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I lost my job due to Al Fayed

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I lost my job due to Al Fayed

A long-serving former Harrods executive has claimed that his offer to become boss of the department store chain Fenwick was withdrawn because of his time working under Mohamed Al Fayed.

Al Fayed, who owned the luxury London store for more than two decades, has been accused of sexual assault or rape by more than 20 women following a BBC investigation.

Niegel Blow, who worked for 14 years at Al Fayed’s companies, said he “never heard about or witnessed” grooming, sexual assaults or rape.

He said he had been deemed “guilty by association” by Fenwick. Fenwick declined to comment.

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“I worked at Harrods in senior roles from 2002 to 2007. I can confirm that, during my time at the business, I never heard about or witnessed any such behaviour by Mr Al Fayed.”

“I believe Fenwick’s action is unjustified, unfair and in breach of contract,” Mr Blow told the BBC.

Mr Blow also criticised the BBC over its reporting of executives who had worked with Al Fayed.

“It would appear that the BBC team is prepared to tarnish or ruin the reputation of every senior person who worked at Harrods during Mr Al Fayed’s ownership, under the serious and damaging misapprehension that of course they must have known.”

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A BBC spokesperson said: “We stand fully behind our journalist and our journalism. This story, which was fully in the public interest, was produced in line with the BBC’s editorial standards, including contacting Mr Blow before publication.”

On Tuesday, Fenwick told the BBC that Nigel Blow had said he would no longer be taking up the position as their chief executive later this month.

No reason for the decision was given.

Mr Blow’s statement on Friday said that the Fenwick chair Sian Westerman told him it was not able to proceed with the employment “in order to safeguard the reputation of the Fenwick business.”

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Fenwick declined to comment on this claim. The retailer, which is best known for its 140-year-old store in Newcastle, has eight stores around the UK.

Mr Blow joined Harrods in 1992.

There were several reports of Al Fayed’s alleged abuse of women in the following years including a profile in Vanity Fair alleging sexual misconduct against staff, an ITV documentary and a book detailing alleged sexual assaults.

Mr Blow said that Harrods staff had their offices, phones and cars bugged, and at one point he was followed by the Harrods security team.

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“On multiple occasions I saw transcripts of my own telephone calls on Mr Al Fayed’s desk. Such behaviour prompted me to seek alternative employment from 2006,” he said.

In 1997 the Observer published detailed allegations of bugging of Harrods executives and staff carried out on Al Fayed’s orders – and the ITV documentary played excerpts from the tapes.

Mr Blow is currently chief executive of the department store chain Morley’s, based in Wimbledon, though he resigned the position to take up the new job.

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Riding two horses — they manage it in the circus

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David McWilliams likens the Irish economy to a jockey riding two horses (“Ireland may no longer be able to ride two horses”, Opinion, September 14).

I would invoke a slightly different metaphor — if you cannot ride two horses you shouldn’t be in the circus.

Brendan McGrath
Dublin, Ireland

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Five ways to save on postage as price of first-class stamps rise

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Five ways to save on postage as price of first-class stamps rise

WITH the price of a first-class stamp hitting £1.65 on Monday, sending a letter or card will cost a packet.

The hike means it’s important to find other ways to save on postage.
So follow these tips to the letter . . . 

The price of first-class stamps is set to rise, so get ahead with our top tips

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The price of first-class stamps is set to rise, so get ahead with our top tipsCredit: Getty

STAMP IT OUT: Beat Monday’s 30p rise on first-class stamps by bulk-buying today.

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As long as the stamp doesn’t have a price on it, and just says the postage class, it will still be valid after the hike.

Buy from a post office or reputable retailer to avoid fakes.

SEND SECOND CLASS: The price of second-class stamps is staying at 85p.

It should take two to three days for a second-class letter to be delivered, compared with one day for first class.

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So, by being a bit more organised, you can save 80p on sending each letter.

BOX CLEVER: If you have an item weighing more than 1kg, a parcel courier website, such as Parcel2Go or ParcelHero, might end up being cheaper than Royal Mail.

E-CARDS: You can send all the sentiment without any of the cost of a stamp with a free e-card.

