Trial by Jury/A Matter of Misconduct review — modern farce meets G&S
Emma Jenkins's libretto channels Armando Iannucci's The Thick of It in its unflinching exposé of political error and human frailty. It even has a foul-mouthed Scot as a spin doctor, played gamely by Jamie MacDougall. Jenkins's language zings along — you have to take your hat off
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The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
I feel sexier than ever after op to shed 4lbs from saggy 34HH boobs says Rhian Sugden… as she reveals stunning results
THEY'VE been her calling card since she was 19, and earned her an army of loyal fans, but Rhian Sugden's famous boobs have also caused her years of pain. Just four weeks ago the former Page 3 girl went under the knife to have her natural 34HH cups reduced and lifted - and now she has exclusively unveiled her new look for The Sun. 12 And the 38-year-old - who previously revealed her boobs had ballooned after she became mum to 16-month-old George - is delighted with the results. 'I feel so much sexier,' she says. 'I'm definitely lighter. I feel like my posture is better already. My confidence is back and I can wear clothes I've not been able to wear before. 'I'm bigger all over after having George and getting married, because I got comfortable, but I'm all right with that now because my boobs are more in proportion with my body.' In a major operation, lasting four and a half hours and costing over £10,000, surgeons removed 'four coke cans worth' of tissue weighing 4.5lbs. 'I thought they actually removed the nipple, but they don't,' she reveals. 'They remove the lower part of your boob, pull your skin down and then basically, use a cookie cutter to pull your nipple back through. 'I've got a mole that was on my upper chest that is now down by the nipple. My nipples have come up by 12 cms.' Although she was nervous about the double procedure - a breast reduction and uplift in one - Rhian was initially worried they hadn't gone far enough when she came round from the surgery. 'I was still out of it because of the general anesthetic. And I remember looking down and thinking they had put an implant in, not because they were big but because they were so perky,' she says. 'When the nurse came out I said: 'Have you put an implant in?' And she said, 'No that's all you.' 'I was still shocked at the size of them when I came out but the swelling has gone down now, and I feel like they're settling in a bit more. 'I told them I wanted a significant reduction but I still wanted to be big, which didn't really make sense. 'They took a good amount but, as much as I wanted to be smaller, in hindsight, I probably would have been upset because my boobs are a big part of my life. Still a petite size 10, Rhian's cup size has shrunk to an F, a month after surgery, and she reveals her left side now matches her right for the first time in her life. 'My boobs were a whole cup size different. The right one was always bigger so I'd always have to have one arm up, in every photoshoot, to make them look even,' she says. 'Most models have a best side, facially, but I had a best side for my body, to disguise the unevenness of my boobs. 'I got to pick the size of my nipples' 'Now they are symmetrical for the first time in my life and it feels weird not having to lift my right arm any more. 'I also got to pick the size of my nipples so they are now smaller and more symmetrical.' Two decades as a glamour girl have left her with few inhibitions and just minutes after we meet she whips off her bra to show me the scars - which run incredibly neatly around the nipples and down the underside of her boobs. 'I'm really happy with how they look,' she beams. 'I think he's done a really good job. We chose our surgeon well.' Rhian previously revealed husband Oliver Mellor was not keen on the idea of a reduction - but she says he is chuffed with the results. 'Oliver was a bit nervous at first because he likes big boobs and he was worried about the scarring,' she says. 'But he can't believe how well they've turned out. He's very pleased with them. He says I look like Pammy (Anderson) again because they're so perky. They look good and they're still a good size. A decent handful for him.' Oliver was a bit nervous at first because he likes big boobs and he was worried about the scarring. But he can't believe how well they've turned out. He's very pleased with them Rhian Sugden A tiny size 6 when she shot to fame at 19, as one of the UK's best-loved glamour models, Rhian was a 32D cup, even then. And after tying the knot with former Coronation Street star Oliver in 2018, then going through six years of gruelling IVF treatment before conceiving George, she put on a few pounds - most of which went to her chest. 12 'I actually went for a consultation for a reduction before I had George, because I thought I was never going to have babies but Dr Hussein, at the Pall Mall Clinic in Warrington, said, 'I'm happy to do it, but I think we should wait another year, just in case.' 'Then I got pregnant with George and they were twice as big when I went back this time. When I took my top off he said 'Oh yes, they are….' and I said, 'saggy?' And he went, 'Yes',' she laughs. 'They got bigger and bigger while I was pregnant and didn't deflate and I really struggled to breastfeed because of the size of them. 'They were bigger than George's head and I was worried about suffocating him. And because one of my boobs is bigger than the other I only really breastfed on one side so that one grew massive. It was a nightmare. 'I've always loved having big boobs, so it's not that I hated them, but it got to the point where they were unbearable and was seriously affecting my life.' Before going under the knife, in June, she revealed she was in constant pain because of her 34HH cups and she was on daily pain killers. 