Politics
DWP scheme sending people with ME to coaching organisations for neurodivergence
The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Access to Work (AtW) scheme has been referring people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) to organisations classifying the condition as a form of “acquired neurodivergence”.
Of course, ME is already a much-misunderstood syndrome, and it can be extremely difficult for people to get treatment. And, this shocking revelation comes as the DWP try to force disabled people into work, and strip back funding for AtW – making it even harder for disabled people to stay in work.
The implications for people living with ME could be catastrophic.
DWP Access to Work: ME as ‘acquired neurodivergence’?
A person living with ME has approached the Canary to whistleblow over their alarming experience engaging with AtW. Notably, DWP staff administering the scheme had directed them to organisations misrepresenting the condition as a form of neurodivergence.
Now, after investigating further, the Canary has discovered a number of AtW coaching providers specialising in support for neurodivergent employees are promoting their services for people living with ME.
The Canary has identified at least three peddling this:
- Creased Puddle
- Genius Within
- No Drama Llamas
Of course, ME is not a neurodivergent condition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long recognised it as a neurological disease affecting the nervous system.
Despite this, these organisations have still been actively peddling the idea that ME is a type of “acquired neurodivergence”. This dangerously trivialises the lived reality of employees with ME. It’s also likely impacting the sorts of support the AtW scheme is prepared to offer them.
And this misrepresentation of the extensively debilitating condition is undoubtedly contributing to the punitive ‘back to work’ climate and vilifying culture rife at the DWP as well.
Out with the old psychologising, in with the new psychologising
The above organisations specialise in neurodivergence and seem to have started expanding their services to people with ME around 2020 and 2021. The reasons for this are likely twofold.
Firstly, this coincides with the rising cases of long Covid – many of which will meet the diagnostic criteria for ME. In a 2021 Returning to Work briefing, Creased Puddle’s CEO Caroline Turner said:
Our expertise lies in developing and supporting neurominorities, yet with COVID-19 we are seeing our services extending to other conditions such as Chronic Fatigue, Fybromyalgia and Depression.
Meanwhile, a webpage Genius Within created in September 2020 features a page on ‘Chronic neurological conditions’ where it classifies multiple sclerosis, “chronic fatigue syndrome”, and long Covid as a ‘neurotype’ called ‘acquired neurodivergence’.
The second reason for their emergence into employment support for people with ME could revolve around the 2021 updated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
This finally dismissed the biopsychosocial lobby’s junk science around treatments psychologising ME. Of course, a core part of these psychosocial-wedded clinicians’ evidence base had been the disgraced PACE trial. The DWP had part-funded this – with an obvious agenda of trivialising the condition in order to force chronically ill patients into the low-waged capitalist workforce.
As the lobby’s grip on the condition’s consensus has gradually waned, it has taken new rebranding approaches to continue harmful psychologising treatments. While they can no longer outright label ME as psychological, ‘acquired neurodivergence’ could open up a new avenue to promote psychological interventions.
Acquired neurodivergence: not a new term
That said, the idea that ME is a form of acquired neurodivergence does not appear to be a new phenomenon. A 2017 report that the British Psychological Society (BPS) launched at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Psychology categorised ME amid a group of neurological conditions it described as “acquired neurodiversity”*.
The report’s core thrust was largely about adaptations and interventions employers could put into place to support neurodivergent employees.
But the interventions involved some problematic suggestions for employees with ME, including:
- Formal coaching for “executive functions, communication skills, stress management and understanding own abilities.”
- Vocational rehabilitation and Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
In other words, all approaches that psychologise support – and with histories of harm to boot.
Perhaps most significant however is the fact that Genius Within’s founder and CEO Dr Nancy Doyle co-authored the report. And now, her organisation is among the handful pushing this ‘acquired neurodivergence’ paradigm. The support it offers to employees with ME is coaching for:
- Stress
- Time management
- Organisation
- Memory
- Listening and taking notes
- Verbal communication
So it’s evident Doyle’s approach has little changed since the 2017 BPS report. Because clearly employers simply need to coach the chronic multi-systems dysfunctions out of their employees with ME.
