UK Politics General Discussion

[BarryZola]

Peter Mandelson and his 'Best Pal' Jeffrey Epstein. People with a bit of power thought that they could get away with whatever they wanted, probably helped in some small way by there not really being an internet at that point so it was harder for victims to speak out and get traction. They couldn't have predicted the information highway that was about to out them slowly but surely.

'Best pal' to 'wish I never met him': The disconnect between Mandelson's claim and his Epstein letter

The British Embassy in Washington is making no new comment on revelations in congressional papers that Lord Mandelson described the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as 'my best pal'.

news.sky.com

Disclaimer on the 0.00000001 % chance that his lawyers see this message: I'm not actually accusing Mandelson of doing anything in particular, I'm speaking more in general about Epstein and his associates.

 

[Dave]

Peter Mandelson and his 'Best Pal' Jeffrey Epstein. People with a bit of power thought that they could get away with whatever they wanted, probably helped in some small way by there not really being an internet at that point so it was harder for victims to speak out and get traction. They couldn't have predicted the information highway that was about to out them slowly but surely.

'Best pal' to 'wish I never met him': The disconnect between Mandelson's claim and his Epstein letter

The British Embassy in Washington is making no new comment on revelations in congressional papers that Lord Mandelson described the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as 'my best pal'.

news.sky.com

Disclaimer on the 0.00000001 % chance that his lawyers see this message: I'm not actually accusing Mandelson of doing anything in particular, I'm speaking more in general about Epstein and his associates.

I mean Mandelson is gay so it’s unlikely he was involved in Epsteins crimes.

I don’t think you can be blamed if it turns out a friend is a criminal but he didn’t immediately disown him after the first conviction which is a poor judgement in my view.

 

[Benzin]

I mean Mandelson is gay so it’s unlikely he was involved in Epsteins crimes.

Could be a leap that (either way). Until our dear friend Trump releases the files completely unredacted we'll never know.

Pigs flying are more likely mind.

Mandelson has a lot of baggage and always has done. Was a questionable appointment given the history even if his best mate was also mates with the current US president.

 

[Dave]

Could be a leap that (either way). Until our dear friend Trump releases the files completely unredacted we'll never know.

Pigs flying are more likely mind.

Mandelson has a lot of baggage and always has done. Was a questionable appointment given the history even if his best mate was also mates with the current US president.

Never say never but no male victims have come forward so at the moment there is no hint Epstein was trafficking the type of person Mandelson would be inclined towards if he was inclined towards younger folk.

If you look at it purely pragmatically without moral consideration then it’s not a questionable appointment as you want an ambassador that the country they work with likes. Mandelson is very self interested however, so he is a risk.

 

[Slugjc]

He has had to resign a couple of times under Blair. He has form.

In this case, this should have been disclosed when he was appointed.

 

[Dave]

He has had to resign a couple of times under Blair. He has form.

In this case, this should have been disclosed when he was appointed.

Depends what you are saying he has form on? He has form on being financially self interested as I said, which is why he is a risk.

If tax and claims dodgers are always also sex criminals then Farage and co will be of interest to the police, then thinking on it the number of people protesting outside hotels who turn out to be domestic abusers or child abusers is worryingly high so you may have a point….

 

[Matt N]

Is there not a chance, however remote, that Peter Mandelson never knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes when they were friends?

I’m not saying that Epstein didn’t have friends who weren’t seemingly elbow deep in his antics, but surely not everyone he was ever friends with or socialised with would have known about his crimes?

 

[rob666]

I imagine that once he had attended a single fancy party in a fancy mansion of Epstein's, he would have had a very good idea.
For somebody "of the left", he has always had far too much interest in large yachts and private jets for this communists liking.
I'm sure the best is to come, and I hope he is no longer in his fancy job for more that a few days, as the PM is right behind him.

 

[Dave]

I imagine that once he had attended a single fancy party in a fancy mansion of Epstein's, he would have had a very good idea.
For somebody "of the left", he has always had far too much interest in large yachts and private jets for this communists liking.
I'm sure the best is to come, and I hope he is no longer in his fancy job for more that a few days, as the PM is right behind him.

You are right on the money stuff with Mandelson, but the sad testimony of the victims suggests the other stuff was far more hidden. The idea of big parties was a right wing conspiracy thing linked to the Q-anon stuff, the whole pizza basement stuff.

The issue is these people didn’t ditch Epstein after the 1st Florida indictment. But as you say the moment a PM has to say they have confidence in you, you are probably going.

 

[Plastic Person]

I don't tend to buy into conspiracy theories - after all, standard evil is typically fairly banal and baked into everyday political strategy - but it's worth bearing in mind that not so long ago, Epstein, his island, and his book of contacts were just that: a conspiracy.

