AmyJ
2.4K posts
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🏆✍️ WINNER! Jonathan Liew (@guardian) is named SJA Columnist of the Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards, sponsored by Canon. 🥇#SJA2025 #BritishSportsJournalismAwards #sportsmedia #sportsjournalism
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Whilst I’m no fan of Olly Robbins’ handling of attempts to scrutinise the Mandelson saga, it is a fact that he was appointed on 8th January 2025, almost three weeks after Mandelson was appointed on 20th December 2024.
Starmer’s move against Robbins demonstrates how weak he is.
Alicia Kearns MP@aliciakearns
𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝟏. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝. Starmer, Feb: “Clearly, both the due diligence and the security vetting need to be looked at again. I’ve already strengthened the due process, I think we need to look at the security vetting.” Starmer, Feb: Security vetting, carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave him [Mandelson] clearance for the role. You have to go through that before you take up the post…Clearly both the due diligence and the security vetting need to be looked at again.” That is not true. 𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Mandelson failed vetting (as anyone would) if he disclosed things that caused him to fail, or if he lied during vetting, or if the security services found sufficient cause for concern (staying at the home of an incarcerated paedophile while on official business as DPM representing our country per chance…). Whichever it was, this was known early doors. 𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝. Starmer, 10th Sept: "As the right hon. Lady and the House would expect, *full due process was followed during this appointment,* as it is with all ambassadors…He is now playing an important part in the US-UK relationship." This is a lie. The process was in part followed and then he or his Govt intervened. This is not how all ambassadors are vetted. 𝟑. 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬. Cooper in Letter 16 Sept: “As these security vetting procedures are independent of Ministers, I am writing to you jointly with the Permanent Under-Secretary for the FCDO.” “After Peter Mandelson’s appointment was announced on 20 December 2024, the FCDO started the ambassadorial appointment process, including National Security Vetting. The vetting process was undertaken by UK Security Vetting on behalf of the FCDO and concluded with DV clearance being granted by the FCDO in advance of Lord Mandelson taking up post in February.” “Peter Mandelson’s security vetting was conducted to the usual standard set for Developed Vetting in line with established Cabinet Office policy,” Evidently the process was not independent as Ministers or PM overrode the conclusion of the process. Nor did it conclude with him passing vetting - lie by omission. 𝟒. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐬: “the relevant process for a political appointee was followed”. Was it? 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 “𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝” (𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦) 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦.
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Where we are this morning
— Keir Starmer’s immediate challenge is convincing the cabinet and Labour MPs to believe him. There was general incredulity last night that FCDO/Olly Robbins would overturn Mandelson’s failed vetting of his own accord without telling the PM, ministers or aides. If that’s the case it would be an extraordinary failure of the system.
— Why did Robbins do it and what will he say about it? If something emerges to disprove the PM’s version of events that would be terminal, most think. Either way, many in Labour think the revelations increase the chances of Starmer being ousted in May, just when he had seemed to be dodging a challenge in part thanks to the Iran crisis.
— Some familiar with the thinking in the centre say they, including the PM, appear to have been genuinely in the dark about all this until Tuesday. They say they are absolutely furious about it and especially with Robbins, hence why he was straight-up sacked by the PM last night. If you take their story at face value, that’s where there is some sympathy in Labour with No10.
— It still means Starmer made false statements to the public and arguably misleading ones to parliament. He himself has set a high bar for standards which it is hard to argue he’s met. He will have to explain why he didn’t immediately correct the record at PMQs on Wednesday and only when the Guardian revealed it. The relatively short amount of time that elapsed may be in his favour there, but it is still awkward.
— In terms of the big question about his survival, clearly a lot depends on what else emerges and what Robbins does. That’s really the only thing that matters. The timing of the revelations may help Starmer. If this had come out in the days after the locals he would be finished, but it happening now means he at least has a chance to weather it, one Labour figure argues.
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
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‘Perhaps the most interesting thing to happen today in Downing Street!’
GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope reacts to Larry the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office catching a mouse outside Keir Starmer’s press conference.
📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604
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Big historic events on 30th March
- I was born
- Channel 5 launched
- Queen Mum died
- Scott Mills fired
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@DegenRolf "Why do elf women not want to marry orcs, even though orcs want to marry elf women...?"
You actually build a career on this...?
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Male refugees from Afghanistan and Syria in Germany show a keen interest in forming relationships with local women, but the local women show little interest in forming relationships with them.
Germany, in particular, received over 1,4 million refugees between 2014 and 2016, predominantly from Muslim-majority countries such as Syria and Afghanistan. The majority of these arrivals consisted of young, single men within prime marriageable age brackets. This study examines partnership preferences of male refugees from Afghanistan and Syria who arrived in Germany between 2014 and 2016 and female residents of similar age.
Overall, our results indicate a high level of openness among male refugees towards partnering with female members of the resident population, but a comparatively low level of openness among the latter towards partnering with recently arrived male refugees. This implies a substantial incongruence in partnership preferences among the two groups.
Regarding the educational level of a potential partner, we found that all respondents prefer highly educated partners over those with lower levels of education. This suggests that, for refugees, securing a highly educated partner might serve as a means of upward social mobility and integration into higher-status networks in the host society.
Furthermore, it is possible that highly educated women, due to their greater exposure to diverse social environments and potentially less discriminatory attitudes, are perceived as more open to intergroup partnerships, making them a more attractive choice for refugees seeking acceptance and social integration.
On the other hand, the reluctance of resident women to accept partnerships with refugees is largely explained by their rejection of the ‘imported’ religious Islam. It is possible that resident women perceive the religious practices of newly arrived refugees as different from their own, reinforcing a social distance that limits intergroup partnerships. Moreover, this reluctance might not only reflect religious differences but also concerns about gender norms or perceived lifestyle incompatibilities.
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Britain gave Ireland a faith. Ireland gave Britain back its civilisation. 🇮🇪🇬🇧☘️
Around 385 AD, a British boy was kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He became Saint Patrick. He converted the island.
When Rome fell, libraries burned across Europe. Schools closed. Learning collapsed.
But in Ireland, monks copied every book they could find. Page by page. Word by word. Greek. Latin. Scripture. Philosophy.
They called it the island of saints and scholars.
Then those monks came back.
563 AD. Columba sailed to Scotland. Built a monastery on Iona. One of the greatest centres of learning in Europe.
634 AD. Aidan walked south. Built Lindisfarne.
On Iona around 800 AD, they began the Book of Kells. Then the Vikings came. Sixty-eight monks killed in a single raid. The survivors fled in an open boat. Clutching the manuscript.
It survived. Twelve hundred years later, it still does. Trinity College Dublin.
A British boy crossed the sea. Irish monks crossed it back.
Two islands. One circle.
By preserving the stories others forget, we can keep our history alive.
Help us keep our history alive: proudofus.co.uk
Be part of us.
Be Proud Of Us. 🇬🇧☘️
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@ProudofusUK This is a fascinating story: follow @ChrisStringer65 at the Natural History Museum for more of the science 💀🌿👍
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Europe's oldest human footprints were found at Happisburgh, Norfolk, in 2013. 🇬🇧
850,000 years old. The oldest outside Africa.
They belonged to a group of early humans, Homo antecessor, moving through an ancient river estuary. Adults and children. The prints showed they were walking south, possibly following game or seasonal food sources.
At the time, Britain was not an island. A vast low-lying plain called Doggerland connected it to continental Europe. The river they walked beside was an early version of the Thames, flowing northeast into what is now the North Sea.
The prints were buried under hundreds of thousands of years of sediment. Coastal erosion at Happisburgh, one of the fastest eroding coastlines in Europe, stripped the overlying layers back and exposed them.
