Wondering what to do this weekend? If you conceive a child, your parental leave will kick in for next year’s football World Cup.

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The word “crisis” is overused, including by journalists. Every few months my neighbour Philip collars me on the street to tell me off for yet another “crisis” headline.

Crises pass, and so may this setback. Labour MPs are certainly exasperated by the Prime Minister and his Downing Street operation, which has shown a knack for scoring own goals.

Some of the problems are unforeseeable. Keir Starmer might reasonably expect his Deputy PM to pay enough property tax when she buys a flat … rather than fail to do so and be forced to quit.

Yet appointing Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington – despite security services’ concerns – looks self-inflict

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