Steerpike

It's a red letter day for Rishi Sunak. No, he hasn't succeeded in fulfilling any of his five priorities. Instead, the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage has today passed the peak seen in the wake of the Truss government’s mini-budget. Mortgage rates have soared in recent months, following the Bank of England's interest rate hikes to try to tackle rampant inflation. Two-year fixed deals have now reached 6.66 per cent on average – a level not seen since August 2008. That rate is of course higher than the 6.65 per cent reached on 20 October last year, when Tory MPs were in full meltdown. Back then some Sunak allies were crowing that they had seen this all coming: that her unfunded tax cuts made this inevitable and that a U-turn was needed.

Allegations about a BBC presenter paying £35,000 for sexually explicit photos are 'rubbish' according to the lawyer of the young person involved. In a legal statement released tonight they claim that the child's mother has made inaccurate statements to the Sun newspaper about the nature of the relationship between the unknown Corporation star and their client. The statement says that the young person sent a denial to the Sun on Friday evening saying there was 'no truth to it'. However, the 'inappropriate article' was still published, the lawyer says. In their letter, they write that: 'For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are rubbish.

For the BBC, it never rains but it pours. Having only just emerged from the row over Richard Sharp's appointment, the Corporation has now been plunged into fresh controversy over an unnamed star who has reportedly paid a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit photos. On Saturday, the Sun splashed the story across its front page but chose to not name the presenter. This afternoon though the BBC decided to suspend the star, amid much online speculation as to his identity, and are now in contact with the police. In a statement, the Corporation said that: 'The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.

As Tory MP Johnny Mercer found out last night, any politician who chooses to go on BBC's Question Time is brave soul indeed. Following an evening of bullish debate, one member of the audience decided to take the veterans minister to task after Mercer complained about people voicing their anger on social media. Pulling him up on what he branded 'collective bed-wetting', she said: Given that a number of Conservatives and the Conservative party have shut down any form of meaningful protest, and he's shouting across every member of this panel tonight, how else are we meant to get our point across other than on social media? Now that's a mic drop! https://youtu.

Ding, ding, ding! That sound you can hear is two monumental egos colliding in a bit of vintage Labour politicking. In the red corner is Keir Starmer, the party leader and chameleon extraordinaire – a man with more positions than the Karma Sutra. And, er, also in the red corner is Sadiq Khan, London Mayor and virtue-signaller-in-chief. The pair have clashed today over the latter's unpopular plans to extend the capital's ultra low emission zone (Ulez) to try to improve London's air quality. Ulez has gone down like a bucket of cold sick with 'white van man' types whose votes London Tories hope to win in next year's elections. Keir Starmer is clearly skeptical about the merits of such a scheme, as shown by his answer today at his 'five missions' press conference.

It's 75 years today since the NHS was founded. So what better way for Westminster's elite to mark the occasion than by knocking back a glass or four at The Spectator's summer shindig? Last year's event coincided with Boris Johnson's resignation and the subsequent leadership contest. Tonight saw something of a reunion for the two main protagonists in that drama, with both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in attendance at 22 Old Queen Street. James Cleverly, Wes Streeting, Michael Gove and Lindsay Hoyle were among those enjoying the Pol Roger and political gossip, as Mr S mingled with SW1’s finest to hear all their secrets.

Scotland Yard has opened an investigation into allegations lockdown rules were breached at a party attended by Tory MP Bernard Jenkin in parliament. The announcement from the Met comes more than a fortnight after allegations emerged about the senior MP’s attendance at the gathering held in December 2020, to mark the birthday of his wife Anne. Socialising indoors in London was banned at the time. Jenkin sits on the privileges committee that delivered a withering verdict on Boris Johnson's partygate conduct. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman tonight said: 'Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the Regulations at an event on 8 December 2020.