Lots of companies do this. Check out friendsoftheearth.uk/take-action where you can send a card to a whole group of people, and it’s up to you if you want to make a donation, too.

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I’m a coupon king and I’ve found the cheapest Quality Streets this Christmas

There is also a good selection at worldwildlife.org.

PACK IT IN: Use the right packaging as postage costs are determined on size and weight. Pack things as small as possible, making the packaging as thin as you can.

Envelopes and plastic mailing bags are the cheapest — so if you can fit gifts you want to send to a friend into a bag, it could cost less to send.

  • All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

Snap up a box to store your outdoor cushions and blankets, at a discount price

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Snap up a box to store your outdoor cushions and blankets, at a discount priceCredit: Supplied

STASH your outdoor cushions and blankets in a 270-litre Keter box, down from £45 to £30 at Argos.

SAVE: £15

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Superdrug is offering eye make-up at a 20 per cent discount

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Superdrug is offering eye make-up at a 20 per cent discountCredit: Supplied

SAVE 20 per cent on selected eye make-up at Superdrug, with the Morphe 2 Ready In 5 eyeshadow palette down from £7 to £5.60.

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SAVE: £1.40

What’s new

Tom Kerridge's three-course meal set at M&S is available now

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Tom Kerridge’s three-course meal set at M&S is available nowCredit: Supplied

ENJOY beef bourguignon and molten cookie dough from the new Gastropub deal at M&S, with dishes by chef Tom Kerridge.

For £15, get a main, a side, and a dessert or starter.

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Graham & Green are selling a luxury draught excluder for £39.95

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Graham & Green are selling a luxury draught excluder for £39.95Credit: Supplied
Dunelm's are selling their own version for just £16

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Dunelm’s are selling their own version for just £16Credit: Supplied

BLOCK breezes with the luxury velvet draught excluder, above, £39.95 from Graham & Green.

Or stay warm with Dunelm’s version, for £16. Both available in a range of colours.

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Little helper

Give your bedroom a new look with a furniture set from The Range

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Give your bedroom a new look with a furniture set from The RangeCredit: Supplied

KIT out a bedroom with a Lexington bedside table, four-drawer chest and two-door wardrobe for £210 at The Range. Items can be bought individually.

Shop & Save

Tesco Clubcard holders can land Hovis' new loaf at a discount

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Tesco Clubcard holders can land Hovis’ new loaf at a discountCredit: Supplied

GET bready to try the new 800g farmhouse batch loaf from Hovis, down from £1.65 to £1 for Tesco Clubcard holders.

SAVE: 65p

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A sandwich cake tin is down from £2 to £1.50 at Morrisons as part of its baking sale.

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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle

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Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle

JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle.

Every month we’re giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers – whether you’re saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered.

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Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.

The more codes you enter, the more tickets you’ll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!

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Business

Rauschenberg and Bell Labs had meeting of minds

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It was great to see the extent of the connections between arts and science described in Peter Aspden’s piece “The Two Cultures illuminated” (Visual Arts, Life & Arts, September 28).

The piece rightly starts with CP Snow’s famous 1959 Rede Lecture at Cambridge, “The Two Cultures”. This posited a split between the worlds of science and the humanities in the British educational system, which, in Snow’s view, had overemphasised the humanities (especially Latin and Greek) at the expense of scientific and engineering education.

It is important to note, as Aspden correctly points out, that “the humanities” in Snow’s piece refers to writing and makes no reference to other forms of art. Also important to note is that the two-cultures battle — advocating unity or split — has a long history. Snow was a latecomer to the discussion. In fact, this split was at the very core of the founding of several universities.

There is another framing, a more positive one. This was the hugely successful collaboration between art and science, which took place in October 1966, in the enormous space of the 69th Regiment Armory building in New York.

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The 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering performance brought together 10 artists (led by Robert Rauschenberg) and 30 engineers (led by Billy Klüver from Bell Labs) to create avant-garde theatre and dance.

The two teams worked for 10 months to develop technical equipment and systems that were used as an integral part of the artists’ performances. Their collaboration produced many firsts. These included the use of closed-circuit television and television projection on stage; a fibre-optics camera that showed the audience objects in a performer’s pocket; an infrared television camera that was able to record action in total darkness; a Doppler sonar device that translated movements into sound while wireless FM transmitters and amplifiers allowed speech; and a system where body sounds could be broadcast through loudspeakers.

