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Topic Originator: wee eck
Date: Fri 17 Apr 13:59
It looks like we never got round to discussing the `Mandelson affair` on here but just when you think it`s run its course it`s in the news again. If anything like this happened at any of the devolved governments they`d probably be shut down right away but Westminster survives all sorts of cover-up, obfuscation and evasion.
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Topic Originator: McCaig`s Tower
Date: Fri 17 Apr 21:37
There was a short thread on Mandelson last year. More recently there was some chat on the Epstein thread.
There are still many unanswered questions.
It seems to be the view that Mandelson was a "Trump Whisperer" and so would be valuable as the UK Ambassador in DC. But failing his vetting would mean presumably that he could not receive full security clearance. Thus the UK mission would be inhibited in its operations, but conceivably this could be a price worth paying. Maybe.
But this would be known about at high levels.
Is it credible that the vetting failure was kept a secret from the Cabinet, from No 10 or the PM? That seems to be the way of "plausible deniability" rather than effective governance. I would have expected a decision of this magnitude to be made at PM level or certainly with PM approval. It`s not like ordering paperclips, or dare I say, awarding Infosys a minor contract.
This seems more like it being announced that Mandelson would get the gig, and having got it, they couldn`t change their mind.
I never got why Mandelson was so revered - he seemed (seems) like trouble and best avoided.
I`m not sure you could realistically shut down Westminster any time there was a scandal. Has anyone serious suggested shutting down Holyrood? There have been plenty of scandals there.
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