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Who on earth wrote that headline? Anas Sarwar’s spad? John Swinney will be answering questions on this:

The Promise is a landmark report which followed Scotland’s Independent Care Review, which set out a long-term commitment to transform the care system for children and young people.

but the idea that this has anything to do with Mandelson is utterly bizarre.

Are they trying to associate Swinney with Mandelson and to deflect from Anas Sarwar? There have been equally bizarre, slimy, attempts by a Labour MP to draw Swinney into the mire, because he stayed in ‘Mandelson’s house’, in reality, the Ambassador to the US official residence, belonging to the UK Government, when there to meet Trump.

Why should Sarwar be facing questions. Apologies to readers of an earlier post, but this:

In the Daily Record 14 September 2025:

Imogen Walker – the wife of the Prime Minister’s under-fire chief of staff Morgan McSweeney – was made an influential Commons whip along with colleague Gregor Poynton.

It has emerged that in June, Mandelson – who has been sacked US ambassador over his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – attended a fundraiser for Hamilton and Clyde Valley MP Walker and Livingston MP Poynton.

“Imogen and Gregor are known to be on the right of the party and it’s no surprise they seem also to be in the Mandelson inner circle. Imogen’s husband McSweeney is also close to Mandelson.

“It is a clique which has done everything to obliterate the left-wing soul of the party and is now threatening to bring the whole government down due to its ties to people like Mandelson who are no more than ­compromised corporate lobbyists.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/two-scots-mps-promoted-starmer-35898733

It seems more than likely that many more of the current crop of right-wing Labour MPs and MSPs, after the pushing out of the Corbynite Richard Leonard in favour of Prince Anas, are of the same sinister brood. Here’s an obvious one:

What is often meant by Lord Mandelson’s ‘dark arts which many MPs and MSPs are likely to share?’

The most severe and immediate criticisms centre on revelations from the US Department of Justice’s Epstein files releases in late 2025 and early 2026. These have been described across the political spectrum (but especially damaging within Labour) as a profound betrayal:

• Ongoing Association with Jeffrey Epstein — Despite Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving minors, Mandelson maintained a friendship, including personal communications (e.g., emails joking about personal matters and describing Epstein as a close associate). This was seen as morally reprehensible and politically toxic, embarrassing the party and linking it to a figure synonymous with child exploitation. Critics, including Labour MPs and former colleagues, called it “untrustworthy” behaviour dating back decades.
• Alleged Leaking of Sensitive Government Information — In 2009–2010, while Business Secretary under Gordon Brown during the financial crisis, Mandelson allegedly shared confidential, market-sensitive details (e.g., on UK financial handling and taxes) with Epstein via emails. This has been labelled a “betrayal of trust,” “dereliction of duty,” and potentially “misconduct in public office” (prompting a Metropolitan Police investigation). Gordon Brown and others described it as “inexcusable and unpatriotic,” while Labour figures accused him of prioritising personal connections over national interest.
• Deception and Lies — Multiple sources, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accused Mandelson of repeatedly lying about the depth of his Epstein ties during vetting for his 2024 appointment as UK Ambassador to the US (a role from which Starmer later sacked him). This damaged Labour’s credibility on standards, integrity, and judgment, with MPs expressing fury that it “embarrassed” the party, the PM, and undermined public trust.

These events led to Mandelson’s resignation from the Labour Party (to avoid “further embarrassment”), retirement from the House of Lords, and removal from the Privy Council. Within Labour, it sparked open revolt against Starmer’s leadership judgment in re-engaging him, with some MPs calling it a “tipping point” or “final straw” for the party. Left-leaning commentators framed it as the “ultimate conclusion” of New Labour’s flaws — elite networking, questionable associations, and detachment from ethical accountability — severely harming the movement’s reputation for fairness and probity.Overall, while Mandelson’s defenders credit him with modernising Labour for electoral success, detractors (especially on the left) argue his pattern of behaviour — from ideological shifts to personal scandals — has repeatedly prioritised power, wealth networks, and centrism over the movement’s core values, culminating in what many now see as one of the most damaging episodes in recent Labour history.

https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=2019373151654699192

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