If Starmer was going to do anything other than ensure Mandelson got the position he would have waited till the vetting was complete before making the announcement.

The minute the establishment started banging on about trickle down economics, anything right of centre was dead to me.

He's being attacked because of his terrible decision to recruit Mandelson despite knowing enough about his bad character to not do so. He went on to use the fact vetting had been passed as the mainstay of his defence in doing so. He chose to accept the 'passed' status as a viable defence.

Purely regarding Mr Starmers current problems he could have then chosen not to use the vetting status as a large part of his defence.

To truly know someone you must walk a mile to his house and ask him the name of his first pet and his mothers maiden name.

If a decision has already been made then access to the method used to achieve it will change nothing. It is simple transparency.

Seems unlikely, given his details oriented legal mind that he would simply take such important information at face value.

With all the trained legal minds that sit around the cabinet table I find it hard to believe that none of them thought to check that vetting had been conducted properly until this week.

Looked up from my laptop, realised I had a garden and cut the grass.

If Starmer as PM did not know about the Mandelson vetting procedure it is because he chose not to know. Classic plausible deniability.

Britain could adopt single market rules without MPs’ vote as part of UK-EU reset Exclusive: Ministers planning new legislation for alignment without full parliamentary scrutiny if in national interest

Good. The wreckers have been setting the agenda for too long.

He also said they'd destroyed all of Irans 'water' boats which means they must still have all their land boats and sky boats.

Both of my daughters CTF's matured in recent years and the results have not made them interested in investing for the future. The original £500 invested for 18 years for each daughter realized £470 for one and £515 for the other. The banks did ok along the way though.

Britain breaks solar energy record twice as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weather

Clean, safe, cheap, renewable energy that you don't have to fight deadly wars or destroy the environment to get.

Good for wildlife, too, when done properly.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Fairly certain that the many Reform voters that seem able to turn up to protests/events any day of the week due to no work commitments will blindly support this, until the leopard comes of course.

It doesn't matter how many inventive ways they find to say make Brexit work, the red lines remaining in place ensure they will achieve 100% of nothing.

If the viability of a small business rests on their few staff getting an extra 50p an hour they were probably already unviable. Medium/larger businesses could slightly lower profit margins but they will not because as always the customers will have to wear the increase.

Starmer hopes that talk of Brexit damage and closer relationships will kick the can down the road. He knows what needs to be done but is being governed by the political damage that might be done by finally pulling the pin and dropping the red lines. Currently it's party before country.

Imagine how many lives could be substantially improved if all the money being sucked up by AI was instead used to just fix and improve normal stuff. Money is always thrown at the next big thing when the majority of people never got near to benefitting from the last big thing.

“…The UK has been dining out for far too long on fond memories of Britain’s wartime heroics. It is time for the UK to join the 21st century, and to understand its place as a small island off the coast of Europe, whose security and fortunes are inextricably intertwined with that continent…”

Trump will gleefully accept any gift, honour or Royal visit we bestow upon him but Starmer must know by now that Trump will just as gleefully attack the UK either verbally or financially the very next day.

And her in the UK we reward Trump by confirming the Royal visit which will feed Trumps narcissistic personality.

Ever wonder why most of the media provide wall-to-wall coverage of everything the far right does or says, while ignoring far bigger rallies and events and far more interesting discussions elsewhere on the political spectrum?
There's no mystery. It's because they want the far right to triumph.

Is Britain on the path to barbarism? Dehumanisation of the people always unleashes personal and social tragedies

Why no political empathy for young people in England?

Govt can abolish university tuition fees.

It can abolish prescription charges.

Provide free bus pass to young adults under the age of 22.

The above happens in Scotland. Must happen in England too.

Clamping down on the Boots crack house.

I'm not sure Labour can move away from their normal practise of making a headline grabbing announcement on the EU, only to make a barely perceptible change that goes almost entirely unnoticed. They really do have to go big or go home and many will be heading for home after the next general election.

The UK Could Be Quietly Heading for a Solar Power Revolution As fossil fuel prices soar due to Trump's Iran war, the UK Government's plans for 'energy independence' could transform how British households power their homes, reports Josiah Mortimer

🔴The UK Could Be Quietly Heading for a Solar Power Revolution

As fossil fuel prices soar due to Trump’s Iran war, the UK Government’s plans for ‘energy independence’ could transform how British households power their homes, reports @josiahmortimer.bsky.social

bylinetimes.com/2026/03/19/t...

The way it's going I think Trump needs divine intervention to bail him out.

Sadiq Khan urges Labour to campaign on rejoining EU at next election Mayor of London says returning to EU now more desirable because of economic instability caused by Donald Trump

The evidence is overwhelming: Brexit has been a disaster for London and the UK.

Rejoining the EU is now clearly in our national interest. The option to rejoin should be on the ballot at the next General Election.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Starmer is strong and seems to understand international affairs, unfortunately here at home where the voters live he seems weak and untethered from any sort of popular vision.