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The Latest Breaking News from Helen Macnamara

We’re former No 10 insiders – ask us anything about Labour’s future, Reform, the Greens, and what’s next for Keir Starmer

ASK ME ANYTHING: In The Room hosts and former Whitehall insiders Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson answer your questions on local elections, Keir Starmer’s future, the Mandelson files, civil service drama, and whether Nigel Farage could really be our next prime minister

The Independent UK

Voices: How King Charles survived a rogue ambassador’s storm among the teacups to dazzle Trump

COMMENT: Even an awkward bit of friendly fire in the form of leaked comments which emerged from the UK’s own ambassador to the US couldn’t take the sheen off the King's charm offensive, says Helen MacNamara

The Independent UK

Keir Starmer ‘threw Olly Robbins under the bus’ in wake of Mandelson vetting row

Exclusive: Helen MacNamara calls Starmer’s decision to sack Olly Robbins ‘unacceptable’

The Independent UK

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Voices: The government’s in big trouble – here are the 5 things I’d do to fix it

COMMENT: From farming to fuel, the warning signs are already here, says ‘In the Room’ co-host Helen MacNamara. What we need is crisis planning, which is about imagination, not optimism. Right now, the UK risks lacking in both

The Independent UK

Voices: Morgan McSweeney and the classic mistake he made with his mobile phone

COMMENT: A petty theft – of the kind that happens every day on Westminster streets – has prompted an outbreak of conspiracy theories and added to public mistrust. But the loss of the former chief of staff’s work device has also shone an unflattering light on those who should be…

The Independent UK

Ministers were stockpiling French wine days before Brexit deadline as ‘no deal’ exit loomed

Britain came close to leaving the European Union without a trade deal under Boris Johnson’s leadership

The Independent UK

What happened to Morgan McSweeney’s phone?

Former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former No.10 special adviser, react to the news that Morgan McSweeney’s phone was snatched in London.

The Independent UK

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Voices: How Farage and Cameo showed British politics is up for sale

COMMENT: From personalised videos to crypto ventures, the UK’s politicians are increasingly turning influence into income – and blurring the line between public service and private gain, says Cleo Watson

The Independent UK

Mandelson files deconstructed: How 147 pages add up to very little

In this clip from the latest episode of In The Room, Helen and Cleo report back after combing through the first Mandelson file drop, page by page – and find it coming up rather short.

The Independent UK

‘You try to identify how much trouble you will personally be in’: Inside government at a time of crisis

Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson from The Independent’s ‘In the Room’ podcast lift the lid on life inside government

The Independent UK

Former deputy cabinet secretary reveals the inner workings of Cobra meetings

As the US-Iran war rumbles on, Keir Starmer will be spending his days dashing in and out of lots of important meetings, including Cobra (which actually stands for ‘cabinet office briefing rooms’ – the origins of the ‘A’ remains a bit of a mystery).

The Independent UK

The good, the bad and the tour bus: Inside the not so glamorous world of by-elections

Ministers, MPs and campaigners from all parties have been trawling Gorton and Denton ahead of the by-election

The Independent UK

5 new podcasts to listen to this week

These are our top podcast picks.

The Independent UK

‘Dread ekes out of the walls’: How it feels to work in No 10 during a crisis

In this clip from The Independent’s In The Room podcast, hosts Helen and Cleo reflect on their memories of how ominous No 10 can feel when the government is in crisis.

The Independent UK

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The Guardian - UK

The quiet, matter-of-fact takeover of women holding senior economist roles

From Rachel Reeves to the MPC, and thinktanks to unions and lobby groups, many of the authoritative voices we hear discussing economics are female

Evening Standard

Out by Tim Shipman review: An epic political saga draws to a close

At the launch of the final part of his magisterial Brexit quartet, author Tim Shipman offered three reasons why differing political groups should read it. The first were those still reeling from the Out result. The second were those who passionately wanted to get Out and blamed everyone else for…

The National (Scotland)

Nicola Sturgeon showed Tories 'how to do it' during Covid, top UK civil servant says

NICOLA Sturgeon was showing the Tory government “how to do it” during the Covid pandemic, according to WhatsApp messages sent by the UK’s most…

The Guardian - UK

‘Eat out to help out’ launched without telling official in charge, Covid inquiry hears

Simon Case, who was responsible for Covid policy at time, calls Boris Johnson’s Downing Street the ‘worst governing ever seen’

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The Guardian - UK

Overhaul UK ministers’ ethics system, cross-party commission urges

Group draws up 100 proposals, including that ministers swear oath to uphold a new code of standards

The Conversation

Being an 'authentic' CEO is a job in itself for women

Late last year I ended an almost six-year stint as a public- and policy-facing CEO in London to move to the countryside and work part-time. Prior to that, I’d spent three decades rising up the ranks in the media and university leadership. It has taken a clean break from the…

The Guardian - UK

Women’s voices barely heard in Boris Johnson’s No 10, Covid inquiry told

Inquiry hears of ‘macho and egotistical’ climate in which women spoke for as little as 10 minutes in five hours of key meetings

The Independent UK

Boris Johnson at the Covid inquiry: Key takeaways from WhatsApps to Hancock

The former prime minister has refused to criticise those working alongside him during the pandemic, insisting he takes ‘personal responsibility for all the decisions’ his government made

The Guardian - UK

Covid inquiry: 10 questions facing Boris Johnson

The former prime minister will come under scrutiny and these are the pressing issues

The Independent UK

The Covid ‘charge sheet’ facing ex-health secretary Matt Hancock as he appears at Inquiry

The most consistent criticism of Mr Hancock has been that he repeatedly lied or misled ministers and officials during the pandemic

Evening Standard

OPINION - Hang on, where have all the powerful women gone in Rishi Sunak's reshuffle?

I don’t think the reshuffle really matters (I’ll explain why in a bit) but I am wondering whether it’s such great news that it’s all blokes at the top of the batting order again. A guest on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour this week pointed out that when a woman…

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