"Peter Mandelson admitted on Newsnight that it will be very tough for Labour to win the next General Election.
Dr Peter Slowe, chairman of Labour's finance and industry group, this week called for MPs to oust Prime Minister Gordon Brown and replace him with Lord Mandelson, saying he is "the only one with the clout, intellect and charisma who could realistically take on the Tories and win".
Could Lord Mandelson ever oust Mr Brown and become the next PM? News Junction thinks it's certainly possible.
However, Not A Sheep laughs at the suggestion saying Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson... a downward slope of honesty and probity there.
Of course there is the small matter of Lord Mandelson's life peerage - though the government is tabling a proposal that would give life peers the right to resign from the House of Lords - something hereditary peers have been able to do since 1963.
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So Newsnight say that I laugh at the suggestion that Peter Mandelson could ever become Prime Minister, read my original post and you will note that I say exactly the opposite:
"How could Peter Mandelson become Prime Minister when there is no provision for a Life Peer, as opposed to an Hereditary Peer, to resign his peerage? This was the shout whenever anyone expressed the view that Peter Mandelson had his eyes on the big prize, becoming Prime Minister, even if it was for only a short time. As I have blogged before there are several Labour "big beasts" who would be only too delighted to be PM for a few months and thus get their hands on the special PM pension that they would then be entitled to. So it was hardly a surprise that I read in the Financial Times that:Typically reporting by the BBC, just 100% wrong which is I suppose par for the course."Labour is to change the law to allow life peers to quit the upper house, raising the prospect that Peter Mandelson could stage yet another unlikely comeback and return to the political fray in the House of Commons."
Then we get an interesting aside:"Asked last month by the Financial Times whether he might renounce his peerage and stand again as an MP, Lord Mandelson said: “It’s not legally possible to do that. I am trapped. I believe it is for life.”
He then added: “Of course, you could always change the law.” Although Lord Mandelson insisted he was “teasing”, the first secretary apparently only has to muse aloud and his wishes are fulfilled."
And then the kicker:"Tackled on the subject, Lord Mandelson said: “The legislation has to get on to the statute book. I’m not anticipating any change for myself. Goodbye.”"
Who better to ensure that the UK is forever bound into the EU than Peter Mandelson, the man with the EU pension and thus the possible question mark regarding his loyalty to the UK relative to the EU?
Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson... A downward slope of honesty and probity there but ability? Taking a maths exam stance for a moment; how would you continue such a series?"
Siobhan Courtney (nice-looking, obviously not too bright) could become Michael Crick's deputy with such standards of accurate and fair reporting!
ReplyDeleteSiobhan Courtney is a perfect example of how the BBC see fit to promote sexy, goodlooking women due to appearance rather than intellect. What else would one expect from the BBC?
ReplyDeleteHave to say. I think that Tony Blair's more dishonest then Gordon Brown. Brown has always struck me as a hopeless liar, it's so sadly obvious when he does. He's not a natural at all.
ReplyDeleteBlair on the other hand is a complete natural. Slick and glib, it was a lot harder to tell when he was lying. (Well, when he opened his mouth some might say...)
I really believe that Brown is actually an honest person, he just feels that he has to lie through his teeth because that's how politics is.
Going back to the original subject, the BBC purse strings are controlled by the government. He who pays the piper calls the tune. This is why the BBC is so conservative (with a small c). And why they spend so much time kissing politicians posterior.
Cheers
Stevie
Why is it because she is beautiful she is considered to be stupid?
ReplyDeleteShe reports for Newsnight and is very young - I would say she is the one having the last laugh!!
Not a sheep,
ReplyDeleteYou should count yourself lucky that your bleating and ranting was considered newsworthy.
Your blog was linked and discussed in mainsteam media - a lot better than the rest of us in the blogging world, who could only dream of that kind of publicity.
Adrian