So why did McSweeney/No.10 try to appoint Mandelson without DV?
Because he/they suspected he wouldn't pass it. And likely knew why.
So pushed to appoint *before* it was complete & awkward to rescind.
In whose interest? Mandelson & clients of his firm.
I don't think that at all.
Advisers advise, Ministers decide.
Bad advice, bad decision - garbage in, garbage out.
These two widely shared images claiming to show the IDF restoring a statue of Jesus that was previously damaged by an Israeli soldier near Debl, Lebanon, are AI-generated and fake.
A Google SynthID check finds watermarks that suggest both images were made with Google AI.
Human nature.
And fits with past behaviour of the Labour Together gang, several of whom learned 'how we do things round here' from Mandelson & Campbell back in the Blair/Brown era.
Org culture issue.
Don't know details, but Ministers will likely get a summary or briefing of media stories that day.
Can you prove the same person/people pushing for Mandelson would have included that story in their PM briefing?
Powerful incentive not to - to cover their misjudgement & its likely consequences.
No - he accepted bad advice from a Mandelson accolyte.
Next - who in Labour leaked the alleged vetting failure and why? 🤔
Who wins if Starmer goes?🤔
Who wants to replace him?🤔
Robbins has made it clear who in No.10 was pushing for Mandelson approval ASAP - McSweeney.
So all the Right client media trying to pin this on Starmer is just politics - they want rid of the principled leader who won a landslide at the last GE whose potential successors aren't as vote-winning.
MF
Take away the politics and the key question is who was pushing to appoint & announce Mandelson before DV?
Who was super-keen to have him and advising so to the PM? 🤔
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce...
Are staff going to have to queue for a landline? 🤔
#BadHeadings
As a form of payment.
Not saying who.
I wonder if these bestseller list compilers are aware of this tactic.
Maybe as old as the lists, but new to me.
Would the Mail refer to a young male victim of injustice by referring to his physical attractiveness? 🤔
Very 20th Century #sexism like this won't appeal to the younger readers it needs to recruit for the long term.
But chimes with the views of politicians it courts.
Why didn't the Mail call for May to do the same when Boris 'failed' advanced vetting? 🤔
#Hypocrisy #Bias
In today's @theoverspill: the British Board of Film Censorship has reccruited AI to classify content on HBO Max in the UK.
Spokesman told BBC "any implication that Administration officials are engaged in such activity without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting".
Only officials denied.
Not others in the loop.
Who would regulators ignore?🤔
In plain sight.
Impunity.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#Corruption
Inclined to call it the Strait of Hokey Cokey the way things are going.
Kash Patel might file a lawsuit just for show, but he’ll never stick with it. Discovery would be devastating.
We loved him, baby.*
*Kojack reference - for non-Boomers.
NEW: Downing Street is attempting to demolish the argument from Olly Robbins’ allies that he was prevented by law from telling ministers that Mandelson had failed vetting, ahead of key Commons statement on Monday.
Heard recently that another person seen on national linear TV accepts speaking gig payments in the form of sales of his book to the value of the fee.
Which will impact how much those Top X books tables reflect actual readers.
#PR
Stand by for 2 years of gaslighting from Trump on economy and prices stats.
Problem is, people see their own till receipts, rightly, as more accurate than aggregated stats from a politician.
#Disinformation
DRC government, rebels agree to ease travel for aid convoys, refrain from civilian attacks, US says reut.rs/4e1IUyB
Can you imagine any GOP national leader doing this without it looking super-awkward?
Exactly.
Why Mamdani has to be the Democratic Presidential candidate in at least '32 if not '28 (right now Newsom seems best bet).
A reminder, as Obama and Mamdani come together for the first time in person, that Mamdani is everything the GOP said Obama was... but wasn't: an African-born socialist Muslim.
#justsayin
Kids today. Screens.
Good morning!
Since Trump was re-elected, Forbes estimates—
💰His net worth is up $2.1 billion, to $6.4 billion
💰Eric’s is up 10x, to $400 million
💰Don Jr.’s is up 6x, to $300 million
💰20-year-old Barron is worth $150 million
And Jared became a billionaire last year.
Have a great day!
