POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS for a predictable reaction to Trump's comments on troops in Afghanistan other than US.
The Duke of Sussex has called for the sacrifices of Nato troops to be "spoken about truthfully and with respect", after the US president claimed allies stayed "a little back" from the front lines in Afghanistan. "I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there," Prince Harry, who was twice deployed to the country, said on Friday as he paid tribute to Nato troops killed in the conflict, including 457 UK service personnel. The prince was reacting to controversial comments made by Donald Trump in an interview on Thursday. Trump's words have drawn condemnation from international allies, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling them "insulting and frankly appalling" . The UK and other nations joined the US in Afghanistan after Nato's collective security clause was invoked following the 9/11 attacks. Prince Harry said: "In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first - and only - time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call." He added: "Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost. "Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace."
This is only a sample of the vilification of Trump that can be found in the news.....

[Stanley]

THIS heads the UK political news....
Andy Burnham has announced that he is seeking permission to stand in the upcoming Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election. If he won and became an MP, Burnham could mount a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer but the BBC has been told that allies of the prime minister may try and block him from standing in the constituency. Burnham is currently mayor of Greater Manchester and in a statement insisted that he wants to back the Labour government "not undermine it", adding that the decision had been "difficult". The seat in Greater Manchester is vacant after Andrew Gwynne stood down on Friday as an MP on health grounds. As a directly-elected mayor, Burnham has to get approval from Labour's ruling national executive committee before he can enter the race to be the party's candidate. That decision is expected on Sunday. Several Labour MPs have reacted angrily to the suggestion that Burnham could be blocked from standing in the by-election. Burnham had until Saturday afternoon to submit his application and on the dot of the 5pm deadline, he shared his letter, external to the NEC on social media, ending days of speculation over what he was planning.
I don't see how the NEC could refuse permission to stand because though it is within their remit, a refusal would trigger protest. Ignore the placatory statements..... this is the start of a Leadership bid. Why else would Burnham leave the Mayoral role?

[Stanley]

I have just heard that the NEC has blocked Andy Burnham's nomination for the Gorton and Denton by election.
This is not the end of this and is a big mistake....

[Stanley]

See THIS report on the Burnham affair.....
Andy Burnham has said he is "disappointed" after being blocked from standing as a candidate for the upcoming parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton by Labour's ruling body. As a directly elected mayor, Burnham had to get approval from Labour's national executive committee (NEC), after he applied to be a candidate on Saturday. But Labour said the party had decided to deny him permission to stand to "avoid an unnecessary mayoral election, which would use substantial amounts of taxpayers' money and resources". Burnham, a former minister, is widely seen as a potential leadership challenger to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should he return to Westminster. Writing on X, Burnham expressed concern about the ruling's "impact on the important elections ahead of us", and said he would return with "full focus" to his role as mayor. "I decided to put myself forward to prevent the divisive politics of Reform from damaging that. We are stronger together and let's stay that way," Burnham said. However, he criticised how the ruling was made known on Sunday, saying: "The fact that the media was informed of the NEC decision before I was tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days". The seat in Greater Manchester is vacant after former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne stood down on Friday as an MP on health grounds. The move to block Burnham has infuriated Labour MPs and is likely to anger some ministers who said local party members should have had the option of choosing the Greater Manchester mayor as the candidate. It is a big political gamble by allies of the prime minister and risks inflaming tensions within the party, which is consistently trailing Reform UK in national opinion polls. One senior Labour source who had been supportive of Burnham's candidacy said: "They're gambling the PM's whole premiership on winning a very hard by-election without their best candidate. It is madness." The decision was made by 10 members of the NEC, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, party chair Ellie Reeves and the prime minister himself on Sunday morning. NEC sources told the BBC the vote was 8-1 in favour of blocking Burnham's candidacy. The prime minister was among those who voted to block him from standing.
This cunning wheeze to protect Starmer is a huge mistake and it will provoke a massive row in the Party which might not always be public but which will be immensely damaging. It was fear of this happening that persuaded me that Labour were doomed despite their majority. The leadership is inadequate and incompetent.

