POLITICS CORNER

[Whyperion]

BBC Live Reporting...
`White House says release of emails claiming Trump spent hours with Epstein victim creates 'fake narrative'' LINK

Out of all the email / evidence exchanges 20 000 pages released most are still being read through. BBC mentions the one above - but we dont know the age of the victim and maybe they were just having tea and biscuits.
The other says G Maxwell was ask to stop (as in desist). doesnt say stop what , I assume it relates to "stealing girls from mar-a-lago" which trump has already said he fell out with Epstein about , rather than stop any illegal activity as such.
It seems odd to me no one has looked in to any happenings over the years at mar-a-lago (never mind the dodgy ways of building expanding and leaning on rival clubs in the area) another place of generally older men with generally younger women as waitresses etc - maybe its just a distraction technique in the casino area.

[Stanley]

Meanwhile, see THIS report of reaction from Starmer as pressure mounts on his Leadership.
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he has "never authorised" attacks on his cabinet ministers, calling briefings against them "unacceptable". The PM was speaking at Prime Minister's Questions after some of his allies told numerous media outlets he could face a leadership challenge from another cabinet minister such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting. There has been speculation about the extent to which Sir Keir was aware of the anonymous briefings, which had been aimed at shoring up his position, or had encouraged them in some way. Streeting has denied he was lining up a leadership bid, and called on those behind the briefings to be sacked. Asked at an NHS conference in Manchester if he would fight alongside Sir Keir if there were any plots to oust him as PM, Streeting said: "Yes." "The bizarre thing about some juvenile briefing overnight is it's people in No 10 who've said the PM is fighting for his job. "I don't think that's a helpful or constructive thing to say, I also don't think it's true," he added. Streeting has attacked the "toxic culture" inside No 10, but has said he does not think the PM is behind the briefings. Asked whether he thought Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney was responsible for the culture in Downing Street, he said: "I am not going to add to the toxic culture by contributing to the toxic culture and going after individuals. "I don't think that is a constructive or positive thing to do. "One thing I would say for Morgan McSweeney is there wouldn't be a Labour government without him."
The plain truth is that Starmer attempted to emulate Bliar and drag the Labour Party to the Right but failed as backbenchers opposed some of his key policies and he was forced into U-turns to retain any semblance of Leadership. This is not going to get any better and he knows that the Budget is going to spark yet more opposition inside the ranks of the backbenchers.

[Tripps]

I watched an interview by Robert Peston with Kenneth Clarke last night. He is old now and looked it. The talk was done at his house. Like me - he would not enjoy a trip to the studio. He started by stating the obvious - It is foolish for any Chancellor to give a promise not to increase taxes, and he would never have done it. Rachel from Customer Services shows how again how her appointment was a mistake. Her inexperience and misjudgement has caused the Governent great problems.

[Whyperion]

T part of the problem of Govt by media- and the Tory claim that Lab always increase takes (which has some truth of redistributive ones , or necessary when he economy has gone wrong - from external shocks rather than mismanagement as such)