Peter Rhodes on a royal reception, tight-fisted Whitehall and is it really farewell to Elton?
If we believe everything we read, body-language experts were shocked, amazed, appalled or thrilled at the touchy-feely companionship this week between President Joe Biden and King Charles. I dare say the rest of us were just thankful that the President managed the Windsor Castle event without falling, either over or asleep.
The troubled Derwentside immigration removal centre was criticised by a prison watchdog this week for, among other failings, its poor location and slow Wi-Fi. It is apparently run by a private firm charging £100,000 per year for each detainee, or £8,300 per month. In contrast, UK families who take Ukrainian refugees into their homes are paid £350 per month, rising to £500, presumably by the Department of Tightfistedness.
Bad week for the BBC's Corporate Investigations Team which, until now, was presumably regarded as an elite team which investigated like a pack of bloodhounds. Apparently not. As the BBC admitted this week, on May 19, the team was presented with a report of a couple complaining that their child had been paid large sums for indecent images by a well-known BBC presenter. Leaping into action, the team e-mailed the complainant but “received no response.”