'Out of proportion' 'They're just so heavy. My back is in bits all the time, my posture is getting worse and I just want to feel better in myself,' she said. 'No matter what size bras I bought, or how much scaffolding there was, the dents on my shoulders got worse.' Her 'out of proportion' figure also meant dresses were impossible to buy, vest tops were a no-no, and she lived in trouser suits and blazers to 'cover up my top.' But after turning up to our shoot braless and in a boob tube - which she tells us, excitedly, she could never wear before - she was thrilled to slip into a backless denim dress as well as slipping on a vest top and shorts combo, without feeling top heavy. 'I can't wait to buy a whole new wardrobe,' she says. 'Before the op, I was starting to hate how I looked because I was having to buy size 14 tops just to cover my chest and I'd look more overweight than I was. 'I hated going out. I hate having pictures taken, which is part of my job, so it wasn't ideal. I was ready to go down a C cup. That's how desperate I was.' No devoted parents, Rhian and Oliver spent £150,000 on eight tough rounds of IVF and went through a traumatic birth, but says the arrival of George 'took all the pain away'. But recovery from the boob op was difficult because she couldn't lift her son and 'had to sleep sitting up for two weeks.' 'That was hard, because we co-sleep with George so I had to go in the spare room, and I just couldn't get comfortable. 'I still can't lie on my side because my boobs feel like inflatable balls.' As a new mum, she was also worried she wouldn't be able to breastfeed a second baby, should she get pregnant again - but was reassured by surgeons that everything is still in working order. But, while Oliver is keen to try for a sibling for George, Rhian jokes that she wants to 'enjoy my new boobs for a while first.' She is also keen to share her new look with her 500k fans - despite being trolled by many including one who started 'demanding his money back' and claiming she was making the 'worst mistake of my life.' But, brimming with confidence and beaming with health and happiness, Rhian is confident her loyal followers will like what they see. 'A lot of people were saying, 'You're going to ruin your career' but it's an overhaul and, if anything, I'm hoping it's gonna get better, because I'm new and improved. I've just had a refurb. 'People love a natural boob and I'm still natural. But whatever they think, I feel better in myself I'm confident to just be me.'
Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Rachel Reeves challenges Cabinet to buy British
Rachel Reeves has challenged Cabinet ministers to do more to buy British as she seeks to boost flagging economic growth. The Chancellor and Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, sent out the message in a letter to the Cabinet. It urged ministers to use procurement contracts, which are in the Government's gift, to help generate jobs in the UK by supporting British companies. The intervention comes amid a consultation about whether rules can be changed to give the Government more freedom to give contracts to UK firms. Each year £400bn is spent in public sector procurement, meaning small changes in approach could have a significant impact. Ms Reeves is facing difficult economic circumstances in her Budget this autumn, with official growth forecasts halved for 2025. New tax rises appear increasingly inevitable given that pressure on the public finances has intensified and the Chancellor will not break her borrowing rules. Excerpts of the letter from Ms Reeves and Mr McFadden were shared with The Telegraph. The pair wrote: 'We want people around the UK to feel the full impact of government spending through investment in skills and high quality jobs. That's why we're going further to ensure public procurement expenditure boosts British industry, jobs, skills, productivity, and expands the supply side. 'Every department needs to be pulling this procurement lever to support economic growth and strengthen our economic security. It is possible to do this within our trade agreements, as other countries do.' They added: 'We are asking all Secretaries of State to satisfy themselves that your department, and arms length bodies, have the commercial capacity and capability to ensure the creation of British jobs, productivity enhancing opportunities, and skills are prioritised in every major contract.' They also told colleagues to 'set ambitious and stretching targets for increasing your procurement spend with SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) and social enterprises while stripping away requirements and processes that are barriers to these firms competing with established players'. At one point they wrote: 'Your commercial team is not a back office function – it is a strategic policy lever and must be a priority.' Ms McFadden was once Sir Tony Blair's political secretary and has emerged as a key confidant of Keir Starmer in recent years. As the most senior minister in the Cabinet Office he is overseeing cross-government attempts to tackle Whitehall bureaucracy and make savings in the civil service. Whether the rhetoric of Ms Reeves and Mr McFadden will lead to a step change in procurement approach remains to be seen. During the Conservatives' 14 years in office government ministers often talked publicly about the importance of using the Government machine to support British businesses. A consultation issued by the Cabinet Office is looking at changes to procurement rules that make it easier for the government to boost British industry. It will report back in September.
