In what looks like an open-and-shut case, following multiple complaints to the police the plod are now involved. The weight of evidence, and now his disowning by Keir Starmer, media incredulity, and the likely popular anger will surely mean this won't be a partygate-style whitewash. Then again, this is Britain. The problem is that publicly holding Mandelson to account could bring out all kinds of horrors that frightens the establishment. Who has benefited from being friends with Mandy? Have the projects he's been involved with, from Progress to continuity remain organisations to Labour Together and our chum Morgan McSweeney been variously compromised by this close associations? How did Mandelson use his influence while enjoying life as a EU trade commissioner to make sure the bloc's decisions reflected the billionaire interest - and did Epstein and other financiers make a wedge from the inside track he might have provided them? And, of course, what did and didn't Starmer know about his malfeasance when he was appointed the US ambassador. We're not talking about associating with the world's most notorious paedophile and sexual abuser, which even my cat knows about, but the other stuff that, to all intents and purposes, looks like treason for the benefit of his swollen bank accounts.
To be sure, Mandelson will have received a few sympathetic text messages from some mates in and around politics. He is the exemplary manifestation of the rot that is British politics. His peddling of centre ground nonsense and the importance of moderation, all that is now confirmed as self-serving drivel. Empty words that greased his way into the echelons and confidences of the masters of the universe. He is the logical culmination of the career politician, attracted to government office not because of any commitment to a set of values or public service, but simply for power, position, and profit. Which suits those who wield real power fine. There's a reason why no one gets rich from fighting for socialism. And despite this most damning of disgraces, for some who sit in the cabinet or aspire to, for decades Mandelson was their model. Achieve high office, and leverage that for big pay outs in the lucrative elite career circuit afterwards. Which begs a further disturbing question: what is being done now by ministers and politicians to secure preferment and nice jobs later?
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Well, we all know the answer to that further disturbing question, don't we?
Exactly the same things. Just as exactly the same things were done by other political chancers before Mandy. It's certainly not any commitment to public service, or even the long term viability of the Labour Party, which led the decision to block Burnham (just to give one particularly topical example).
The lesson of this affair is: the paper trail will come out... but not until many years later, so make your pile while you can and retire in luxurious disgrace when your time comes. I can't see plod really wanting to do more than they absolutely can't avoid doing here. Even Streeting will probably get away with little more than a red face, when the rumoured death and harm statistics from some of his NHS meddling eventually hit the headlines.
If you actually want to weed characters like this out of politics, and let a few more of those with a commitment to public service get a look in, then you really want psychopathy screening as a legal requirement for holding any kind of position of responsibility. Then you'll only have the honest nutjobs to worry about...
You describe well the purpose of political involvement for the 'New Labour' inventors and their acolytes. Mandelson personified it - spend every day ensuring that Labour is free from danger to the powerful while developing the network of favours and contacts that will enrich you. He is but the second most obvious practioner after Blair.
And while Mandelson spent eveery day between 2015 and 2019 undermining Corbyn it seems he has spent every day since Starmer's election undermining him just by continuing to seek more opportunites to profit. Bliss to be alive to see this debacle unfold. And it seems the SNP, LibDems, Reform and Tories have major interests in keeping up the pursiuit and tarnishing the government by association.
How will it end - stripped of his title, a suspended sentence snd voluntary exile in East Anglia or Cornwall?
As P B-C highlighted this morning:-
"Sophy Ridge: "This is something I've been wrestling with... it is how Mandelson has been treated.. by the media.. he's friends with a lot of people in the media.. people who might look this & feel, we've all got a bit too close to him.. do they have a point?"
Sam Coates: "Yes""
Mandelson became a key figure in the Brown government (and so could leak those documents) because he bullied his way in. When Brown became PM he tried to keep Mandelson on the margins. Mandelson destabilised the Brown government, thus forcing Brown to give Mandelson more influence. Most of the press presented this episode from the point of view of Mandelson, claiming that he stabilised Brown's administration, without noting his previous destabilisation.
Significant sections of the press went on to be complicit in Mandelson's undermining of Brown's successors. Mandelson would have been exposed long ago without their complicity.
And we need to be clear all this is not a matter of bad judgement, bad luck, bad apples or over-reaction to ambiguous e mails it is the nature of the system that Mandelson et al are part of. They did not create it but chose to join it and fertilise it with their 'spinning', networking, mentoring, bribing, talent spotting, character assasination, accusations of anti-semtism, and so on. He may be the sacrifice so it can continue, though it may need a few more to go for the good of the system, with a promise of being looked after quietly and in the shadows.
It's neglected, as the cherry on top, that Streeting and McSweeney are Mandelson's proteges. They put forward his wishlist and they lie about it. A write up of the eight or nine tidbits about their relationship would be enough to have them sacked, too.
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