Starmer tells Andrew: Testify or you’re failing Epstein victims | Rayner secures £1million war chest to kick out Starmer | Trump fears Chagos deal will leave US base vulnerable to Chinese spy boats | Labour MP who railed against housing shortage lives in council flat The post Newslinks for Sunday 1st February 2026 appeared first on Conservative Home.
Starmer tells Andrew: Testify or you’re failing Epstein victims
“Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be failing victims if he continues to refuse to testify about his relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The prime minister urged the former prince to give evidence before a US congressional committee that first requested his testimony in November. “Epstein’s victims have to be the first priority,” he said. The remarks signal a significant increase in the political pressure on the disgraced royal. Starmer had said en route to the G20 summit three months ago that he would not comment on whether Andrew should respond to Congress’s request as “in the end, that will be a decision for him”. He made his changed position clear on the final leg of his visit to China and Japan on Saturday after millions of new documents were released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ).” – Sunday Times
- Starmer calls on Andrew to testify – Observer
- Mandelson pictured in his underwear in Epstein files – Sunday Telegraph
- Epstein sent thousands of pounds to Mandelson’s husband, emails show – FT
- Mandelson facing fresh calls to be stripped of peerage – Sun on Sunday
Rayner secures £1million war chest to kick out Starmer
“Angela Rayner has secured a ‘war chest’ of more than £1million to fund her bid to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, her allies have claimed. Amid growing expectations that Sir Keir will soon face a challenge to his leadership, the former deputy prime minister has moved her stealth operation up a gear, with sources also saying she has started to promise Cabinet jobs to her supporters. It comes as Ms Rayner has set up a new company called The Office of Angela Rayner Ltd to conduct her business. An ally said Ms Rayner had been cultivating donors as part of a ‘personal charm offensive’ since she was forced to resign from the Cabinet five months ago over her underpayment of stamp duty. The ally said: ‘She has received more than a million in firm pledges and is ready to go.’ – Mail on Sunday
- Rayner launches campaign to replace Starmer – Sunday Express
Comment
- PM saw off Burnham – but his problems are only just beginning – Editorial, Mail on Sunday
- Where’s Reeves? U-turns suggest her power may be waning – Josh Glancy, Sunday Times
- Starmer is repeating my mistake. He must focus on growth – Rishi Sunak, Sunday Times
- Badenoch is wrong – the Tories are lost without a Left – Ian Birrell, Sunday Telegraph
- Tories have forgotten what it takes to prosper – Camilla Cavendish, FT
- The cowardice of Britain’s leaders is why Brexit is not more popular six years on – Daniel Hannan, Sunday Telegraph
Trump fears Chagos deal will leave US base vulnerable to Chinese spy boats
“The White House is concerned that Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands will expose the United States to spying by Chinese boats. Senior members of Donald Trump’s administration fear handing control over the waters around the Diego Garcia military base to China-allied Mauritius would open the door to espionage by sea. It is thought that Beijing operates a fleet of vessels disguised as fishing boats to carry out espionage missions in its neighbours’ exclusive economic zones. Mr Trump is under rising pressure to sink the deal for good, with allies attempting to convince him that the Chagos deal would compromise a vital military asset in the Indian Ocean.” – Sunday Telegraph
- Inside Starmer’s battle to convince White House that his Chagos deal isn’t stupid – Sunday Telegraph
- Xi’s corruption purge to make army ready to invade Taiwan – Sunday Telegraph
- How Starmer’s ‘weak and meek’ state visit performance emboldened China – Sunday Telegraph
- Starmer is convinced his big bet on China will pay off – Sunday Times
- Starmer’s China trip thaws relations with Beijing but spurs criticism at home – FT
- Trump warns Starmer against closer business ties with China – FT
Comment
- Starmer can restore trust in the special relationship by halting the Chagos deal – John Kennedy, Sunday Telegraph
- Starmer’s visit to Beijing was a humiliation – Editorial, Sunday Telegraph
- PM apologises in China, and in return? A telling-off – Camilla Long, Sunday Times
- Starmer’s trip to Beijing was a surrender not a breakthrough – Tom Tugendhat, Sun on Sunday
- It is time for Trump to act against Iran – Editorial, Sunday Telegraph
>Today:
Labour MP who railed against housing shortage lives in council flat
“A Labour MP who decried the lack of affordable homes in her constituency is living in a council flat, The Telegraph can reveal. Apsana Begum, who earns a salary of £94,000 as the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, in east London, has spoken out about the “housing crisis across London” and rising rates of homelessness. But The Telegraph can reveal that she continues to live in a council flat, despite admitting almost five years ago that she “probably” did not need it any more. On Saturday, the Tories said Ms Begum’s “hypocrisy is staggering”. Ms Begum’s council flat is in the borough of Tower Hamlets, which stipulates that any single person or couple earning over £90,000 are not eligible to apply for council housing.” – Sunday Telegraph
- Almost 1,000 new disability claimants will sign on every day under Labour – Sunday Telegraph
- Council ‘can’t afford’ elections… but spends £30k on migrants’ mental health – Sunday Telegraph
- Tower Hamlets councillor runs for election… 5,000 miles from London – Sunday Telegraph
Other political news
- Starmer called for ‘mandatory’ investigations into Iraq veterans – Sunday Telegraph
- Rayner’s bill to make landlords fix cladding is delayed – Sunday Times
- Churchwarden linked to foreign-born billionaire is behind £200k Reform gift – Sunday Times
News in Brief
- Power with responsibility – David Shipley, The Critic
- Badenoch’s favourite book is the perfect choice – Philip Hensher, The Spectator
- Maternity care in England is broken – who will fix it? – Theo Clarke, CapX
- How Trump keeps Europe weak – Thomas Fazi, UnHerd
- Sánchez: Europe’s left-wing icon – Adam Rasmi, New Statesman
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