Researchers from the British Museum and Natural History Museum had days to work before the tides returned. They used photogrammetry to create a permanent 3D record of every print.
The sea took them within two weeks.
The photogrammetric record survived. The prints did not.
Happisburgh has since yielded the oldest known stone tools in northern Europe, pushing back the date of human habitation in Britain further than previously thought.
Nearly a million years of human presence on this land. And that's just what we have evidence for.
If you didn't know that, that's what we do. Help us teach others. 🙏🇬🇧
proudofus.co.uk/support
Be part of us.
Be Proud Of Us 🙏🇬🇧
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NEW 🔴
Britain could strike Iranian missile sites as a defensive measure, Deputy Prime Minister Lammy says.
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What madness is this? If any product kills a child it must be banned? Hence why peanuts, bikes, climbing frames, gas boilers & diaries are banned?
Laura Trott MP@LauraTrottMP
If any other product on the market had killed one child, we would remove it immediately. We must stop looking for excuses & ban social media for u16s. We need a firebreak until companies can prove their product is safe. Labour’s consultation is just kicking the can down the road.
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@PolitlcsUK @PippaCrerar 👀 "The information that Mandelson was planning to travel to the British Virgin Islands was passed on to Hoyle from an individual in a position of authority in the overseas territory, the Guardian understands."
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🚨 NEW: The Met Police has apologised to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle after telling Peter Mandelson’s lawyers that it was him who told them he was planning to leave the country
The Met are treating it internally "as a serious protocol breach"
h/t @PippaCrerar
Politics UK@PolitlcsUK
🚨 BREAKING: Speaker Lindsay Hoyle says it was him who told the Met Police that Peter Mandelson was planning to flee to the British Virgin Islands
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A pregnant cheetah looking for a shady spot because it is overwhelmed by the heat
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Sad to read that the bust of Lutyens (my great grandfather) is to be removed from the presidential palace he designed in Delhi. Here I am with it last year. I wondered at the time why his name had been removed from the plinth.
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My latest cartoon for tomorrow's @Telegraph
Buy a print of my cartoons at telegraph.co.uk/mattprints
Original artwork from chrisbeetles.com
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The Taliban demanded that women be removed from a UN conference before they speak and the UN actually complied and told the women to bounce. The Taliban, not Iran or Saudi Arabia or some powerful Islamic country. What exactly is all this global pandering to Islam? It's insane
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Says something bad about British politics that I am the longest serving Chief of Staff since 2016 - and I only did just over two years
Luke Tryl@LukeTryl
Whether it's the job itself is structurally impossible, or just reflective of the extreme instability/volatility of British politics the average length of service of Downing Street Chief of Staff since Ed Llewellyn is both pretty bleak and sobering.
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A reminder for anyone failing to read beyond the headlines that Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein, had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein, wasn't in parliament when Peter Mandelson sent his tip offs to Jeffrey Epstein, his sole contribution to the scandal being to appoint Mandelson as US ambassador. Just in case you were getting confused.
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@PeterShoreite @foulwenche @lmharpin Yes. That 2016 election was also on 5th May, which fits with the audio.
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@foulwenche @lmharpin Probably 2016 when Caroline Pidgeon was running for Mayor.
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New audio emerges. Zack Polanski - Barnet London Assembly Hustings. A vote for him and his Lib Dem colleagues would be for “more police on the beat, for Israel and for Judaism”
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@PaulEmbery Just because he's a sleaze-ridden reprobate doesn't mean he's wrong about Greenland.
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A couple of weeks ago, the BBC interviewed Peter Mandelson about Greenland. He is still treated by some in the media as a wise old sage. He isn't. He is an utterly discredited, sleaze-ridden reprobate who should retire from public life for good.
Dan Neidle@DanNeidle
NEW: Previously unreported Epstein emails show Peter Mandelson discussing a Panama-linked tax avoidance structure for a £750k Rio apartment - with Epstein as his "chief life adviser". Exclusive Tax Policy Associates report:
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