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BBC Breakfast’s Charlie Stayt shares emotional news as guest left in tears

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Manchester Evening News

BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt shared a heartbreaking story during Friday’s live show

BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt shared some emotional news on Friday (February 13) as a guest was left in tears. During today’s show, Charlie and his co-star Naga Munchetty brought viewers up to speed with the day’s top stories from Britain and beyond.

They were supported by meteorologist Matt Taylor, who provided regular weather forecasts, whilst Mike Bushell and Peter Ruddick covered the sports news and Valentine’s Day content, respectively.

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During the programme, Charlie disclosed that the Chair of the Commons Health Committee has urged the UK’s medicines regulator to reassess warnings surrounding drugs that may trigger impulsive behaviour as an adverse effect. Naga outlined: “A BBC investigation has found that for some patients, the drugs cause impulsive gambling or sexual behaviour.”

A pre-filmed report by BBC correspondent Noel Titheradge featured Freddie, whose father Bill died three years ago. Bill had been given medication for Parkinson’s disease, which resulted in devastating side effects, reports the Mirror.

READ MORE: BBC Breakfast star shares heartbreaking news after ‘deadly’ Manchester plotREAD MORE: BBC Breakfast host Charlie Stayt shares devastating news minutes into show

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“He was an incredibly straight laced, risk averse person,” Freddie recalled. “He worked as a teacher his whole career and then, aged 54, retired early. He’d developed some symptoms around his movement and speech, and went on to medication shortly after.”

Bill received drugs designed to increase dopamine activity for treating Parkinson’s, yet his conduct began to alter dramatically. He started viewing pornography without discretion and driving recklessly, before proceeding to sell the family home – suddenly finding himself in financial difficulty.

Freddie revealed: “He said it’s invested. [I asked], ‘Okay, where?’ [He said it was] in Ghana. My heart just totally sank. These side effects of severe impulse control disorder, hypersexuality made dad the perfect victim for a romance scam.”

Nobody had alerted Freddie to the potential side effects, and when he discovered them in 2017, his father had already lost approximately £300,000. As he recalled the difficulties his father endured, Freddie became visibly emotional in heartbreaking footage.

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“The money was of total insignificance to the pain of losing dad,” he said through tears, with reporter Noel encouraging Freddie to “take a minute”.

The journalist continued: “Our investigations heard from scores of families who say these impulsive behaviours have led to huge debts, the break up of families and even criminality. One man stole £600,000 to fund his impulsive behaviour. Another woman lost over £150,000 to gambling.”

Noel added: “Manufacturers of the drugs say they were extensively trialled, continue to be approved by regulators around the world, and side effects are clearly stated.” Three years following his father’s passing, Freddie says the impact will stay with him forever. He concluded: “It is a massive scandal. I dread to think how many people have been impacted.”

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Elsewhere on today’s BBC Breakfast, Naga revealed that two men would be sentenced today after planning a “deadly” terrorist attack in Manchester. At the start of the show, the host announced: “Two men will be sentenced later for planning a gun attack on a mass gathering of Jewish people, which detectives say could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in UK history.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am

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Football: Are fans booing their own team and manager more?

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Before his sacking Thomas Frank says he understood the frustration of booing Spurs fans

Wayne Rooney, who made headlines in 2010 after hitting out at England fans for booing the team, remembers being booed quite a lot in his career.

“It’s always been there. Fans obviously have their opinions and sometimes they’re with you and sometimes they’re against you,” he said.

“It’s probably just picked up a little bit more now with more TV cameras, with social media and with phones filming from the stands.

“Obviously if a player or a player’s family is getting abused at stadiums then it can become more of an issue, but generally I think booing is fine.”

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Like his former England team-mate, Joe Hart agrees it’s part of the game.

“You get booed by the away fans,” said Hart. “That’s kind of par for the course. I’ve probably received a few from home fans in my time – not many. If I was being booed I was probably doing something wrong!”

Both players think booing has always been there. But did it affect them?

“Maybe it did at the time,” says Hart. “I’ve got no scars from it though, put it that way. I was very much focused on what I was doing so whether I was getting applause or boos it didn’t make any difference to how I tried to play the game.”

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Former Liverpool, Spurs and Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy also remembers difficult moments during his career.

“At Fulham when we were fighting relegation there were lots of boos,” he explains. “You have to take it as a challenge. You have to want to overcome it rather than go the other way and let it affect you, drain your energy and put fear into your play.

“I always felt like it was a challenge to overcome it, to try and do better. I think if you’re playing Premier League football and you’re at that level that’s your job to do so.

“We all love it when the fans are singing your name when you’ve scored the winner or when the team’s winning – you can’t have just one and not the other.”

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Met Office weather forecast for Bolton this weekend

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Met Office weather forecast for Bolton this weekend

Overnight into Saturday will mark a shift as temperatures drop to or slightly below freezing, consequently forming widespread frost and icy patches on untreated surfaces early Saturday.

Despite a sunny or bright Saturday, temperatures will only peak to around 5°C to 7°C.

Hence, the chill in any wind will remain noticeable.

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Northern or north-easterly winds are likely to be light to moderate throughout the day.

Looking ahead to Sunday, as a new weather system arrives, the Met Office warns of the return of rain and the probability of hill snow before temperatures start to climb again.

Areas north and west of the town, potentially those elevated, can initially experience sleet or snow precipitation, which will later turn into rain.

Temperatures are set to increase slightly, peaking between 6°C and 8°C.

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But, with periods of rain, a freshening breeze, and saturated ground, the day will still feel cool and raw rather than genuinely milder.

On high-altitude routes, low cloud, rain, hill fog, and patchy hill snow may occasionally reduce visibility.

Nonetheless, extensive disruptive snow at lower levels in the town is not strongly suggested.

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Winter Olympics 2026: GB left to rue shocking start after Italy defeat

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Team GB's mens curlers

Team GB’s men were left to rue a shocking first end as a stubborn fightback against hosts Italy in a throbbing Cortina Curling Stadium was not enough to prevent their first defeat of these Winter Olympics.

After winning their opening two matches, including against the Swedish rink who beat them in the gold-medal match four years ago, the British team went into their second high-grade encounter in two days in a strong position.

However, a horrendous first end – during which the Italians stole four points – left them chasing in front of a raucous home crowd armed with horns, bells and whistles.

These British players are the world’s top-ranked rink for a reason though, and they slowly reeled in Italy, levelling in the ninth end.

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However, the local favourites held firm in the last to win 9-7 and add the scalp of GB to that of the Swedes, who they beat in their opener.

“We had to dig deep and we played nine really good ends and controlled it from there, but we just couldn’t do enough to get the win,” lead Hammy McMillan told BBC Sport.

Seven wins from the nine round-robin matches will guarantee a place in the semi-finals – fewer may well still be sufficient – so Bruce Mouat’s rink are still in a strong spot.

GB’s women are next on the ice, playing their second match against South Korea at 13:05 GMT. The men will return to the rink on Saturday, when they face the Czech Republic, also at 13:05.

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Palestine Action terror ban ruled unlawful by High Court

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Palestine Action terror ban ruled unlawful by High Court

Palestine Action’s ban under terrorism legislation has been ruled unlawful by the High Court in a humiliating blow for the government but the ban will remain in place until a further order by the courts.

Huda Ammori, co-founder of the group, took the Home Office to court over the decision to proscribe Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, with her lawyers saying that the move was unprecedented.

Since the proscription last July, thousands of people have been arrested for holding up placards in support of Palestine Action. Hundreds of trials are expected throughout this year and into the next for those accused of taking part in protests, but they face being upended by the High Court’s ruling.

Justice Victoria Sharp told the High Court on Friday that the proscription of Palestine Action “did result in a very significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and the right to freedom of assembly”.

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Palestine Action’s Huda Ammori won a significant legal victory against the government on Friday

Palestine Action’s Huda Ammori won a significant legal victory against the government on Friday (PA)

She added that “the proscription of Palestine Action was disproportionate”, saying only a very small number of Palestine Action’s activities amounted to terrorism. She said that the group’s acts “had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription.”

Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn have decided that the terror ban will remain in force until further legal hearings can take place.

Lawyers for Ms Ammori and the Home Office have till the 20 February to provide further submissions to the court ahead of more hearings that will decide whether the ban should be lifted.

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In their judgement, Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn accepted that the terror ban had meant people were being forced to “self-censor” themselves and change their behaviour out of fear of falling foul of the law. They accepted that journalists, academics, and campaigning and civil liberties organisations could be impacted by the wide-ranging affects of the proscription.

While they described Palestine Action as a group that “promotes its political cause through criminality and encouragement of criminality”, the judges said that criminal law is sufficient to prosecute these acts.

The Independent revealed yesterday that the Home Office has spent £700,000 in legal fees so far fighting Ms Ammori’s case.

Then-home secretary Yvette Cooper took the decision to ban the group under terror laws after activists broke into an RAF base and damaged two military aircraft. Human rights groups have condemned the move as a “grave abuse of state power” and UN high commissioner Volker Turk called the ban “disproportionate and unnecessary”.

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Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action,

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, (Peace Pledge Union/YouTube)

During the court case, Ms Ammori’s lawyers insisted that Palestine Action does not advocate for violence, saying any examples of serious violence against property or person “are not the norm, they are rare”.

Ms Ammori responded to the news on Friday saying that the ruling was a “monumental victory for both our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom for the Palestinian people”.

She added: “It would be profoundly unjust for the government to try to delay or stop the High Court’s proposed order quashing this ban while the futures of these thousands of people hang in the balance, many of whom are elderly or disabled and facing up to 14 years’ imprisonment for this entirely peaceful protest.”

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Protesters celebrate outside the High Court, central London, where Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn have ruled in favour of Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori's challenge over the ban of the organisation as a terror group.

Protesters celebrate outside the High Court, central London, where Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Swift and Mrs Justice Steyn have ruled in favour of Palestine Action’s co-founder Huda Ammori’s challenge over the ban of the organisation as a terror group. (PA)

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed” by the High Court’s ruling, adding: “I intend to fight this judgement in the Court of Appeal”.

As news came through of the judges’ decision on Friday morning, about a hundred people gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London started cheering and chanting “Free Palestine”.

Akiko Hart, director of human rights organisation Liberty, said they welcomed the court’s finding but said “the practical effect will depend on the government’s appeal”.

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She added: “This case has exposed a deeper problem where the line between direct action and terrorism has become dangerously blurred, and this will continue to have a chilling effect on protest and free speech”.

Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, said that the verdict was a “shot in the arm for British democracy”.

Areeba Hamid, a director at Greenpeace UK, said the government’s use of terror laws had been “the stuff of dystopian novels”. She added: “The Crown Prosecution Service should immediately drop the terror charges against the peaceful protesters who opposed this ban”.

This is a breaking story. More to follow..

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Who is Kim Ju Ae? The teenager who could be North Korea’s next leader | World News

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Kim Jong Un with his daughter in June last year. Pic: AP

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is appearing to take steps to name his daughter as his official successor.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said it believes Kim Ju Ae, who is thought to be around 13 years old, is already providing input on policy matters, suggesting she may be being touted as a future leader.

The teenager has been increasingly visible over the last year, attending missile launches alongside her father and, in 2025, at China’s “Victory Day” parade, which marked her international debut.

The NIS said it will now look to see whether she attends the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress and how she is presented at the party’s biggest political conference, including whether she receives an official title.

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“In the past, the NIS described Ju Ae as being ‘in study as successor’ but today the expression used was that she ‘was in the stage of being internally appointed successor’,” South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters following a closed-door briefing on 12 February.

If she does become leader, it would extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.