This was a meeting of minds that went to the root of what makes for a meaningful art-science connection — first understand how the other side thinks. Process is more important than outcome. In art-science discussions we tend to focus on outcomes; finished pieces of art and what can be placed in an exhibit, rather than the thinking that went into them.

Where are today’s Bell Labs? One must wonder what other company would give 30 engineers leave of absence for a year to purse this kind
of activity.

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Professor Julio M Ottino
McCormick School of Engineering, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, US

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I tasted all the TikTok meme wines like ‘brat’ favourite La Vieille Ferme and Jam Shed – the best was also the cheapest

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I tasted all the TikTok meme wines like 'brat' favourite La Vieille Ferme and Jam Shed - the best was also the cheapest

FORGET glugging glasses of house white – when it comes to plonk, the latest craze is all about posing with poultry.

Nicknamed “The Chicken Wine” online owing to its bird-themed branding, the £8 French tipple La Vieille Ferme has become the latest cult bottle for Gen Z boozers.

Quirky TikTok meme wines are taking off - and some have substance along with the style

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Quirky TikTok meme wines are taking off – and some have substance along with the styleCredit:

The clucking great pink has gone down a storm on social media, with celebrity fans including singer Charli XCX, who declared it the official “Brat” booze.

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And it’s not the only quirky vino to go viral.

Here, drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives her verdict on the latest social media all-stars, giving each a score out of five.

La Vieille Ferme Rosé aka Chicken Wine

  • £8.50 (now £7), Sainsbury’s
  • 4/5
This French pink plonk with the chicken on the label has now even spawned imitations

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This French pink plonk with the chicken on the label has now even spawned imitationsCredit: La Vieille Ferme

THIS famous, fowl-themed French pink plonk with the chicken on the label is now so popular on TikTok that discounter Aldi has brought out its own not-so-subtle tribute bottle (Le Petit Poulet, £6.49).

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The original poultry plonk, though, is still perfectly judged for the more premium price tag, with its cool notes of citrus and strawberry.

Silky and supple, it slips down far too easily, as Generation Z have discovered for themselves.

If you really can’t get enough of the rooster it’s also available by the box for £15.50 (where it’s even better value).

Chelsea legend Gullit becomes ‘instant meme’ as video of him staring at wine drinker who shakes waiter’s hand goes viral
It’s suggested that you mix this with lemonade, oranges and strawberries

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It’s suggested that you mix this with lemonade, oranges and strawberriesCredit: Joy

Joy Juicy Red Wine

HAT’S off to Joy for knowing exactly who they’re aiming at with their vibrant-looking, simple sippers.

And this is another bottle with real eye-catching looks and colour that has led to it going viral. Gone are grape varieties and countries of origin.

Instead, we have analogies for cosy jumpers, juicy berries  and mischievous elves.

The wine in the bottle mirrors the styling: very simple and sweet.

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It’s suggested that you mix this with lemonade, oranges and strawberries for a wine-themed cocktail.

Perfect for first-time drinkers but vino aficionados should swerve.

Specially Selected Rosorange Rosé

A hybrid-style ­bottle which is half French rosé and half orange wine

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A hybrid-style ­bottle which is half French rosé and half orange wineCredit: Aldi

COMBINING two vino trends was always going to be a risk but, with this, it has paid off in spades.

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And not only has it gone down a storm on social media but even the wine pros like it.

A hybrid-style ­bottle, which is half French rosé and half orange wine, it has the moreish texture and bergamot notes of the latter with the ripe strawberry fruit of the former.

The resulting tangerine colour will look great in your glass and on your feeds but it’s also a fine one to sip.

Not just a novelty bottle, this is a great intro to orange wine and I think it’s well worth the premium price tag.

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Jam Shed Shiraz Red Wine

The Jam Shed branding is eye-catching, which is why it’s become a trendy sipper

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The Jam Shed branding is eye-catching, which is why it’s become a trendy sipperCredit: Tesco

AS far as wine names go, this vino does exactly what it says on the label.

Very sweet and jammy, with a slick of vanilla wood that’s a bit rough around the edges – a bit like licking a new shed (or at least that’s how I imagine that would be!).

Still, the branding is eye-catching, which is why it’s become a trendy sipper and I suppose if you really, really love strawberry jam, then chances are that you might like this too.

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In the real world and off the grid this vino is possibly a bit of a one-glass wonder for most people, though.

Ca’ Del Lago Rosato IGT Trevenezie

This soft, rose-tinted tipple will appeal to everyone with its pear and white peach flavours

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This soft, rose-tinted tipple will appeal to everyone with its pear and white peach flavoursCredit: Lidl

ANOTHER vino to go viral and I’m not sure Lidl actually knows just how good this wine is for the price.

It’s a seemingly accidental dupe of a much more famous rosé produced around the corner in Lugana, near the Italian home of George Clooney, called Cà dei Frati Rosa dei Frati, which sells for around £25 a bottle.

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Delightfully different, this soft, rose-tinted tipple will appeal to everyone with its pear and white peach flavours and a slick of saline.

Definitely a trending wine to take note of and taste for yourself.
A proper lesser-known gem.

19 Crimes Red Wine

19 Crimes is big and unsubtle, which is why it packs a punch

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19 Crimes is big and unsubtle, which is why it packs a punchCredit: Morrisons

FOR a drink that’s been talked about in leading wine circles as “19 Crimes against winemaking”, as a hugely ­commercial tipple this is actually not too bad.

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If you’re after a powerhouse vino with lots of very sweet, ripe fruit and ­flavours of caramel and vanilla, there’s no ignoring this ­Australian red.

Best with grilled meat or cheese to smooth it out, it’s big and unsubtle, which is why it packs a punch with its branding and has been a hit online – but in many ways that’s all part of its charm.

Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé

A little more expensive than others, this tipple is rising in popularity

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A little more expensive than others, this tipple is rising in popularityCredit: Sainsbury’s

IT’S been around for a long time but unlike another, ahem, “softly spoken divine wine”, Brad Pitt’s French pink Miraval has not lost any of its quality punch over the years.

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And still huge on TikTok, it shows no sign of losing its popularity on social media either. In fact, dare I say it, over time it’s actually got better.

A beautiful bottle inside and out, this lean and quietly confident pink sipper put celeb rosé on the map – and the rest have been playing catch-up.

It’s not the cheapest cult tipple but for what you get when it’s on offer it’s very well priced.

M&S Classics Malbec

One for pouring, sipping and savouring with your sizzling Friday night steak

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One for pouring, sipping and savouring with your sizzling Friday night steakCredit: M&S

A VERY recent addition to the online trending wine list is this great-value Malbec from M&S which influencers and grid gluggers have been quick to pay attention to.

As the label suggests, this is a classic example of the grape from Argentina: ripe and smooth with notes of mocha, vanilla, blueberry and blackberry.

Not too sweet and with just enough grip, it would be impressive at twice the price.

One for pouring, sipping and savouring with your sizzling Friday night steak.

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Travel

Tiny island in the UK with unspoiled beaches and just one hotel overlooking the sea

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Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands and the best way to get there is by boat

A TINY island off the coast of Guernsey, just a mile-and-a-half-long and less than half-a-mile-wide, is open to visitors all year round.

Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands open to the public and offers a relaxing holiday for families and people wanting to get away from it all.

Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands and the best way to get there is by boat

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Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands and the best way to get there is by boatCredit: Alamy
Shell Beach is named for the millions of tiny shells that wash up on the shore

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Shell Beach is named for the millions of tiny shells that wash up on the shoreCredit: Alamy

It has beautiful beaches that many describe as feeling tropical in the summer, views of the French coast, plenty of activities, and it doesn’t seem to get crowded.

And the island is car-free to reduce its carbon footprint and to preserve its protected coastline, also adding to its relaxed atmosphere.

Lots of history follows Herm – there are records of people visiting Herm in the Mesolithic period, which began around 10,000 BC.

In the Neolithic and Bronze ages, settlers arrived and left behind tombs that can still be seen today.

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Read more on tiny islands

These days, the island is home to a population of around 65 people and welcomes visitors who want to discover all it has to offer.

There are several beaches, its most famous one being Shell Beach.

Named for the millions of tiny shells that wash up on the shore, the beach has soft white sand, turquoise water, views of Guernsey, and a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, and most importantly, ice creams.

Belvoir Bay is another popular beach in a secluded location on the east coast.

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World’s loneliest island 1,400 miles away from people has a dark past

Fisherman’s Beach is famous for its rock pools, and Hotel Beach is a quiet beach near the White House Hotel with a harbour wall that provides a natural windbreak.

The White House Hotel is a 4* country house-style hotel nestled on the clifftop and is the only hotel on the island.

It boats spectacular views of the sea, has a two-rosette Conservatory Restaurant serving local produce and with a daily changing specials menu, a cosy lounge bar, outdoor pool and tennis courts.

And the rooms come TV, clock and telephone-free, adding to the island’s remote getaway-feel.

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Prices to stay start at £155 per night for two people, including breakfast.

If you don’t fancy a hotel stay, holiday cottages are also available, and camping if you want a truly wild experience.

There’s also one pub on the island, The Mermaid Tavern, serving pub classics, including hearty meals by the fire. 

Drinks wise, there are a selection of beers and offer, including Liberation Herm Island Gold.

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When it comes to activities on the island, Outdoor Guernsey runs a variety, including archery, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding at Shell Beach, and seal spotting.

The only way to arrive to Herm Island is by boat – either by Travel Trident passenger ferry from Guernsey, or aboard a private vessel.

If you’re travelling from further afield you need to get to Guernsey first, which you can do by air or by sea.

I visited the island of Herm – an island I’d never heard of

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The Sun’s Head of Travel Caroline McGuire visited Herm and particularly enjoyed its stress-free walks.

“You’re going where?” was the baffled reaction from several friends when I told them about my trip to the island of Herm.

I can’t blame them. Until a couple of months before, I’d never heard of the magical island in the English Channel either.

Herm has incredible sandy shores, including Shell Beach, which looks like it belongs in the Caribbean.

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Dolphins are regularly spotted in the turquoise waters and have been known to swim in among the bathers on a summer’s day, while seals lounge on the rocks offshore.

After three hours of sandcastle-building on an empty beach, we rewarded ourselves with Aperol spritzes and ice creams at possibly the best beach bar in the British Isles.

Shell Beach Cafe might feel like it’s at the end of the world, but it has cheese and charcuterie boards, “pastel de nata” custard tarts, jugs of rum punch and in peak summer, French and Spanish-themed evenings, where it serves up moules et frites or paella with live music.

Heading inland, sandy lanes criss-cross through stonewall-edged fields and bluebell-dense woodland, taking you from one side of the island to the other in 20 minutes.

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Meandering is stress-free thanks to the lack of vehicles and the fact that it’s impossible to lose your way.

As one islander told us: “If you get lost, just walk along the sea and you’ll soon find yourself in a spot you recognise.”

The White House Hotel is the island's only hotel, but offers a variety of rooms

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The White House Hotel is the island’s only hotel, but offers a variety of roomsCredit: Alamy
The White House Hotel has a range of facilities, including a restaurant, bar, and outdoor swimming pool

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The White House Hotel has a range of facilities, including a restaurant, bar, and outdoor swimming poolCredit: Alamy

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Rachel Reeves vows to ‘invest, invest, invest’

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Rachel Reeves has vowed to “invest, invest, invest” as she prepares to ramp up borrowing to fund a multibillion-pound capital programme at this month’s Budget.

But the UK chancellor also sought to assure jittery markets, telling the Financial Times she would install “guardrails” and was not in “a race to get money out of the door”.

“It’s about making prudent, sensible investments in the long term and we need guardrails around that,” she said.

In an interview, Reeves also indicated higher taxes would help fill a £22bn hole she has identified in the public finances and take pressure off government departments, some of which faced real-terms cuts. “There won’t be a return to austerity,” she said. 

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Reeves has signalled she wants to ease borrowing rules in her October 30 Budget, the first by a Labour government since 2010, to fund extra capital investment in areas such as green energy projects and transport schemes.

