James Heale

It has not been an enjoyable bank holiday weekend for Kemi Badenoch. The Sunday Times contained not one, but two, critical stories of the Tory leader. The first was about her choice of car in government; the second about a recent shadow cabinet meeting at which her MPs were instructed on 'management theory and values.' Labour opponents outside the party were quick to leap on the first story; Tory critics are circulating the second as proof of her ineffectiveness. Badenoch had one of the prized slots on the Sunday morning round to answer back. On GB News, Camilla Tominey credited her guest for shouldering the burden on media commitments – unlike other members of the Tory frontbench. But it was on Sky that Badenoch came somewhat unstuck.

After months of negotiation, the UK has today signed a deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the terms of the agreement, Britain will lease back the military base there for an annual rate of £101 million. The net value of the payments from the UK under the treaty will reach £3.4 billion. Keir Starmer insisted that the Chagos deal is in Britain's best interests The Prime Minister insists that the deal – which involves a lease on the base for 99 years ‘and beyond’ – is in the country’s national interest. It comes after an ‘advisory opinion’ by the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ), that the Chagos Islands belonged to Mauritius.

Keir Starmer has just wrapped up his press conference with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. The Prime Minister sought to bang the drum for his EU reset, citing his three 'driving principles': more jobs, lower costs and enhanced border control. Starmer boasted that his deal ensures 'unprecedented access to the EU market, the best of any country outside of the EU or Efta', while ensuring Britain remains outside the single market and customs union, with no return to freedom of movement. The text of today's agreement is still being scrutinised – yet the risk is it ends up pleasing neither Remainers nor Brexiteers. Both the UK and EU have agreed to 'work towards' a youth mobility scheme, but there is no detail on a cap or timeframe.

Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer, according to a statement released by his office on Sunday. Biden, 82, was diagnosed on Friday, after he saw a doctor last week for urinary symptoms. The former US president and his family are now reviewing treatment options, with the cancer cells now having spread to the bone. Prostate cancers are ranked on a 'Gleason score' that measures, on a scale of one to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s office said his score was nine, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive. Metastasised cancer is much harder to treat than localised cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumours and completely root out the disease.

Market choice has long been an article of faith in the Conservative party. But the Tories are less keen on competition when it comes to their own fate. Traditionally, the party’s historic market share ensured that, after some time in opposition, the pendulum eventually swung back their way. That rule no longer holds true. This month’s local elections offered a painful case study in consumer choice. With five serious parties on offer, just 15 per cent of voters chose to back the Conservatives. Polls suggest that, in a general election, the onetime ‘natural party of government’ would be reduced to barely two dozen seats. ‘Existential’ is the word favoured by many Tories to describe their party’s plight. Inevitably, some want to ‘sack the management’.