PRIME MINISTER ACCUSED OF MISLEADING PARLIAMENT OVER AMBASSADOR APPOINTMENT

SIR KEIR STARMER is facing a Commons vote over whether he should be investigated for allegedly misleading Parliament about the vetting of Lord Mandelson.

MPs are due to debate on Tuesday whether the Prime Minister should be referred to the powerful Commons Privileges Committee, which investigates claims that MPs have broken parliamentary rules.

The row centres on Sir Keir’s statements that “full due process” was followed when Lord Mandelson was appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, and that there had been “no pressure whatsoever” on Foreign Office officials involved in the process.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has agreed to allow the debate after requests from a number of MPs, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. He stressed that his decision did not amount to a judgment on whether the Prime Minister had done anything wrong.

Lord Mandelson was later sacked from the Washington post following renewed scrutiny of his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The appointment has since become a major political headache for Sir Keir, with questions over whether the vetting process was rushed and whether officials were put under pressure to approve the appointment.

Sir Olly Robbins, the former senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, told MPs last week that there had been “constant pressure”, although he said it did not affect his decision to approve Lord Mandelson’s security clearance.

Sir Keir has denied misleading Parliament and has sought to draw a distinction between improper pressure and the ordinary pressure of government to get things done quickly.

Downing Street dismissed the move as “a desperate political stunt by the Conservative Party” ahead of the May elections.

A No 10 spokesperson said the Government was already co-operating with parliamentary processes looking into Lord Mandelson’s appointment, adding that the Conservatives had “no answers on the cost of living or the NHS”.

Mrs Badenoch accused Sir Keir of misleading Parliament “multiple times” and urged Labour MPs to “look into their consciences” before voting.

The Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Greens have also indicated support for an inquiry.

However, Labour’s large Commons majority means the motion is unlikely to pass unless a significant number of Labour MPs rebel or abstain.

If the matter is referred to the Privileges Committee, it could examine whether Sir Keir knowingly misled MPs or failed to correct the record quickly enough.

The Ministerial Code states that ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign, while inadvertent errors should be corrected at the earliest opportunity.

A HAVERFORDWEST fish and chip shop has been left with a hefty repair bill after a group of youths allegedly targeted the premises in a late-night incident.

Coronation Chippy said it was attacked on Saturday (Apr 26), when a “bunch of kids” spent around 15 minutes throwing stones at the shop’s windows and doors. The business reported that the glass canopy at the front of the shop was smashed during the incident, leaving debris scattered outside.

In a social media post, the owners described the damage as costing “£1000s of pounds” and said the incident had caused distress not only to staff but also to neighbouring businesses.

They said: “Unfortunately, our business was a target to thugs yesterday. A bunch of kids with nothing better to do and even less respect for others decided to spend 15 minutes throwing stones at the windows and doors of the shop. This resulted in the glass canopy that covers the shop being smashed.”

Dyfed-Powys Police attended the scene, with the business thanking officers for their “prompt response and support.” Crews from Haverfordwest Fire Station were also called to make the area safe by removing broken glass.

The shop also praised local contractor Dave Hughes of W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for assisting with urgent repairs, along with neighbours who offered support in the aftermath.

The owners added: “The result of what these kids think of as ‘fun’ has resulted in £1000s of pounds of damage, the involvement of multiple services and upset so many.”

Police have not yet confirmed whether any arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.

A NEW poll of Welsh voters suggests most people believe King Charles’s official state visit to the United States is unlikely to change US policy towards the UK.

The YouGov polling, carried out in Wales, found that 56% of respondents thought the visit would not make much difference.

A further 24% believed it would improve US policy towards the UK, with 6% saying it would improve it a lot and 18% saying it would improve it a little.

Only 5% thought the visit would make matters worse, while 16% said they did not know.

The findings suggest that while there is some public belief that the monarchy can still play a diplomatic role, most people in Wales appear unconvinced that a state visit alone will significantly shift American policy.

MPs drinking before late-night votes

The same polling also found strong opposition in Wales to MPs drinking alcohol on evenings when they are later expected to vote in Parliament.

Asked whether it was acceptable for MPs to drink alcohol on evenings where late-night votes are due to take place, 60% said it was completely unacceptable.

A further 18% said it was somewhat unacceptable, meaning almost eight in ten respondents opposed the practice.

Only 14% said it was acceptable, with 2% saying it was completely acceptable and 12% saying it was somewhat acceptable.

The findings come amid continuing public concern over standards in Westminster and the conduct of elected representatives.

Grey squirrel fertility plan divides opinion

The poll also showed Welsh voters are divided over proposals to make grey squirrels infertile as a way of reducing their population.

A total of 39% said they would support such a programme, with 14% strongly supporting it and 25% somewhat supporting it.

However, 36% said they were opposed, including 22% who somewhat opposed it and 14% who strongly opposed it.

A quarter of respondents said they did not know.

The idea of controlling grey squirrel numbers has been discussed for years because of the impact the species has on native red squirrels and woodland habitats.

But the Welsh polling suggests the public remains split over whether fertility control is the right way to deal with the issue.