Some of the stuff in the subpoenaed Epstein 50th birthday book released yesterday is truly hair-raising and also absolutely mental. I think @BarryZola touched on something vital in observing that there was a time when people in power thought they could simply get away with this stuff without recourse. And getting away with it was the thrill.

 

[Dave]

I don't tend to buy into conspiracy theories - after all, standard evil is typically fairly banal and baked into everyday political strategy - but it's worth bearing in mind that not so long ago, Epstein, his island, and his book of contacts were just that: a conspiracy.

Some of the stuff in the subpoenaed Epstein 50th birthday book released yesterday is truly hair-raising and also absolutely mental. I think @BarryZola touched on something vital in observing that there was a time when people in power thought they could simply get away with this stuff without recourse. And getting away with it was the thrill.

Most conspiracy theories have a tiny grain of truth in them. There wasn’t a basement abuse cabal in a pizza restaurant but there is a troubling abuse of women and girls by the rich and powerful. There isn’t a vaccine cover-up but there are questionable marketing practices by pharmaceutical companies. It’s easier to create a lie if you don’t have to make up everything around it. The interesting thing about Epstein is the people who made money and power out of it are now finding it coming and biting them on the bottom.

The only conspiracy that doesn’t have any obvious tenuous link to reality are the flat earthers.

 

[Benzin]

The interesting thing about Epstein is the people who made money and power out of it are now finding it coming and biting them on the bottom.

They'll probably like that though.

Dunno if conspiracy was the right term? Maybe an open secret like a lot of the noncing with that football coach and Saville. But of course those in power were able to just pay off those who maybe got a bit too involved for their liking or made it go away.

Not much of an issue anymore. Very easy to find out who's gone down for what these days. Was very ironic to see an anti-immigration protestor had been done for human trafficking mind.


Edit - Mandelson been sacked. No surprises there.

 

[Alsty]

Well well well...

Nigel Farage faces questions over who funded £885,000 Clacton constituency home

A BBC investigation raises questions about how the Reform UK leader's partner paid for a home in his constituency.

www.bbc.co.uk

After the furore about Angela Rayner not paying the correct amount of stamp duty, Farage is now accused of doing the same by allegedly putting the property in his partner's name even though he funded it to avoid £44,000 in stamp duty.

 

[Benjsh]

Well well well...

Nigel Farage faces questions over who funded £885,000 Clacton constituency home

A BBC investigation raises questions about how the Reform UK leader's partner paid for a home in his constituency.

www.bbc.co.uk

After the furore about Angela Rayner not paying the correct amount of stamp duty, Farage is now accused of doing the same by allegedly putting the property in his partner's name even though he funded it to avoid £44,000 in stamp duty.

Isnt against the law to do that though. Thats a genuine loophole in the law that anyone can take advantage of.

 

[Dave]

Isnt against the law to do that though. Thats a genuine loophole in the law that anyone can take advantage of.

Kind of proves a point though, person who has a working class background and a complex family situation stupidly doesn’t get good advice and is punished for it.

Rich boy who is lawyered to the gills gets away with it.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Isnt against the law to do that though. Thats a genuine loophole in the law that anyone can take advantage of.

It's not against the law, but he possibly lied about it. Again.

Nige is quite the hypocrite, but sadly that doesn't seem to ring warning claxons for the voting Turkeys.

 

[Benzin]

Those goalposts move so much you'd swear they have a life of their own.

 

[Benjsh]

Kind of proves a point though, person who has a working class background and a complex family situation stupidly doesn’t get good advice and is punished for it.

Rich boy who is lawyered to the gills gets away with it.

I'm old enough and wise enough to not trust any of them. Tories, Labour, Reform. It's all the same thing in my eyes. Those MP's are in it for themselves and the 91k a year minimum salary. If they were paid what most people deem them to be actually worth, 80% would change careers within the first 6 months.

I used to be heavily invested in politics in my 20's and even into my early 30's. I have given up now. Nothing ever changes for the working classes whoever comes into power and my life isn't made any easier or better.

 

[Hid]

Tories, Labour, Reform. It's all the same thing

It's not the same though Labour are for workers rights and having more state control over national assets whereas the other two aren't. Tories a free market capitalists and Reform are Racist Rich Billonares.

 

[Benjsh]

It's not the same though Labour are for workers rights and having more state control over national assets whereas the other two aren't. Tories a free market capitalists and Reform are Racist Rich Billonares.

No that's not right. Standing up for workers is what Labour USED to be about but those days are long gone I'm afraid. These muppets in charge (and i voted for them myself) have been nothing but a total shambles. Kier Starmer isn't a ardent labour man. He's just another posh public school boy in a red tie.

He's going to lose the next election to Nigel Farage most likely (shudder). That's how bad of a job he's doing.