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Kim Jong Un with his daughter in June last year. Pic: AP

Who is Kim Ju Ae?

Apart from her age and name, not much else is known about Kim Ju Ae, and even those details are unconfirmed.

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While North Korean state media has never published her name, it does refer to her as Kim Jong Un’s “most beloved” or “respected” child.

South Korean media has previously speculated that she is the leader’s second of three children, and that the first child is a son. However, analysts have questioned the credibility of the reports.

Kim Ju Ae (centre) with her father Kim Jong Un and mother Ri Sol Ju. Pic: AP
Image:
Kim Ju Ae (centre) with her father Kim Jong Un and mother Ri Sol Ju. Pic: AP

North Korea, which is one of the world’s most secretive nations, has not confirmed whether Ju Ae has any siblings.

It is thought she is the child whom US basketball star Dennis Rodman called Mr Kim’s baby daughter after his trip to the capital Pyongyang in 2013.

Father and daughter are pictured inspecting North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite in May 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Father and daughter are pictured inspecting North Korea’s first military reconnaissance satellite in May 2023. Pic: Reuters

Surprise reveal

Ju Ae made her first public appearance in November 2022, when she watched a long-range missile test launch with her father.

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It came as a huge surprise to foreign experts as neither Kim Jong Un nor his father Kim Jong Il were mentioned in North Korean state media before they became adults.

Following her sixth public appearance in 2023, a North Korea analyst told Sky News there was a “theme” emerging.

Kim Jong Un and his daughter in January 2024. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Kim Jong Un and his daughter in January 2024. Pic: Reuters

Jean H Lee, who set up the Associated Press news agency’s first bureau in North Korea, said the events she has been attending tend to involve “weapons and missiles”.

She said the most striking images of Ju Ae were from when she attended a military banquet marking the 75th anniversary of the country’s army in February 2023.

“When you look at these pictures she’s front and centre. She is there. It’s like this tableau of father, mother, daughter. And I think what people noticed, of course, first and foremost was, ‘oh my gosh, he’s presenting his daughter’. What does that mean?”, she told the Sky News Daily podcast.

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Her carefully crafted appearances have since included missile tests, military parades, and the launch of a naval destroyer in April 2024.

She also accompanied her father to the official opening of the Wonsan holiday resort on the country’s east coast, a concert, and a visit to the Russian culture minister, Olga Lyubimova.

Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova walks with Kim Jong Un and his daughter. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova walks with Kim Jong Un and his daughter. Pic: Reuters

How likely is she to succeed her father?

Mr Kim likely believes his daughter has the capacity and resolve to succeed him as leader, according to an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

“By accompanying her father on major events, it’s like she’s learning kingship and building a human network at a tender age,” Cheong Seong-Chang said.

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However, South Korea’s intelligence service has a patchy record when it comes to confirming developments in its neighbouring country.

The pair in June 2025. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The pair in June 2025. Pic: Reuters

Dr Edward Howell, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Oxford, added that it needs to be remembered Mr Kim is only 43.

He said in the event of Mr Kim’s death in the immediate future, power would likely go to the leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong.

North Korean state media has never officially confirmed or commented on the succession plan.

Read more:
Who is Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong?

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Does gender matter?

In the past, the NIS and other South Korean government officials have cited North Korea’s male-dominated power structure. Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by successive male members of the Kim family.

Dr Howell said crucial for the survival of the Kim dynasty is the “Baekdu bloodline” which ensures that any leader is a Kim, regardless of gender.

“Whatever pairs of chromosomes you might have, that doesn’t play a big roll compared to being a Kim, a member of the bloodline.”

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Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

Analyst Jean H Lee, told Sky’s Daily podcast in 2023 that Ju Ae’s appearances are a “cultivation of the Kim family, monarchy and dynasty”.

She said: “I’m sure there is in some part a strategy of trying to portray themselves, kind of like the Royal Family in the United Kingdom.”

