The government has made Mandelson’s deputy James Roscoe, currently in DC as Deputy Head of Mission to the USA, the temporary British Ambassador. He’s starting today…
In the meantime Starmer’s spokesman told the Lobby briefing of political journalists that the process is now underway to appoint a new ambassador. Asked if it would be a political appointment Starmer’s spokesman said “the process is just beginning”…
Asked if the vetting process should include a section on staying at the homes of convicted paedophiles, Starmer’s spokesman said: “The vetting process is extensive.” The spokesman refused to say when Starmer last spoke to Mandelson and refused to say if the PM believes he was misled by him. While it is concurrently claimed that Mandelson himself didn’t have access to those old emails on a “long closed” email account the blame is put on Mandelson for the failure of the vetting process…
The insistence is that the relationship between Mandelson and Epstein has been shown to be “materially different” following Bloomberg’s email trove. Who is buying that…
The spokesman refused to “speculate” on whether Mandelson would be given another role or remain close to the Labour leadership. Wouldn’t put it past Starmer…
Former Treasury minister and adviser to Burnham in the Makerfield campaign Lord Jim O’Neill, who has turned down a role in his government, said Burnham’s first statement Commons was:
“The last thing investors wanted to hear… gilt yields have risen by a 0.25% in one day, which is a lot. We’ve not had that since Liz Truss days… If your country is under the focus of ‘can they come up with a sensible fiscal strategy’ on a day when the markets think ‘well no, you’re not showing any sign of it’ you’re going to have a tough day…if it stays like this your mortgage rate is going up.”