Mandrake

TIM WALKER looks at how Labour votes could keep Dominic Raab in his Esher and Walton seat, and how Lib Dem votes could unseat Labour’s Rosie Duffield in Canterbury. With Hugh Grant, Gina Miller, Lord Heseltine and Alastair Campbell, among so many others, hitting the campaign trail, Mandrake decided this was no time to be […]

As Jeremy Corbyn publishes his latest tax return, why won’t Boris Johnson? And what will Paul Dacre do to the i newspaper? DMG Media, whose editor-in-chief is former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, has bought the i newspaper. Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images – Credit: Getty Images Mandrake had to give Boris Johnson quite a few […]

Tories secretive about key funders, John Sweeney challenges BBC about why it dropped Arron Banks investigation and more hot air from Charles Moore. After eyebrows were raised when it turned out that the largest single donation the Tories received in the first week of the election campaign had come from Russia with love – £200,000 […]

Theresa May’s old chief of staff is eager to raise his profile as he tries to make a new career in consulting, Dan Hannan promotes The New European and why timing was everything for Sir Michael Fallon Although the government is finding it increasingly hard to find ‘cannon fodder’ for television current affairs programmes, Lord […]

Sarah Vine started row with Hugh Grant; another day, another outrage from Rod Liddle; and why the Telegraph is unlikely to acknowledge Christopher Booker’s groupthink book. Sarah Vine, supposedly Michael Gove’s “better half,” has added her twopenn’orth on the subject of Hugh Grant declining to shake Sajid Javid’s hand at an event to promote Martin […]

White’s club has become the Brextremists’ staff canteen, Highways England’s political messaging and the latest on Sunday Times ‘monkeygate’ scandal. Gina Miller said newspaper columnists should take responsibility for radicalising individuals. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA – Credit: PA Wire/PA Images Brextremists love Mosley’s club It says everything about how elitist and out of touch Boris Johnson’s […]

Sunday Times expected to apologise to Gina Miller for calling her a monkey, richest MP Zac Goldsmith loses money on his investments, and Boris Johnson abandons Carrie Symonds’ diet. Gina Miller was loudly applauded at last week’s Pink News Awards at Church House in Westminster when she asked how Boris Johnson could possibly portray himself […]

Former Daily Mail editor shocks executives with ‘suicide note’ attacking his successor… and Andrew Bridgen’s day out courtesy of Arron Banks. Brextremists may be notorious for being laws unto themselves, but it remains to be seen how much longer Lord Rothermere will be willing to tolerate Paul Dacre on his payroll as his ‘editor-in-chief’ now […]

Nicky Morgan tipped for an honour after switching sides in Brexit debate, Liam Fox’s nice little earner and Paul Dacre is consoled by John Humphrys. John Humphrys on Radio 4’s Today programme. Photograph: BBC. – Credit: Archant On Newsnight last week, Emily Maitlis was more than justified in asking Nicky Morgan the question “what has […]

Mark Mardell slapped down by bosses for apologising for talking about ‘People v Parliament’ election; new book reveals what’s more extreme than Priti Patel; and Boris Johnson meets The New European’s boss. BBC Radio 4 presenter Mark Mardell apologised for talking about the “people versus parliament election” without attribution or qualification. Picture: BBC – Credit: […]

TIM WALKER hears the prime minister’s routine is ‘leisurely’ to say the least, while the Tories are struggling to find the cash for a general election. Boris Johnson may have claimed to be working non-stop – “I burn the candles at both ends” – but within Downing Street I hear his routine is considered to […]

Mail boss is concerned about Paul Dacre’s Channel 4 show, Question Time undervalues Ken Clarke and David Cameron’s easy ride promoting his memoirs, says TIM WALKER. Paul Dacre’s relationship with his proprietor Lord Rothermere – already strained by his defenestration as editor of the Daily Mail – has taken a further turn for the worse. […]

Lord Rothermere’s non-dom tax status will be preserved if the UK leaves EU, Liam Fox gains weight but no job and Adam Boulton defends press freedom. Daily Mail chairman Viscount Rothermere giving evidence to the Privacy and Injunctions Joint Committee at the House of Commons in London. – Credit: PA Archive/PA Images For a supposedly […]

Journalism proves unrewarding for Michael Gove’s wife, David Cameron hopes Sophie Raworth will prove a soft touch at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and Boris Johnson banks his last £15,524.52 from the Barclay Brothers. No one, including Forbes magazine, has ever doubted Sarah Vine trousers a substantial six-figure salary writing her shouty Daily Mail column. New […]