DWP: no training for Access to Work staff on ME
Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request we sought to find out what training the DWP provides to its staff administering the AtW scheme.
The DWP has training guides and condition-specific insight reports for assessors overseeing Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It also separately holds these for Universal Credit’s health element. We have however highlighted some glaring issues with these.
But when it comes to AtW, no such training or guidance for staff appears to exist. The DWP responded to the FOI that:
the information you requested is not held by this Department.
This is concerning enough in itself. However, a recent revelation during a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) inquiry session on AtW highlighted that DWP staff making decisions around the scheme are not medically trained. Responding to a question on this, DWP director general on services and fraud noted only that there are doctors in the department that staff can go to for “advice”. Of course, the implication is that there’s no expectation on AtW staff to do that.
In essence, DWP AtW employees with no training, guidance, or knowledge around the condition are deciding what support people with ME need. And this will undoubtedly be the case across the board for all disabilities and health conditions.
DWP directing people to these organisations deliberately?
The Canary its findings with the ME Association. On reading them, honorary medical adviser to the ME Association Dr Charles Shepherd told the Canary:
The ME Association is aware of a number of people who have some form of neurodivergence as well as having ME/CFS. However, neurodivergent conditions are increasingly being diagnosed – so there are bound to be some people who have both conditions, and there is no research evidence to indicate that the two conditions are linked.
It is not therefore correct to classify ME/CFS as an acquired neurodivergent condition. Incorrect classification of ME/CFS as a neurodivergent disorder could also lead to inappropriate forms of symptom or support management being advised.
Overall, ‘acquired neurodivergence’ seems to be the new ‘psychosomatic’ for ME patients.
Where previously, the DWP benefitted from the trivialisation of ME as a mental health condition, now it can weaponise this idea that its neurological symptoms constitute neurodivergence developed from chronic illness.
The consequences of this are obvious. Because in turn, it means the government’s attack on neurodivergent people not in work will target people with ME too.
Set against its narrative on the so-called post-pandemic rise in neurodivergent people claiming health benefits and it’s clear where this leads. If the foremost scheme improving workplace accessibility for disabled employees is directing people with ME to organisations that treat their condition in neurodivergent terms, it also doesn’t have to provide the more expensive support workers, job aides, and workplace accommodations that people with ME actually need to re-enter and/or stay in employment.
That all likely suits a DWP that’s sneaking through devastating cuts to AtW behind closed doors. But overall, it’s risking coercing people with ME into work without the support they need to protect their wellbeing.
So once again, the department is failing people with ME. However, that will come as little surprise to a patient community it has long gaslighted and pushed to the margins.
Featured image via the Canary
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HuffPost Headlines June 01, 2026.
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Politics
This Obsession Alternative Ending Would Have Totally Changed The Film
This article contains spoilers for Obsession.
As word of mouth continues to spread, Obsession remains one of the most talked-about films of the year right now.
The latest big-screen offering from former YouTuber Curry Barker centres around close friends Bear and Nikki, whose worlds are turned upside down when the former makes a wish for the latter to love him “more than anyone in the fucking world” – only for it to come true, with disastrous and tragic circumstances.
By the end of the film, almost all of the main characters are dead, aside from Nikki, whose realisation about what has transpired comes only after Bear has taken his own life and the wish’s hold is released.
However, it turns out this wasn’t the original ending that Curry had in mind.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly around the film’s release, the filmmaker revealed it had originally been his intention for Nikki to kill herself too, drawing comparisons between a Shakespearean tragedy.
“I was really obsessed with this Romeo and Juliet ending, actually,” he claimed, revealing that he was originally adamant that Nikki should die, and even filmed this conclusion to the film.
Curry recalled: “We had shot a ton of different versions of the official ending, the one that’s in the script, the one that I was excited about, and I was like, ‘Okay, we’ll do one ending where [Nikki] survives, but we’ll just do one take of it, and then we’ll move on’.”
However, in the end, actor Inde Navarette’s “performance was so good” that everyone who saw the ending where Nikki survives convinced Curry that this was the one he should go for.