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
There won't be a wealth tax – but Rachel Reeves can't afford to rule it out just yet
Normally, when politicians decline to rule something out, a sceptical media and public believe they are about to do it. But there should be one exception to this rule. Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and other ministers are refusing to rule out introducing a wealth tax in this autumn's Budget, when the chancellor is likely to raise taxes by at least £20bn to stick within her fiscal rules. I'm told Starmer and Reeves will not bring in a new wealth tax, such as the 2 per cent levy on assets of more than £10m advocated by a growing number of Labour MPs and Neil Kinnock, the party's former leader, to raise £10bn. A wealth tax is an easy slogan and fits on to a banner. It would do nicely for the Starmer allies hoping to nudge him in a more progressive direction as he seeks a long overdue 'story' for his government. But Reeves and Starmer are not convinced. The chancellor thinks wealth taxes don't work. Twelve developed nations had them in 1990s but only three remain; only one, in Switzerland, brings in lots of money. Reeves burnt her own fingers by targeting non-doms – a process begun by Jeremy Hunt, the outgoing Tory chancellor. I'm told Reeves privately dismissed fears the rich would respond by leaving the UK, saying: "They always say that, but it never happens." It is happening, and she is now considering changing her plan to make worldwide assets, including those in foreign trusts, liable to inheritance tax. One government insider told me: 'People can choose where to pay their taxes. It's very easy to move countries and they are doing it.' A new wealth tax would be complex, take years to introduce and probably not be worth the candle. Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, said its study found such a tax would 'lower long-run growth and employment, thanks to a decline in foreign and domestic investment. It would make UK businesses more fragile and less competitive, and create strong incentives for capital reallocation and migration.' Why not just say no to a wealth tax now? Reeves offered one explanation to her Tory predecessor Norman Lamont at a Lords committee hearing this week. He told her he found it 'a bit strange' the government has not ruled out the move. Reeves replied that if she ruled out one tax rise, the media would move on to the next option, and assume that one was going to happen if she failed to rule it out. A fair point – but not her only reason. Reeves and Starmer need to build bridges with the parliamentary Labour Party after it filleted their welfare legislation, so rejecting a wealth tax now would inflame tensions. I suspect that when the Budget comes, Reeves and her allies will whisper to Labour MPs they are introducing a form of wealth tax through other measures, while avoiding headlines about implementing a specific one. Another reason not to rule out a wealth tax is to help message discipline. Labour certainly needs more of that: ministers unwittingly fuelled speculation about tax rises in media interviews by giving different definitions of "working people'. Far easier to say taxes are a matter for the Budget and we don't comment in advance. Some senior Labour figures think Reeves's reticence is because she is considering proposals that are close to being a wealth tax – for example, increasing property-based taxes. I think she should bring in higher council tax bands for the most expensive properties. It's ludicrous that this tax is based on 1991 property values, and that in England, people in homes valued at more than £320,000 pay the same amount in their local authority. Reform could be sold as a genuine levelling up measure the Tories flunked as it would cut bills in the north and Midlands while raising them in the south. Alternatively, Reeves could increase capital gains tax for the second Budget running, perhaps by bringing it into line with income tax rates, which are higher. Some in government favour a rise in income tax with the money earmarked for defence, as I have suggested. Another option is to raise the top rate of income tax from 45 per cent to 50 per cent. But both ideas would leave Labour open to the charge of breaching its manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. Reeves could argue that circumstances had changed in a more dangerous world. But breaking its promise might be a step too far for an already deeply unpopular PM and party. I don't think there will be a wealth tax. However, the rich shouldn't celebrate. The Budget will increase existing taxes on the wealthy, in line with the government's mantra of protecting "working people", while ensuring 'those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest burden'. Health warning: creating losers is not pain-free for them or the government, as Reeves discovered when she brought in the ' family farms tax '. But reforming some taxes under a better banner – 'fair tax' – is her best shot.
