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EXPLAINED: Cleo watson | Vintage Vibes

Voices: Keir Starmer will survive his Commons grilling

COMMENT: As the prime minister faces MPs over the Mandelson vetting scandal, former Downing Street special adviser Cleo Watson – who helped prepare Boris Johnson for his high-stakes appearances in parliament – says Starmer will live to fight another day

The Independent UK

Keir Starmer ‘threw Olly Robbins under the bus’ in wake of Mandelson vetting row

Exclusive: Helen MacNamara calls Starmer’s decision to sack Olly Robbins ‘unacceptable’

The Independent UK

Voices: The government’s in big trouble – here are the 5 things I’d do to fix it

COMMENT: From farming to fuel, the warning signs are already here, says ‘In the Room’ co-host Helen MacNamara. What we need is crisis planning, which is about imagination, not optimism. Right now, the UK risks lacking in both

The Independent UK

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Voices: I look eight years younger after quitting politics

COMMENT: When I worked in No 10, I had a period where I dreamed every night that Chris Grayling was hunting me from the skies, Hunger Games style – so take it from me, Westminster does things to you, says Cleo Watson

The Independent UK

What happened to Morgan McSweeney’s phone?

Former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former No.10 special adviser, react to the news that Morgan McSweeney’s phone was snatched in London.

The Independent UK

Voices: How Farage and Cameo showed British politics is up for sale

COMMENT: From personalised videos to crypto ventures, the UK’s politicians are increasingly turning influence into income – and blurring the line between public service and private gain, says Cleo Watson

The Independent UK

‘You try to identify how much trouble you will personally be in’: Inside government at a time of crisis

Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson from The Independent’s ‘In the Room’ podcast lift the lid on life inside government

The Independent UK

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The good, the bad and the tour bus: Inside the not so glamorous world of by-elections

Ministers, MPs and campaigners from all parties have been trawling Gorton and Denton ahead of the by-election

The Independent UK

5 new podcasts to listen to this week

These are our top podcast picks.

The Independent UK

‘Dread ekes out of the walls’: How it feels to work in No 10 during a crisis

In this clip from The Independent’s In The Room podcast, hosts Helen and Cleo reflect on their memories of how ominous No 10 can feel when the government is in crisis.

The Independent UK

Voices: If you think Westminster is a boring boys’ club, why not join ours?

COMMENT : ‘In The Room’, a podcast from Cleo Watson, former deputy chief of staff to Boris Johnson, and Helen MacNamara, deputy cabinet secretary, launches this Friday exclusively from The Independent. Here they explain why it’s a must-listen for those who want to cut through the noise in SW1

The Independent UK

Bored of your beach read? Dive into these politicians’ steamy novels

From Brussels to Westminster, top European politicians have turned their experiences into steamy novels, mixing romance, scandal, and risqué fantasies. Diplomats, ministers, and MPs reveal a surprising, erotic side behind the political curtain.

Euronews

Your ultimate summer reading list: the best new books to take on holiday

Wondering what to read on your lounger this summer? From an erotic political novel set in the heart of Westminster to a non-fiction with overtones of The Talented Mr Ripley, Alex Peake-Tomkinson shares the most exciting new titles of 2024

Evening Standard

Whips, adultery and a ‘Loin King’: what is it about Tory political players writing scandalous books?

Cleo Watson, former co-deputy chief of staff to Boris Johnson, was fined in the infamous “PartyGate” scandal involving gatherings held at government buildings while the United Kingdom was under a pandemic lockdown. The scandal ultimately saw Johnson step down as prime minister.

The Conversation

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Evening Standard

Nick Cave: Vampire’s Wife was Susie’s way of mourning our son

The musician spoke out for the first time since his wife’s brand shut up shop

Evening Standard

'Westminster is lost': has Dominic Cummings quit politics for good?

Boris Johnson's former adviser is moving onto other things

The Independent UK

Nadine Dorries’ bizarre new book — your guide to the highlights

Boris Johnson’s No 1 fan hurls insults at Tories she claims brought her hero down

The Independent UK

Nadine Dorries book – your guide to the highlights

Boris Johnson’s No 1 fan hurls insults at Tories she claims brought her hero down

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news in one place.

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Evening Standard

Former Boris Johnson aide Cleo Watson teases sex and scandal in new 'bonkbuster' novel

Cleavage is Cleo Watson's second novel

The Guardian - UK

Dead cats and hairdryers: Dominic Cummings’ evidence to Covid inquiry

Boris Johnson’s former adviser gave in-person and written evidence – here are some of his most startling claims

Evening Standard

As two aides get intimate in an MP’s office, how common are hook ups in Parliament?

Two aides met for a liason in the Palaces of Westminster late last month

Evening Standard

Assange ghostwriter says ‘I’ll go to jail before I help the FBI’ as police ask more questions

Andrew O’Hagan was approached by the Met but says he won’t talk

The Independent UK

5 new books to read this week

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal and Breathe by Sadiq Khan.

The Independent UK

The woman inside Downing Street who Boris fired gives her verdict on the ex-PM

Cleo Watson lifts the lid on lockdown breaches, illicit sex at party conferences, and the ‘tragic’ figure her former boss has become

The Guardian - UK

Chamber of horrors: the best and worst Westminster insider novels

Whips by Cleo Watson is nothing new – politicos have forever tried their hand at fiction. We take a referendum on the good, the bad and the scandalous

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