Paul Routledge

Westminster City Council is considering licensing rules for Soho and the West End that would discourage or ban standing and ordering drinks directly at the bar, aiming to reduce drunkenness by encouraging seated drinking with food. Mayor Sadiq Khan has condemned the proposals as restrictive and anti-growth and indicated he may use forthcoming government powers to challenge them. Paul Routledge strongly opposes the plans, defending standing at the bar as a defining part of British pub culture.

Newly released emails, texts and WhatsApp messages concerning Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the United States raise further questions about security vetting, confidential government communications and dysfunction in Downing Street. The files reportedly show Mandelson privately criticizing Keir Starmer, while ministers and advisers maintained close ties with him. The column argues that the disclosures damage Starmer, expose tensions within the Labour leadership and could affect figures including Morgan McSweeney, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham. It also calls for clarification about redacted material and communications between Starmer and Mandelson as a Metropolitan Police inquiry continues.

Nearly two million workers joined Britain’s 1926 General Strike in support of poorly paid miners, bringing much of the country to a standstill. The TUC ended the action after nine days without securing guarantees for the miners, who continued their own strike until defeat later that year. The government used the army, volunteers, official propaganda and new anti-union laws to undermine the movement. The column compares the events with the 1984–85 miners’ strike, arguing that both defeats reflected Conservative retaliation and failures by the wider labour movement to sustain solidarity.

Peter Mandelson’s arrest and Prince Andrew’s investigation over alleged misconduct linked to Jeffrey Epstein are presented as the latest manifestations of corruption among Britain’s powerful. The column traces Mandelson’s influence from Tony Blair’s rise in the 1980s through the Blair government, Labour Together’s role in replacing Jeremy Corbyn with Keir Starmer, and Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States. It argues that Starmer made a serious error by trusting Mandelson and is now exposed to further scrutiny over Labour Together, alleged attempts to smear journalists, and the release of government documents concerning Andrew’s former trade envoy role. The broader conclusion is that the Blairite network’s influence survives despite the downfall of several of its leading figures.

The column argues that the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, combined with the disgrace of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, represents a crisis more serious than the Profumo affair. Keir Starmer is condemned for admitting he knew about Mandelson’s continuing relationship with Epstein before appointing him as US ambassador, while Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney is identified as a likely early casualty. A Metropolitan Police investigation, possible Crown Prosecution Service charges and parliamentary scrutiny could prolong the affair into the next election cycle. The scandal is expected to damage Labour electorally and deepen public distrust, although the column concludes that Parliament, the monarchy and Britain’s democratic institutions remain capable of surviving the crisis.

Peter Mandelson's resignation from the Labour Party followed renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, including a photograph of Mandelson in Epstein's Paris flat and allegations involving money, lobbying, confidential government information and payments made for his husband. The column argues that Mandelson should not be allowed to close the matter himself and calls for an independent inquiry, with all findings published. Keir Starmer has ordered a Cabinet Secretary investigation and is considering ways to remove Mandelson's life-peer title, although doing so would face constitutional and legislative obstacles.

Paul Routledge argues that the Labour government’s plan to renationalise Britain’s passenger railways marks a fundamental shift toward a public service rather than a cosmetic change in train livery. He praises publicly controlled operators for relatively strong performance and highlights plans for unified management and a digital ticketing and assistance app. The government has frozen fares, but has not promised lower prices and hopes to reduce the annual subsidy over time. Routledge acknowledges that renationalisation will not eliminate delays or the railway’s structural problems, but says rail unions and railway workers are committed to making public ownership work and insists the system must not return to private profiteering.

The Labour Party’s deputy leadership contest between Lucy Powell and Bridget Phillipson will conclude on 25 October, with Powell viewed as the soft-Left front-runner and Phillipson as the moderate, Keir Starmer-aligned candidate. The race is presented as less dramatic than historic contests, particularly the 1981 battle between Tony Benn and Denis Healey. That closely fought contest, decided by 50.4% to 49.6% under Labour’s new electoral-college system, saw trade-union and parliamentary support secure Healey’s victory over Benn’s grassroots backing. The article recounts earlier deputy-leadership battles involving figures such as Nye Bevan, Herbert Morrison, Roy Jenkins and Michael Foot, arguing that these clashes shaped Labour’s ideological direction and its prospects for government. The current all-woman contest has different rules and a less combative political culture, but remains important as Labour faces weak polling and pressure from Reform UK.