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Snow ‘possible’ in Cambridgeshire as Met Office forecasts chilly weekend

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Cambridgeshire Live

The Met Office has forecast a mix of rain, sleet, and possibly snow over the weekend

The Met Office forecast says that show is ‘possible’ in the East of England this weekend. Temperatures will remain low in Cambridgeshire, with lows of 2C forecast.

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The Met Office forecast for Saturday (February 14) said: “A cold and frosty start. Partly cloudy, but largely dry and bright. Hazy sunshine into the afternoon. Winds strengthening overnight, becoming cloudy with rain, sleet and some snow possible.”

The maximum temperatures expected for the East of England is reportedly 5C. The outlook for Sunday to Tuesday shows “cloudy with rain, sleet or snow and strong winds early Sunday” with “a band of rain following later.”

Weather site, WX Charts, have suggested that some parts of Cambridgeshire could see snow in the early morning of Sunday, but clearing later on. Areas affected include Cambridge and Ely.

BBC Weather does not indicate any snow on Saturday but states “any overnight snow will soon clear” on Sunday morning. This means that any snow is not expected to settle.

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Major road closed for more than 12 hours after ‘serious’ crash

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Cambridgeshire Live

Drivers have been told to avoid the area

The A10 has been closed for more than 12 hours after a ‘serious’ crash in the area. The incident happened between the edge of Ely and Grange Lane in Littleport.

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Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the A10 at 6:43pm on Thursday (February 12). Crews from Ely, Soham, and Chatteris attended.

The road has been closed from the roundabout at Comice Way to Littleport. Drivers have been told to avoid the area.

Cambridgeshire Police has said it will release more information about the incident on Friday (February 13).

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 6.43pm last night (Thursday 12) to a road traffic collision on the A10 between Littleport and Ely. Crews from Ely, Soham and Chatteris attended.

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“Firefighters worked alongside police to make the area safe before returning to their stations.”

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The 10 best wild swimming spots within an hour of London, from the new Thames bathing area to local lakes

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The 10 best wild swimming spots within an hour of London, from the new Thames bathing area to local lakes

Swimming beneath an endless expanse of sky brings freedom and fun — whatever the weather.

Whether you’re a dawn dipper, lane legend, wild swimmer, sun worshipper, Wim-Hof disciple, menopausal mermaid, wet-suited warrior, head-up breaststroker, fun-seeking family, or anyone else who just can’t resist getting their toes into water in the great outdoors, these are the top spots to try. Check out these outdoor pools in and near London, too.

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P&O statement as search for man overboard stood down

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Ipso logo

The search operation involved Larne and Portmuck Coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats from Larne and Donaghadee, and an HM Coastguard rescue helicopter

A search operation has been stood down after reports of a man overboard from a passenger ferry.

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HM Coastguard said crews responded to the incident on the P&O Ferries Stranraer to Larne service at 1.21pm on Thursday.

It said its response had been stood down after “extensive and thorough searches” with “nothing found at this time”.

The search had not begun again on Friday morning.

In a statement, P&O Ferries said: “HM Coastguard has now suspended their search and rescue operation.

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“We are continuing to support the authorities with their inquiries.”

The search operation involved Larne and Portmuck Coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats from Larne and Donaghadee, and an HM Coastguard rescue helicopter.

Crews on other vessels in the area also assisted, the RNLI said.

The ferry company describes the ship as “one of the fastest ferries on the Irish Sea”.

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The twin deck vessel operates six daily crossings from Scotland to Larne, which take about two hours and can carry up to 410 passengers, 375 cars and/or 116 commercial vehicles.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

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the public and politicians no longer even agree on the basics

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the public and politicians no longer even agree on the basics

Just over 18 months ago, Keir Starmer said the “fight for trust is the battle that defines our age”. Now a scandal surrounding his former ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, could end his political career, precisely because of the damage it could cause to public trust.

At the heart of the story are documents released by the US government showing that Mandelson continued to be friends with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction for sex offences. The prime minister insists Mandelson lied about the depth of his friendship with Epstein, though he has acknowledged he knew that it continued after Epstein’s conviction.