Dominic Raab joins Boris Johnson and Steve Baker in accepting taxpayer-funded payoffs for quitting; New PM sensitive that he is not loved; and David Cameron is reading Why Nations Fall. Brexit quitters quids in Outside of the Brextremist wonderland, when people choose to quit their jobs they seldom, if ever, trouser a pay-off. That will […]

Joan Bakewell says Stanley Johnson, like Boris, is unprincipled and he’s not dared to show his face at her book club. Brexit convert Jo Johnson is, meanwhile, trousering £4,167 a month from Switzerland. Joan Bakewell attending the Virgin Media BAFTA TV awards, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Picture: Matt Crossick/PA Wire – […]

Johnson’s personal protection team is the biggest yet, says TIM WALKER, with civil unrest expected if the new prime minister goes through with a no-deal Brexit In what appears to be a tacit admission of his unpopularity, Boris Johnson has agreed with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection team – a division of the Metropolitan Police […]

TIM WALKER explores; Why David Cameron will not be promoting his book for Rupert Murdoch at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, Christopher Booker’s funeral proves awkward for the Telegraph, and Leave.EU remains a licence to lose money. Leave campaigner Arron Banks. Picture: PA/ Victoria Jones – Credit: PA Archive/PA Images When it comes to picking Britain’s […]

Christopher Booker, the Telegraph columnist, died believing the Barclay brothers had ‘wrecked’ his newspaper and had a hand in wrecking the country. Ian Hislop. Photograph by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images. – Credit: Getty Images Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay – the pro-Brexit owners of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph – have not for the […]

Boris Johnson shows no interest in David Davis’s Brexit ‘solution,’ Lord Bell bails out of The Great British Brexit Company, and is the morality of the Daily Telegraph’s £270,000-a-year columnist causing concern to the Barclay brothers? Although ostensibly still backing Boris Johnson for the Tory leadership, David Davis’s advice to him ahead of the weekend’s […]

Our diary reveals how the man tipped to be PM was banned from an entire floor of the European Commission building after lewd behaviour with a photocopier, what Jacob Rees-Mogg was paid for his ‘mind-bogglingly banal’ book, and Michael Gove’s dubious background as an ‘environmentalist.’ MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) – Credit: […]

Outsted Mail chief Paul Dacre and May’s former chief of staff tipped for honours; Michael Gove talks on D-Day of his sacrifice; and how Steve Baker can live in the lap of luxury in the heart of Westminster. Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, who is bidding to succeed Sir Vince Cable as the party’s leader. […]

Ed Davey says resurgent Lib Dems must take a ‘robust’ approach to getting airtime commensurate with their vote share, Paul Dacre’s salary goes up after ceasing to be Daily Mail’s editor, and Rupert Murdoch fixes it for two of his journalists to meet Donald Trump The Lib Dems are to demand a meeting with Lord […]

David Cameron’s ‘sorrow’ for Theresa May didn’t extend to putting in a phone call, how Boris Johnson is raking in £1 million a year, and hail and farewell, Sir Vince Cable. Although David Cameron professed on television to have felt “desperately sorry” for Theresa May on the day she made her tearful farewell speech outside […]

Today editor Sarah Sands repays debt to former Telegraph chief, Nigel Farage all powerful as boss of the Brexit Party Ltd, BJ4PM won’t end well and will it be July 15 when Theresa May finally goes? Lord Heseltine departs after a visit to 10 Downing Street. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA. – Credit: PA Archive/PA Images Sarah […]

Andrew Marr, Laura Kuenssberg and Kirsty Wark are being touted as ‘specialist Brexit speakers’ by a leading speaking agency; Dame Maggie Smith points an accusing finger at Lord Howard; and why Gina Miller knows how to offer relationship advice. If many of the BBC’s top presenters seem to be revelling in the never-ending Brexit saga, […]

Steve Bannon appoints Michael Seed as chaplain to his controversial right wing institute, David Cameron competes with his former ‘gatekeeper’ to get his memoirs out first, the Today show silences another Remain voice and the Daily Express says ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to Gina Miller Michael Seed – the so-called ‘priest to the stars’ who […]

David Cameron is not prepared to risk a promotional tour for his memoirs that coincides with Brexit happening, Michael Gove builds up war chest for leadership campaign, BBC irks staff by putting in for diversity and inclusion award and how Greta Thunberg rendered Lord Lawson speechless. Swedish environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty […]