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Good morning

Despite Polanski and Greens being as unsuitable for government as Farage I would vote Green just to hope Reform do not win

That is an appallingly irresponsible attitude. Reform are roughly a political match for the Tories in 1997. The Greens want to see an end to property rental, an end to the nuclear deterrent, the decriminalisation of all hard drugs, and potentially the abolition of the police force.

I would hope that if you were ever given a real choice between the two, a more sober judgement would prevail over petty political point-scoring.

Reform are not a rough political match for the Tories in 1997. As one example, here’s what the 1997 manifesto said on global warming:

“We will also continue to provide leadership in Europe and internationally on environmental issues, building on the Rio Conference to encourage sustainable development – meeting our commitment to reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10% on 1990 levels by 2010 to prevent climate change. The Prime Minister has committed himself to attending the next UN Environmental Conference in June.”

Or there’s this:

“The government has a positive vision for the European Union as a partnership of nations. We want to be in Europe but not run by Europe. We have much to gain from our membership of the European Union –in trade, in co-operation between governments, and in preserving European peace. We benefit from the huge trade opportunities that have opened up since Britain led the way in developing Europe’s single market. We want to see the rest of Europe follow the same deregulated, enterprise policies that have transformed our economic prospects in Britain.”

Or:

“We will ensure that, while genuine asylum seekers are treated sympathetically, people do not abuse these provisions to avoid normal immigration controls.”

Or:

“Everybody, regardless of colour or creed, has the right to go about his or her life free from the threat of intimidation. We are taking tough action to tackle harassment. Under proposals in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, it will be a crime to behave in a way which causes someone else to be harassed. The maximum penalty will be 6 months in prison.“

Jim Pickard

‪@pickardje.bsky.social‬
BREAKING on ft website:

Lord Peter Mandelson leaked a sensitive UK government document to Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour’s tax policy plans

www.ft.com/content/fdf7...

https://bsky.app/profile/pickardje.bsky.social/post/3mduqnamqq22l

You know, you go through life thinking you're a cynic who understands how the world works and then you come across things like this and you are genuinely shocked. How on earth was this man positively vetted for the Ambassador job?

He wasn't. Or Starmer ignored what he was told.

That's the conclusion that you are driven to. A man who had had to resign twice for misconduct, who was called the Prince of Darkness, who has been a wheeler and dealer at a high level for decades, was NOT positively vetted before being selected for the most politically sensitive ambassadorial post we have? What was Starmer thinking?

.

I'm glad that someone has mentioned the leaks of confidential information to Epstein. Misconduct at an absolute minimum. But it could potentially also be the passing on of unpublished price sensitive information - a criminal offence - and if Epstein or others traded on the basis of such information that would be insider dealing. It is potentially incredibly serious.

I was doing quite a few leak inquiries around this time and if government was involved it was pretty obvious that many of the leaks came from it - and to a few favoured journalists. There are a few names I'd be very interested to see if they appear in these files.

Mandelson should be expelled from the Lords. Starmer is weak in not having announced this already and in allowing him to resign rather than expelling him.

I think Mandleson probably has far too much dirt on everyone in the echelons of power in this country to be deposed in such a manner. His friendship with Epstein who looks as though he was working as a triple agent for the CIA, Mosad and the Russians probably came with the benefits of having all of these little facts about the people he could use against them.

Sweep the whole rotten cabal away. It's not as if they've been any good at their day jobs.

I don't disagree with you and have been saying as much for the better part of 10 years. We have a class of politicians, civil servants and executives who exist in a separate world in which they are untouchable and above the law. If you can figure out a way to sweep them away without setting the country down the path to fascism I'm all ears. I think a Tory/Reform coalition might be the only realistic way to get change which sounds ridiculous but the time of centrist dads just knuckling under has allowed the rot to fester and take over. There are so many scandals for which these same self satisfied centrist dads tell the rest of us to keep quiet while protecting the powerful people who perpetrate and cover up serious crimes.

The system is broken and the smug centrists are all around us telling us that it isn't. Attempting to convince everyone that the sky is green because admitting that they've been wrong about everything for the past 20 years is too much to handle.

If I had the answer I'd be trying to do something about it. I have done my bit trying to change the culture within the places I've worked. Though the chances of anyone in politics listening to an old woman about anything approximate to zero, as I have been saying for years.

Why do you think it has taken this long to listen to what women have been saying about this? Or why women are not listened to on any other topic affecting them? This forum has not been innocent in that regard either.

