Nigel Farage faces a parliamentary investigation over a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, allegedly used for a £1.4m property bought in cash, amid claims of undeclared interests and conflicting reasons for the gift.
Steve Reed has dismissed 15 Labour MPs who voted with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's motion calling for Starmer to be referred to the privileges committee as 'usual suspects'. The housing secretary played down the prospect of the rebels having the whip withdrawn, saying '99% of us are united with the prime minister'. Only 15 of 53 Labour MPs who did not take part in the division actually voted with Badenoch. Starmer faces his final PMQs of the 2024-26 parliamentary session today before parliament prorogues at 1.15pm.
No 10 deploys full weight to block parliamentary inquiry bid as MPs warn PM running out of political capitalKeir Starmer has seen off a major Labour rebellion over a bid to force a parliamentary investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson, but many of his own MPs warned he was running out of political capital.After Downing Street deployed its full weight to force Labour MPs to block a referral to the privileges committee over the scandal, some angrily accused Starmer of leaving them facing accusations of a “cover-up”. Continue reading...
MPs have voted against a parliamentary investigation into whether Sir Keir Starmer misled the Commons over vetting of Lord Mandelson for ambassador to the US. The motion, brought by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and supported by Liberal Democrats, SNP, DUP and independents, was defeated by 335 votes to 223, a majority of 112. The motion outlined three areas where the PM may have misled the House regarding the appointment.
Sir Keir Starmer will not face a parliamentary investigation after MPs rejected a Conservative motion to refer him to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled Parliament about the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. The government secured victory after summoning Labour MPs campaigning in Scotland back to Westminster. Some Labour MPs criticized the handling, with one saying it risks looking like a 'cover-up'. Lord Mandelson was sacked in September 2025 after new information emerged about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
