Kyiv Road is coming to London and we were at Trafalgar Square last night to hear the news. At a vigil arranged by the US Embassy and Westminster Council to mark the first anniversary of the Ukraine war, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and actor Dame Helen Mirren, right, formed an unlikely duo.
Dame Helen read a translation of Serhiy Zhadan’s poem Take Only What Is Most Important and ended her remarks with a rallying cry: “Peace for Ukraine! Democracy for Ukraine! Freedom for Ukraine!” Ukrainian rock band Antytila and the country’s 2016 Eurovision winner Jamala performed. “I see everyone with Ukrainian flags and I’m proud. It makes me cry,” Arsenii, a Ukrainian student, said. “We’re not getting enough ammunition as quickly as we need,” said Irka Pavnuk.
Bernie keeps the red flag flying
Senator Bernie Sanders, the American socialist who twice ran for President, was at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall last night talking about his new book It’s OK To Be Angry About Capitalism. Jeremy Corbyn, who has been compared to Sanders in the past, was at the event and grabbed a photo with the Senator in the foyer. But when, in the packed hall, Sanders was asked a question about the fortunes of socialists in Britain’s political parties, he made no mention of the former Labour leader, who was purged from the party by Sir Keir Starmer last week. Sanders has elsewhere called Starmer’s approach “a little bit strange”. Solidarity forever?
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The plot of Tár thickens. In the film Cate Blanchett’s fictional conductor, Lydia Tár, right, dubiously claims to be a student of composer Leonard Bernstein. Director Todd Field has said Tár might have lied about her teacher for clout. But we notice the Bernstein estate has now cheekily weighed in with a letter to The New Yorker: “We can assure Field that his heroine was a teenage prodigy.”
Where to house Parliament?
The House of Lords has been busy debating the future of Parliament — the building, not the institution. About £200m has been pumped into renovations, but the place is still falling to pieces. Labour peer Lord Foulkes said “this awful building” could become a museum. If Sir Keir Starmer gets his way and abolishes the Lords, Foulkes won’t have to contend with his environs much longer.
Some MPs are sticking with TikTok
While MPs are being warned that TikTok is a security risk, as we reported yesterday, Luke Evans didn’t get the memo. He’s posted a TikTok showing his followers how to access Downing Street.
Knockout blow in South Ken
Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather chose London to celebrate his 46th birthday. At a lively dinner in South Kensington, he opted for some distinctly un-English tailoring. Jamie Foxx joined him. Model Jodie Kidd helped launch the Florattica bar near Tower Bridge and Sheila Atim picked up two gongs at the Girls On Film awards.
