Best Of

I am unable to process the Apple thing because yesterday I drove from Scotland to England and this evening I drove across Sardinia

I can however process basic optics and I reckon Mandelson is toast. He’s gonna have to explain the many innuendos in that cringey letter and I cannot think of innocent ones that make sense

Plus it seems like he was on “Pedo island” more than once with his “best friend”. Are we really meant to believe a guy as smart as Mandy didn’t twig what was happening?!

He can’t be “ambassador” to Washington, the idea is mortifying

Although all those things are in the “plus”
Column in terms of dealing with Trump…

Were Trump not in power I could see Epstein being an issue - with Trump in power (as I said earlier) it's something Trump and Mandelson can moan about together and bound over...

UK Home Office dangles £1.3M prize for algorithm that guesses your age
Contract tender follows 'alarming' safeguarding failure at border with undocumented kids
https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/09/home_office_age_algorithm/

Apart from my initial thought of 'Wut?' - I wonder how many meetings they had to arrive at the precise "this is worth about £1.3million to us" figure. I really hope my cynical thoughts of "We can't just say 'a million' - sounds corny. How about 0.9? Too cheap? I know.... how about 1.3? Sounds precise. Like an algorithm! Perfect! Now, who's for lunch?"

I think the question about why the Israelis didnt just plant a decent but small bomb rather than launch a missile strike can be answered easily. It's opportunity & risk. Whilst its possible Israeli intelligence has reps in Qatar, its a difficult environment and the action team who carry out killings are usually in and out, not long term intelligence officers in situ. You just don't have them hanging about for weeks or months., risk too high.

Secondly we don't know know how recent the intelligence was that provided the window. Its possible a missile strike was the only method to exploit it.

Whatever, do not buy any idea that Netanyahu just decided to do a spectacular and chose the method for that reason. He doesn't choose, he approves.

Interesting to note that there is nothing that Qatar can do, by way of retaliation

Israel has proved it is the regional superpower. It attacks its neighbours at will, including Iran, and they are apparently impotent

It must be very humiliating for the Arab/Muslim world. Oh well

Tactical victory. Strategic failure. Keep doing this and Israel will never feel at peace, so will keep making war. And so on and so on, ad Infinitum.

Which keeps Netanyahu out of jail because while Israel is at war he can dictator his way out of calling free and fair elections that would almost certainly result in him being kicked out of office and into a cold jail cell for fraud and corruption.

Its quite hard to negotiate a ceasefire if the negotiators for one side are dead. Just saying like.

Less hard to surrender.

The "negotiations" should be the same we had with the Nazis and Imperial Japan - you surrender unconditionally, we'll tell you the time and the place.

You want Israel to heavily invest in the creation of a strong and powerful, Independent, Palestinian state that will soon overtake it economically like we did with the Germans and the Japanese? Good idea.

I am unable to process the Apple thing because yesterday I drove from Scotland to England and this evening I drove across Sardinia

I can however process basic optics and I reckon Mandelson is toast. He’s gonna have to explain the many innuendos in that cringey letter and I cannot think of innocent ones that make sense

Plus it seems like he was on “Pedo island” more than once with his “best friend”. Are we really meant to believe a guy as smart as Mandy didn’t twig what was happening?!

He can’t be “ambassador” to Washington, the idea is mortifying

Although all those things are in the “plus”
Column in terms of dealing with Trump…

Were Trump not in power I could see Epstein being an issue - with Trump in power (as I said earlier) it's something Trump and Mandelson can moan about together and bound over...

This is not how it works. Trump wants the Epstein scandal done dusted and forgotten. He clearly hates the association

Now every time he meets the UK Ambassador, or is pictured with him, everyone is reminded of Epstein, and how both are implicated

I have a strong suspicion Mandelson will be gone

I hope you’re right . I don’t understand why he was made ambassador to begin with.

Apparently Mandelson did big business with Epstein, emailed him regularly, and STAYED AT EPSTEIN’S Manhattan townhouse, AFTER Epstein’s first conviction for trafficking and child sex etc (in 2008)

I mean, WTAF??

Did Starmer know this before he appointed him to Britain’s most important diplomatic role? If not, why not? If he did - 😶

Monumental failure all round

Of course Starmer would be told those details as part of security briefing. Of course Starmer knew when making the appointment.
Starmer takes advice from Mandelson, hence the movement and demotion of Lammy last week. I don’t think Lammy actually failed in the role, it’s too early to say.

Question is, Mandelson definitely has to resign before Trumps visit, how does Starmer explain why? Starmer can’t lie with “but new evidence has come to light” when he actually knew all, along, that would mean Starmer has to resign too for his lying. How’s Starmer sacking Lord Yum Yum without being badly wounded himself? 😃

I am unable to process the Apple thing because yesterday I drove from Scotland to England and this evening I drove across Sardinia

I can however process basic optics and I reckon Mandelson is toast. He’s gonna have to explain the many innuendos in that cringey letter and I cannot think of innocent ones that make sense

Plus it seems like he was on “Pedo island” more than once with his “best friend”. Are we really meant to believe a guy as smart as Mandy didn’t twig what was happening?!

He can’t be “ambassador” to Washington, the idea is mortifying

Although all those things are in the “plus”
Column in terms of dealing with Trump…

Were Trump not in power I could see Epstein being an issue - with Trump in power (as I said earlier) it's something Trump and Mandelson can moan about together and bound over...

This is not how it works. Trump wants the Epstein scandal done dusted and forgotten. He clearly hates the association

Now every time he meets the UK Ambassador, or is pictured with him, everyone is reminded of Epstein, and how both are implicated

I have a strong suspicion Mandelson will be gone

I think the question about why the Israelis didnt just plant a decent but small bomb rather than launch a missile strike can be answered easily. It's opportunity & risk. Whilst its possible Israeli intelligence has reps in Qatar, its a difficult environment and the action team who carry out killings are usually in and out, not long term intelligence officers in situ. You just don't have them hanging about for weeks or months., risk too high.

Secondly we don't know know how recent the intelligence was that provided the window. Its possible a missile strike was the only method to exploit it.

Whatever, do not buy any idea that Netanyahu just decided to do a spectacular and chose the method for that reason. He doesn't choose, he approves.

Interesting to note that there is nothing that Qatar can do, by way of retaliation

Israel has proved it is the regional superpower. It attacks its neighbours at will, including Iran, and they are apparently impotent

It must be very humiliating for the Arab/Muslim world. Oh well

Tactical victory. Strategic failure. Keep doing this and Israel will never feel at peace, so will keep making war. And so on and so on, ad Infinitum.

Which keeps Netanyahu out of jail because while Israel is at war he can dictator his way out of calling free and fair elections that would almost certainly result in him being kicked out of office and into a cold jail cell for fraud and corruption.

Its quite hard to negotiate a ceasefire if the negotiators for one side are dead. Just saying like.

Sebastien Lecomu new PM of France

Expect him to last for all of 5 minutes, he is another centre right PM proposing spending cuts in a parliament where the left have most seats and want to tax the rich instead.

Macron is just naive thinking a non centre left PM can get anything through

The National Assembly has more right wing than left wing deputies, but neither side is close to a majority.

“The National Assembly has more right wing than left wing deputies”
Are you sure? The largest bloc, so probably most legitimate to provide next PM is NPF, with Macrons grouping in second place, NR third.

If NR were top, they would refuse to provide PM as it would damage them in the General Election.
However the NPF are calling for an NPF PM, but Macron is refusing to appoint one as it would damage his political ensemble ahead of the General election.

It’s not that Macron is in a weak position and doesn’t have strong cards to trade and comprise to bring stability to French politics, and protect the French economy with that stability, achievable by getting his bloc to support NPF PM after a budget agreement - Macron is choosing to die in a ditch over the need for Thatcherite reforms - 2 less Bank Holidays a totemic example. He’s taking this ruinous bloody minded position because… he’s French 🤷‍♀️

Does France need to abolish two Bank Holidays? I don’t think so, the economic future of Bank Holidays is more not less.

The NPF has 193 deputies, out of 577. RN 142, the Republicans 47, with another 19 independent Right. Macron’s faction has 166.

There is no common ground between Macron and LFI (the faction of NPF that supports Melanchon).

A PM from the Left would lose a vote of confidence in the Assembly.