But Reeves said the Office for Budget Responsibility, the fiscal watchdog, and the National Audit Office, the spending watchdog, would have key roles in scrutinising her plans and assessing their long-term value.

“We will make sure that investment genuinely boosts growth and we will look at the role of institutions to demonstrate that, including, for instance, the NAO as well as the OBR,” she said.

Yields on the 10-year gilt were at 4.12 per cent on Friday, the highest since late July, partly reflecting concerns among investors that Reeves will sharply increase borrowing in the Budget

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Analysts have also argued that the chancellor should introduce robust reviews of investment to police valuations and net returns, reducing the risk that public money gets frittered away on poorly judged projects.

Reeves’s advisers have been discussing ways of ensuring the OBR fully reflects the growth-enhancing benefits of public investment as it pulls together its fiscal forecasts. “Invest, invest, invest is the theme of this Budget,” she said.

Part of the problem, however, is that the time needed to put projects in place mean the bulk of the growth benefits from new infrastructure projects can take longer than five years to be felt — even though this is the time horizon under which the chancellor is assessed under her fiscal rules.

“I hope that at the Budget the OBR will look at not just the short-term impact of boosting capital investment but also the long-term impact and the catalytic impact of public sector investment crowding in private investment,” she said. 

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Reeves was speaking on a train en route from London to Merseyside, where she and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced more than £21bn of support over 25 years to develop the carbon capture and storage industry.

The chancellor confirmed she was looking to revise her fiscal debt rule to “take account of the benefits of investment, not just the costs” but declined to say how much more borrowing this would allow for capital expenditure.

Reeves intends to stick to her rule that states that net debt as a share of GDP should be falling between the fourth and fifth year of the forecast, but crucially she is looking at changes to the way that debt is defined.

Switching to balance sheet measures such as public sector net worth or public sector net financial liabilities would boost budget headroom by upwards of £50bn by the end of the parliament, allowing her to borrow tens of billions more for investment.

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Investors are seeking reassurances that only part of this extra borrowing capacity would actually be used if she went down this route.

Reeves inherited plans from the previous Conservative government that would have seen a succession of cuts in public sector net investment.

Reversing those cuts and keeping net investment at this year’s level as a share of GDP would imply £24bn of extra annual spending by 2028-29, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said. Treasury officials admitted it would be “difficult” to achieve that figure.

Reeves will also use her Budget to raise taxes to help boost day-to-day Whitehall budgets, ripping up spending plans by ex-Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt that implied real-terms cuts for “unprotected” departments such as justice and local government.

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“The idea of this Budget is to wipe the slate clean and make an honest assessment of spending pressures and tax as well,” she said. “The previous government was relying on a fiction. The Budget is an opportunity to bring honesty to the public finances.”

Reeves hinted that the £22bn fiscal “black hole” she claims to have unearthed this year was not a one-off. Many of this year’s costs — such as higher public sector pay — will recur in later years, along with other unexpected costs, and would need permanent funding.

“The truth is, if you add £22bn every year, you’re underwater on the previous government’s fiscal rules,” she said. She has refused so far to set a timetable for balancing the current budget but said that “five years is obviously the maximum”.

Reeves said the need to find tax revenues to cover current costs was “the real binding constraint at this Budget”.

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She suggested that the wealthy should accept that they would have to pay their share, arguing that “bringing back stability” to the public finances would create the foundations for growth and future wealth creation.

Higher taxes on private equity bosses, private school fees and non-doms — albeit scaled back — are expected in the Budget, with speculation of higher rates of capital gains tax. “I’m not being ideological about this but we need to raise money,” Reeves said.

Meanwhile, Reeves admitted that the public was unsettled by the recent controversy over free clothes and other gifts donated to senior Labour figures. The issue has come at a time of tough financial pressure and after her early decision to cut £1.5bn of winter fuel payments to about 10mn pensioners.

In 2023 and this year Reeves accepted a total of £7,500 from an old friend, which was used to buy clothes before the election. She also accepted tickets for an Adele concert.

“I do understand why people think it is a little bit odd,” she said. “I’ve not taken any of these donations since I became chancellor. It’s important when you’re in government that you’re held to higher standards because you’re actually making decisions that affect the public.”

     

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