Starmer's vision quest

[Psamathe]

It's all a bit daft this "I have full confidence in ...". Whilst Starmer was declaring his overwhelming confidence in his US Ambassador Mandleson was declaring there is more embarassing stuff to emerge. And suddenly ... all makes Starmer look a bit stupid.

When I was positively vetted by UK security services I didn't get the opportunity to withhold anything, never asked, all done without my involvement. But maybe there are different levels and I wasn't paying enough attention as I'd been trying to get "rejected".

 

[pubrunner]

How I long for the days of calm, stable government under Liz Truss.

 

[Psamathe]

How I long for the days of calm, stable government under Liz Truss.

And Ms Reeves longs for the Government borrowing rates from those Truss days as well.

 

[BoldonLad]

The problem is, nothing is a true market. How many private companies have massive public sector contracts that pay employees wages and shareholder dividends. I think a lot of the public mistakenly think that corporations just make money through selling a good or service. You could make the argument they are still selling something via a govt contract, but it is still public money propping up a private entity. What is the difference between a supply chain manager at Serco asking for £60k on a public funded contract and a tube driver asking for the equivalent?

I agree, but, a "true market", even if it was more efficient, might be even harder to. live with, than our hybrid system.

In my working days, whilst working in former USSR, I was asked to explain how a particular industry (sorry, cannot say which) operating system "in the West" would compare to a similar one in former USSR. It wasn't really my field of expertise, but, I made my best effort. As I was explaining it, I had the thought "this is madness" running through my mind. However, the evidence that "their" system didn't work was all around me.

I observe, I don't pretend to know the answers 😊

 

[BoldonLad]

Judging by friends who used to rent off my other half, and who between them earned around £150000pa, quite a lot. They had to move out to Basingstoke to find an affordable house.

deepest sympathy 😂

 

[BoldonLad]

I would hope that they are working out the best way to spin his departure, given that Mandelson has admitted that there's more 'embarrassing' stuff. I suppose it's not entirely beyond the realms of possibility that Mandelson got the job *because* of his links to Trump via Epstein, and they thought he'd have some leverage. If so, this likely outcome might have been worth giving some more forethought to.

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What a devious thought 😊, it was pretty much my thought, perhaps Starmer thought that Mandelson had better secrets than Trump?

 

[BoldonLad]

Given Starmer's position when in opposition about ethical politics etc, then this cannot be a reason to allow him to stay if he is as tainted as some suggest.

I am concerned that in his recent interview, he was suggesting he didn't see things others did as he was gay. I'm not sure using his sexuality as a defence is a very attractive approach

particularly not if there are photographs of young men in the goody box 😊

 

[briantrumpet]

 

[BoldonLad]

Apparently Mandelson burned his bridges with traditional Labour supporter when he was MP for Hartlepool in the early 90's and was trying to show he was a 'man of the people' (a bit like Ed Miliband's bacon sandwich episode) - went into a chippy to get something to eat, saw a metal container with mushy peas in it and asked for some of their finest guacamole

If ever there was evidence that there are constituencies where the electorate will vote for a donkey (or a monkey), if it is wearing the appropriate rosette, that has to be it. IMHO. 😂

 

[First Aspect]

It was on paper a good idea to appoint Mandleson, because he was in the same friend group as Trump.

 

[briantrumpet]

It was on paper a good idea to appoint Mandleson, because he was in the same friend group as Trump.

As long as you ignored absolutely everything else about him, true.

 

[secretsqirrel]

Does this stop Andy, Mandy and Donny having a get together next week during the state visit?

 

[Rusty Nails]

derailleur

Apparently Mandelson burned his bridges with traditional Labour supporter when he was MP for Hartlepool in the early 90's and was trying to show he was a 'man of the people' (a bit like Ed Miliband's bacon sandwich episode) - went into a chippy to get something to eat, saw a metal container with mushy peas in it and asked for some of their finest guacamole

Cool story bro.

Except it’s an urban myth that has been debunked by serious journals like the Financial Times.

He does not need false stories to make him a self-entitled pest.

 

[Psamathe]

View attachment 9892

As I understand it he's still a member of the House of Lords. So unsuitable to be an Ambassador but fine to be a key part of our Westminster legislature.

 

[Bromptonaut]

I don't disagree, but my point, which is not a party political one is whether the procedures Starmer was hiding behind yesterday are thorough enough for such high profile and important roles as an ambassador (or senior minister). They seem to have failed to identify important information. ( Assuming they did fail to identify and were not simply brushed under the carpet)

I don't think I'm making a political point either and it's pretty clear that the answer is that whether through being insufficiently thorough or not able to deal with a slippery and dishonest applicant they failed.