Keir Starmer's defiant Labour conference speech was warmly received by delegates and appears to have temporarily eased speculation about his leadership, including the challenge associated with Andy Burnham. The column places Starmer's performance within Labour's history of defining conference speeches by figures including Harold Wilson, Nye Bevan, Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair. However, the favorable reaction from party activists must still withstand the larger test of public opinion in the days ahead.

Rachel Reeves delivered an upbeat and defiant Labour conference speech in Liverpool, winning standing ovations and forcefully responding to a Palestinian-flag protester. She emphasized economic stability, fiscal responsibility and national contribution, while warning of harsher global economic conditions and outlining measures on long-term unemployment, recovered COVID support and industrial investment. Paul Routledge judged her highly for honesty and courage but poorly for humour and rhetorical flourish, arguing that the speech was aimed as much at financial markets as at Labour activists. Initial market reactions were mildly positive, although the November budget is expected to bring difficult choices.

Paul Routledge argues from personal experience that North Yorkshire is an excellent place to grow old. Having returned from London in 2004, he praises the region’s scenery, history, transport links, relatively affordable housing, low crime rate and accessible NHS. He says the strongest advantage is the community spirit, with neighbors helping older residents and reducing loneliness. The column draws on research by care provider Agincare that identified North Yorkshire as Britain’s best place to grow old.

Paul Routledge argues that Peter Mandelson’s repeated pursuit of wealth, glamour and influential associates has led to another career-ending disgrace. Drawing on his past dealings with Mandelson and earlier reporting on his career, Routledge describes a pattern of sackings followed by more prestigious appointments, including Mandelson’s diplomatic role in Washington. He concludes that Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his removal as UK ambassador to the United States have finally halted his ascent in public life.

Paul Routledge recalls how 1950s trainspotting at his local station developed into a lifelong passion, teaching him resilience, geography, history and independent travel. He describes travelling across Britain to see locomotives, sometimes trespassing at dangerous engine sheds in search of rare sightings, and reflects on the disappearance of steam traction and the decline of traditional railway spotting. Although the hobby has become more digital and is now often associated with older enthusiasts, social-media personalities and heritage railways continue to attract millions of railway fans and preserve Britain’s steam-era legacy.

Paul Routledge argues that Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration politics repeat a long-standing pattern in British history, tracing it from postwar hostility toward Commonwealth migrants and the Smethwick election campaign to Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech, later Conservative and UKIP rhetoric, and Brexit. He contends that politicians across generations have exploited public concerns about migration for electoral gain, worsening racial tension and social division. Routledge warns current politicians, including those echoing Powellist language, to consider the damage caused by their words and uphold decency and humanity.

Paul Routledge recalls his professional relationship with Norman Tebbit during the turbulent 1980s, when Tebbit served as Margaret Thatcher's Employment Secretary and pursued restrictions on trade unions. Routledge describes Tebbit as abrasive and politically combative but also courteous, witty, intellectually sharp and unusually distinctive among politicians. Despite disagreeing with Tebbit's policies and not always liking him personally, Routledge credits him with political stature, memorable language and the self-deprecating humour to place a winged polecat on his coat of arms after entering the Lords.

Norman Tebbit, who died aged 94, is remembered for turning a teenage resentment of the Financial Times’ closed-shop system into a political campaign against trade-union power. As Margaret Thatcher’s Employment Secretary, he introduced the 1982 Employment Act, weakened the closed shop and exposed union funds to legal claims, reforms he regarded as his greatest achievement. The article also recounts his RAF and BOAC career, rise through the Conservative Party, survival of the 1986 Brighton bombing, opposition to European integration and socially liberal reforms, and later work as a right-wing newspaper columnist. His legacy is presented as both influential in reshaping British industrial relations and deeply contentious.

