How long can Starmer survive? Getting popcorn ready 🍿🍿

I cringed at the time at that whole 'adults in the room' nonsense. The same concept was projected onto Sturgeon, again that didn't end well.

Primrose53

Puts Boris Johnson’s birthday cake incident well in the shade though! Just remembering the pages and pages of comments about that on here and we all know how that ended.

Birthday cake? What about him illegally trying to prorogue parliament? Being photographed hung over returning from a party with Lebedev ( who then got a knighthood). Please don’t try to make people think that partygate was his only transgression. And there are also links with Bannon and Epstein regarding Brexit ( that is mentioned in the files).

this traitorous corrupt government needs to go so we can have another corrupt government in its place?

Starmer will stay. There's no obvious replacement, the Cabinet are not in open revolt and local elections are due. Most Labour MPs criticising him openly are the usual suspects.

I honestly thought his performance would be better, adults in the room and all that crap misplaced projection of faith in how they were going to perform. He doesn't seem to be able to read the room, which I find extraordinary. Right from the start with Lord Ali and the freebie spectacles and suits. Surely someone of his gravitas could see that would put him in a compromising position quite apart from the optics of how all that highly questionable benevolence would and was perceived by a strapped cash electorate.

I know Mandelson had some grandfather or other who was a prominent member in the Labour party of yesteryear, but I could never get my head round why he didn't just go off and join the Tories and have done with it. His whole raison d'etre gives off the air of following the money at any cost not to mention the social millieu he appears to immerse himself with. Often knocking around with his mate 10 jobs Osborne who doesn't even have an indoor lav it would seem, forcing poor old Mandleson to piss up against the outside wall of Osborne's Notting Hill home, or maybe that was just his way of telling him he didn't like the guacamole more commonly known as mushy peas served up at supper. Both photographed schmoozing on a yacht with oligarchs. Really there were no surprises as to his nefarious associations with Epstein. Of course Starmer knew about it, much of it was in the public domain anyway.

The implosion has been quite spectacular, the umpteen U turns, the lack of any business acumen from a completely incompetent Chancellor who seems hell bent on crippling businesses and increasing unemployment. The minister appointed with something to do with housing who ejected her tenants so she could get more money, the MP who has a multitude of uninhabitable filthy flat he lets out, quite contrary as to a basic level that would be acceptable apropos of their tenants' rights bill, Angela Rayner and her bad advice regarding what she should have paid in stamp duty. Bridget Phillipson's shilly shallying around fully adopting the court ruling around Women Only Spaces even though the interminable message from Starmer is "we must obey the letter of the law" Oh yes Grooming Gangs Enquiry kicked into the long grass just wondering if I've forgotten anything!

Yep right up there with the Boris' shit show who'd have thought!

DaisyAnneReturns good post @ 9.29

DaisyAnneReturns

This feels much more like political theatre than analysis.

On the facts: Starmer has acknowledged that he knew Mandelson had some contact with Epstein after 2008, but has said he did not know the extent of that relationship. When further information came to light, Mandelson was removed from his role and there is now cross-party pressure to release relevant files through proper parliamentary processes. That’s not stonewalling; it’s corrective action under scrutiny.

As for “he has to release everything he knows”, no Prime Minister can unilaterally dump intelligence or diplomatic material without legal and security constraints. That applies regardless of party.

The idea that Badenoch “roasted” him or that ministers “couldn’t look at him” is subjective performance commentary, not evidence of political collapse. PMQs is designed to generate clips, not sober judgment. Leaders have looked far worse in that chamber and survived far longer.

On Angela Rayner, again, there’s a lot of mind-reading going on. She dealt with her tax issue by referring herself to the appropriate processes and stepping back from roles, which is precisely what critics usually demand. There’s no evidence she’s “waiting to stab him in the back” beyond forum fantasy.

If you can criticise Starmer’s judgment on Mandelson without turning it into a soap opera about imminent coups and personal betrayal it might be worth discussing. However, thd truth is that politics is messy, but not every controversy is a death spiral.

He needs to go. End of. He know about Mandelsons friendship with Epstein when He gave him that plum Job in America. What a fool. As for Rayner, someone who forgets things like tax, still not repaid it yet? Sheis not fit for Office, public would be even more teed off, except Labour supporters I suppose, neither is Streeting, what did He know about the friendship, mandelson was his mentor. He is now stabbing him in the back. This traitorous, corrupt Gov needs to go. Rather have the Conservatives back. Badenock roasted him yesterday.

kittylester

But, with Mandelson's reputation why on earth would anyone with sound judgement appointment him?

