The trouble is that McSweeney and his gang of Mandelsonites have pruned, purged, and curated the PLP so assiduously over the years that there are very few morals or spines left. Much as Johnson did to the Tories.

a man in a striped shirt is standing in front of a refrigerator talking to another man ALT: a man in a striped shirt is standing in front of a refrigerator talking to another man

“Trump speaks English?”

A shameless, amoral, narcissistic chancer just like his mentor. Mandelson ran a brilliant little training academy as we can now see.

A nicely observed article on a great show, which I remember with great affection both for its production values and also its engaging and humanitarian narrative and central character. It’s redolent of a time when we dared hope that the arrow of history was finally bending towards justice. Ah well…

Smoke Screen I’m currently re-watching The Fugitive, one of the high points of 20th-century television drama.  Like many of the shows I enjoy, I was too young to remember the show in its initial run (1963…

A 62-year-old TV show demonstrates just how badly the prevailing ethics portrayed in US television have degenerated in that time: maggiemcneill.com/2026/02/09/s...

It’s outrageous that we can't kick out Lords. Sign now to demand an elected second chamber It takes 30 seconds

Enough is enough. The House of Lords is a rolling scandal - sign @electoralreform.bsky.social‬'s call to demand change. It takes 30 seconds.
action.electoral-reform.org.uk/page/186062/...

We know what “they” are like. Why do “we” keep handing them the ammunition? Free suits and glasses for me and the missus, rogue landlords appointed to housing, mortgage irregularities, and Mandelson ffs! The man known as the Prince of Darkness WHY?

a group of people are standing in the desert and one of them is shouting he is he is the messiah ALT: a group of people are standing in the desert and one of them is shouting he is he is the messiah

That insightful piece of sycophancy by the Guardian’s Westminster Editor was a week before Mandelson’s defenestration. Mandy’s like crack cocaine to the Fourth Estate.

One week before Mandelson was defenestrated - the political editor of the Guardian.

I think “our” problem is that the insult “conspiracy theory” has blinded our ability to acknowledge and investigate a genuine conspiracy - of which there are many. It’s how the rich and the powerful become and remain rich and powerful.

baldrick this is called adding is written on a screen ALT: baldrick this is called adding is written on a screen

History first as farce then as tragedy…

Yes what a shame Mr Starmer made that brilliantly cunning appointment in the first place. Those associations would have remained an irrelevance. But when I said at the time it was a morally bankrupt and stupid move that would haunt him I was told I was just not getting the brilliance!

This astute article was one week before the defenestration of Mandelson.

If we’d only had some clue…

If we’d only had some clue…

If we’d only had some clue…

If only we’d had some clue…

a man sitting at a desk with the words " what a mess " on the bottom ALT: a man sitting at a desk with the words " what a mess " on the bottom

Surely, “McSweeny has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”

Genuinely moving. I needed to see this.

I’m afraid “our” strong desire to avoid association with crackpots will often blind us to actual conspiracies. There are far more of them than we can allow ourselves acknowledge without triggering the vomit instinct.

An empty taxi pulled up at number ten and Mr Starmer got out…

Absolutely this!

What a shame Starmer so screwed the potential moral high ground on that one. Nice one Morgan - I hope you’re getting well paid by someone.

It was always a weak strategy like calling a convicted fraudster, rapist and insurrectionist “weird”. You don’t have to be rude, libellous or inflammatory to call people out for what they actually are. It’s too late now.

“It was only a bit of cake?” We expected honesty, integrity competence, change. We got free glasses and suits, moral equivocation, policy blunders and cynicism. Starmer carried that Ming Vase carefully to the plinth, put it down gingerly and then knocked over the plinth. It’s over; for him, for us!

Why? Because the majority of people absolve themselves from knowing anything about the world and who or what they are voting for. People struggle to tell you who politicians are how the government works etc. This allows them just to get on with it. Public outrage is as ephemeral as gossamer.

Anyone with a subscription to Private Eye in the last 35 years knew what an utter sleaze-bag Mandelson was. His financial corruption, friendship with oligarchs and criminals, lying, and sense of both entitlement and victimhood were legion. Starmer was stupid or cynical or both. Boris Johnson light?

I’m afraid most of the PLP has been picked and curated by McSweeney and his gang over the years to make sure that members are spineless, cynical careerists. That “most people go into politics to do good” in Starmer’s speech this week sounded so utterly hollow.

I had, at one point hoped Darren Jones would be the guy to step up but he’s been infected/tainted by the Starmer brand. I don’t know definitely if he’d have been any good but he showed promise in opposition however, his association with Starmer has put that to rest for me.