[Wendyf]

Is there an argument for thinking that Andy Burnham knew he would be blocked from standing at this point? It won't have done him any harm, but Starmer is certainly damaged by the situation.

[PanBiker]

Well, they have just given another constituency to Reform! Candidates should be chosen and endorsed by constituency labour party members. It has always been so, glad I am not part of this any more.

One thing that strikes me is the fact that the NEC has dozens of delegates from, unions, the PLP, constituencies and other related societies. It is supposed to be a broad church. It's a committee like any other in the party and should have to abide by quorate rules that apply to all other tiers of the party. If they can't get the numbers to attend they should not be able to make decisions. Eight individuals with a casting vote by the PM is not good enough. You couldn't do this at branch level, you would be taken to task big style. Maybe I am becoming a dinosaur but I know how committee structure should work.

Andy will reap the benefit of this decision, Wendy is right there.

[Stanley]

You're right Ian and I think Wendy is also on the money when she said that Andy probably knew he would be knocked back. Barring a Lord Mayor is the default position when it comes to candidacies.

[Stanley]

Suella Braverman has tergiversated to ReformUK.

[Tripps]

Is there an argument for thinking that Andy Burnham knew he would be blocked from standing at this point? It won't have done him any harm, but Starmer is certainly damaged by the situation.

Beat me to it W. We're ahead of the game - I've not seen the view mentioned in the mainstream.

Of course he knew. He's read the rule book too, and is an experienced operator.

As Aunty Josie would have said "The wigs are on the green".

[Stanley]

See THIS update on the Burnham affair....
49 minutes ago
Around 50 Labour MPs have signed a letter objecting to the decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in a forthcoming parliamentary by-election, BBC News understands. They have written to Sir Keir Starmer to warn the decision is a "real gift" to Reform UK, as polling suggests Burnham may be Labour's "very best chance at winning" the vacant Gorton and Denton seat. The signatories added there was "no legitimate reason" to block Burnham and asked for Labour's ruling National Executive Committee to "re-evaluate" the decision. Defending the move, Sir Keir said allowing Burnham to contest the seat would have diverted Labour's resources away from other important elections. "Resources, whether that's money or people, need to be focused on the elections that we must have, not elections that we don't have to have," he said earlier. "And that was the basis of the NEC decision." Burnham has been seen as a potential leadership rival to Sir Keir but would have to return to Parliament in order to mount a challenge.
Starmer's reasons for the ban are disingenuous and he will soon discover that you can't spin your way out of a challenge as strong as this.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on Starmer's visit to China.....
4 hours ago
Sir Keir Starmer is on his way to Beijing, making the first trip to China by a British prime minister since 2018. He is due to meet President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Around 60 British business and cultural leaders are also on the trip, including representatives from bank HSBC, pharmaceutical company GSK, Jaguar Land Rover and the National Theatre. It marks the latest and most important moment in the government's attempt to reboot the UK's relationship with China. But critics argue China is of a wildly different world view, can't be trusted and the government ought to be much more cautious in its dealings with its Communist Party. When asked if the prime minister would raise human rights abuses with the president, Downing Street said he would "raise challenging issues where interests and values differ". China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang. There has also been criticism over the treatment of Jimmy Lai - the Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon – who is facing a life sentence in prison. In addition to China's human rights record, there are concerns about the scale of its espionage activities in the UK, with the head of MI5 recently warning that Chinese state operatives presented a daily national security threat. However, Downing Street has argued the visit is important.
A tricky visit but a piece of cake compared to the minefield he leaves behind him as he flies out to do his 'statesman' bit.

[Stanley]

See THIS latest on the Assisted Dying Bill....
5 hours ago
It is now "very, very difficult" to see how the assisted dying bill could become law this year, a leading backer of the change has told BBC News. Lord Falconer said the legislation has "absolutely no hope" of passing without a "fundamental change" in the House of Lords' approach. The former justice secretary is threatening an unprecedented use of the Parliament Act to override peers' objections if it is not passed before the King's Speech in May. The rarely used powers would set up a constitutional clash over what is a highly sensitive issue.

[Tripps]

The government has changed its mind and cancelled the election in Pendle in May. Election

The Council had asked to be excused after a debate and democratic vote in favour of cancellation - so most will be pleased. That does not include David Whipp who wanted the election.

