Manchester United owner responds to criticism by saying: ‘It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK’

Here is video of Jim Ratcliffe making his comment about the UK being “colonised” by immigrants.

Kemi Badenoch has urged Keir Starmer to delay the departure of Sir Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, so that he remains in post to oversee the release of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s time as ambassador to Washington.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that the cabinet secretary is simply the latest person to be thrown under a bus by this prime minister.

It is all the more concerning to be changing cabinet secretary in the midst of the ongoing scandal over the appointment of Lord Mandelson and his conduct in office.

Changing the cabinet secretary in the middle of this scandal – or more precisely forcing out the incumbent without any clear process – would be an extraordinary thing to do.

Any individual appointed in the circumstances, without a full process to point to and in midst of managing a scandal, could find it difficult to demonstrate impartiality.

The culture secretary talks about secret briefings, the need for solidarity and why the government must recognise its big moment of reckoning

It is the day after the night before. On Monday, Keir Starmer looked as if he was on his last political legs. At lunchtime, the Scottish Labour party leader Anas Sarwar called for his resignation, but by the evening, the troops had rallied, and the prime minister had survived the worst. At least until the Gorton and Denton byelection later this month.

Now it’s Tuesday afternoon and there’s a hush around 100 Parliament St, home to the government’s culture, media and sport department. It’s hard to know whether this is its natural state (it’s also the headquarters of HMRC), or whether the country’s politicians and civil servants are in a collective state of shock.