Best Of

I went up to Scotland last week (I might have mentioned it). I hate trains but I like the idea of a posh train to somewhere nice. That leaves me the Night Riviera sleeper train to Penzance, the Caledonian Sleeper to Inverness, or the Eurostar to Lille. Not big places, smallish nice towns with nice places where I can sit down and read books, reasonably luxurious and historic with nice buildings. Anybody been to Penzance, Inverness or Lille?

I’ve been to all of them. They’re all great in different ways, and with flaws

Penzance: real end of the line feeling. You are definitely at a terminus and it’s at the very end of Cornwall. The station is by the sea. You exit to ozone and gulls and fish and chips and saltiness. And you are surrounded by Wild West Cornwall

But Penzance is a bit run down. Druggies and shuttered shops

Inverness is quite a handsome town. Granite everywhere. It’s not as dramatic as Penzance but you’re definitely on the door of the highlands and the wilds. The train over to Kyle is spectacular

Can also be rundown. And cold

Lille is probably the most architecturally appealing in itself. Nice French Flemish feel. But much more boring in location and nothing to see - unless you like world war 1 battlefields, in which case it’s fab

I'd agree with all that - but for the Penzance option: why not add on a short branch line hop (changing at St. Erth?) and finish at St. Ives?

On Lille - my daughter went on a school trip to Lille last winter to visit the Christmas markets - less famous than the German counterparts but just as worthwhile. Perhaps you could do that?

All that said, if it were me I'd definitely go for Inverness. Regardless of the city at the end, that's the best train ride.

(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges
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33m
It’s not possible to overstate how much trouble Starmer’s now in on Mandelson, having backed him in the House.

Hodges is wrong yet again, of course it is possible. How about "Starmer will not just have to resign, but will be found guilty of treason, hung, drawn and quartered, sent to hell for eternity, and be forced to become a Man United fan". I suspect that overstates it quite substantially.

It's not Starmer resignation but Mandelson that is on the line but Starmer prevarication is not helping him at all

Sure Mandelson will probably have to go. It makes almost no long term difference to Starmer. His fate rests on ending asylum hotels, a big reduction in the boats combined with the fluctuations of the global economy, not this.

Not quite sure this is right. How about this progression; could it be where the media/opposition go?

1) Mandelson had a significant relationship with Epstein both before and after he went to prison for sex offences.including post prison business consultancy. (This looks certain)

2) M must have been fully vetted before the ambassadorial appointment. (This must be true)

3) Starmer must have been advised of the relevant facts. (This must be true, especially as M has form from the past, but no doubt attempts can be made to fudge it)

4) If 1-3 above are true and established, then M's appointment is a potential resignation issue for Starmer.

What do others think?

Spot on. The resignation of Mandelson a mere formality now - what the media and opposition leaders are chasing is the resignation of Starmer over this. He was very careful not to tell porkies at PMQ, but at expense of making it crystal clear he likely knew all this even more besides when making the appointment.

He hid behind “due process was followed” questions can be asked about that due process. Indeed LOTO asked for it to be published in full ASAP.
He hid behind “elements of due process that are strictly private” which he won’t get away with for it inevitably means he can’t close off “what did you know and when.”

Can Starmer latch on to something “new” to everyone for the sacking that saves him?
Is there anything new, something substantial not known during due process Starmer didn’t know? Otherwise Starmer is finished now by this “fluffy bed robe cover up”

I think the first signs of Number Ten softening its support will come from “number 10 spokesperson or source” look there for possible backing away from Mandleson.

“I think the first signs of Number Ten softening its support will come from “number 10 spokesperson or source” look there for possible backing away from Mandleson.”

At the moment they are not at all softening their stance, in fact number ten choosing to dig themselves deeper into the mire.

From live Grunidan Blog
No 10 says Mandelson subject to 'extensive' vetting before appointment as ambassador to US
At the post-PMQs lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson would not discuss in detail what Keir Starmer knew about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before he appointed him ambassador to Washington. But he stressed that the pre-appointment vetting was “extensive” – implying No 10 did know quite a lot about this.

The spokesperson said:

We have been very clear that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein are at the forefront of our minds, he was a despicable criminal who committed the most heinous crimes and destroyed the lives of so many women and girls.
On the appointment process, any candidates for ambassador positions are subject to extensive vetting and background checks by the Foreign Office and Cabinet Office as a matter of course.
Asked if Starmer was surprised by the latest revelations, the spokesperson said that Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein “has been a matter of public record for some time and the ambassador himself has repeatedly addressed questions on it”.

Again, mind boggling

This position cannot hold. Even if you accept Mandelson’s claim that he saw nothing and understood nothing, despite several visits to pedo island, and even if you accept that the cringey innuendo laden sexual banter in his ten page love letter to Epstein is all innocent - the fact is Mandelson stayed in Epstein’s house as Epstein’s guest when Epstein was serving time for pedophilia and trafficking

There is no plausible escape from that fact. Mandelson knew all that and still thought it was a great idea to accept hospitality from his best pal, the convicted pedophile Jeff

Controversial take: we should pay them a lot more

Reduce the number of MPs and Lords but give them much higher salaries. So they have less inclination to sleaze and much smarter people will try for the job

Right now we are ruled by morons as only morons fancy an underpaid career where they might get sacked any moment

For evidence, see Keir Starmer, a moron

Singapore approach. Paid well, but its your only job and even a hint of dodginess you are out with stronger law specifically around elected officials misconduct. None of this well i had a 3 homes, I lied about legal advice, soz, but off to the backbench plotting when to come back.

Good luck with persuading the public on the need for politicians to be paid a lot more.

Starmer won’t sack Mandelson. He’ll ask him to resign . Even if that happens this shouldn’t end the matter .

He was made ambassador when it was known he had stayed in Epsteins apartment whilst he was in prison.

Any politician who isn’t a complete moron would have not gone anywhere near Mandelson .

And his comments about Rayner in attempting to embarrass Badenoch were a disgrace , to stab her in the back like that.

That was a bizarre line. I had to play it back to make sure I’d heard it correctly.

He actually did try to score a political point off the LOTO not asking the right questions about his own deputy’s wrongdoing?

(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges

Inside No.10 there’s a mounting sense of crisis. And it’s centred around the following dynamic. They realise that politically they have to cut Mandelson loose. But strategically they feel they can’t, because of Trump’s proximity to the Epstein issue. It’s the perfect storm.

https://x.com/DPJHodges/status/1965785548246876400

If the story that Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein lasted beyond his original 2008 conviction holds up, then his position is untenable.

Trump himself had dropped Epstein well before that, supposedly after his behaviour towards Mar-a-Lago staff became a matter of concern.