Secrets of No 10 revealed

Plus: The EU's vaccine disaster, how to survive and thrive in a wild stock market, and a tale of Hollywood hubris [View in browser]( Monday February 1 2021 [The Telegraph]( By Chris EvansEditor Dear Reader, Over the last three days, The Telegraph has serialised the new biography of Sir Jeremy Heywood, a man who rarely came to the attention of the public, but as a senior civil servant played a critical role in a quarter-century of British public life. (Read [each]( [part]( [here]( Yet the author of the biography, Sir Jeremy's widow, Suzanne, has her own fascinating story. [Charles Moore spoke to Suzanne]( to hear of her remarkable rise and why she doesn’t regret breaking convention to write the book. Few in British politics believed there would never be any flare-ups over the Northern Ireland border deal, but perhaps nobody saw that such a significant flashpoint would come as early as last week. Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commission quickly backtracked from their decision to impose vaccine export restrictions on Ulster, yet the whole debacle was a spectacular implosion by a senior politician. James Crisp and Christopher Hope tell the [full story of how the EU’s all-out vaccine assault backfired]( so dramatically. It’s only a few months since the pandemic-delayed 2020 Six Nations ended, but the 2021 edition kicks off this weekend. Ahead of England’s opening clash with Scotland, Sir Ian McGeechan interviewed Owen Farrell, England’s fly-half, captain, and arguably most important player, about his team’s controversial style of play, their hopes of a third straight title and his personal ambitions for the coming Lions tour. [It’s a fascinating read](. Finally, Gardeners’ Question Time is, by any measure, a stalwart of the BBC’s radio output, having been first broadcast in 1947. Even on such a timescale, Bunny Guinness’s two-decade tenure on the programme is worth remarking on. [In a lovely piece]( she writes about how she first joined the programme and the joys that even something only proximate to gardening can bring. ( You can sign up for our excellent, free, [gardening newsletter here. )]( Chris My Choices [Ursula von der Leyen]( James Crisp and Christopher Hope explain how Ursula von der Leyen’s vaccine supply assault backfired spectacularly and ended with the EU humiliated. [It's a must-read.]( [Jeremy Heywood]( He was the most powerful man in Downing Street and Whitehall you have probably never heard of. [Here's the inside story of Jeremy Heywood]( and his extraordinary behind-the-scenes rise. (Free to read) [Joan Collins in Land of the Pharaohs]( A cavorting Joan Collins, a drunken William Faulkner, hundreds of furious Egyptians – [Tim Robey explores how]( the 'historically accurate' Land of the Pharoahs went horribly wrong. [Audience on Gardeners’ Question Time]( The success of Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time is down to its knowledgeable experts, audience and humour. [Bunny Guinness looks at the show’s highs and lows]( over the years. (Free to read) [Owen Farrell]( [In this entertaining interview]( Sir Ian McGeechan talks to England rugby captain Owen Farrell about England's attacking zest and Lions ambitions. [Masked man at computers]( After the recent remarkable story of GameStop and surging stock prices, [read our Questor share tips special]( so you can keep ahead with your investments. What did you think? Let us know how we're doing using the feedback button below or tweet me [@chrisevans1](. Although I am unable to respond individually to all the emails I receive, I am grateful to you for sending them to me. [Send feedback](mailto:Totheeditor@telegraph.co.uk) We hope you enjoyed our newsletter. If you have questions or feedback, please visit our [help page](. If you have questions about your Telegraph subscription, including delivery issues or technical ones, [please visit this page]( and contact us that way. If you would like a letter to the Editor published in The Telegraph, email it to [dtletters@telegraph.co.uk.](mailto:dtletters@telegraph.co.uk) Please include name, address, work and home telephone numbers. See more Telegraph newsletters [Front Bench]( | [Cookbook]( | [Cars]( | [Good News]( We have sent you this email because you have either asked us to or because we think it will interest you. [Unsubscribe]( | [Update your preferences]( For any other questions, please visit our help page [here](. Any offers included in this email come with their own Terms and Conditions, which you can see by clicking on the offer link. We may withdraw offers without notice. Telegraph Media Group Limited or its group companies - 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT. Registered in England under No 451593.