hopefully Starmer will survive.

…I’m basically an observer, but nobody in the UK seems to know more about US politics than I do (on this board I’m at the bottom 25%).

FYI, everyone I’ve spoken to dislikes Starmer, basically for economic reasons. Again, I just listen. I feel like Mark Twain in Germany. Wish I could write.

There was a European study that showed that adopting right wing policies such as austerity (even worse when they enact it) doesn't win them more votes but often alienates their existing voters so I understand why he isn't politically popular right now besides any scandal related issues.

What happens should the UK police find in its files evidence that Andrew had been sharing govt secrets with Epstein, Epstein passing them to the Russians, coupled with a pedo ring? “Fuck” has become the US national motto under Trump. The UK is at the “unfortunate” stage though it’s proven to be good at sacking sacrificial lambs.

The Brits have much bigger worries. They just don’t know it yet.

He's been first a figure of fun then a pariah for many years, and his minor role in the Royal Family before the scandals wouldn't have given him access to anything sensitive.

Given his well-documented preoccupations, I think the chances of his even being interested in state secrets are slim.

As a Brit, I don't know what part of the UK you're visiting, but here in the west of Scotland, people are surprisingly up to date with goings-on in the US. Not to mention aghast and horrified.

As for Starmer, his shelf life would have been short even without the Mandelson kerfuffle. If he lasts until the coming local council and Welsh and Scottish elections, it will be a miracle. I don't think he'll have the stamina, appetite or support to stay on after the widely predicted Labour drubbing.

Last edited Tue Feb 10, 2026, 08:10 PM - Edit history (2)

I’m not saying people aren’t aghast. I’m saying they can’t fathom a plot line that many Americans have known for months.

On edit: there's a certain level of innocence here despite all the murder plotlines the population has been exposed to for years. That innocence is about to come to an end.

Also, I have to wonder what Andrew and Jeffrey were discussing in Central Park that couldn't have been discussed in Jeffrey's mansion. Since we know code had been used in emails, the conversation must have been pretty important to take it outside.

The UK is bitterly divided.

Not debating you… just wondering.

When PMs first met over Mandelson, they seemed unified: he must go. And now he’s gone. Meanwhile, the US plays “rock, paper, scissors.”

What about the monarchy? Will Parliament have the intestinal fortitude to bring it down or will it be satisfied with a royal title rebuke and change of royal address?

At the moment there are discussions about who will replace Starmer. Won’t that leave GB in a weakened state against Russia and the US? Unless Starmer can be directly connected to malfeasance, I think replacing him is as bad an idea as Brexit….just my concerns with little background on parties’ political stances.

It seems a complete fantasy. It would be electoral suicide, as well.

espionage against one’s own country doesn’t bring down the monarchy, nothing will.

Yet the US’ democracy teeters on a precipice at just 250 yrs of age. Will it fail before the UK monarchy does? We shall see.

If I could kiss Khanna’s, Raskin’s, Moskowitz’, and Massie’s feet right now, among others, I’d be delighted to.

He's always been a sideshow.

He was the Queen’s favourite. In the Navy he was a “handsome” helicopter pilot/instructor, and I think commanded a warship. At some point he became a pedophile and perhaps a spy against his own country. The British police are going through files.

We’ll have to see what other names Raskin has to share that involve the Brits and their monarchy.

He began fairly promisingly (not to mention privilegedly) with the prospect of a jetset decade of schmoozing as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, but even during that time he was the talk of the media for his extravagant, lavish travel expenses, including using publicly funded helicopters as personal taxis to far-flung golf courses etc., and his links to - to put it mildly - questionable figures, including the Gaddafi regime and a suspected Chinese spy, along with seeking benefit for personal business acquaintances.

His standing can perhaps be measured by the number of sites and media outlets which have gathered together his various transgressions and public embarrassments:

I've been told that the reason the monarchy stays intact is because of the money it brings in from tourism. But if Royal members start to use their connections to interfere with their own govt's functions to include national security, at what point is tourist money for London Bridge replicas worth it?

Recall that Meghan M was pilloried by the Brits for wishing to spray air freshener in Westminster Abbey before her wedding. I'm assuming the country takes national security at least as seriously.

The possibility of dissolution is what needs to be addressed with King Charles, and it probably already has been.

One solution to the dilemma would be to get Andrew on the next Air France economy flight to Dulles to testify openly and honestly before the US Congress. That way, he can come out as an unlikely "hero" in helping to get rid of Trump when the fascist right gop had refused, while restoring a modicum of serious intent to the monarchy. Fine, stay out of British govt affairs unless called upon, but for God's sake, help save those upstart neophytes across the pond with theirs.

The tourism money argument isn't strong - the French went as far as to guillotine most of their royals, and their exquisite palaces etc. are never short of tourists, and visitors don't have to dodge the royals.

It comes down to sheer tradition, and I think that's allied to the fragility of the British national identity as it's taking a long time for people to get used to the idea the UK is an, at best, middling power nowadays, and really has been at least since Suez.

People have a hard time articulating what "being British" means (and not a few of them have a hard time distinguishing England from the UK), and I reckon that lies at the heart of many of the tensions. I think the US is experiencing similar problems, among its many others.

