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!

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.

Frankly, who wants to do this boring governing thing when you can emote about things you can't actually do anything about? It's deeply unfashionable.

Over time, I appreciate emperors like Antoninus Pius and Anastasius ever more. No flashy buildings, no military glory, but they governed very competently for decades.

FPT but, in re Antonini Pii, I must ask: what about this honking great wall on the Forth-Clyde Isthmus, with [edit] forts and (possibly) a monumental temple on the road through?*

*Arthur's Oon [oven]. Sadly demolished. https://falkirklocalhistory.club/around-the-area/castles/arthurs-oon/

Michael Gove on Lucy Powell on Trevor Phillips programme

'Andy Burnham's trained killer and will win the deputy leadership'

From the Observer today on yesterday's Robinson/Musk demo:

Religion was a recurring theme among the speakers and performers, with the first words said on the PA system praising “the king of kings, lord of lords, Jesus Christ”.



The Met said officers had been “assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown”.

They are also going after the King.

Is it just me or do you think the KING should have paid some sort of tribute to Charlie Kirk and his life.

https://x.com/benonwine/status/1966766424942154075

Is he on drugs ?

That’s just batshit.

From the Observer today on yesterday's Robinson/Musk demo:

Religion was a recurring theme among the speakers and performers, with the first words said on the PA system praising “the king of kings, lord of lords, Jesus Christ”.



The Met said officers had been “assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown”.

They are also going after the King.

Is it just me or do you think the KING should have paid some sort of tribute to Charlie Kirk and his life.

https://x.com/benonwine/status/1966766424942154075

Is he on drugs ?

That’s just batshit.