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The Londoner: Ouch! Miriam González Durántez takes a pot shot at ‘fragile’ Khan

Strong words: Miriam Gonzalez Durantez (Photo: Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images): Getty Images
Strong words: Miriam Gonzalez Durantez (Photo: Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images): Getty Images

Miriam González Durántez has criticised Sadiq Khan for oversharing about about the pressures of the Covid crisis.

The lawyer and wife of former deputy PM Nick Clegg referred to Khan’s admission to the Standard that he felt mentally fragile. “While his candour and openness are admirable, there are question marks about Sadiq Khan’s judgement,” she wrote in The Article. “He put the spotlight on his own feelings while people are dying each day by the hundreds. Remember what happened when Meghan Markle naively chose to put the spotlight on her own feelings while visiting Africa a few months ago? She was pilloried for it.”

González Durántez told us that some leaders were having a good crisis, though. “There are many. Merkel, Mitsotakis … Macron as well though some may disagree. Jacinda Ardern combines what some think is fragility with strength and does it with ease.”

And the UK? “As for Boris Johnson, the facts speak for themselves: one of the highest levels of excess deaths in Europe.” Ouch. She also revealed she hopes to update her popular cookery blog soon but has been busy with all the Zoom calls. Same.

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Open: Neville Southall (Photo: AMA/Corbis via Getty Images) (Corbis via Getty Images)
Open: Neville Southall (Photo: AMA/Corbis via Getty Images) (Corbis via Getty Images)

NEVILLE Southall’s remarkable transformation continues. The former Wales and Everton goalkeeper, now a hit on social media, will publish a book exploring mental health in the modern game. He explained: “Here’s my brain in book form. You are either going to love it or use it to have the best night’s sleep ever. It’s a win win.”

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Prison message: Pamela Anderson (Photo: Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Prison message: Pamela Anderson (Photo: Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) (NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Pamela Anderson says she told her pal Julian Assange in prison: “There’s nothing more I can do.” She told the New York Times that he was understanding and replied: “Pamela, I’d rather you just keep living your life and being you. Don’t put yourself in any awkward positions because of your love for me.’” Love is blind.

SW1A

AS MPs return, but with a ban on electronic voting, Tory Robert Halfon tells PoliticsHome that ill and disabled MPs, who won’t be able to take part due to Covid fears, will be “parliamentary eunuchs”. Surely Modern democracy is better than this?

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Labour’s Tulip Siddiq confesses to an electoral error: “Just gave both of my kids a haircut,” the Hampstead and Kilburn MP tweeted, “good thing they can’t vote.” The cuts have gone too far, too fast.

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BUSINESS Secretary Alok Sharma got called by someone via Skype which kept interrupting his rather tricky interview on the Today programme. Perhaps it was track and trace telling him to go into isolation? Or No 10?

Payback time for Miss Moneypenny​ as star Naomie joins Salvation Army

James Bond star Naomie Harris, who plays Miss Moneypenny, volunteered at Chalk Farm Salvation Army through the charity platform Spare Hand. Harris thanked them “for providing me with an opportunity to engage with, and help my community,” adding: “Please take an action today, no matter how small, to help move our world in a more positive direction”. Meanwhile singer Leona Lewis was thankful for taking part in online concert One Humanity Live, and actor Chris Hemsworth was in a celebratory mood at his table. Did we miss the white T-shirt memo?