Forum Message

Topic: Re:Reply
Posted by: Steven Rose
Date/Time: 18/04/26 19:58:00

Michael, I can just about understand why the Foreign Office might not have wished to give out the details of Mandelson’s failed vetting (though I would have thought that these could have been relayed to the PM on a confidential basis just in case Mandelson was ever considered for another job in government.. But what I fail to  understand is why the Foreign Office decided to conceal the fact that Mandelson had failed the vetting. Does this supposed law of concealment only apply when someone has failed the vetting procedure but not when they have passed? It  strikes me as complete tosh.

There are two possible explanations in my opinion. One is that Starmer foolishly announced Mandelson’s appointment before he had been properly vetted. He then was told that Mandelson had failed the vetting, but unwilling to give up his choice of ambassador instructed the Foreign Office to reverse the decision.  Subsequently, when the details of Mandelson’s contacts with Epstein were revealed, Starmer told Parliament that he was not to blame because  Mandelson had been properly vetted. And now that the fact of Mandelson’s failed vetting has come out, Starmer in a fit of confected fury has sacked Olly Robbins for doing what he told him to do. However I find it hard to believe this version of events. Is it likely that Starmer would have risked his reputation by deliberately lying to Parliament, especially when the lie would be easily exposed given that many people, not least the security services, would have known about Mandelson’s failed vetting?

The other explanation is that the Foreign Office actually wanted Mandelson as ambassador and decided to overrule the vetting decision. Officials then decided that they wouldn’t inform Starmer about the vetting because there was no need. After all, both they and Starmer wanted Mandelson. When the details of Mandelson’s improper relationship with Epstein emerged they decided to keep shtum even though they knew Starmer had made a misleading statement to Parliament, perhaps hoping that the failed vetting would remain secret. And now  that the ‘Guardian’ has revealed the story, Olly Robbins and the other civil servants are trying to cover their backs by pretending that they were under a legal duty not to tell the PM about the failed vetting. I find this version more probable, though it is still hard to believe that Robbins and the other civil servants involved would have taken it upon themselves to reverse the decision of the vetting committee without informing anyone at Number Ten.

Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 16:42:00 Sue Hammond
   Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 17:07:00 Sue Hammond
      Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:12:00 Michael Brigo
         Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:30:00 Sue Hammond
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:50:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 09:26:00 John Hawkes
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 20:59:00 Robert Wheeler
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting16/04/26 22:11:00 Andy Pike
   Reply16/04/26 23:33:00 Michael Ixer
   Reply16/04/26 23:52:00 Sue Hammond
      Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 00:16:00 Sue Hammond
      Re:Reply17/04/26 00:25:00 Steven Rose
         Reply17/04/26 08:49:00 Michael Brigo
            Re:Reply17/04/26 09:24:00 Andy Pike
               Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 09:33:00 Michael Brigo
                  Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 10:46:00 Andy Pike
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 15:05:00 Michael Brigo
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 15:28:00 Andy Pike
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 16:49:00 Michael Brigo
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 17:24:00 Andy Pike
                                 Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 18:49:00 Michael Brigo
                                    Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 20:01:00 Andy Pike
                                       Reply17/04/26 21:45:00 Michael Brigo
                                          Re:Reply17/04/26 21:47:00 Michael Brigo
                                             Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 22:34:00 Andy Pike
                                                Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 00:08:00 Michael Brigo
                                                   Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 07:25:00 Andy Pike
                                                      Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 07:36:00 Michael Brigo
                                                         Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 09:16:00 Andy Pike
                                          Reply17/04/26 22:34:00 Michael Ixer
   Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 09:37:00 Steven Rose
      Reply17/04/26 09:46:00 Martine Guy
         Reply17/04/26 10:24:00 Martine Guy
            Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:14:00 Sue Hammond
               Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:30:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Re:Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 15:08:00 Michael Brigo
               Re:Starmer Lied Over Mandelson’s Vetting17/04/26 13:41:00 John Hawkes
                  Olly Fights Back17/04/26 15:08:00 Sue Hammond
                     Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 15:47:00 Ivonne Holliday
                        Re:Re:Olly Fights Back18/04/26 16:29:00 John Hawkes
                     Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 16:02:00 Steven Rose
                        Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 16:55:00 Michael Brigo
                           Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 17:06:00 Robert Wheeler
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back17/04/26 18:47:00 Michael Brigo
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Olly Fights Back18/04/26 16:32:00 John Hawkes
                                 Reply18/04/26 19:01:00 Michael Brigo
                        Reply17/04/26 17:29:00 Sue Hammond
                           Re:Reply17/04/26 18:46:00 Steven Rose
                              Re:Re:Reply17/04/26 18:51:00 Michael Brigo
      Reply17/04/26 21:44:00 Michael Brigo
   Reply18/04/26 11:53:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply18/04/26 14:17:00 Steven Rose
         Re:Re:Reply18/04/26 16:58:00 John Hawkes
            Reply18/04/26 17:29:00 Michael Ixer
               Re:Reply18/04/26 19:58:00 Steven Rose
                  Reply18/04/26 20:59:00 Michael Ixer
                     Re:Reply18/04/26 21:13:00 Robert Wheeler
                        Reply19/04/26 00:39:00 Sue Hammond
                           Re:Reply19/04/26 10:00:00 Jonathan Callaway
                              Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 10:31:00 Steven Rose
                                 Reply19/04/26 11:23:00 Michael Ixer
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 11:46:00 Alexander MacLeod
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 11:47:00 Steven Rose
                                       Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 12:33:00 Robert Wheeler
                                    Re:Reply19/04/26 12:46:00 John Hawkes
                              Labour's new candidate to replace Starmer steps up with exciting  progressive policy19/04/26 12:31:00 John Hawkes
                              Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 13:17:00 Ivonne Holliday
   Reply19/04/26 13:27:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply19/04/26 13:53:00 John Hawkes
         Reply19/04/26 17:22:00 Michael Ixer
            Re:Reply19/04/26 18:57:00 Jonathan Callaway
               Reply19/04/26 20:12:00 Michael Ixer
            Re:Reply19/04/26 20:03:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Reply19/04/26 20:28:00 Philippa Bond
                  Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 10:15:00 John Hawkes
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 11:45:00 Philippa Bond
               Reply19/04/26 21:05:00 Michael Ixer
                  Re:Reply19/04/26 21:17:00 Steven Rose
                  Re:Reply19/04/26 21:26:00 Steven Rose
                     Reply19/04/26 22:11:00 Michael Ixer
                        Re:Reply20/04/26 10:29:00 Philippa Bond
   Reply20/04/26 09:23:00 Richard Carter
      Re:Reply20/04/26 10:22:00 Steven Rose
      Re:Reply20/04/26 10:46:00 Ivonne Holliday
      Re:Reply20/04/26 11:53:00 John Hawkes
         Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 18:38:00 Sue Hammond
            Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 19:02:00 Ivonne Holliday
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 19:35:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply20/04/26 20:39:00 Ivonne Holliday
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 13:39:00 John Hawkes
               Reply20/04/26 20:03:00 Sue Hammond
                  Re:Reply20/04/26 21:23:00 Ivonne Holliday
                     Reply20/04/26 21:48:00 Richard Carter
                        Re:Reply20/04/26 22:25:00 Ivonne Holliday
                           Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 00:07:00 Steven Rose
   Reply20/04/26 22:37:00 Michael Ixer
      Re:Reply21/04/26 18:02:00 Steven Rose
         Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 18:29:00 Robert Wheeler
            Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 19:31:00 Steven Rose
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply21/04/26 20:18:00 Robert Wheeler
                  Reply21/04/26 23:29:00 Michael Ixer
                     Re:Reply22/04/26 14:37:00 John Hawkes
                        Reply22/04/26 15:04:00 Michael Ixer

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