Postcard from London

Summertime - And the livin' is easy ... Votes for 16-year olds ... Paralegal's theft by pen ... Spy helping British intelligence from his job at Border Force ... Super-injunction comes out of the shadows ... Feed them strawberries and cream ... Floyd Alexander-Hunt files from Blighty 

Britain is abuzz with the promise of exciting summer nights - Wimbledon, Hyde Park music festivals, the Oasis reunion tour, the Lionesses making the Women's Euros finals. 

Though, a cautionary reminder to anyone attending public events - don't be caught kissing your lover on the kiss cam, especially if you're having an affair with the head of HR at the company of which you are the CEO.

Speaking of questionable romps, Labour has announced that the voting age in the UK is to be lowered to 16 by the next general election - possibly a last ditch attempt to curb teenager screen time. 

While some may be personally opposed to giving a political voice to a generation which brought back low-rise jeans and encouraged the rise of Labubus (don't ask), frankly the law doesn't go far enough. 

I saw a three year-old throw a massive tantrum on the Bakerloo line this week, and I thought to myself – this feels just like the House of Lords. Uncanny really. 

In other news, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are selling their luxurious home in the Cotswolds for $30 million, after living there for less than a year. 

They want to find a home "better suited for their animals", in particular, Portia de Rossi's horses. Apparently 43 acres and seven bathrooms is not enough for Seabiscuit and Buttercup!

Magic ink

Amey: aged care expertA paralegal has been sentenced to prison after using an erasable pen to fabricate cheques, stealing over £11,500 from vulnerable clients living in care homes. (And here I was thinking invisible ink was only good for writing "You're a bitch Mrs Scott" on my year 11 homework.)

Emma Charlotte Amey worked in the wills and probate team at a Poole-based law shop from October 2021 to October 2023. Her duties included overseeing the financial affairs of clients for which the firm held powers of attorney, giving her access to their chequebooks and debit cards.

Concerns were raised in February 2024 when a bank returned a suspicious cheque to the Poole-based firm. The cheque stub indicated that the funds were for a care provider, however, the actual cheque was made out to Amey for £3,400.

She later admitted that after cheques were signed by another staff member, she would use an erasable pen to change the recipient's name to her own. 

She also acknowledged using clients' debit cards to withdraw cash and make online purchases. This does sound an awful lot like the plot of Disney's Blank Check (1994), but with far worse comic timing.

Earlier this year, she pled guilty to two charges of fraud by abuse of position has now been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 20 months in pokey.

Mother issues

A British man who "dreamt of being like James Bond" has been convicted of trying to spy for Russia after attempting to pass sensitive information to individuals he believed were Russian agents.

Howard Phillips, 65, claimed he had connections in high places and offered his services to two supposed Russian operatives named "Sasha" and "Dima" - who naturally turned out to be undercover British intelligence officers. 

Phillips: in touch with Sasha and DimaPhillips aspired to be like James Bond, and was described by his ex-wife as "infatuated" with films about MI5 and MI6. He was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court under the National Security Act for assisting a foreign intelligence service. (Of course, she was his 'ex-wife', as James Bond could famously never hold down a domestic relationship).

Howard applied for a job with UK Border Force in October 2023, which prosecutors said was part of his plan to infiltrate the British civil service for Russian interests. 

In May 2024, he met with the agents in London and Essex, asking them to use the word "mother" instead of "Moscow", adding that he hoped "mother" would reward his loyalty. If this isn't the definition of mummy issues then I don't know what is.

The poor sod left the agents a USB stick on a bike near St Pancras and Euston train stations containing a message offering "100% loyalty and dedication" and describing himself as "invaluable" to Russia. He also disclosed the home address of the then UK defence secretary, Sir Grant Shapps.

Phillips was arrested on May 16, 2024 near King's Cross station and will remain in custody until sentencing, which is expected to take place in Autumn this year. I can only imagine he remains shaken (not stirred) by the whole experience.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Phillips had shown clear intent to aid a hostile state for personal gain, showing no concern for the potential harm to national security.

Super-duper injunction

In Ministry of Defence v Global Media Entertainment Ltd and Ors, it has come to light that the UK government obtained a super-injunction preventing not only the publication of a data breach but also the disclosure of the injunction itself. 

The injunction, which remained in force for nearly two years, was linked to the leak of personal data belonging to roughly 19,000 Afghans who had applied for relocation to the UK following the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

The order was initially granted on grounds that public knowledge of the leak could enable the Taliban to identify and target those individuals, putting them at risk of persecution or worse. 

The injunction also banned any reporting on the fact that the injunction exists - freedom of expression had to take a back seat for protection of the Afghans. 

Super injunction put the lid on Afghan data leak

I should now disclose I have a super-injunction against my high school for the publication of my year book photos. 

Despite an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold the injunction, the High Court ultimately lifted it on July 15, 2025, noting that the legal and factual basis for the order no longer applied. 

This was the first time the UK government had obtained a contra mundum injunction, binding all third parties. 

Celebrities in the 90s were particularly active in the super-injunction jurisdiction for really important stuff – like preventing publication of their illicit affairs. 

Evolution of the sandwich

It would be remiss of me not to mention the issue plaguing the nation right now – is Marks & Spencer's limited-edition strawberries and cream sandwich a confectionary or a staple food (and therefore exempt from VAT)? 

The sandwich, which has gone viral on TikTok and is inspired by the viral Japanese fruit sando, has divided opinions on taste and tax. 

It is made up of two pieces of sweetened bread, a thick layer of cream and strawberries. 

From Marks & Spencer: with crusts 

The question remains – is it a sandwich, confectionary, cake, or abomination? If it is a confectionary, then VAT must be charged at 20%, if it's a cake or a sandwich then VAT is 0%. 

My personal belief is that it is neither a cake nor a sandwich. It is a cry for help ... and possibly the most disgusting use of strawberries and cream outside of the bedroom. 

Then, it has too be remembered that the English introduced the chip butty to their cuisine.