She went on to ask, “Will the real prime minister please stand up?”

Alliance Party MP Sorcha Eastwood has given an impassioned speech in the House of Commons imploring the government to act above board when it came to answering questions about the appointment of Peter Mandelson.

Ms Eastwood opened her remarks by clarifying that the Labour Party do not stand for election in Northern Ireland and stated that her speech was not part of a political stunt. Rather, she said it had “everything to do with the integrity of the house.”

The Lagan Valley MP said that being asked not to discuss these issues was patronising and told the house that there had been two car bombs “at the edges of my constituency in the last five weeks.” She empathised that there were bigger issues that she would rather be speaking about and said that it was incumbent on everybody in the chamber to operate “completely above board.”

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Ms Eastwood said: “Now last week I posed the question. I don’t know why Mandelson was appointed. The Prime Minister then said it was a mistake. But here’s what I don’t understand, everything that was out there about Mandelson.

“That would have been cause for concern was open source material. It was out there. Peter Mandelson wouldn’t have survived the vetting for a kids’ football club. And rightly so, but we’re expected to believe from those benches that it’s nothing to see here, we’re gonna do some process here and there.

“It’s a bit of a hoo-ha, as if there’s been a bit of opprobrium around an appointment of a local Rotary Club. This is the government of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. And we need to make sure that everything that is done here has the trust and confidence of the people that we are sent to represent.

“One of the things that I’m really passionate about is people being able to get on in life. But, if you look at the social mobility figures for the UK, they are declining steeply. And that should be a concern for us all. But don’t worry about that. It seems to be jobs for the boys going great guns over the road there.

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“Instead of a meritocracy, it’s a Chumocracy. And that is at the nub of this. We cannot get answers as to why this was done. So what I’m asking today, will the real Prime Minister please stand up?

“Is it the man who wanted to tread lightly on our lives? Is it the man who promised a decade of national renewal? Is it the man who said that he was gonna do things by the book and better? Because in my nearly two years here, I have not seen that. So I’ll ask people from across the way, and I want to commend the member for South Shields for her heartfelt words.

“Because this should not be about party politics. This should be about doing the right thing. And I’m here as one member of my party, so I’m aware that I’m speaking from a place of privilege myself. But believe you me, there’s a stink here. And the public smell it, and if we’re serious about getting better in terms of making our constituents’ lives better, in terms of proving that this place can deliver. Well, every single person here today has a choice, make the right one.”

In later proceedings MPs voted against launching an investigation into whether Sir Keir Starmer misled Parliament over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson by 223 to 335, majority 112.

Now Sir Keir Starmer will not face a parliamentary investigation into claims he misled Parliament over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had accused the Prime Minister of misleading the Commons by claiming “full due process” had been followed and “no pressure existed” in Lord Mandelson’s appointment.

Some Labour figures have branded Mrs Badenoch’s call for an investigation a “political stunt”.

Meanwhile, Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee said on Tuesday it had finished reviewing the Government’s proposed redactions to documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment ahead of publication.

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A message has been widely circulated on WhatsApp saying that people should be encouraged to buy a home in the Castlecaulfield area to “support and strengthen our Protestant community for the future” — but the local Orange Lodge says the message is fake

An Orange Lodge has stated that messages claiming it would assist people with mortgage costs to “support and strengthen our Protestant community for the future are “fake”.

A message has been widely circulated on WhatsApp saying that “friends, families, and anyone with a connection to the Castlecaulfield area in Co Tyrone should be encouraged to buy a home locally in order to “support and strengthen our Protestant community for the future.”

It also alleged that, following discussions with financial advisers, the local Orange Lodge might be able to assist people with mortgage costs to live in the area.

Belfast Live approached the Castlecaulfield Orange Lodge about the message on social media, with a spokesperson confirming “the message is fake”.

Local DUP councillor Mark Robinson said the message bore similarities to one that had circulated in the area previously and believed they were intended to inflame local tensions ahead of the parade season. He also remarked that Orange Order membership would rocket if it were to begin helping people with their mortgages, reports Belfast Live.

After seeing the message he said: “Just checked my calendar there, thought maybe it was April Fool’s Day!

“This looks like a very similar message that done the rounds before. I suspect it’s the same culprits trying to raise tensions in the area prior to local parades. Sad that some people have nothing better to do with their time.”

The bogus message stated: “Following on from our brief meeting, we’re asking all Castlecaulfield friends, families, and anyone with a connection to the area to consider the opportunity of purchasing a home locally.

“With numbers at the primary school currently lower than we’d like, it’s important we come together to support and strengthen our Protestant community for the future. Encouraging more local families to live in the area can make a real difference.

“[Name removed] has been in touch with a number of financial advisors, and there may be support available to help with mortgage costs from the Orange Lodge. If this is something you’d be interested in, please get in touch with [Name removed], [Name removed], or [Name removed] for more information.

“We’d encourage anyone considering a move to act sooner rather than later, ahead of the upcoming developments being released. God save the king.”

Actress Olivia Frances Brown has cryptically commented on Jodie Ramsey possibly being the victim of a shocking murder on the cobbles

Coronation Street star Olivia Frances Brown has admitted her time on the long-running show ‘may have ended’ as she cryptically commented on Jodie Ramsey possibly being the victim of a shock murder on the cobbles.

As those who follow the ITV soap will recall, Jodie’s first appearance on-screen sparked a mystery as Olivia made her debut in the role during Corrie’s epic crossover with Emmerdale, dubbed Corriedale, which featured a horror multi-vehicle pile-up, before she ended up being revealed as Shona Platt’s long-lost sister.

While not involved in the dramatic crash that was at the centre of the historic crossover, it was during her escape that she became injured, running into a tree when DC Kit Green gave chase through the woods.

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It was how she ended up in the hospital, and it was there that she was reunited with her long-lost sister, Shona Platt, who had been involved in the deadly smash with her husband, David.

Since then, despite Shona’s unease at first, Jodie has made herself comfortable with the Platts after being invited to stay at No.8 Coronation Street. But as viewers know, Jodie has started a plan to get between her sister and her husband, while her behaviour towards other Weatherfield residents has also come into question.

But this week, Jodie is among the possible victims of a murder, alongside fellow Weatherfield villains Theo Silverton, Carl Webster, Megan Walsh and Maggie Driscoll.

A flashforward episode of Corrie, which was aired in February, first confirmed the storyline, with fans seeing the shocked and anxious teen being interviewed by detectives about finding the dead body of someone she knows. As the episode returned to the present day, Corrie viewers started to see how the behaviour of the five characters could lead to their possible death.

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While the murder technically took place on April 23, this week, Corrie viewers will revisit the same day, but each episode will be seen from the perspective of a different potential victim. At the end of the week, Betsy will find one of them dead, and as the victim is finally revealed, the hunt to find the killer will then begin.

Jodie’s episode airs on Wednesday (April 29), ahead of Friday’s (May 1) big reveal, but actress Olivia has already teased that it could be the end of her time in Weatherfield.

Asked how the character has ended up one of the possible victims, and if she was surprised herself to learn that Jodie could possibly die, the new soap star told the Manchester Evening News and other press: “I would have been surprised if she wasn’t one of the victims, the way she’s been carrying on! Trouble follows her around like a bad smell.

“She is always caught up in the chaos. Whatever’s going on, if there is any chaos in the street, she’ll probably be at the heart of it. It’s the way that she is. It’s who she is. It’s the way she has learnt to deal with things. It’s the way she goes through life.”

On how it feels to be part of the dramatic week, Olivia added: “It’s been great. To be new on the show and to be thrown right into the centre of all the drama. It’s been a really lovely experience. It’s just been like a rollercoaster from the beginning. I really don’t want it to end – but it might have ended!”

And despite Jodie’s questionable actions so far, Olivia has had quite a positive reaction to her arrival in the show. “It’s been lovely, actually,” she admitted. “It’s been nice to see how invested people have become with the character and to see how close they are watching.

“The majority of feedback that I’ve had is that people just can’t quite suss her out and figure out what she’s up to. Which is good really, because she isn’t straightforward and she’s not your typical villain. She’s a very complex, layered person. There’s a bit of a sadness to her, really.

“The things that she is doing come from a place of loneliness. She wants people to value her, she wants to feel that closeness that she can see everybody else enjoying around her. She feels like she can’t have it off her own back. She feels like she has to manipulate people around her in order to trick them into loving her, which is quite sad.”