Digested week: King bites his tongue as a president indulges his fantasies | John Crace
Senior civil servants Olly Robbins and Cat Little faced parliamentary scrutiny over Keir Starmer's appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, revealing their discomfort with public accountability. Green MP Hannah Spencer sparked controversy by criticizing the alcohol culture in Parliament, drawing backlash from across the political spectrum. Meanwhile, journalists were reported taking wine from the White House correspondents' dinner during an assassination attempt on the president.
- ▪Olly Robbins, former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, was dismissed after failing to disclose that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting checks.
- ▪Cat Little, a Cabinet Office official, appeared bound by bureaucratic process, unable to confirm information without formal documentation.
- ▪Hannah Spencer, a Green MP, faced criticism for commenting on the prevalence of alcohol in Parliament, with figures like Nigel Farage and Rod Liddle responding negatively.
- ▪During an assassination attempt at the White House correspondents' dinner, 179 bottles of wine, valued at $76 each, went missing as some journalists took them instead of evacuating.
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Donald Trump: ‘You must have been very brave.’ Charles: ‘You have no idea. I’ll be awarding myself another gong after this week.’ Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenDonald Trump: ‘You must have been very brave.’ Charles: ‘You have no idea. I’ll be awarding myself another gong after this week.’ Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty ImagesDigested weekUK newsDigested week: King bites tongue as president indulges his own fantasiesJohn CraceWhile Charles and Camilla were on a three-line whip, MPs watched the excruciating discomfort of civil servants Fri 1 May 2026 06.24 EDTLast modified on Fri 1 May 2026 06.26 EDTShareMondayWe don’t often get to see senior civil servants out and about in the wild.
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