Shouts of ‘more’ from the Chamber after that communist gag. Starmer looked like he’d swallowed a wasp…
The Epstein files show that Mandelson was leaking internal No10 documents and briefings to Epstein while Mandelson was working inside during Brown’s administration. The ex-PM now says:
“I have today asked the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the disclosure of confidential and market sensitive information from the then Business Department during the global financial crisis.
On September 10 last year, I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary to ask him to investigate the veracity of information contained in the Epstein papers about the sale of assets arising from the banking collapse and communications about them between Lord Mandelson and Mr Epstein.
That enquiry led to a response on November 19 that no departmental record could be found of any information or communication from Lord Mandelson to Mr Epstein on these issues.
Given the shocking new information that has come to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, including information about the transfer to Mr Epstein of at least one highly sensitive government document as well as other highly confidential information, I have now written to ask for a wider and more intensive enquiry to take place into the wholly unacceptable disclosure of government papers and information during the period when the country was battling the global financial crisis. Given the public interest in this, I have asked that the results of the enquiry be published and done so as soon as possible.”
Reminder: Mandelson was one of if not the key adviser to Labour during the Starmerite reconstruction…
Mel Stride has become the first Tory to stress test the party’s new strategy for attacking Reform: take aim at Nigel Farage’s relationship with the White House. Speaking at the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Policy Conference in London, Stride accused Trump of “not playing by the rules”, warned that protectionism is the “tool of populists”, and claimed Reform is “acting as apologists for the US administration”:
“Tariffs are not the answer to our economic troubles. Increasing trade barriers is unquestionably a step backwards and will leave everyone worse off, so the approach of the current US administration is concerning. Being close partners, we have a duty to be honest when we see our friends making a mistake. As with any community, whether of people or of nations, the whole system can be strained if just one member chooses not to play by the rules. It is disappointing that some politicians in our own country – in the Reform Party, for example – want to be seen as the champions of the White House in the UK, rather than being unequivocal in their stance on free and fair trade.”
Reform is pushing back:
“Nigel Farage has been explicitly clear that he opposes Trump’s tariff regime. Once again the Tories have to resort to dishonesty because no one listening to them. Minor party Mel should be making a speech apologising for ballooning welfare budget he allowed to happen under his watch as a Minister.”
Punchy…
Read his speech in full below:
Continue reading “Mel Stride Accuses Farage of Being “Champion” of Donald Trump”
The government is trying to get ahead of the Mandelson story before it engulfs Team Starmer. No doubt thanks to the traumatic events of the last time…
Labour has arranged for ‘Chief Secretary to the PM’ Darren Jones to provide a ministerial statement in the Commons after Starmer’s China trip update. This is for two reasons: 1) so Starmer doesn’t have to answer questions on Mandelson in the Commons during his own statement and 2) to try to push the onus around Mandelson’s peerage onto the House of Lords…
Starmer’s team is arguing that they can’t strip Mandelson of his peerage (they can) and that arcane Lords reforms should be pursued to the same end. This is not true – Starmer need only pursue primary legislation and ask his MPs to vote to remove Peter Mandelson from the Lords, which he does not want to do…
Downing Street has launched a probe by the Cabinet Secretary into the affair. This latest Mandelson blow up has implications for Starmer’s operation. More of that in Guido’s Labour Wars column later today…
In two additional corruption cases ex-minister Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to four years in prison in Bangladesh. In absentia…
Charges relate to land allocation and the allegation that members of dictator Sheikh Hasina’s family illegally acquired land from the state through corrupt means. Siddiq originally got a two-year sentence in December. Four have been added…
Siddiq has always denied charges against her. The Labour Party has also issued a statement:
“As has been reported, highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her. This is despite repeated requests made to the Bangladeshi authorities through her legal team. Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them. Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment.”
It remains to be seen what the diplomatic situation will be between the UK and Bangladeshi governments after incoming fresh elections will end the term of interim president Muhammad Yunus…
Downing Street has said Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the Lords or continue to use his title. Starmer’s spokesman said at the Lobby briefing of journalists:
“The PM does not believe Mandelson should be a member of the House of Lords and hold the title but he does not have the power to remove his membership. That is why he is calling on those in the Lords to work with the government to modernise the disciplinary procedures and make it easier to remove Lords who have brought the House into disrepute.”
The PM’s spokesman insisted that there had not been a “precedent” to use primary legislation to remove an individual from the Lords. He added that Starmer had instructed Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald to “urgently” look at “all available information” of Mandelson’s contact with Epstein during the period he was a minister. Could have done that before Starmer appointed him as US Ambassador…
Shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns told Times Radio she would have put a precondition on a China trip if she were PM:
“I would have put a precondition that I was not going to go if I was prime minister, unless Jimmy Lai was coming home with me. I would also put a precondition in the six months leading up to the visit that I wanted a reduction in hostile acts against our country. But that’s not what we saw. And actually, in contrast, what we saw was clearly the Chinese Communist Party did put a precondition, which was that the new embassy in London had to be signed off. So why is it okay for China to set preconditions and to make very clear red lines about what they require for a visit, but we go without having put any ourselves?”
