Downing Street is in meltdown over the news that Mandelson failed security vetting. The latest well-sourced tale doing the rounds in SW1 is that Team Streeting offered Yvette Cooper the chancellorship if she backed Wes. This was around the time Anas Sarwar went over the top and called for Starmer to go. A fluid situation – Westminster gossip is flowing right now…
Today Water Minister Emma Hardy said she is considering banning over-the-counter flea medication for pets to crack down on ‘environmental contamination’. War has broken out in the Middle East, the country is flat broke, and we have no Navy. The government has no answers to the real problems, so instead it makes itself feel better by banning things. Below is an exhaustive list of all the things they’ve outlawed already, and what they’re considering banning in future. Guido will update the list as it inevitably grows…
The Guardian reports that UK Security Vetting services actually denied Peter Mandelson clearance for Developed Vetting after the usual process. That decision was overruled. A nuclear bomb has just detonated inside Starmer’s main excuse for appointing and defending Mandelson…
This rejection came after a due diligence process by the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics team and after Mandelson’s appointment was made public in December. Mandelson failed his security clearance process on 28 January last year. Within two days that was reversed by the FCDO led by David Lammy and permanent secretary Olly Robbins…
Developed Vetting denial is ultra-rare because it is a pretty standard clearance level for those dealing with classified information. As a reminder here are some of the times Starmer blamed the vetting process for the Mandelson appointment:
Starmer directly referenced the security vetting on 5 February this year: “There was… security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave him clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post.” Uh oh…
Officials are also reportedly considering whether to block this information from the Mandelson Files as mandated by the Humble Address – which would be a breach of its terms. Just as Starmer thought this was behind him…
Rayner is picking her local election campaign partners carefully. Only allies…
Housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh has been sending out the invites to Labour members with the title: “Get the Vote Out with Anegla Rayner & Miatta Fahnbulleh.“ Yes, that is her typo – so much for friendship…
Fahnbulleh is former chief executive of the leftist New Economics Foundation and was “senior economic adviser” to Rayner prior to entering parliament in 2024. She has emailed Labour members inviting them to join her and Rayner in her constituency of Peckham on Monday:
“On Monday 20th April, I will be joined by Angela Rayner to Get the Vote Out . We will be meeting at [LOCATION] to flood the area with the values and spirit of the Labour Party.
If you want to see Southwark Council continue its outstanding work across Peckham, please come and join us. Don’t forget to tell your friends, family and colleagues so we can show Angela what Peckham is made of.”
Rayner has in the last few weeks been briefing that she will campaign in the locals to flex her political muscles and so on. The former Deputy PM appeared at a school visit this week with Starmer and Andy Burnham in what was seen as an olive branch. Starmer’s position has strengthened in the eyes of Labourites since the height of the Mandelson scandal…
Every month, we’ll publish the power rankings of all the leading lights in the party based on our readers’ responses. Click here to fill in the survey, and the results will be published next week. Here’s how last month played out…
We’re offering £10 off your Guido membership once you complete it. If you’re not a Guido member yet, that’s a whole month as a Co-Conspirator for free. You’ll get instant access to The Right Angle, our weekly insiders’ column on what’s really happening on the right of British politics…
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”