
ANDREW PIERCE: Has Miliband's EdStone finally found a home?
Miliband had vowed to install it in the Downing Street rose garden 'as a reminder of our duty to keep Labour's promises' but, after he was defeated by David Cameron 's Tories, it disappeared without trace.
So imagine my surprise when I came across the monument to Miliband's vanity at the Nevill Holt Festival, on the estate of Carphone Warehouse founder David Ross, where I was interviewing Mail columnist Sarah Vine about her compelling book How Not To Be A Political Wife.
Alas, I hadn't got a scoop. The stone was an imitation commissioned by Ross.
Money talks for Rishi
Since his general election defeat last July, Rishi Sunak has been only a fleeting visitor to the Commons and has steered clear of set-piece speeches.
Perhaps he's been saving his voice for his lucrative engagements abroad. For just three speaking events since April, he's trousered a cool half a million pounds. Two speeches in America and one in South Korea yielded £161,000, £156,000 and £188,000. Not bad work if you can get it.
Commons Tea Room tantrums are breaking out over young politicians bringing their offspring into the hallowed 'MPs only' watering hole.
As one veteran Member fumed: 'It's ridiculous... What's wrong with the nursery, for God's sake?'
Political hacks at Westminster love a leak – but they are getting fed up with the one in the main gents loo in the Press Gallery. The facilities have been closed for weeks.
One frustrated journalist sighed: 'We all know Whitehall leak inquiries are designed to take ages and get nowhere but this is beyond a joke.'
While the world teetered on the brink of war in the Middle East, MPs went to a yoga class organised by Tory MP Bob Blackman to mark International Yoga Day last Thursday. Contorting yourself into implausible positions while saying 'Umm'? It's natural for politicians.
Take with a pinch of salt Lib Dem pearl-clutching about the national inquiry into grooming gangs being overdue. When a vote was held on the issue in January, the 72 Lib Dem MPs abstained.
Brian's no fan of Starmer
Labour luvvie Brian Cox, treading the boards in his home city of Dundee, is unhappy with Sir Keir Starmer.
The Succession star, who is playing economist Adam Smith in Make It Happen, a play about the Royal Bank of Scotland, says: 'Everything for Starmer is England. He talks about England. I'm sick of it. I'm fed up. He talks about English football.'
Following a string of bad results under new England manager Thomas Tuchel, Cox can take some consolation from the fact that, these days, Starmer has less to crow about.
TV producer Linda McDougall was at the launch of Iain Dale's book about Margaret Thatcher when an acquaintance inquired: 'How is Austin?' McDougall laughed like a drain and said her Labour MP husband Austin Mitchell was 'still dead'.
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Glasgow Times
20 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Thankful to PM Keir Starmer for the warm welcome at Chequers. Our discussions reflect a shared commitment to deepen India-UK ties across sectors.@Keir_Starmer — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the Government was doing 'all we possibly can' (Ben Whitley/PA) 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'


North Wales Chronicle
34 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Thankful to PM Keir Starmer for the warm welcome at Chequers. Our discussions reflect a shared commitment to deepen India-UK ties across sectors.@Keir_Starmer — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'

Leader Live
35 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Thankful to PM Keir Starmer for the warm welcome at Chequers. Our discussions reflect a shared commitment to deepen India-UK ties across sectors.@Keir_Starmer — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 24, 2025 Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'