Wes Streeting saying on Today that Mandelson is ‘not the man we thought he was’ but the trouble is, he is exactly the man we thought, just on a much worse scale than almost anyone thought. And there is an alternative world where none of this is this govt’s problem, because they never gave him a job
Feb 4, 2026 08:15Mandelson 'lied, he lied and he lied again to my team' says Starmer at PMQs (describing the vetting process). Mandelson of course bears responsibility for that. But the question remains: why didn't Downing Street anticipate that a known liar would be lying to them?
Listening to the Mandelson debate, I can't see how this ends without resignations in no 10. It's the sense that what he did destroyed trust not just in one govt or party but in the political system generally, like the expenses scandal did. Someone is going to have to take responsibliity for that.
Speaks volumes about Labour's vetting processes as well as their poor judgement
I can see why this incoming govt - with the worst hand of any postwar govt - set a thief to charm a psycho (to protect us).
I very much doubt they knew the scale of it. Don’t know why.
There’s no good outcome. I think we have to accept that if Starmer goes this government will dissolve.
As in, I don’t know who would know about Mandy handing insider trading info to Epstein.
How could anyone close not know exactly who he was?
bsky.app/profile/olia...Absolutely key point.
Anyone who knew anything about Mandelson went ‘WTF’ when Starmer brought him in.
That was the first definite sign that Starmer really didn’t have a clue.
I mean he was known as the Prince of darkness, the clues were there but you are right,Starmer will fall for this. The Labour Party itself is finished.
Mandelson was literally nicknamed 'the Prince of Darkness'.
I think most people knew exactly where he was on the scale even if there was no immediate proof of it.
