The Londoner: MPs confess their guilty pleasures

As Lent begins tomorrow, what will our politicians abstain from? Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Londoner: “Rather unimaginatively I shall give up alcohol.”

Wes Streeting is also giving up booze, admitting: “This is a bold choice during the Labour leadership contest and I might ask for an exemption on the night of the result.” However, a former minister cautions against this, telling us they “used to give up booze every Lent til I realised how boring MPs are if you haven’t had a drink”.

A source close to Rebecca Long-Bailey (below) told us: “She’s deciding today but definitely not the 2030 climate target.” Jon Ashworth is also staying on brand: “I’ll try to practise what I preach as shadow health secretary and give up sweets and chocolate.”

Also guilty of a sweet tooth is Rosie Duffield. “My team tease me a lot about how much hot chocolate I consume, it’s like the petrol in my tank,” she said, adding: “They’re going to really enjoy watching me fail.”

Tom Tugendhat said he’s giving up sleep, but admitted that it wasn’t Lent-specific — “That’s just what having young children does to you.” Minister for London Paul Scully is in training for a charity half marathon — “so basically giving up anything fun, naughty or delicious”.

Michael Fabricant is forgoing “washing my hair” — sending us an email with a picture of his suspiciously luxuriant blond barnet. His colleague Mims Davies is taking up the reuse and refill challenge, not buying any hair or face products for the duration. “If I have run out of makeup by the end, then you might not recognise me!” she added.

Shaun Bailey, Tory candidate for Mayor, told us he was “giving up eating my daughter’s delicious cakes when she makes them”. Lib Dem Mayoral hopeful Siobhan Benita is going a step further, telling us: “I’m going to give up all illegal drugs until we have a regulated market.” The Londoner passes no judgment. But we were most shocked by independent Mayoral candidate Rory Stewart’s pledge that he is “giving up Pret sandwiches for Lent!” Hardcore.

Mugged off on mental health

Reggie Yates says that though he’s pleased mental health issues are “in the front of the public conscience,” there’s a dark side to their prominence.

The documentary maker and voice of children’s TV’s Rastamouse says: “Some people are using it as leverage to get more work and I have an issue with that.” Yates explains that he sees a bandwagon effect “in terms of discussing mental health and how important it is”, which, he tells Clara Amfo’s podcast, has led to people trying to make gains from “it being the zeitgeist”.

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Director Ken Loach has an unexpected trick up his sleeve. At a discussion at the National Theatre last night, actor Oliver Ford Davies said he shared the stage with the Kes director at Oxford University. Loach, he said, is “a very good comic actor — which he keeps very, very quiet”. We’re sure he’d also make a good villain.

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The third generation of Dimblebys arrived in Westminster yesterday as Fred, 22-year-old son of David and grandson of Richard, did his first shift outside No 10 for ITV News. “Still pinching myself that I’m paid to do this job,” gushed Fred as he stood in the drizzling rain waiting for the PM to do something. Ah the glamour.

Quiz pair press fashion buzzers

Actors Sian Clifford and Helen McCrory (above) wore striking blue and pink at a photocall last night for highly anticipated new ITV drama Quiz, penned by star writer James Graham. Fleabag star Clifford and McCrory, who played Cherie Blair in The Queen, were at the Soho Hotel for the launch of the three-part TV version of the West End play about the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? scandal. Former British Army major Charles Ingram cheated his way to the million pound prize in 2001 with the help of well-timed coughs from a helper in the audience. Michael Sheen plays presenter Chris Tarrant and Matthew Macfadyen the major — but neither attended the photocall.

Elsewhere, Lily Allen also revelled in a colourful outfit. “I went on holiday,” she told her Instagram followers, explaining her recent online absence, adding she is “still a bit of an egomaniac though, so leave me a nice comment”.

Over in California a beaming Rita Ora posed in a hallway, answering The Londoner’s question with her caption. “Why? Coz the lift took for ever, that’s why”. So now you know.

SW1A

Lisa Nandy received a £10,000 helping hand in her Labour leadership campaign — from her mum. We can reveal the Wigan MP got two donations worth £5,000 each from an Ann Luise Fitzwalter last month. Fitzwalter, who is known as Luise, was a social worker and Granada TV producer and is very close to her leadership-hopeful daughter. When The Londoner asked Nandy about the donations today, she said: “That’s news to me, I thought she was backing Keir.”

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Carrie Symonds, the Prime Minister’s girlfriend, has warned that lots of plastic “simply can’t be recycled” adding the only way to cut down is “to produce less of the stuff in the first place”. We look forward to No 10 going plastic-free.

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Trade Secretary Liz Truss left Downing Street yesterday carrying her boss Boris Johnson’s book The Churchill Factor. Teacher’s pet or the price for surviving a reshuffle these days?

Alice in School's Out Wonderland

Will there be an Alice Cooper biopic, à la Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman?

“I’m up for it,” the sooty-eyed rocker behind 1972 anthem School’s Out told Australian media. “My story is even more diverse than anybody else’s. When we came to LA, we were introducing hard rock and theatrics. Other bands didn’t like it because they saw the future.

“Then everyone jumped on the bandwagon, you had a Bowie and an Elton. Everyone was waiting for that door to open. We just have to find someone to play me in the movie.”

What about Johnny Depp? “If only he was just a little better looking.”

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