The Royal Train, used by British monarchs for nearly two centuries, is being retired as part of a cost-saving programme. The current nine-carriage train was used only twice in the previous year at a cost of almost £78,000, and its withdrawal is expected to save about £1 million annually. The feature traces the train’s history from Queen Victoria’s first journey in 1842 through its use during wartime and by successive monarchs, while recalling the reported 1980 meetings between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer aboard or near the railway. Decommissioning will begin in 2026 and conclude in March 2027, prompting calls for the complete train to be preserved at the National Railway Museum.

Workers at Scunthorpe’s British Steel plant are relieved that the UK government intervened to prevent the planned shutdown of the last two operating blast furnaces, but they remain suspicious of Chinese owner Jingye’s motives and management. The works still produce about 100,000 tonnes of steel a week, with ministers promising to secure further raw materials, yet the deteriorating site, shrinking workforce and uncertain transition to electric-arc production underline the plant’s precarious future. Unions and employees favour nationalisation or a suitable public-interest partner, arguing that preserving steelmaking is essential for local employment, national defence and infrastructure. The dispute has also become politically significant for Keir Starmer’s Labour government ahead of local elections, amid pressure from Reform UK.

Cluny Lacemakers, England's last surviving Leavers lace manufacturer, is celebrating its 180th anniversary while continuing to operate Victorian-era machinery in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The family-owned factory employs only seven people and supplies prestigious fashion houses, ecclesiastical customers and international clients, including makers of Kate Middleton's wedding attire. Although the business suffered from the pandemic, rising energy and material costs, lost export markets and Brexit-related customs barriers, its order book has recovered. The factory's extensive archive, specialist machinery and dwindling pool of skilled workers preserve a traditional craft that contemporary designers are helping to revive.

Paul Routledge argues that readers should view a possible Conservative–Reform coalition led by Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage as worse than Keir Starmer's troubled Labour government. He accuses Badenoch and Farage of exploiting historic child sexual abuse cases despite the previous national inquiry and its unimplemented recommendations, while praising Yvette Cooper's plans for mandatory abuse reporting. The column also discusses severe NHS waiting times, defends Wes Streeting from responsibility for problems inherited by Labour, and mocks Nick Clegg's ambitions to restore UK relations with Europe and the United States.

The column argues that the New Orleans vehicle attack and the Magdeburg Christmas-market attack, while heinous, should be viewed in proportion to the far greater civilian death toll from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. It accuses Israel of exploiting the Hamas-led October 7 attack to destroy Hamas, expand control in the West Bank and Gaza, and prolong the conflict under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while noting the lack of progress in peace talks. A brief sidebar discusses Nepal’s successful tiger-conservation efforts, which have increased the tiger population but also contributed to more dangerous encounters with people.

Paul Routledge argues that children should generally attend school rather than being educated at home, because classrooms provide both education and social development and allow teachers to identify safeguarding concerns. He supports Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s proposed law ending the automatic right to home-school, with exemptions for exceptional cases, compulsory registration and stricter supervision. The column also calls for rapid compensation for victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal and briefly discusses the television drama Vera and the American origins of Britain’s Christmas turkey tradition.

The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds is nearing completion after more than 17,000 members of the public donated £6.8 million. The centre honours Burrow, who died from MND, and reflects the vision of neurologist Agam Jung and the fundraising efforts of his friend and former Leeds Rhinos teammate Kevin Sinfield. The column contrasts this charitable success with the delayed Leeds Children’s Hospital, whose costs have risen by £300 million and whose future is subject to Labour’s New Hospitals Review, arguing that political will is needed to deliver the facility.

The column argues that Russia may be approaching victory in Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky considers ending the war's active phase, potentially conceding territory in exchange for NATO protection for the remainder of the country. It questions how far the UK and its European allies will go to support Ukraine, noting the UK's latest £600 million commitment and total assistance of £12.8 billion. The prospect of a prolonged conflict and warnings that the British Army could not last a year in a comparable war are presented as likely to drive major increases in defence spending.