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EXPLAINED: Cleo watson | Vintage Vibes

How Rayner played key role in Mandelson files release – and Labour’s humiliation

Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara has highlighted how pivotal the ex-deputy prime minister was to the document release

The Independent UK

Inside ‘massively awkward’ cabinet meetings during a leadership crisis

When Keir Starmer walked into Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, he did so knowing that Labour had lost 1,500 seats in local elections and dozens of his own MPs, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, had called for him to resign. To describe the mood around the table as ‘a little awkward’ would…

The Independent UK

Why Labour’s anti-Burnham argument doesn’t work

In this clip from the latest episode of In The Room, Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson break down the curious case of Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester.

The Independent UK

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Local elections: Are we sleepwalking into the weirdest (and most dangerous) government yet?

On Thursday 7 May, 25,000 candidates will stand in the local elections as potential representatives of Labour, the Conservative Party, Reform, the Greens, or as political independents. This number, in Cleo Watson’s words, is totally unprecedented.

The Independent UK

Voices: This is already the most vicious local election campaign I can remember – and I think I know why

COMMENT: A big win is a prize politicians seem willing to fight for more desperately than ever, and no wonder – I have seen firsthand the damage a ‘midterm’ defeat can do, says Cleo Watson

The Independent UK

We’re former No 10 insiders – ask us anything about Labour’s future, Reform, the Greens, and what’s next for Keir Starmer

ASK ME ANYTHING: In The Room hosts and former Whitehall insiders Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson answer your questions on local elections, Keir Starmer’s future, the Mandelson files, civil service drama, and whether Nigel Farage could really be our next prime minister

The Independent UK

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

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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

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

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

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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

Euronews

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.

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Evening Standard

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

The Conversation

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.

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

Evening Standard

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

Cleavage is Cleo Watson's second novel

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