It’s all the more embarrassing for the Prime Minister due to his close ties to wealthy colleagues. Lord Mandelson, a key adviser to Keir Starmer, is under investigation by the lobbying regulator.

The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is investigating the former business secretary’s public relations firm, Global Counsel, ‘regarding potentially inaccurate quarterly information filings’.

Just last week, Labor donor Lord Alli, who gave Starmer thousands of pounds in exchange for designer clothes and glasses, apologized to the House of Lords for four breaches of Parliamentary rules on declaration of financial interests.

Global Counsel, founded by former EU trade commissioner Mandelson, is under investigation over allegations it lobbied British ministers on behalf of the state-backed Qatar Free Zones Authority and failed to list the Qatari authority as a Global client.

Mandelson is close to the Labor Party high command. Before the election, Global Counsel spent £36,000 sending a staff member to the office of then-shadow treasury secretary Tulip Siddiq.

Andrew Pierce says PM feels further embarrassment over close ties to wealthy colleagues – pictured PM at breakfast meeting in New York

Lord Mandelson (pictured), a key adviser to Keir Starmer, is under investigation by the lobbying regulator

Just last week, Labor donor Lord Alli (pictured), who gave Starmer thousands of pounds in exchange for designer clothes and glasses, apologized to the House of Lords for four breaches of Parliamentary rules on declaration of financial interests.

Further controversy over his business affairs (Mandelson left Tony Blair’s Cabinet under a cloud twice) will do absolutely nothing for Mandy’s campaign to become the next Chancellor of Oxford University. Global Advisor did not respond to requests for comment.

Charles stung his foot

Prince Philip was notorious for his politically incorrect gaffes, and it looks like King Charles may have inherited some of his father’s kindness, or lack thereof.

Writer Kate Mosse recalls the moment she was given an OBE by the then Prince Charles in 2013: ‘I went upstairs to collect it and she looked down and said: ‘My wife said you’d be wearing ridiculous shoes and you are!’ ‘ ‘

Prince Philip was notorious for his politically incorrect gaffes, and it looks like King Charles may have inherited some of his father’s kindness, or lack thereof.

• For centuries, Chancellors of the Exchequer have been given the mantle of office as Chief of the Mint. Some wore it at coronations, others at the ‘Pyx Trial’, an annual ceremony to ensure newly minted coins met specifications. However, under Gordon Brown, the outfit disappeared. Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor, has refused to name a replacement, perhaps aware of the pain she was preparing to unleash in Wednesday’s budget.

• Foreign secretary Hamish Falconer has defended the Government’s class warfare attack on independent schools, which will face 20 per cent VAT on fees from January. He is the son of Lord ‘Charlie’ Falconer, who was unsuccessful as the Labor candidate for Dudley North in 1997 because he refused to withdraw his four children, including little Hamish, from their private school.

Foreign secretary Hamish Falconer (pictured in Gaza) defends Government’s class warfare attack on independent schools

• In order to soften his image, Starmer announced last month that his family had adopted a Siberian cat named Prince. But after a photo with the Prime Minister, there was no trace of the distinctive white-coated, foggy man. Has long-time Downing Street cat Larry eluded his rival? Or is Prince strictly a stay-at-home cat?

Rise of the Robots

The man who voiced Mrs Thatcher’s Spitting Image puppet has published a new book called Steve Nallon’s Ghost Stories.

Asked what he thought of the voices of today’s politicians, Mr Nallon replied: ‘Angela Rayner is the Thora Hird who drinks too much gin at Christmas – but at least you know she’s on her way because Angela enters the room before the voice. Starmer and Reeves are both voice automatons and appear to be evil versions of artificial intelligence. Reeves would be the Terminator’s sister if it were built here.’