Some reporting suggests that there was a view in Downing Street that the “risk” of appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the US – his past political career, his then publicly known relationship with Epstein – was less important than the benefit to the national interest. As Peter Kyle, secretary of state for business and trade, put it in September (before further files were released): “Britain needed someone with outstanding and singular talents”.

This implies a specific view of how politicians should behave. When the national interest is at stake, actions are acceptable that would otherwise be morally questionable. Some politicians seem to think political effectiveness can outweigh standards. Philosophers sometimes agree that politics makes “dirty hands” unavoidable. Machiavelli thought politicians should learn not to be good. To achieve important political ends, it can be necessary to act badly.

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It’s striking that Downing Street might have thought that this extended to Mandelson’s alleged relationship with Epstein – and that even this could be traded off against improving the UK’s relationship with the White House.

Similar views appear to have been taken when it came to Boris Johnson. He was a man of whom high standards were not expected in office, but who could effectively deliver important political outcomes (an electoral victory, Brexit).

But a large majority the public believes standards should take priority over delivery in politics – according to research from UCL’s Constitution Unit.

This suggests the public and those in politics lack a common understanding of how the latter should behave. And that poses a problem for rebuilding trust. Philosophical perspectives suggest a common understanding of this kind is central if we are to be able to trust well.

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What is trust?

When we talk about trust in politics, we often pass over what trust is. And it is frustratingly difficult to set out a clear definition. Researchers significantly disagree about how to conceptualise trust.

Philosophical views vary. Trust may be a demand to be ethically considered by others or to have a deep-rooted psychological need for attachment to others satisfied. It could be to rely on others acting out of goodwill towards you or your desire to do something overlapping with someone’s desire to do something else.

By failing to define what trust is when we aim to restore it, we may act counterproductively or misdiagnose the problems we face.

A growing family of views in philosophy share a central insight. Trust requires more than just expectations about how a person will behave – it also relates to expectations about how a person ought to behave. Philosophers call these “normative expectations”.

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Mandelson pictured during his time as Ambassador to Washington.
Flickr/UKinUSA, CC BY-SA

I’m not trusting my partner to make dinner tonight simply because I think that he will. That’s just to rely on him. I trust him only if I think that there is a reason he ought to cook dinner tonight, and I think that he will act in line with this reason. Perhaps, I know he values fairness and that I cooked last night. Maybe he said he’d cook yesterday, and I know that I can take him at his word.

Philosophers debate exactly what these expectations are. Some think trust is concerned with commitments or obligations we should act in line with. Others think it’s that we expect a responsiveness to others counting on us.

All these views suggest a specific environment is required to allow us to trust well. We need some shared understanding of what we should do. If my partner recognises no reasons why he ought to cook me dinner tonight, he most likely won’t. If I come to trust him to do so and he doesn’t, then my normative expectation of him is likely to be wrong. My trust will be broken.

If that discrepancy about how we each think that we should behave grows, trust will be broken more often.

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Misaligned politics

If we think about how politicians ought to behave, we can see how there might be a problem of trust.

The same Constitution Unit research shows that the public value standards like honesty and accountability. They think those in public life should behave in line with high standards.

Some politicians look at the same situation and see other reasons that suggest they ought to act differently. Where a relationship essential to Britain’s national security is at stake – or some other element of the national interest – then some politicians think they ought to overlook honesty and integrity.

This mismatch will lead to public trust being repeatedly broken.

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Much discussion among politicians focuses on “delivery” as central to establishing trust. Actions will certainly matter. But more work should be done to ensure alignment between what the public expects of politicians and what they actually do. In a volatile world, a public conversation is needed on when – if ever – national need can outweigh these standards. Culture change in government and Downing Street will matter.

This is vital. Falling public trust in politics and distrust in politicians have been linked to voters switching off from politics and turning to protests or populist parties.

We need to align our expectations for high standards in public life. Then we need to require them of everyone, however useful they may be.


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