Stories from london · United Kingdom

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee is hearing evidence from former Number 10 Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney this morning. McSweeney resigned from his position in February following his role in the appointment of Mr. Mandelson. A vote for an inquiry is expected today, which could impact the political future of Keir Starmer. The proceedings follow discussions regarding whether the appointment was a political stunt ahead of local elections on May 7th. The UK House of Commons decided via a vote on April 28 not to dismiss the investigation into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament regarding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the United States. The decision follows parliamentary scrutiny over the appointment process.

Education Minister Olivia Bailey announced last night that the government will impose age or functionality restrictions for children under 16. These measures may include curfews, which would be implemented in addition to other restrictions. The announcement follows claims that Parliament was misled regarding the issue.

Members of Parliament are scheduled to question a civil servant and former chief of staff to Sir Keir Starmer regarding the hiring of Peter Mandelson. Conservative leader Kemi Badenock has urged Labour MPs to support the move. Downing Street described the situation as unpleasant for Starmer. The debate in the House of Commons has commenced following discussions with Sir Philip Barton and Morgan McSweeney. Allegations suggest Starmer misled the House by claiming the full procedure was followed for Lord Mandelson's appointment. Former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney admitted it was a mistake to bring Mandelson in as ambassador to the US. McSweeney stated he was wrong to advise the prime minister to send Mandelson to Washington. Sikir allegedly stated that full vetting procedures were followed, which former Tory Minister David Davis disputes.

Shell reported underlying profits of just over $3.1 billion for the first three months of the year. The company expects upstream production to fall in the second quarter compared to the start of the year due to disruptions. BP is planning to reduce hybrid corporate bond financing to lower its debt load. Higher oil prices contributed to the increased profit. This figure is more than $0.5 billion higher than analyst estimates. Higher energy prices and market turmoil caused by the Iran War lifted the results. The growth was driven primarily by the company's trading division. The surge was driven by rising energy prices and oil trading gains linked to Middle East conflicts and the Iran war. The company attributed the increase to high oil prices and higher production in the Gulf of Mexico. BP announced these results from its headquarters in London.

Clair's Accessories has ceased operations, resulting in the loss of over one thousand jobs. Christian May from City AM is discussing the business implications of the closure. The event marks the end of the company's operations, according to the report. The business news segment discussed the impact of these job losses. The scale of the workforce reduction is cited as exceeding 1,000 positions. Research indicates many businesses in this sector are operating at a breaking point, with some managing day-to-day or week-to-week. The closures follow a pattern of instability in the sector.

The United Kingdom released findings from a year-long review into the AUKUS security partnership. The report was broadly supportive of the endeavor but detailed the scale of resources required for delivery. One commentator described the report as a wake-up call regarding the state of UK defense capabilities. The report expressed broad support for the initiative while highlighting the scale required for its delivery. The findings serve as an examination of the current state of the endeavor, specifically regarding the UK's role in defense.

The United Kingdom has expressed doubts regarding the current viability of the AUKUS security pact. Officials stated that changes are necessary to ensure the delivery of the agreement. There is reported support for these measures from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UK defense personnel. President Trump described the AUKUS initiative as being "full steam ahead." The call for contingencies aims to address potential delivery challenges. The UK government has developed contingency plans to address potential fuel shortages this summer following warnings from the International Energy Agency. The plans would allow airlines to reduce flight schedules in advance without forfeiting valuable take-off and landing slots at major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham. Currently, carriers must utilize slots at least 80% of the time to avoid losing them.

BP reported a first-quarter net income of $3.20 billion, exceeding market estimates. The company's oil trading performance in the first quarter was described as exceptional. Results confirm the company is well positioned to capitalize on disruptions in global energy markets triggered by ongoing conflict.

Survivors are calling for the British royal family to take accountability regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Winsor's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The former prince denies any wrongdoing. A survivor from New Jersey stated she met Epstein when she was 21 years old.

Sir Philip Barton, a former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, is scheduled to give evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee at 9 a.m. Morgan McSweeney, the former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, is also expected to testify at 11 a.m. Both individuals are expected to face questioning regarding potential pressure from Number 10. This follows a period of political scrutiny involving high-level officials.