Speaker Hoyle again in the news as PM-privilege drama swirls around Mandelson links; MP for Chorley since 1997, Speaker since 2019.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged he was wrong to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington after learning this week that Mandelson had failed security vetting and that Foreign Office officials had overruled that recommendation without informing ministers. Starmer has sacked top official Olly Robbins, will brief Parliament, and is facing calls for inquiry and possible Privileges scrutiny.
Sir Alex Younger, who led MI6 from 2014 to 2020, has died at 62 after a cancer diagnosis. Colleagues and politicians have paid tribute, highlighting his openness and efforts to broaden recruitment beyond traditional norms.
The King’s Birthday Honours recognise Sir Kevin Sinfield for his MND fundraising, alongside six Lionesses MBEs and other figures, as part of a broader push to reflect community contributions in honours lists.