SO, poor old Boaty McBoatface has gone.
The Prime Minister’s special adviser Morgan McSweeney, who everybody in the Labour Party apart from Sir Keir seemed to loathe, has resigned.
The first victim of the tide of sewage that has gushed from Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Ambassador to the USA. Had to be a fall guy.
And McSweeney pushed for Mandelson to get the job. So fair enough, I suppose.
Sir Keir, however, gave it to him. And did so knowing full well that Mandelson was an oil slick of sleaze.
Who has never lasted in any political job for long. Because of his great affection for large amounts of money. And his revolting snivelling around the wealthiest in the world.
And that’s the point, really. Starmer did not appoint Mandelson to be our ambassador in Washington in spite of Mandelson’s track record of simpering around corrupt money men. He did so precisely because of it.
And that tells you an awful lot about how our politics is conducted. And who are the people who hold the real power. Telling you, it ain’t McSweeney. And it’s not even Starmer. And it certainly isn’t you and me.
Sackload of weasels
How do we know Starmer was aware of Mandelson’s track record? Because everybody knew. There are probably hermits living in a cave on Rockall who are aware Mandelson was about as trustworthy as a sackload of weasels.
They remember him from his time during Tony Blair’s premiership.
Back then he was greasing his way around the businessmen the Hinduja Brothers who were under investigation in India for their alleged part in a massive arms sales scandal. That led to Mandelson’s second resignation from ministerial office.
The first was when he took an interest-free loan for £373,000 from a cabinet colleague, whose company was being investigated by Mandelson’s department.
Later he cosied up to the Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, who went on to be convicted of fraud.
After that it was one of the richest men in the world, Russian aluminium oligarch Oleg Deripaska. A man believed to have close links to the Russian mafia.
Still, he had a nice yacht. And Peter enjoyed sitting on it in his Speedos. With a nice glass of Georgian bubbly.
Then along came Jeffrey Epstein. A financier with a history of fraud and criminal practice going back to his first years in business.
Mandelson remained good buddies with this utter slimeball long after he had been convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.
And among those very friendly emails between the two appalling men were those from Mandelson which directly undermined the British government. And the British taxpayer.
Mandelson was about as trustworthy as a sackload of weasels
Rod Liddle
We will see if Mandelson is charged with insider dealing.
But we know he was advising Epstein on stuff that only a handful of people within the British government knew. And Epstein repeatedly mentioned he was talking to the huge investment bank, JP Morgan, about what was going on.
And here we get to the crux of it. It wasn’t only Mandelson (and of course the thick-as-a-plank former prince Andrew) who was a friend of Epstein.
Lots of famous names from the American political and business elite — from both sides of the political divide, but especially Democrats — fawned around the man. And attended his disgusting parties.
And they did so knowing that Epstein had a criminal past. But they cosied up anyway because Epstein’s wealth gave him enormous power.
And that’s why a sheepish Bill Clinton and an even more sheepish-looking Bill Gates would roll up to be entertained by Epstein. Money — don’t care how he got it. And power.
Which is why I don’t believe that a simple investigation by our own Intelligence and Security Committee will be sufficient to cleanse our politics.
Because beneath the figure of Mandelson lies a lagoon of corruption, insider dealing and abuse of power.
Listening to the politicians addressing this business in the House of Commons last week, the only two who really got the point were left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, the joint founder of Your Party.
Now, while I have one or two political differences with them — especially on Israel and whether or not Cuba and Venezuela are bloody marvellous examples of socialist republics.
But sometimes these lefties, who are nothing if not honest, hit the nail on the head.
Corbyn’s speech was especially masterful. Full of genuine anger and disgust as he castigated the “malign, undermining and corrupting” influence of Mandelson.
Beneath the figure of Mandelson lies a lagoon of corruption, insider dealing and abuse of power
Rod Liddle
And he added, in a brilliant passage: “Today, we have to be very stern and clear that there needs to be the fullest possible inquiry into all of this. Parliament is not competent to undertake this inquiry.
“The Cabinet Secretary and the civil service machine are not competent to do so. They have all been ensnared in this gilded, friendly web of Mandelson and his business, political and social contacts, where favours were done and contracts were apparently awarded.”
Jezza called for a judicial inquiry. But, more importantly, he correctly identified the web of corruption which lies at the heart of our establishment.
Where contracts get awarded to companies whose bosses are the mates of politicians.
Where the rich and powerful are forever protected by our elected representatives, no matter how immorally they may have behaved, whatever crimes they have committed.
And that asking Parliament to investigate this morass of sleaze is pointless. Because, of course, Parliament is part of it.
Mandelson remained good buddies with this utter slimeball long after he had been convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting prostitution
Rod Liddle
Mandelson is just one example of the disproportionate influence held by the rich and powerful here and in the USA. There are thousands more.
Whatever happens to Mandelson, the corruption will continue, the rich will get richer and we’ll end up getting stuffed, as usual.
BE careful what you wish for.
Every possible Labour alternative to Sir Keir Starmer is worse than Keir Starmer.
There’s that woman with the dead fox on her head, Angela Rayner.
Do you trust someone who can’t seem to work out what home she lives in?
She’s still under investigation, incidentally.
Or Ed Miliband, who has landed the UK with some of the highest energy prices in Europe?
What about Wes Streeting, I hear you say.
Well, trouble with Wes is, he was very close to a man we’re not that keen on these days – yup, Peter Mandelson.
If the Labour Party had any sense it would go for the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
But that’s the problem – they don’t have any sense, do they?
I WAS interested to find out that Green munchkin Zack Polanski has never taken drugs or drunk alcohol.
I always assumed he was perpetually out of his box on ketamine.
How else do you explain the delusional guff he comes out with?
But it seems some people can reach the heights of psychedelic madness without needing artificial stimulants.
They’re just kinda born that way.