Reform is part of the same rotten cabal not a fresh broom. The Greens are batshit insane, have little regard for the law and view women as second class citizens not entitled to their rights. Their leader - who has never taken drink or drugs - decided, while stone cold sober, that he could use hypnosis to enlarge their breasts. This is nota serious person. The Tories are boneless.

The chances of change being for the better are not high. I am not optimistic. Labour could have started the process but with a leader steeped in disingenuousness, dishonesty and a joyless illiberal authoritarianism and lacking judgment or, seemingly, any feel for the country he governs, it has missed its chance - and may have made matters worse.

It comes down to applying the same standards of ethics, morality, rewards and penalties at the top of organisations as we demand of the bottom.

We have, finally, moved to a world where senior NHS managers, who do things like conduct illegal campaigns of harassment against whistleblower, will be struck of the register and can't just *get another job as an NHS manager*. That's good. A start.

The case in point, today - Mandy - if a more junior person was being recruited, multiple resignations for ethics violations would make getting a job next to impossible.

For roles far below the level that Mandy was recruited for, the security services would build a life history detailing everything. I've had friends go for such jobs - got the calls from nice people asking about stuff 20 or 30 years back. Was this done? Who read the result, if it was?

It ought not to have taken a huge amount of digging.

It was fairly open knowledge that Mandelson maintained a relationship with Epstein post conviction. The Epstein plea bargain makes it very clear (on its first page) that he was guilty of rape and trafficking of children; the ridiculously lenient sentence doesn't obscure that.

Those two facts alone should have been put to the PM within a day, surely ?
If they weren't, then Mandelson wasn't vetted at all.

Mandelson's insider trading as Business Secretary over land assets, leaking of Government emails, advising JP Morgan to threaten Darling, and the payments are far more important than the salacious material.

This is pretty close to treason. Certainly misconduct in public office. Working with Epstein and JP Morgan to threaten Darling (against Government policy) who is the C of E is astonishing.

Good morning

Despite Polanski and Greens being as unsuitable for government as Farage I would vote Green just to hope Reform do not win

That is an appallingly irresponsible attitude. Reform are roughly a political match for the Tories in 1997. The Greens want to see an end to property rental, an end to the nuclear deterrent, the decriminalisation of all hard drugs, and potentially the abolition of the police force.

I would hope that if you were ever given a real choice between the two, a more sober judgement would prevail over petty political point-scoring.

I utterly reject the Goodwiln - Robinson - Farage Trump tribute act and would vote for anyone best to beat them

They are nothing like the 1997 conservatives nor the party I have supported for over 60 years

I'm glad that someone has mentioned the leaks of confidential information to Epstein. Misconduct at an absolute minimum. But it could potentially also be the passing on of unpublished price sensitive information - a criminal offence - and if Epstein or others traded on the basis of such information that would be insider dealing. It is potentially incredibly serious.

I was doing quite a few leak inquiries around this time and if government was involved it was pretty obvious that many of the leaks came from it - and to a few favoured journalists. There are a few names I'd be very interested to see if they appear in these files.

Mandelson should be expelled from the Lords. Starmer is weak in not having announced this already and in allowing him to resign rather than expelling him.

I think Mandleson probably has far too much dirt on everyone in the echelons of power in this country to be deposed in such a manner. His friendship with Epstein who looks as though he was working as a triple agent for the CIA, Mosad and the Russians probably came with the benefits of having all of these little facts about the people he could use against them.

Sweep the whole rotten cabal away. It's not as if they've been any good at their day jobs.

I don't disagree with you and have been saying as much for the better part of 10 years. We have a class of politicians, civil servants and executives who exist in a separate world in which they are untouchable and above the law. If you can figure out a way to sweep them away without setting the country down the path to fascism I'm all ears. I think a Tory/Reform coalition might be the only realistic way to get change which sounds ridiculous but the time of centrist dads just knuckling under has allowed the rot to fester and take over. There are so many scandals for which these same self satisfied centrist dads tell the rest of us to keep quiet while protecting the powerful people who perpetrate and cover up serious crimes.

The system is broken and the smug centrists are all around us telling us that it isn't. Attempting to convince everyone that the sky is green because admitting that they've been wrong about everything for the past 20 years is too much to handle.

Jim Pickard

‪@pickardje.bsky.social‬
BREAKING on ft website:

Lord Peter Mandelson leaked a sensitive UK government document to Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour’s tax policy plans

www.ft.com/content/fdf7...

https://bsky.app/profile/pickardje.bsky.social/post/3mduqnamqq22l

You know, you go through life thinking you're a cynic who understands how the world works and then you come across things like this and you are genuinely shocked. How on earth was this man positively vetted for the Ambassador job?

I think the question devolves to this "WAS this man vetted?" I mean seriously?