And is a man with such flawed judgment capable of running the country in these difficult times?

And, who appointed his advisors?

and who appointed his advisers He did 🤦🏼‍♀️

sixandahalf

I'm not gloating with my popcorn. I'm sad and afraid.

So am I. I am no fan of Labour. It is very far from the socialist government I want but I am frightened that the Epstein scandal will bring it down and what could happen next.

Let’s not forget that Farage and Reform Treasurer and major donor Nick Candy were very much part of the whole Epstein/Bannon/Thiel circle and how they worked together for personal enrichment and political gain and still work together following Epstein’s death.

This was linked to elsewhere on the board. It’s worth reading:

In Putin’s Orbit: The Crypto Politics of Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Thiel - The web of ties between Epstein, Moscow and Silicon Valley leads back to Steve Bannon and Nigel Farage

bylinetimes.com/2026/02/03/in-putins-orbit-the-crypto-politics-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-peter-thiel/

It is one of the most significant political scandals in decades, it showed a catastrophic error of judgement and a few of us said so at the time.
I don't think for one moment Starmer will survive this.

I have said for ages, I dont think he will survive past this May. One way or another.

I hadn't seen the new post. My last post was in reply to Oreo (Thu 05-Feb-26 09:44:06) and GrannyGravy13 Thu 05-Feb-26 09:38:22

Puts Boris Johnson’s birthday cake incident well in the shade though! Just remembering the pages and pages of comments about that on here and we all know how that ended.

I think this is where judgement and analysis start to diverge. People can reasonably dislike Mandelson or think the appointment unwise. My point was simply that some of the claims being made go beyond what’s actually evidenced.

Happy to leave it there for anyone who doesn’t want to get into the factual weeds.

sixandahalf

I'm not gloating with my popcorn. I'm sad and afraid.

Quite!

But, with Mandelson's reputation why on earth would anyone with sound judgement appointment him?

And is a man with such flawed judgment capable of running the country in these difficult times?

And, who appointed his advisors?

Every PM faces various storms and even scandals regarding other Ministers etc., sadly our parliament has become increasingly like the senate in Ancient Rome with knives out at every juncture. And Kemi would do well to remember the storms and scandals weathered by the last Tory PMs which resulted in revolving doors with regard to Tory leaders.
This is no good for the country which needs a strong and stable government, and less shit stirrers in the wings adding fuel to the rumour mill with regard to a leadership challenge.
This may not be a very strong or stable government but democracy dictates we stick with it for now. So perhaps we should do just that.

I'm not gloating with my popcorn. I'm sad and afraid.

I am not thinking of the Labour Party. There’s a country to run and there’s no benefit if the extreme left wing pounce. Stay with what we have for now is better for the average person. Oreo.

Ministers didn’t look at him at PMQ’s yesterday, their set expressions said it all, not even a murmur of support.

ronib

I hope Starmer stays around as pm for a while longer. The alternatives don’t look any better. Starmer might evolve into a stronger leader? Give him a bit longer?

To cause more damage to the Labour Party? No thanks.

We’re not in the Oxford Union debating chamber ( well, some posters may be in their heads)😁
We don’t know what will happen but Starmer was doing badly on all fronts up to now so this may be the final nail in his political coffin.He has shown poor judgement on many things and it looks as if he’s allowed himself to be swayed by at least one of his advisors on appointing Mandelson to the US prestigious post.There were quite a few gasps of horror at the time about it.

Doodledog

Well said, DAR.

Well said from me too.

DaisyAnneReturns unfortunately you are trying to defend the indefensible.

It was known that PM stayed in Epstein’s Manhattan home whilst Epstein was in jail for paedphilia. If that didn’t send a great big warning to KS than he really is a proverbial ostrich with his head in the sand

PM had already disgraced himself twice before and been sacked from a Labour Government, I interview and employ people, I wouldn’t have touched Mandelson with a barge pole!

I hope Starmer stays around as pm for a while longer. The alternatives don’t look any better. Starmer might evolve into a stronger leader? Give him a bit longer?