peter Mandelson’s vetting failure, is anyone really any the wiser, asks Chris Blackhurst

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This man just predicted when the UK will go to war – it’s closer than you think Despite the talks of ceasefires and the market rallying, serious calculations are going on behind the scenes assessing what really lies ahead – and it doesn’t look good, writes Chris Blackhurst

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Britain's AI script is going off the rails with a push from Trump | The National Stargate UK project being put on hold is blow to government's hopeful growth plans

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Past lessons provide route map to escape Iran war energy jolt | The National Collaborative approach to global supplies needed to see off this or any other shock

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There can be no apologising for Kanye West Melvin Benn, the Wireless Festival organiser, thought the rapper just needed to say sorry – but now he has had to pull the plug. That’s what happens when you put profit ahead of decency, says Chris Bl...

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If Starmer and Reeves were serious about growth they would tackle this issue head-on Small British businesses are desperate for a boost, but instead they are being suffocated by the crushing weight of officialdom and bureaucracy, says Chris Blackhurst

www.independent.co.uk/voices/starm...

I fear everyone will be ‘hacked off’ by the Prince Harry vs Daily Mail verdict The High Court hearing into hacking allegations has been a curious throwback to an era before Leveson, says veteran newspaper editor Chris Blackhurst

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Fretting over a safe spot for your cash? Look to the unlikely world of rock ’n’ roll As a guitar owned by David Gilmour sells for $14.5m, tripling its value in seven years, Chris Blackhurst looks at other memorabilia that could make your investment portfolio comfortably numb

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Why the UK’s housing crisis is much bigger than rising mortgage rates The Iran war risks plunging a difficult housing market into deep trouble as sales dry up and new builds are put on hold, writes Chris Blackhurst

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How Jonathan Powell became ‘the special agent without portfolio’ The man who advised Tony Blair for 12 years has become a powerful force in Keir Starmer’s government – but his ‘secret’ trip to China is his murkiest mission yet, says Chris Blackhurst

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Is North Sea oil and gas set to be Keir Starmer’s next U-turn? The PM is staring down the barrel of an oil crisis. Caught between pressure from the right and Ed Miliband shaped resistance from his left, will he flip-flop on leaving the UK’s fuel reserves in the g...

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Banks are forking out vast sums to pay Epstein’s victims. What do they have to hide? As the financial giants hand over money to women alleging that they facilitated their sexual abuse by Epstein, there is the whiff of a cover-up, writes Chris Blackhurst

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Blackouts and rationing: The Iran crisis shows us just how vulnerable the UK is This latest dilemma should prompt fresh thinking about how to rely less on other nations for energy, says Octopus founder Greg Jackson. But the answer isn’t just the North Sea: oil and gas aren’t the ...

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Trump and Starmer relationship has been exposed by Iran war differences | The National UK leader has incurred wrath of US President several times during war in region

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Jeremy King’s Simpson’s in the Strand – a vintage gem brought into the 21st century The newly refurbished, reopened Simpson’s in the Strand is an unashamed throwback, but it’s also an example to other restaurateurs of how to rekindle past glories, writes Chris Blackhurst

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/f...

These are the richest people in the world – but not all is as it seems When Forbes magazine publishes its annual list of billionaires, it won’t tell the whole story because many super-rich people choose not to disclose their wealth, explains Chris Blackhurst

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‘Weirdly rushed’ is a verdict that will haunt Keir Starmer – a PM now in big trouble The indictment from a close aide cuts to the heart of everything that is wrong with this administration. If the prime minister is so given to hurried chaos, he’s not so different from Liz Truss and Bo...

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Tom Hayes has suffered enough, his former SFO prosecutor should back off Hayes fought a long battle to clear his name, finally succeeding in the UK Supreme Court last year.

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UK faces yet another energy shock due to Iran but when will ministers act? | The National Three strikes against British gas security but no one is out to fix the problem

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What the government is failing to tell you about women in top jobs Rachel Reeves is keen to celebrate progress in getting more women onto the boards of the country’s biggest companies, writes Chris Blackhurst. But there are still precious few in charge – and that has...

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With her spring statement, Rachel Reeves showed she’s living in a parallel universe The beleaguered chancellor is not just living on an other planet but in an alternative reality, says Chris Blackhurst, one in which the war in Iran is clearly something to be reduced to a footnote

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The sunny smiles have been wiped off the faces of British expats in Dubai As Iranian missiles rain down, the go-getting young professionals and non-doms who headed to the Gulf have found themselves swapping tax shelters for bomb shelters, says Chris Blackhurst

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Iran’s ‘suicide drones’ have sent shockwaves through the global economy This time, the war has come home immediately in terrifying new ways – and the fallout for the financial markets may quickly spin out of control, says Chris Blackhurst

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Starmer must use our scientific stars to drive the economy The brightest young British scientists were recognised with awards this week – it’s time the PM and his chancellor started paying attention, writes Chris Blackhurst

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The Greens are no longer a joke – but how serious are their policies? With five MPs and a truly historic by-election result in the bag, the Green Party has come of age – so some of its wilder policies can no longer be laughed off, says Chris Blackhurst

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Trump’s ‘golden age of America’… is anyone feeling it yet? The President used his State of the Union address to big up a US economy that’s ‘roaring like never before’… so why don’t so many ordinary voters believe him, wonders Chris Blackhurst

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Lord Mandelson’s staggering fall still has the power to shock Arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office late this afternoon, the degree to which a truly towering figure in British political life has been brought low is extraordinary to those of us who...

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After the scandal of Andrew, the royals owe us transparency about their finances They have the use of 50 residences on estates totalling 250,000 acres and a life of wealth and privilege paid for by the public purse, yet much of their financial lives are shrouded in secrecy. The ti...

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