Former Labour deputy leader and co-host of the Election Dysfunction podcast Harriet Harman writes for The Mirror after Keir Starmer was forced to sack Peter Mandelson as the UK’s envoy to Washington
Next week President Trump is coming for a state visit. He’ll be hosted at Windsor rather than Buckingham Palace to avoid demos and he won’t be coming to Parliament because his visit has been fixed for when the Commons is closed.
But there will be red carpets, parades, bands and banquets as behind all the ceremonials, this is serious and we need the occasion to be a big success. The Prime Minister was right to flourish the invitation from the King to Trump at their meeting. He needed to establish a good relationship with Trump and it worked.
As Trump threatened global economic growth with tariffs, we got off relatively lightly. The special relationship between the US and the UK is as important as ever. They are a crucial defence and security partner. Our intelligence services share secrets. Our armed forces train and work together.
The US is crucial for our economy. We need to be able to sell them our cars and whisky. And we need them to work with us and our other allies to end the appalling violence in the Middle East and push back Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
READ MORE: PAUL ROUTLEDGE: ‘Peter Mandelson keeps making same mistake – now it’s got him sacked’READ MORE: Peter Mandelson must ‘pack his bags’ from Lords after sacking over ‘Epstein emails’
Trump loves the royal family. The King and Queen, the Prime Minister and everyone who’s anyone will be there. But one who won’t is our ambassador to the US because Keir Starmer has sacked him. And rightly so.
I never thought it was a good idea to appoint Mandelson as our envoy to Washington. He’d already been sacked twice from government, so why risk it for a third time? But even I could not believe that he’d written to his millionaire friend Jeffrey Epstein offering him love and support when he was in prison awaiting trial for more crimes, when he’d already been convicted of sex offences against young girls.
Anyone who watched the TV documentary about Epstein could see how he’d used his power and wealth to get away with his crimes against young girls.
He’d ruined their lives but, surrounded by his rich and important pals, he was untouchable. We have to be on the side of the vulnerable, not backing their abusers. I can only imagine how horrified Starmer must have been to see the Mandelson emails.
As chief prosecutor, he went after men who abused young girls to throw them in prison. And he put in Labour’s manifesto a promise to halve the rate of violence against women and girls. He’s reopening the police files to put the child grooming gang rapists behind bars. Starmer’s values are what Labour stands for. We’re on the side of the vulnerable – and against their abusers.
Deputy leadership race should not be ‘proxy fight’ between Starmer and Burnham
What a loss Angela Rayner is to the government and the Labour Party. With men as prime minister and deputy prime minister, Labour MPs want another woman to succeed her as deputy party leader.
Starmer and Lammy represent north London constituencies so they want someone from outside London. Lucy Powell from the North West and Bridget Phillipson from the North East are battling it out.
The job is to go round the country, inspiring supporters and spreading our message. Bridget is in the Cabinet and Lucy is backed by Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
But this contest should not be a proxy fight between two men, Andy and Keir. It is between two women, both of whom are dynamic and inspiring. This time it’s not about the men. Let the best woman win!
‘Those in more junior legal positions dare not speak out’
It’s important that our barristers and judges are not only incredibly clever but have high ethical standards. But when it comes to bullying and sexual harassment, these standards are not upheld.
Those in more junior positions dare not speak out. But, to their credit, the Bar Council, which represents all barristers, is determined to fix the problem.
‘I’d rather go in my sleep but if the end of my life becomes unbearable, I want that choice’
I’m strongly backing the Assisted Dying Bill because I want to be able to choose to have a doctor speed me on my way when my time comes if I need to.
The thought of the process of death frightens me. To have control is reassuring. Some are brave in facing pain, I’m not. Many people would not want to choose assisted dying and no one would pressurise them. I’d rather go in my sleep but if the end of my life becomes unbearable, I want that choice.
READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster