Best Of

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!

Powell first found fame by saying 'In the real world, where I live, unlike where you live, Andrew.'

To Andrew Neil. Live on air.

This did not end well for her.

(It's also reasonable to point out that Andrew Neil came from a somewhat humbler background than she did, so it was simply not true.)

If she is the best Labour can put up in this contest, they're completely fucked.

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!

Andy Burham is Lucy Powell's biggest cheerleader so I assume you accept Andy Burnham is Starmer's biggest real threat, not this forum

It's very hard indeed to see Burnham as a threat. He's outside Parliament and the barriers to his return are actually pretty formidable. He would have to find a seat Labour could win, and then win it, and resign as Mayor to take it up which would neutralise his power base.

I suspect name recognition, a lack of association with the Cabinet and wishful thinking are driving talk about his return, rather than a realistic assessment of the possibility.

Which is why I say again the one we should be watching is David Lammy. He's consistently underestimated by everyone but he's quietly manoeuvred himself into an extremely powerful position.

Are you trolling Elon and Tommy? That would send them bonkers*!

* OK, OK, in Leon's case even more bonkers.

Elon or Leon? Or both?

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!

Why shouldn’t people opposed to this shambolic,govt want to see the back of It ? I’m not sure any change of govt to any other party or coalition would improve the country at the moment.

Quite frankly they can elect either Powell or Phillipson, it won’t change much for them until they start, if they can, delivering real improvements for people in their lives in the country as opposed to relying on MPs and tame pro govt social media accounts telling us how great they are.

The annoying thing is there's lots of boring, low-hanging fruit that could be plucked fairly easily just by tidying up government (and in some cases, commercial) procedures that are simply outdated. For example, changing rules on pursuing e-bikes so they can be followed by drones - that would be a major disaster for phone snatchers. Or reform of the court system to speed it up and make things cheaper, which has been talked about but not delivered. Or a massive clampdown on fraudulent bills by utility companies, which is an absolute scourge affecting hundreds of thousands of people every year.

You would have thought Starmer, of all people, would be well-placed to do that. And indeed, often he has made encouraging noises, as in abolishing OFWAT and making greater use of magistrates' courts. But so far, limited progress.

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!

Andy Burham is Lucy Powell's biggest cheerleader so I assume you accept Andy Burnham is Starmer's biggest real threat, not this forum

It's very hard indeed to see Burnham as a threat. He's outside Parliament and the barriers to his return are actually pretty formidable. He would have to find a seat Labour could win, and then win it, and resign as Mayor to take it up which would neutralise his power base.

I suspect name recognition, a lack of association with the Cabinet and wishful thinking are driving talk about his return, rather than a realistic assessment of the possibility.

Which is why I say again the one we should be watching is David Lammy. He's consistently underestimated by everyone but he's quietly manoeuvred himself into an extremely powerful position.

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!

Might be worth checking what the union leaders in the now banned smoked filled back rooms have decided at the recent TUC, I had one of my best ever results on a single long term bet I almost forgot about thanks to a late night Skynews blog post by Jon Craig who was at the TUC while the then leaders plotted who would be the best stop the Blairite David Milliband candidate. He reported that they had decided their best candidate was Ed Miliband and I bet accordingly at excellent odds that way out on the back of his report. I still remember being in the car with fitaloon and our lads when the news came through of the result of the Labour leadership contest and loudly shouting yes before informing fitaloon that I had just won a very nice three figure sum off the back of that bet.

Daily Mail - 'Starmer cried: 'You're supposed to be protecting me'. The showdown between PM and key aide that's the talk of Westminster'

"According to the Whitehall grapevine, it was the moment that growing tensions between the two most senior men in the British Government finally exploded into the open.

'You are supposed to protect me from things like this!' a furious Sir Keir Starmer is said to have bellowed at Morgan McSweeney, the man dubbed The Real Deputy Prime Minister.

'That's exactly what I was trying to do!' Mr McSweeney roared back.

The extraordinary exchange – relayed to The Mail on Sunday by a highly placed source – came after Sir Keir returned to No10 on Wednesday following his Commons mauling over Peter Mandelson's links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

No 10 denies the encounter took place as described – and even tried to deny that chief of staff Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before backtracking.

But what is not in question is that the Mandelson scandal has turned into a full-blown political crisis which could lead to the end of Starmer's premiership.

Despairing Labour MPs are looking to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for salvation, with Lucy Powell running as his 'proxy' in the deputy leadership election.

Supporters hope Mr Burnham will return to the Commons in a by-election, making him eligible for a leadership bid."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15095781/Starmer-cried-showdown-PM-key-aide-Westminster.html

Backing Powell is starting to look like easy money?

I don't think so.

I think Phillipson will win comfortably and have bet accordingly.

Politically these is little between her and Powell, both being soft left. Phillipson is the better speaker. Here she is at the #TUC last week:

https://www.youtube.com/live/8GRutRRkLc4?si=dygUjELbDJtY65Tc

I note that those cheerleading Powell on here want to bring down the government. I don't think that will be the motivation of Labour members. Neither do I think that is the purpose of Powell!