Some may see it as a victory for Kemi Badenoch’s performance in this week’s PMQs, of which more in a moment. But isn’t it another example of what Dominic Cummings calls “narrative whiplash”: the flailing around of Government and Opposition in response to mainstream news? The Opposition may run around whooping with a fresh scalp in their hands, but what does that change?
We have always known that Mandelson toadies to money and power – see him here with Oleg Deripaska in 2012. He wrote some now media-splashed supportive messages to the well- and widely-connected Jeffrey Epstein in the years before that, yet no-one has suggested that he was ever personally involved in the entertainments allegedly provided by Epstein, both on- and off-shore.
Starmer has thrown Mandelson off the back of the troika – another one for the wolves! He himself is so unpopular that he might easily be next to bite the snow. So what? Someone else would take over the reins, and the journey would continue.
For Sir Keir is merely carrying out – completing – a programme that did not begin with him: the remoulding of the British Constitution, the fragmentation and devolution of Parliament’s powers. Until that is put right, our crisis will only deepen.
And so to PMQs, during which there were some tributes to the late HRH the Duchess of Kent.
The PM deplored the Israeli attacks on Hamas leaders in Qatar and reasserted that diplomacy was the only way to get the remaining Jewish hostages out of Gaza. He also said that Russian drones had invaded Polish airspace, while affirming his support for both Poland and Ukraine. Some may think he is wrong about both peace and war.
The Conservatives’ Dr Luke Evans twitted the PM with Cabinet difficulties over Ministers’ “integrity”, and was easily rebuffed with the Tory-era example of Ms Priti Patel, who unlike Ms Rayner last week, had remained in her post.
Scottish Labour’s Melanie Ward (who won her seat from the SNP last year) congratulated her Party over the Chancellor’s funding for the regeneration of Kirkcaldy High Street.
Ms Badenoch (Leader Of The Opposition, aka LOTO) asked whether Sir Keir had full confidence in HMG’s Ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, in view of the latter’s earlier dealings as Business Secretary with the late Jeffrey Epstein – even after Epstein had been convicted of child sex offences. The PM replied that Lord Mandelson had been appointed using the correct procedure; he said he had confidence in the Ambassador and would not be drawn on any documentation connecting Mandelson and Epstein.
The PM diverted the discussion to Labour’s achievements and projects. Distracted by this shifting ground, LOTO listed many other problems enmiring the nation, which she attributed to Starmer’s weakness; he replied with another list of claimed successes and then went ad hominem (or rather ad feminam), saying the Conservatives’ leadership contest was much more drawn-out than that for the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
The Mail’s Quentin Letts says he squirmed like a fresh-caught eel – but then, Starmer always does. The difference is that eels have a backbone. If Mandelson fell to this, it would not have been because of Badenoch’s wobbly hook. Perhaps the PM cringed at the thought of the scribblers having endless fun with Mandy. More fool he: leaving them to it would let him carry on with his deeper mission.
Labour’s Tim Rutland and the PM agreed on governmental progress with the NHS.
The Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey concurred with criticism of the attack in Qatar, then went on to raise the issues of suicide prevention and parental difficulties with officialdom as they try to care for their children. When he too asked about Lord Mandelson, he received the same dry reference to appointments procedure.
Labour’s Josh Newbury spoke of the restricted life of a severely disabled constituent and the PM promised him some ministerial meetings.
The SNP’s Stephen Flynn delivered an oratorical speech condemning the PM’s scheduled meeting with Israel’s President Herzog, without naming either the man or his role. Sir Keir repeated his two-state solution for the conflict in Gaza.
Bill Esterson (Labour) criticised fracking; Starmer said he would ban it “for good”, and professed shock at Reform’s policy of opposing the development of renewable energy resources.
Simon Hoare (Con) raised the issue of firefighting in rural areas; the PM promised further support.
Jon Trickett (Lab) bemoaned the high rate of unemployment in his Yorkshire constituency; Sir Keir generalised about increased national employment and celebrated the opening of Doncaster Sheffield airport.
For Bristol’s Greens, Carla Denyer lamented the presence of Israeli arms dealers at the arms fair in London this week, linking it to Gaza. The PM spoke of “strict rules” and “action taken”.
Straight afterwards, Welsh Labour’s Ruth Jones thanked Starmer for his condolences on the sudden death of a Senedd member, Hefin David, and welcomed Labour’s job-creating defence industrial strategy.
Andrew Rosindell (Con) criticised wasting police time on trivial incidents on the Internet, and called for the Public Order Act 1986 to be updated. Sir Keir replied that he had previously said and now repeated that he wanted the police to concentrate on “serious” crime and “crime that matters most to our communities in each of our constituencies”.
Labour’s Adam Jogee wanted more neighbourhood policing. The PM referenced the new Crime and Policing Bill – “which the Conservatives and Reform voted against” – without mentioning those Parties’ concerns, which (we understand) included potential criminalisation of behaviour under the civil ASB framework, and the need to protect freedom of speech and assembly regarding protests.
Mark Pritchard (Con) spoke of deaths in custody at HMP Stoke Heath; Sir Keir referred the matter to the Justice Secretary.
Dr Simon Opher talked about chickenpox vaccinations (which he welcomed) and condemned “false rumours” about vaccines. The PM agreed and castigated “the man who wrote Reform’s health policy” (Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist who at the recent Reform conference controversially linked the Covid vaccine to the King’s cancer). Again, the issue may see further debate: for example, the oncologist Professor Angus Dalgleish thinks that the vaccine may “turbo-charge” cancers. Perhaps sweeping statements should be avoided.
The Lib Dems’ Charlotte Cane asked for the “land use framework” to be consulted before granting permission for more solar farms. The PM repeated his support for renewable energy and promised that “we will follow process”.
Labour’s David Pinto-Duschinsky invited Starmer to expand on the government’s ending of the feudal leasehold system and the introduction of “commonhold”.
Dr Al Pinkerton (Lib Dem) advocated for a Bill to control the criminal cloning and abuse of Vehicle Registration Marks; the PM promised to look at it.
Labour’s Dr Rupa Huq passed on the wish of the Ukrainian community in Acton that the PM should ask President Trump to help find a just peace in Ukraine. Starmer reiterated his support for Ukraine and committed that he would “ramp up the pressure on Putin”.
Sarah Bool (Con) called on Sir Keir to “reset his relationship with our farmers and reverse the family farm tax”. Ignoring the latter, the PM rehearsed his points on the “farming road map”, the “deal with the EU” and the “£5 billion that we put into farming in our last Budget”. As in other matters, the Devil is in the detail – and there seems no desire to release Him in this public context.
Starmer’s PPS, Liz Twist, ended the session by calling on him to reaffirm Labour’s commitment to suicide prevention, which of course he did. But the second reading of the Assisted Dying Bill takes place in the Lords on Friday.
Reposted from Wolves of Westminster
