PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, April 21: British broadsheets and tabloids mock Prime Minister Keir Starmer's address to the House of Commons, in which he defended himself over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. In France, former PM Gabriel Attal talks about "the love of his life", but a conflict of interests could be on the table. Finally, hostile divorces lead to fights over unexpected objects.
British papers are reacting to PM Keir Starmer's latest address to the House of Commons, a week after he learned that his pick for US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, had failed security vetting. The Daily Mirror headlines with "They chose not to tell me", referring to Starmer blaming other officials for keeping him in the dark. Morning Star writes that the "lame excuse fails to convince". The Daily Mail's headline reads "It's everyone's fault but his", adding that "Starmer finally admits he was wrong to appoint Mandelson – but still won't resign".
In his address, Starmer said: "I know my story sounds incredible". Metro answers him in its headline: "Incredible? Yes, prime minister". The Daily Express also quotes Starmer, saying, "For once you are actually right, prime minister – it beggars belief!" Finally, a cartoon from The Guardian's Ben Jennings shows a teenager saying it's not his fault that nobody told him his room was a mess. His mother replies: "That line might work for the prime minister, but not in this house".
We turn next to France, where former prime minister Gabriel Attal has given an interview to TF1 that didn't stray away from his personal life. In it, Attal said that another prominent French political figure, Stéphane Séjourné, is "the love of his life". Vanity Fair says that in the interview Attal "opens up with complete sincerity, sharing very personal details about his life". Attal and Séjourné met early in their careers and fell in love. But when Attal became prime minister, his career took centre stage and the two men decided to separate. Their feelings, however, didn't disappear and they are now back together. Politico writes that this raises ethical questions, especially as Attal plans to participate in next year's presidential elections. As a European commissioner, Séjourné has to prioritise the interests of the EU and be independent of national matters.
Finally, moving from love to divorce: The Wall Street Journal writes about "five unexpected things people went to war for in their divorce", citing an attorney who told the paper that "the more hostile the divorce, the more unusual the demands are likely to be".
You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.
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