A former No 10 comms chief, recently made a peer, has been suspended from the Labour whip after campaigning for a councillor charged over abusive images and over past links to an individual convicted of abuse. He apologised to victims as No 10 faced questions about when concerns were raised.

Keir Starmer stays in office after a coordinated Cabinet show of loyalty halted an attempted ousting said to originate in Scotland. Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticised No 10 for hostile briefings, released Mandelson texts, and is viewed as positioning for a future leadership bid.

Morgan McSweeney has resigned as No 10 chief, taking responsibility for urging the PM to nominate Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite controversy over Mandelson’s associations with a disgraced financier. The move aims to steady the PM, though MPs remain divided.

Police searched properties in Wiltshire and Camden linked to Peter Mandelson amid an inquiry into alleged misconduct in public office, including claims he leaked market‑sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein. Ministers will hand over communications; questioning is expected within days.