“I just remember my dad and multiple people around me being like, ‘Dude, I think it’s way more disturbing if she just survives this thing’,” he revealed. “I was like, ‘Ah, you’re right’. And so we switched it.”
Obsession has so far been a hit with critics and cinemagoers, with an enviable critical score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.2 stars from fans on Letterboxd.
Curry has also addressed the possibility of another film set in Obsession’s in-universe, albeit with new characters, while Inde has made it clear she’d be up for playing Nikki again if the opportunity arose.
Obsession is in cinemas now.
Politics
Exclusive: Union Boss Slams Farage’s Claim That Reform Are ‘Party Of The Working Class’
A trade union boss has dismissed Nigel Farage’s claim that Reform UK is now the party of the working class.
He spoke out after new polling showed that union members are now just as likely to vote Reform as they are Labour.
The Times reported that 28% of them would now back Farage’s party, the same proportion as back Labour.
It follows a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of both parties since the general election in 2024.
At that time, just 16% of trade union members backed Reform, while 48% supported Labour.
Reacting on X, Farage said: “Labour is no longer the party of the patriotic working class. That mantle now belongs to Reform.”
But speaking to HuffPost UK last month, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham pointed out that Farage’s voting record in the House of Commons flew in the face of his claim to speak for working people.
She said: “The reality is that Nigel Farage has shown no indication to me that he’s the voice of workers. He voted against the Employment Rights Act, for example.
“He’s said that when he goes into the local authority areas he’s going to be looking at [cutting] local authority pensions. So to me, if your go-to lever in terms of what is happening in councils is to attack workers, then you can’t be the voice of workers. That is just the reality of it.”
Graham said she had “put Reform on notice” that Unite will fight any attempts by the party to attack the rights of public sector workers.
“We will not accept that in any way, shape or form,” she said.
“I’ve been asked would Unite work with Reform. I’m on record saying I’d dance with the devil if it was something that was important to my members. But the broader issue here is ‘is Reform the party of workers’? No, it isn’t.”
She added: “I very often hear words about people backing workers, it’s very different when you’re asking them to do something about that.
“If Reform go after workers in local councils, then Unite will be going after Reform.”
However, Graham also accused Labour of “abandoning” the party’s traditional working class supporters.
She said: “The problem that Labour have is that they are supposed to be the voice of workers, and essentially workers feel abandoned by Labour.
“The working class feels abandoned by Labour, and now the working class have abandoned Labour. The question is can Labour get that back?
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Politics
Can I Bring A Fan Onto My Flight? Travel Expert Explains The Rules
It’s bloody hot. It’s half-term. And for many, that means it’s holiday season.
However, 2026 fliers might want to check some details before arriving at their airports. It’s not just that multiple airlines have issued advice following new EES checks, or that some routes may have changed following ballooning jet fuel costs.
Recently, a flight was diverted after a passenger reported a charging power bank in another flier’s bag, too (we’ve written before about why that’s a problem, as well as how to tell if your portable chargers are compliant).
So what about other devices, like handheld electric fans?
We thought we’d ask the experts.
Can I bring an electric fan onto my flight?
HuffPost UK asked Helen North, Head of Dangerous Goods at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, whether all handheld electric fans can come on board.
“Portable electric fans may contain lithium batteries, so they should be carried in the cabin, not packed in your checked bag,” she said.
“Keeping battery-powered items with you will make your flight safer for you and the other passengers you’re flying with.”
Lithium batteries are the same kind of batteries that devices like smart bags and power banks use.
They’re not usually allowed in the hold of planes (i.e., checked luggage).
That’s because they can short-circuit and catch fire, which can be especially disastrous in an unattended baggage space.
Generally, the Civil Aviation Authority said, lithium batteries should be carried as hand luggage.
And they added, “if carried as checked baggage, the devices must be completely switched off (not in sleep or hibernation mode) if the batteries exceed:
- for lithium metal batteries, a lithium content of 0.3 g per device; or
- for lithium-ion batteries, a Watt-hour rating of 2.7 Wh per device.”
Any other advice?
Yes. Most airlines won’t let you bring more than two power banks onto a plane, and you can’t use them to charge another device while you’re flying.
They generally aren’t allowed in the hold because of lithium battery limits.
Additionally, lithium batteries over 100Wh and under 160Wh will need to be cleared by your specific airline (those over 160Wh can’t come on board).
If you can’t find this, you can work it out from the milliampere-hour (mAh), ampere-hour (Ah), and/or nominal voltage (V).
Once you find these, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “You can arrive at the number of watt-hours your battery provides if you know the battery’s nominal voltage (V) and capacity in ampere-hours (Ah) using this calculation: Ah x V = Wh”.
Politics
Saudi must overcome challenges of the past at the 2026 World Cup
When the Saudi national team takes to the pitch at the 2026 World Cup, they will carry a weighty legacy of both glory and anticipation.
In the same country that witnessed its greatest World Cup moments more than three decades ago, the Green Falcons return to reclaim a story that has remained unfinished since the summer of 1994. In 1994, Saudi entered the tournament for the first time and emerged having put their name on the map of world football.
Since that extraordinary American summer, generations have come and gone, and teams and managers have changed, but that achievement remains a solitary entry in the annals of Saudi football.
Today, as the World Cup returns to the US, the same question returns with it: will America once again be Saudi Arabia’s gateway to the knockout stages?
Saudi: The newcomers who became a phenomenon
No one expected much from a team making its World Cup debut. However, the Saudi Arabia side at the 1994 World Cup refused to be just another number in the tournament.
In a group featuring the Netherlands, Belgium and Morocco, the Green Falcons managed to write one of the most inspiring stories in the history of Arab and Asian participation. The team secured a place in the Round of 16 with two historic victories, most notably their famous win over Belgium.
Thanks to a goal by Saeed Al-Owairan, he became an enduring icon in World Cup history.
The achievement was not limited to the results alone but also to the character the team displayed. A brave, confident side, capable of competing against opponents who surpassed them in experience and history. Even after their elimination by Sweden, Saudi Arabia left the tournament carrying the respect of the entire world.
Since that day, the 1994 World Cup has become a constant reference point in any discussion of Saudi football at the World Cup.
Three decades in search of the elusive breakthrough
The Saudi national team took part in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 tournaments without managing to progress beyond the group stage, before missing out on the 2010 and 2014 editions. They then returned for Russia 2018 with a late victory over Egypt, but it was not enough to keep them in the tournament.
As for Qatar 2022, it seemed as though history was poised to write a new chapter. A historic victory over Argentina, who went on to become world champions, gave the Saudis a legitimate dream of qualification. But losses against Poland and Mexico brought the team back to square one.
This is where Saudi Arabia’s World Cup dilemma of recent decades lies: the ability to create a defining moment is there, but the ability to turn that moment into a lasting achievement has remained elusive.
A group testing ambition and realism
The draw was not kind to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 World Cup. The presence of Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in the group presents the Saudi team with a series of varied challenges.
Spain represents a style that dictates the tempo through possession and technical quality, whilst Uruguay embody one of the world’s most resilient and fierce sides in major tournaments.
As for Cape Verde, they may lack the star quality of their rivals, but this match appears to be the most crucial in the qualification calculations, as it could prove to be the difference between staying in the competition and being eliminated.
Nevertheless, the difficulty of the group does not mean the task is impossible. In 1994, too, the odds were not in Saudi Arabia’s favour, but the team managed to turn the tables and secure their place among the qualifiers.
Where can Saudi Arabia make the difference?
The clash against Spain looks the toughest from a technical standpoint. The Saudi team will need great tactical discipline and the ability to close down space and deny the opposition complete control of the game’s tempo.
Against Uruguay, the battle will be completely different. Physical intensity, one-on-one duels and second balls will dominate the match, making concentration and mental resilience crucial factors.
As for the clash with Cape Verde, it could be the match that decides the fate of the entire group. Such matches leave no room for hesitation as they often determine which teams will remain in the race and which will exit early.
The victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar remains fresh in Saudis’ memories as one of the greatest triumphs in Arab football. The victory carries an important lesson as well being a source of pride.
The World Cup does not reward the team that wins a single match but rather the team capable of maintaining its balance throughout the tournament. For this reason, Saudi Arabia in 2026 needs more than just a resounding surprise.
It needs consistency, the ability to manage difficult moments, and the capacity to come away from every match with the best possible outcome, be it three points, a single point, or even a defeat with limited damage.
Donis faces a different test
On the bench, Georgios Donis will face one of the biggest challenges of his coaching career.
His deep knowledge of Saudi football is a significant strength, but it will not be enough on its own in a tournament of the World Cup’s stature. What is required is not merely to prepare a competitive team, but to build a squad capable of handling shifting pressures, reading the big games, and capitalising on the opportunities afforded by the new format.
Donis’ real task is to turn memories into a competitive project, not a psychological burden that haunts the players. The return to the US carries a symbolism that is hard to ignore. It was there that Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup dream was born, and it was there that the finest chapter in the history of the ‘Green’ team’s participation was written.
But modern football does not recognise memories alone. What happened in 1994 may inspire, but it does not confer any advantage on the pitch. Past achievements light the way, but they do not walk it on behalf of those who achieved them.
Featured image via Catherine Ivill/ Getty Images
By Alaa Shamali
Politics
Jill Biden dismisses Democrats’ infighting concerns: ‘Things are going to move forward’
Former first lady Jill Biden waved away Democrats’ concerns that her new memoir is setting off a wave of backward-looking infighting, insisting that the party is moving on from the 2024 election.
“Democrats have a great future,” she said in an interview on Monday on NBC’s “Today,” when asked if she was “reopening old wounds” with her tour. “We’re looking forward to winning the midterms. Things are going to move forward. … And yes, we’re going to look back and learn from the mistakes we made.”
Jill Biden is on tour promoting her new memoir, which has become the latest headache for Democrats. Some Democrats privately say Jill Biden’s return to the public eye is a “distraction” that risks relitigating a painful election for the party when it should instead be focused on winning in the future.
In her book, she opens up about then-President Joe Biden’s disastrous, career-ending debate in 2024. She was “frightened” watching her husband on stage, and feared he was having a medical episode of sorts.
Her confession hasn’t landed well with fellow Democrats and former White House aides, given her relentless defense of Joe Biden at the time.
“I had to lift him up [after the debate]. I’m his wife,” she told NBC. “I’m not going to get out on the stage there and say, ‘Joe, you really screwed that up.’”
The press tour comes as Democrats are still reeling from their long-awaited autopsy of the 2024 presidential election. Its botched, typo-ridden release failed to explain Democrats’ defeat — and skipped over the former president’s age — but did spark a fresh round of party infighting.
Politics
How Many Wedding Guests Is Normal?
Congratulations are in order for singer Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner, who tied the knot in Old Marylebone Town Hall over the weekend.
Per The Sun, the “intimate” ceremony involved just eight guests and was followed by a small dinner.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Nikita Thorne, a wedding planning expert at Guides for Brides, said the Future Nostalgia singer’s low-key nuptials are part of a controversial “shift”.
Guest lists are getting shorter
“Since Covid, we’ve definitely seen a shift towards smaller, more intentional weddings,” Thorne told us.
“During the pandemic, couples were forced to strip weddings back, and for many people, I think that encouraged them to focus more on what genuinely mattered to them… Chic city weddings, private ceremonies and smaller guest lists are now often viewed as aspirational and stylish rather than a compromise.”
In 2025, The Economist wrote, town hall weddings in London’s popular Old Marylebone and Islington venues jumped 29% and 51% respectively.
No matter the venue, the expert said, guest lists seem to be shrinking.
“Currently, we are seeing a significant increase in couples only inviting those with whom they have a direct relationship, often leading to them excluding plus-ones, even when it’s a long-term partner of the guest invited,” Thorne shared.
“This is causing a lot of controversy, but from the couple’s point of view, [it] is understandable if they want the most stress-free wedding surrounded by those who know them well.”
How can I tell if my guest list is too big?
When I asked Thorne if she recommended an upper limit for wedding guests, she said it really depends on the couple.
“Some couples genuinely love the atmosphere and energy of a big wedding. On one hand, larger weddings naturally come with more hosting responsibilities and cost,” she said.
But “smaller weddings can feel more pressured as each guest has more time to spend with you,” too.
Some couples like the combination of a low-key ceremony followed by a more buzzy party (as with Charli XCX, whose wedding was also a town hall do, Dua Lipa and Callum Turner are rumoured to be planning a huge Italian bash later on).
“Be intentional with your guest list,” Thorne said.
“You want to feel relaxed, comfortable and genuinely happy with the people surrounding you on the day.”
Politics
The Health Benefits Of Drinking Three Cups Of Coffee A Day
If you think your morning cup of coffee is a “guilty habit,” you might want to think again.
Drinking up to about three or four cups of coffee a day has been linked to a longer life. Black coffee with no sugar in particular could help us live longer and age better. However, we aren’t definite about why that may be.
But a new paper published in Nutrients suggests researchers have found a clue: it seems to relate to a process involving protein NR4A1.
Why might coffee protect against the signs of ageing?
The scientists wanted to look at the link between coffee and NR4A1 receptors, which are involved in a range of biological processes from tissue repair to metabolism.
NR4A1 is “involved in protecting the body from stress-induced damage,” Prof Dr Stephen Safe, who co-wrote the study, said.
“If you damage almost any tissue, NR4A1 responds to bring that damage down.. If you take that receptor away, the damage is worse.”
After looking closer at both coffee and this protein, they found that some parts of the caffeinated drink, including compounds like caffeic acid, seemed to bind to NR4A1 and change its activity level.
“What we’re saying is that at least part of coffee’s health benefits may come through binding and activating this receptor,” Prof Dr Safe said.
They also saw that compounds in the coffee seemed to reduce cell damage and slow cancer cell growth in lab models, an effect that disappeared when NR4A1 was removed from cells.
This may explain the benefits of decaf coffee, too
The researchers found that caffeine might not actually be a major driver of these effects. Instead, other components seemed to matter more.
“Caffeine binds the receptor, but it doesn’t do much in our models. The polyhydroxy and polyphenolic compounds are much more active,” said Dr Safe.
Still, the professor said, this is likely only one of many ways the beverage might help to protect us from the effects of ageing.
“There are many receptors and many mechanisms involved,” he shared.
But this finding “helps explain why coffee has the effects that it does,” and may show “there’s a mechanism behind it.”
Politics
Politics Home | Mandelson Said The Starmer Operation Needed “Complete Revamp”, New Messages Show

The second tranche of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment were published on Monday (Alamy)
4 min read
The former UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, told a cabinet minister that Keir Starmer’s No 10 operation required a “complete revamp and infusion of purpose” in a series of WhatsApp messages last year, the latest tranche of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment show.
On Monday afternoon, the government published the second tranche of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment and tenure as UK ambassador to Washington.
The files, which number more than 1,000 pages, show that Mandelson said that Starmer is “consistently going for direction B” in a July 2025 exchange of messages with Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, who was then chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster.
In the messages, Mandelson told McFadden: “I went in to No 10 after I saw you. It is beleaguered and bereft. It requires complete revamp and infusion of purpose and confidence to get anywhere.”
While discussing staff in No 10, Mandelson suggested the team around Starmer “are not led and none of them really know what Keir thinks or wants. In fact most of them don’t think Keir knows what he wants”.
Mandelson was sacked from his role as UK ambassador to Washington in September 2025 after new details came to light about his relationship with the paedophile financier Jeffery Epstein. The former Labour peer later resigned from the House of Lords, with the government committing to removing his peerage.
Starmer later accused Mandelson of betraying the country and lying to Downing Street about the depth of his relationship with Epstein. The row led to the resignation of Starmer’s chief of staff and long-time ally Morgan McSweeney, and has contributed significantly to Labour MP unrest with the PM’s leadership.
Mandelson is currently being investigated by the police over allegations that he leaked confidential government documents to Epstein while he was a minister in the New Labour government.
In February, the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, tabled a humble address requesting the disclosure of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment and time as ambassador to Washington, with the first publication taking place in March.
Former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins was sacked following reports in April that Mandelson had not cleared the UK Security Vetting (UKSV) procedure for appointment as US ambassador in late January 2025, before starting the role the next month.
After leaving his position, Robbins accused No 10 of having had a “dismissive approach” to the vetting process.
Addressing the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, told MPs that the publication of the second tranche of documents had cost the Cabinet Office alone over £1m.
The files published on Monday also reveal that Mandelson told then-foreign secretary David Lammy in November 2024, ahead of his appointment, that Lammy would “never regret it” if he were to appoint Mandelson to the role of US ambassador.
Following the local elections in 2025, in which Reform UK made major gains, the files show McFadden asked Mandelson how Labour should fight Nigel Farage’s party, describing the results as “a shellacking”.
Mandelson suggested that Starmer should be more “Trumpian” in his approach.
“The problem is the government doesn’t give a sense of crusading to turn round and change Britain. That’s what I mean by panache, verve,” he messaged.
“It does start right from the top, I am afraid, but you must all contribute more to it by breaking out of the Whitehall system and mould and appearing less like business as usual conventional ministers and, dare I say it, behaving in a more Trumpian risk-taking and dare-devil way.
“At the moment ministers seem to be looking more to the Whitehall machine and the party base than to the public who are crying out for leadership.”
Other disclosures reveal that on the week of the government’s U-turn over winter fuel payments last year, McFadden told Mandelson in WhatsApp messages that the situation “doesn’t feel good for Keir”. Speaking about conversations with Labour MPs, McFadden said: “Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’. They’re asking the wrong questions”.
The government was forced to abandon reforms to the welfare system after large numbers of Labour MPs threatened to inflict what would have been a humiliating defeat on Starmer.
McFadden also told Mandelson that the government climbdown on welfare would “destroy his [Starmers] authority”.
Messages published today also reveal that Mandelson told McFadden that he thought the former health secretary Wes Streeting was having an “early mid-life crisis” after he raised concerns that Israel was “committing war crimes before our eyes”.
Politics
Columbia activists protest Israel president’s commencement speech
Approximately 40 Columbia University activists protested outside the Jewish Theological Seminary on May 19th as Israel President Isaac Herzog delivered a virtual commencement address.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered a virtual address at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s 2026 commencement May 19, calling for stronger ties between the Jewish diaspora and Israel as dozens of protesters gathered outside to denounce his involvement.https://t.co/6OZVRwoOcF
— Columbia Daily Spectator (@ColumbiaSpec) May 29, 2026
According to Columbia Daily Spectator:
Herzog had originally planned to speak in person, but JTS announced May 14 that he would instead deliver a prerecorded address due to unspecified circumstances that prevented his travel to New York City. His selection as commencement speaker drew backlash from pro-Palestinian Columbia affiliates and sparked some internal debate within the JTS community.
The protests were led by a few grassroots groups in New York, including Palestine Youth Movement NYC and the Columbia Intifada:
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Israel impunity
Their callout for the protest was a summary of Herzog’s genocidal actions:
Herzog oversees the indiscriminate bombardment, deliberate starvation, and state-sanctioned murder of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, the acceleration of new settlements and armed settler violence in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, the rapid curtailing of the civil rights of Palestinian citizens of the Zionist entity, and bombing campaigns in Lebanon, Iran, Syria, and Yemen. In the wake of the “israeli” Occupation Forces (iOF) ground offensive in Gaza in October 2023, Herzog actively encouraged the annihilation of the Palestinian people, stating: “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible.”
Earlier this year, when Herzog visited Australia, he was met with a big protest against his visit.
A massive protest against the visit of Israeli President Herzog to Australia pic.twitter.com/0mIUOhqyrI
— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) February 9, 2026
People are making it clear that war criminals aren’t welcome anywhere.
Featured image via Getty/Martin Ollman
By The Canary
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