‘This is the kind of moment that can define or destroy a leader – but leadership is not about hiding from the storm, it is about facing it and the PM has shown accountability’
Chaos must not prevail
Make no mistake, Sir Keir Starmer is in the furnace – the kind of moment that can define or destroy a leader.
But in the heat of this row, he is showing he will not buckle. The evidence from Olly Robbins on the vetting of Peter Mandelson made for uncomfortable listening.
Yet it also exposed the reality of government: competing pressures and imperfect information colliding behind closed doors. There are serious questions to answer.
If the risks around Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador “did not relate to Epstein”, then what were they? And claims of an “atmosphere of pressure”, including those linked to Morgan McSweeney, must be fully explained.
But leadership is not about hiding from the storm; it is about facing it. Mr Starmer has walked a fine line between defending the civil service while acknowledging an error of judgment.
That is accountability. With a review underway and ministers conceding more should have been shared, the task is clear: restore trust and do it quickly. Critics, even within the Labour Party, will now circle, but calm authority, not chaos, must prevail.
War risk remains real
Donald Trump’s claims of an Iranian war victory ring hollow when the facts tell a different story.
Fresh intelligence suggests Tehran retains the bulk of its missile capability – around 70 per cent of its ballistic arsenal, alongside significant launcher and drone strength.
That is not a defeated enemy. It is a regime still capable of protracted conflict. Warnings that Iran could deploy Houthi forces to disrupt key shipping routes only deepen the concern.
The risk of escalation remains real, and the consequences would stretch far beyond the region. Bluster and boasts do not win wars. Nor do they bring stability.
What is needed now is diplomacy and a clear view of reality, not inflated claims that risk fuelling further confrontation in an already volatile world.
Cigarettes stubbed out
Children aged 17 or younger will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes – a bold, overdue strike against Big Tobacco.
A smoke-free generation is within reach. Ministers must now hold their nerve, resist industry pressure and ensure real support for smokers trying to quit. Prevention, not profit, must come first.