I guess they think it's better to cancel them all rather than show what the people of Pendle actually think of the current Labour Party.

[Stanley]

I think both you and David Whipp are right. It's a type of gerrymandering. But instead of manipulating boundaries it's more direct, removing the ballot entirely.
THIS caught my attention....
1 hour ago
Around six million low-income households will continue to receive £150 off their winter energy bills after the government confirmed its Warm Home Discount will remain for five more years. It follows a consultation on how best to continue the scheme, which has been in place since 2011, with eligibility widened last year to include a further 2.7 million families. Ministers said extending the scheme until the winter of 2030/31 would help with the ongoing high cost of living, which has largely been fuelled by a big increase in energy costs. Charities broadly welcomed the continuation, which had been expected, but several said £150 did not go far enough to help struggling households. Energy companies pay for and distribute the £150 Warm Home Discount to people's bills, meaning households who are eligible should get the discount automatically, provided their supplier has over 1,000 customers.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on one benefit of more trade with China.....
4 hours ago
Seven new shops for Labubu dolls are to open in the UK this year, following the prime minister's trip to China. Chinese toy maker Pop Mart has confirmed it will open a flagship shop on Oxford Street in London's West End, as well as shops in Cardiff and Birmingham, before opening 20 more shops in Europe in 2026. The announcement is part of a package of deals announced by the UK government, including on whisky and cars, which officials claim is worth £2.2bn in export deals. Some have expressed concerns about Sir Keir's visit to China, arguing the country has a poor record on human rights and poses a threat to the UK's national security.
Is this going to help trigger an economic turnaround for the UK?

[Tizer]

Labubu dolls might rescue the UK economy, judging by how popular they are!

[Stanley]

Technology did the trick in the 1950s Peter. Why can't AI and Quantum computing do it for us now?

See THIS for the diversion that has dropped in Starmer's lap as he flies back in from Japan.....
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress over his dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. "In terms of testifying, I have always said anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information," he told reporters. "You can't be victim-centred if you're not prepared to do that," he said. "Epstein's victims have to be the first priority." The PM's comments come after the latest release of files related to Epstein, which include images appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over a female lying on the ground. BBC News has approached the former prince for comment. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Democrats in Congress asked Mountbatten-Windsor to answer questions as part of their Epstein investigation in November. At the time, Starmer said the invite was a matter for Mountbatten-Windsor to consider "personally". On Friday, the US Department of Justice released over three million pages of documents related to Epstein, six weeks after a deadline mandated in a law signed by US President Donald Trump. No context is supplied for the photos of Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over the unidentified woman. In two of the images, he is seen touching the person, who is fully clothed, on her stomach. Another image shows him staring directly at the camera.
It's very hard to see how the ex-prince could talk his way out of this one.....

[PanBiker]

Saw one on the news today witch apparently shows Peter Mandelson in his Y fronts with a woman.

[Tripps]

It's very hard to see how the ex-prince could talk his way out of this one.....

Quite easy. There is nothing on the photo to show where or when. As Rene Artois would explain when caught by his wife (you stupid woman!) - it's obviously a snap taken during a work first aid course at the start of the CPR module.

He'll come to no further harm. They've been at it for years - most of them - just haven't adjusted to the modern instant communications era just yet.

[Stanley]

You could be right David but I doubt if Charles will see it like that and Andrew relies completely on his brother for support. I'd hate to be in his position and I suspect you would say the same.

Meanwhile.... see THIS for another piece of fall-out from the Epstein Affair...
Updated 1 hour ago
Lord Mandelson says he has resigned his membership of the Labour Party as he does not want to "cause further embarrassment" by his links to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The former cabinet minister, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his past connections to Epstein, appeared in the latest release of files by the US Department of Justice on Friday. Documents suggest Epstein made $75,000 (£55,000) in payments to Lord Mandelson in three separate $25,000 transactions in 2003 and 2004. In his letter to Labour's general secretary, Lord Mandelson said: "I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this." He added: "Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. "While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party. "I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now. "I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests."
Once more the Noble Lord has fallen from grace. Could this be the last time?