Dr Mark | 北马克 |🍉🇦🇺🇲🇾🇹🇭

These are priorities I can get behind

In case you missed yesterday’s review, I am kicking off my month of Australia-themed silent movies

Sir Keir: "Will no one rid me of this turbulent peer?"
(off stage whisper): You can do it
Sir Keir: [silence]
(off stage whisper): Again, you can do it!
Sir Keir: [silence intensifies]

This is exactly the sort of weird whiny bad comms that damages Labour.

Starmer really impressed me with how he went after far right hooligans when he first came into office.

But he got frit.

And now he won’t even punish traitors who help child trafficking child rapists.

On top of that, the constant rhetoric about social cohesion is not to relay neutral facts about a white population's knee-jerk response to living near non-white migrants out of some concern over getting integration right, *but to influence white people through propaganda to commit acts of violence*.

👇👇👇👇save me time-travelling butterfly, save me

Yes it does but that doesn't extinguish the peerage. The only way to do that is by act of parliament. No doubt Starmer doesn't want the debate. But that's no excuse for a KC not to state the law correctly.

Indeed. And as noted in there, the Lords can't itself remove a peerage (and nor can the king, although he can cause someone to cease to be legally recognised as a peer).

It would probably be useful for the king to be given the power to annual a life peerage, as he can, say, a knighthood.

Yes, indeed.

Though I can't imagine the bill itself would be complex or necessarily take too much parliamentary time. No doubt they don't want a debate. But Sir Keir Starmer KC should state the law correctly.

Blue blood?

The Epstein files should have major consequences about how and who academia decides to promote and celebrate as Great Thinkers. But like everyone else, we'll forget that bit of the historical pattern and go on as before.

in conclusion, american politics is a land of contrasts

3/4 view of white flower with red stamen and green pistil; rounded green leaves painted with gold veins; on a curving, short stem; realistic insect marks on lower leaf

Camellia japonica https://collections.artsmia.org/art/118162/

in early 2027, we will be launching Bmerica. this next generation merica will fix many of the unaddressed issues in America. please continue submitting bug reports to improve future releases

Starmer should know that the Lords doesn't have the power to do this.

If he had any honour or insight left, Mandelson would resign from it anyway. But there's a decent chance he has neither.

The Commons has the Recall of MPs procedure; the Lords needs something similar.

Peerages: Can they be removed? On 30 October 2025, King Charles III signed a royal warrant directing the Duke of York to be removed from the roll of the peerage with immediate effect. As a result, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is no l...

Peerages: Can they be removed? - House of Lords Library share.google/TFHJJC6qBddR...

Peerages: Can they be removed? On 30 October 2025, King Charles III signed a royal warrant directing the Duke of York to be removed from the roll of the peerage with immediate effect. As a result, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is no l...

Since there's some confusion about how a Lord can be deprived of their peerage, not helped by Sir Keir Starmer KC, here's what the House of Lords Library has to say -

Peerages: Can they be removed? - House of Lords Library share.google/TFHJJC6qBddR...

Peerages: Can they be removed? On 30 October 2025, King Charles III signed a royal warrant directing the Duke of York to be removed from the roll of the peerage with immediate effect. As a result, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is no l...

Here's the whole shebang from the HoL Library:

Peerages: Can they be removed? - House of Lords Library share.google/TFHJJC6qBddR...

Oh no! Better check with Mary Beard what her social calendar is like 😂

“The issuing of the summons highlights that law enforcement can be mobilised in France, police custody procedures can be implemented, and criminal soldiers and civilians complicit in crimes against the Palestinian people will be investigated and prosecuted”

Hahahaha Streeting 😂

How many fancy dinner parties are you invited to though 😉

At this point it feels very much as if we are heading into a scandal cascade where every single dodgy thing that Peter Mandelson has ever involved in is going to be raked over with a fine tooth comb.

If I see him I'll ask him about the Thai election!

That's nothing. In Australia there's a 37 year old crocodile that predicts election results (not making this up but he did get the last federal election wrong so not sure he'll be asked again).

That's nothing. In Australia there's a 37 year old crocodile that predicts election results (not making this up but he did get the last federal election wrong so not sure he'll be asked again).

The only time I miss living in Phoenix is when @typhaneyb.bsky.social uploads pics of Phoenix 😅

Proud to say that Billie’s family are originally from my family’s neck of the woods in West Cork 😌
#speirgorm

Thank you, but I do not need to see Peter Mandelson in his pants.

Thanks! Really very much appreciated 🙏