President Joe Biden touched down at Stansted yesterday evening ahead of tea with the King and a meeting with the Prime Minister. The visit takes place before he heads to Lithuania for the Nato summit.
While the West remains united in its support for Ukraine, tensions are rising to the surface, not least over the use of cluster bombs. Britain, a signatory of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production or use of the weapons, remains opposed. But the Americans suggest they are necessary due to Ukraine’s low stocks. Then there is Kyiv’s future membership of the alliance, over which Washington appears to be more cautious.
Disagreements among free and democratic nations, even those as close as Nato allies, are to be expected. Our values, as much as our weapons and economic size, are our strength. But the stakes in Vilnius remain high, and division will only be exploited by Vladimir Putin.
If Ukraine is offered a fudge when it comes to Nato membership, it must be one that would enhance its security, and that of Europe.
Scandal is another blow for the BBC
Reports that a BBC presenter allegedly paid a teenager tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images are profoundly shocking and require urgent investigation by the corporation.
In a statement, the BBC said it had been made aware of the complaint in May, but new allegations of a “different nature” were brought to it last week. It is vital that due process is followed.
The BBC has now contacted the Met Police. It is a matter of regret that this episode will be treated in some corners as simply another stick with which to beat the BBC. The corporation is far from perfect, and given the unique way in which it is funded, rightly faces great scrutiny.
Yet, like the NHS which was celebrated in these pages on Thursday, the BBC is a national treasure. We would miss it immensely if it were gone.
Protect the Curzon
The Grade II listed Curzon Mayfair has been wowing audiences for nearly a century. Yet, with its lease up for renewal next March, the cinema faces closure, an eventuality that director Steven Spielberg says would be a “travesty”. Sadiq Khan has joined the cause, calling for more to be done to protect “one of London’s cultural gems”.
The Curzon Mayfair remains the place for cinema in the West End. Its history — and exciting future — must be protected.
