David Vance SubstackRead More
What a tumultuous 72 hours in British politics as the fall out from the Epstein Files threatens to bring down the Government.
First, we got the Mandelson revelations which have finally buried the political career and reputation of Lord Peter Mandelson. But that was just the beginning.
Sir Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, is also in deep peril primarily because HE chose to appoint Mandelson to the important position of UK Ambassador to the United States despite having full awareness of his links to the convicted paedophile Epstein. It is this lamentable act which Starmer is desperate to avoid. So there have been a slew of resignations around him.
Firstly, Starmer’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned. He said he took “full responsibility” for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, amid controversy over Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. However he didn’t take the actual decision to do this – that was the Prime Minister.
Then Tim Allan, the Director of Communications resigned, less than 24 hours after McSweeney’s departure.
Labour has also removed the whip from Matthew Doyle, who only recently became a Labour peer, having previously served as Starmer’s director of communications.
Doyle had campaigned for a friend who had been charged with possessing indecent images of children. The friend claimed he was innocent at the time, but subsequently pleaded guilty. Yesterday Doyle issued a lengthy statement apologising.
Given that Doyle’s peerage was announced in December, and that he took his seat in early January – after the details of his friendship with Sean Morton had been made public – Labour’s decision to remove the whip yesterday looks like a move timed to minimise the dangers to Starmer.
You see Starmer keeps claiming he was “unaware” of all these difficult issues.
Just as his position looked fatal on Monday, with Scottish Labour Labour Anas Sarwar calling for him to resign, action was taken. It is alleged he threatened his cabinet with a General Election if they tried to bring him down. This means most, if not all, would lose their seats. So within 60 minutes, they all took to X to pledge their devotion to him. So he hangs on.
The BBC are trying to suggest that brave Sir Keir has faced down the enemy (his judgement) and won but that’s an illusion. He is in office but not in power. And limpet-like, he clings on. But he will go and that will be measured in weeks, maybe a few months, and then to forced out by his own side.
He is claiming that he has never lost any political fight that he has entered but his track record since winning the 2024 General Election is one of u-turns and serial surrender to his own back benchers. The truth is that he has never won a political fight and very soon, his political career will end.
