Interesting Times

 Some points arising out of the events of the last few days:

1. Why has Peter Mandelson been given so many chances over the years?

2. Would Starmer’s resignation change much? Or would it be the trumpet call for a clearout of the Blairites? In which case, would the general political programme remain the same?

3. Some are calling for a fresh General Election. Could that inflict serious damage on Reform, who have yet to work out what they will do and how, and how to set up and run a Cabinet?

4. If Reform are not ready and both Labour and Conservative are mistrusted, even hated, could we see the constitutional crisis thatTony Benn warned against, a voter turnout below fifty per cent and people questioning the Government’s authority to govern?

5. Such a crisis could scarcely come at a worse time. Starmer seems keen to get our weakened military involved in Ukraine. The rich are being driven out of Britain, many entrepreneurial types in the prime of life are emigrating. Businesses are going to the wall, manufacturing is dying because of Net Zero. Both Peter Hitchens and Rupert Lowe (see 31:25) are expecting a run on sterling at some point.

6. Mandelson’s insider financial tips to Epstein maybe be treacherous in a non-legal sense but not necessarily treasonous as they did not impact on the State’s security. Arguably the (planned) giving away of the Chagos islands with its implications for national defence, might be considered worse, though Starmer is not solely to blame: talks with Mauritius were instituted under the last Conservative government in 2022. Nevertheless the ICJ’s rulings are not binding; why was Sir Keir so interested in pushing the process onward?

7. Starmer’s recent visit to China resulted in a reduced tariff on our whisky exports and an easement of visa requirements for Chinese citizens visiting the UK. But while he was there might he also have agreed with the Chinese government some Memorandum of Understanding on other matters of mutual interest? Why did his National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell accompany him, but not the Foreign Secretary?

Should we abandon hope in this country, as Hitchens has, or hold onto it - remain “Klingons”?