Mandelson Scandal Reveals Starmer's Focus on Self-Preservation While Struggling Brits Battle Rising Costs

Mand down

THE Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney yesterday said he made a “serious mistake” by advising his old boss to appoint Peter Mandelson.

added that when he discovered the extent of Mandelson’s friendship with , it felt like a “knife through my soul”.

While Starmer has been busy harnessing the machinery of Government in his own self-defence, urgent real-world priorities have been ignored Credit: Reuters The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson to the US role was Starmer’s alone Credit: AP

But the eventual decision to turn the Prince of Darkness into Our Man in was Keir Starmer’s alone.

He knew AND had twice been fired from the Cabinet in scandal.

Sir Keir gave him the most important job in the diplomatic service anyway.

It remains to be seen whether this grave self-inflicted wound ultimately proves terminal for the PM.

— who says he has nothing to hide — could have lanced the boil by giving in to Tory demands and referring himself to the Privileges Committee to face detailed questions.

Instead, he last night forced his own MPs, a great many deeply unhappy about it, .

While Starmer has been busy harnessing the machinery of Government in his own self-defence, urgent real-world priorities have been ignored.

Voters will have already made up their minds about Starmer’s lack of judgment over Mandelson and the ensuing shabby treatment of some of his officials.

What they won’t forgive during a time of war is a zombie Government unable to properly focus on soaring prices, the cost of filling the family car and household inflated by Net Zero zealotry.

No room

NET migration will add an extra 2.2million people to the population over the next decade, the equivalent of two cities the size of Birmingham.

We have one question: where are they all going to live?

Labour hasn’t a prayer of getting anywhere near hitting its pre-election promise to build 1.5million houses.

Which means our is only going to get worse — not least for Brits struggling to get on the property ladder.

Rent asunder

THAT the Chancellor and her team should even THINK about imposing rent controls is deeply worrying.

.

All it does is drive landlords to sell up, making it harder for tenants to find somewhere to live.

Adding to the sense of panic, Treasury officials had briefed that Reeves was in favour . . . only for ministers to yesterday rule it out.

Did they learn nothing from last year’s Budget shambles?