Best Of

The most interesting of the Mandleson/Epstein emails is the one where Mandleson says to Epstein that such a conviction wouldn't have happened in the UK.

I wonder what caused Mandleson to think that?

The Thing We Can’t Talk about was carefully, and deliberately covered up. By the police, social service and politicians to a high level.

To the point that people caught in the act by the police were let go without charge.

It isn't just The Thing We Can't Talk About.

A guilty pleasure of mine is police reality programmes of the Channel 5 sort. Police Interceptors, Motorway Cops, etc. At the end of the episode they will do a run through of what happened to the various ne'er-do-wells apprehended along the way. More often than not, no further action is taken - even in cases where the evidence is completely clear-cut. It's baffling. (The other aspect to these programmes is the number of instances where you are wondering how these people are in the country at all.)

Where on earth did Labour find Mike Tapp ?

I was expecting him to say Gary Glitter was our new ambassador to Russia

Good morning

Last night on the immigration debate on Sky he wore a union jack tie so much a tradition for labour politicians

This morning, again on Sky, he was evasive about Mandelson being asked to attend FO affairs committee and even said everything is out now about Mandelson

I am very much in agreement with Labour mps and others that Mandelson has to go now

Epstein v Trump - cannot control Trump's position

Epstein v Andrew - ostracised by society

Epstein v Mandelson - cannot be moved because it may upset Trump

Since when have we lost our moral compass?

Ooh , ooh I know that one. When Boris Johnson became Foreign Secretary.

Fair comment but it doesn't excuse us keeping Mandelson in office

This story is world news and he shames our country as long as he remains in office

I expect this weekends papers will be all over this issue

Gone by Monday

In my geekiness I watched PMQ’s last night. To see this improved Badenoch performance. She was good - eloquent, stuck to her brief, pressed cleverly - but she’ll have to do a lot more than “good” to have a chance of saving her job

What surprised me was Starmer, and how bad he was. He’s a professional lawyer of high esteem? - he must have prepped for questions about Mandy. But he looked nonplussed, bewildered, even a bit scared

He was so poor it was peculiar. Starmer is not a happy man

Surely he goes tomorrow. We have a nice little rhythm going now, anger and allegations grow Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Starmer defends on Monday and Wednesday, Thursday a little more shit comes out, Friday gone.

Last week Ange, this week Peter Yum Yum, next week who knows but it will take the same pattern as Starmer is useless.

Yes. Not sure he lasts until the weekend, reading these latest remarks

There is just so much in the emails and letters. It is indeed “disturbing”

Eg what the fexk did Mandy mean, of Epstein’s conviction for pedophilia and trafficking, “this is so unfair IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN IN BRITAIN”

Er, what?? Is he saying we protect child rapists? If they are powerful? Or something else? Then what?

Yes, it does make you wonder if Mandy knew about some famous British paedophiles who swerved prosecution…

How did Mr Integrity think it was a good idea to choose him as our representative in the USA?

Good discussion on Today in the 6.30 ish business segment re the Merck pull-out from the UK. Highlights were that both guests (one a pharma analyst and the other was Sir Nigel Wilson, Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Implementation Board and is a member of the Science and Innovation Council.

Wilson said that he had spoken to Reeves last night at the FT drinks and is certain she understands the problem and has plans. He was remarkably comfortable with how easy it will be to encourage pension funds etc to invest in UK pharma/research by pulling a few levers.

Both were however also adamant that the UK needs to fix its pricing model with pharma companies as it’s going to drive them all away. Apparently we need to get the rebate the gov gets down to single figure % as it’s 23% currently and vastly higher than any other countries. This in itself I guess will cause other problems as it’s money I would assume goes back into the NHS which needs replacing.

The other problem with the high rebate was that a lot of drug companies were not releasing new drugs to the UK because the cost benefit wasn’t worth it for them and so UK patients are missing out.

This needs much more discussion by the likes of the opposition in order to make sure Reeves has to do something to fix it in the autumn budget. Maybe if Mandy quits, as he should, politicians could spend their time in this instead. Boring for us but ultimately better.

NICE makes recommendations on a QALY basis.

If a new product doesn’t hit a suitable threshold for its proposed price then why should patients expect it. Fine to tweak the formula, but I am missing out on the government buying me a new gulfstream and that makes me very angry!

Pharma used to love the PPRS. It allows them to maintain prices on innovative new drugs at the cost of reducing prices on off patent products. They are just taking advantage of a perceived weak government

Where on earth did Labour find Mike Tapp ?

I was expecting him to say Gary Glitter was our new ambassador to Russia

Good morning

Last night on the immigration debate on Sky he wore a union jack tie so much a tradition for labour politicians

This morning, again on Sky, he was evasive about Mandelson being asked to attend FO affairs committee and even said everything is out now about Mandelson

I am very much in agreement with Labour mps and others that Mandelson has to go now

Epstein v Trump - cannot control Trump's position

Epstein v Andrew - ostracised by society

Epstein v Mandelson - cannot be moved because it may upset Trump

Since when have we lost our moral compass?

Ooh , ooh I know that one. When Boris Johnson became Foreign Secretary.

Fair comment but it doesn't excuse us keeping Mandelson in office

This story is world news and he shames our country as long as he remains in office

I expect this weekends papers will be all over this issue

Gone by Monday

In my geekiness I watched PMQ’s last night. To see this improved Badenoch performance. She was good - eloquent, stuck to her brief, pressed cleverly - but she’ll have to do a lot more than “good” to have a chance of saving her job

What surprised me was Starmer, and how bad he was. He’s a professional lawyer of high esteem? - he must have prepped for questions about Mandy. But he looked nonplussed, bewildered, even a bit scared

Starmer went into management, maybe he was never a good trial lawyer

Yet I’ve met people - in the judiciary - who say he WAS good

Something has happened to him. @Theuniondivvie made this point yesterday - a few years ago there was a different Starmer - fairly affable, articulate, persuasive. Never witty or charming but at least human. Not this sad flustered robot we have now

A really interesting insight into how Starmer has become the first PM actively abused regularly by England fans and how it’s not Epping flag type oiks, which would be an easy lazy explanation.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/sep/10/england-fans-chants-cast-keir-starmer-as-first-prime-minister-to-become-the-enemy