Peter Mandelson moaned about the “ocean of questions” asked about his “former life” during the vetting process for his ambassadorial gig, just as he was preparing to jet off to Washington. Signing off from the podcast he used to host, Times Radio’s How to Win an Election, Mandelson bade farewell to his fawning co-hosts with a tale of how “extraordinary” the checks were:
“There is so much organisation to be done. I mean, it is unbelievable. I never realised that joining the ranks of the civil service would involve quite so much, so many bureaucratic hurdles and challenges. It’s like emptying an ocean of questions, whether it be for my security vetting or the endless health checks and questions, just about every aspect of my former life. I have to answer all these questionnaires and empty this great ocean of bureaucracy before I do so. But I guess it will be towards the end of this month. I can’t show my face over there until all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed. Both this side of the Atlantic and their side. But it is extraordinary.”
Meanwhile Starmer is still clinging to the line that he simply took Mandelson at his word. Won’t stick…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”