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The Latest Breaking News from Helen Macnamara

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

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

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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

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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

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

The Guardian - UK

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…

Evening Standard

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 National (Scotland)

‘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’

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 Guardian - UK

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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

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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…

The Guardian - UK

Westminster is rife with ‘entitlement syndrome’. During Covid it cost lives

I recognise this from my time in cabinet, says Justine Greening, former education secretary

The Guardian - UK

In Boris Johnson’s Lord of the Flies fraternity, women were there to be talked over or banished

It’s little wonder that No 10’s misogyny had fatal consequences for the female population

The Guardian - UK

Cummings vs MacNamara: the backstage clash at the heart of the UK’s Covid response

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser and senior civil servant traded blows at the pandemic inquiry last week, describing horrifying levels of government chaos. The irony was how often their assessments agreed

The Guardian - UK

How shutting women out of decision-making hampered UK Covid response

Helen MacNamara painted a picture of a homogenous, unpleasant top table. Experts says this lack of diversity can matter beyond the workplace itself

The Guardian - UK

Another truth from the Covid inquiry: women were being ignored over ill-fitting PPE long before the pandemic

NHS England denied there was a problem with unisex equipment. But it was well known that most neither fits nor protects female healthcare workers, says feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez

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