The whole Mandelson disaster is a clear advertisement why it's important to follow procedure to get OK outcomes most of the time. People who think procedure can only be performative have no idea… (View Post)

Almost every five star hotel is devoid of soul, which is why I tend to prefer three star places. When my sister in law had her cancer diagnosis, we decided life is too short, five star from now on. W… (View Post)

Is this a "royal they" from the former Conservative Home Secretary who was in charge of immigration (twice): I will never ever trust the Conservative Party again. I will never forget how th… (View Post)

I think Iran and US can't agree terms that are acceptable to both parties and both parties would prefer to delay than accept a compromise, even though the delay damages both parties. (View Post)

This is the key point. It wasn't an appointment as third secretary to the embassy in Caracas. Mandelson was a political appointment imposed by No 10 over a career diplomat that would otherwise h… (View Post)