Whatever my own feelings, there's no prospect of any party coming to power in the foreseeable future on a platform of outright abolishing the Royal Family. I could see it being downgraded in certain respects, perhaps following the model of European and Nordic royal families who hold the titles and some ceremonial functions, but generally live comparatively modestly and normally. I could see a time when the younger generations of royals wouldn't be unhappy with that. Harry's already made his bid for freedom, hiccups and all, and may have eased the way for those family members who'll follow him.

If Andrew does eventually testify, I can't imagine that being seen as heroic - if he'd severed connections and whistleblown years ago, maybe - I think the reaction would be, "About bloody time."

But bear in mind that this is not a particularly bright (nor truthful) man, and he doesn't perform well publicly under pressure - witness his utterly disastrous BBC TV interview with Emily Maitlis, which was intended to salvage his reputation.

That last label might appeal to Andrew's fragile ego. Throw in an all expense-paid trip to Bangkok to get those sweat glands operated on.

But first, testify, or nothing. Not even a bunk in the riding stable on Sandringham. But do sweeten the offer with a burial plot next to the Queen's corgis.

Last edited Tue Feb 10, 2026, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

Preferably sooner rather than later.

He's not a strong leader, though his role in the Labour purges over the last few years may have given that illusion. He's not charismatic, he's not visionary, and worst of all, he's not even competent.

The course of Labour over the last year has left the country wide open to an upsurge in support for Reform UK. Starmer's like a bunny in the headlights faced with that threat, and all the concessions he and his government have made so far look like capitulation to the right-wing and the xenophobic.

I've long said that you don't win elections by saying, "Our opponents are right - don't vote for them."

In the upcoming elections (which function a bit like the US midterms as political bellwethers, though no Westminster seats are in play), the best we can hope for are strong showings from the Greens, Plaid Cymru and the SNP, along with the Lib Dems in certain seats, as tactical voting will be key to stopping Reform's progress (though part of me wouldn't be too upset if they took over more councils in England, as their usual trajectory is abject failure once they gain office, and that might give Reform another wave of setbacks before the next general election).

Isn’t living up to the moment either. Like many Center-Left parties in Europe, they seem to have lost any real reason for existing. This leaves the door wide open for the far right or left to step in.

At least the UK had the wherewithal to figure out that just making be it would be a good idea to join with other NATO countries and protect a fellow NATO member per treaty agreement against the US.

The Brits seem very concern bout immigrants sponging off its social systems, which borders on scapegoating to me.

People I’ve been talking to have run the gamut but are largely upper crust oil and gas folks.

Here in Germany, the once dominant SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) led in the 1970s by the smart and able Helmut Schmidt, got sabotaged by its rigidly ideological left wing, pissed off its coalition partner, the Free Democrats, who then joined, and thus handed power to, Kohl’s CDU, the German Center-right.

Having no more solid leadership, the SPD drowned what remained of their identity into being the party of the hated bureaucrat, adopted the useless slogan of “mehr Gerechtigkeit,” meaning “more justice,” because they were too scared (with good reason) to say, “raise our high taxes even higher!”

Predictably, from getting a formidable 40+% in national elections, they sunk to under 20%, an embarrassing disgrace. As you put it, they lost their reason for existing. The German left now has a choice between the Greens, who just ditched their own common sense leader for a mish-mosh cabal of wannabes, and two extremist parties who siphon off just enough votes from the Greens to prevent them from doing any more good.

The Germans used to mock the French with their permanent irreconcilable differences, but now they are, themselves, quickly becoming the village of Asterix.

I thought NATO put up a strong front against Trump/Putie. If ever there were a time for a magic potion, that was it. Trump now has bigger issues to deal with, his forced resignation over the E-files being his biggest concern.

I think the fear and uncertainty is being kept alive by opponents like the Tories, and by the media who see a story they can pontificate on endlessly.

There is no one, in Labour or any other party, who would obviously do a better job. All have faults. Some have huge ones, far bigger than Starmer.

I was here just before the referendum, and the prevailing attitude was, “I’m tired of hearing about it. I wish they’d get it over with.” Now there are calls for a new referendum.

The UK is close to kicking out the US from bases here per Greenland, a huge issue. Unless Starmer is involved in child trafficking or espionage, stability is what the UK needs, as does its allies. Why Starmer would appoint Mandelson as US Ambassador with Peter’s “Epstein background” is curious. We’ll see what’s in the police files soon enough.

a refusal to face up to what happened, how they got to this point, where they are in the world and where they would like to be.in the future. The Empire is long gone, but the hankering to return to something like that, fed into the Brexit campaign (the underlying "Taking back control&quot .

No one seems to have an appetite to openly push the narrative that they F**ked up and they should be having that conversation. Even those trying, largely speak about Rejoining, rather than Joining, as they would have to make a fresh application. It's not like they stepped out for a cigarette and are knocking at the door 10 years later.

If the UK hasn't had that conversation/discussion, I'm not sure how receptive the EU will be to accept them, as they nearly brought the EU down last time.

There's no significant politician suggesting that, and it's not a topic of general conversation. Everyone agreed Trump was being outrageous about Greenland (after the backbones of a few ministers were finally stiffened - here's one jellyfish, Mike Tapp, at 4:40):

US military bases in NATO and EU countries was on the chopping block. The US was not allowed to use British bases to invade Greenland either. It’s interesting that the US can currently commandeer Venezuelan tankers at Scotland’s John O’Groats and sell the oil to the highest bidder.

so "The UK is close to kicking out the US from bases here per Greenland" is wrong. There was no public talk from the government about kicking them out (they never got specific about what they might do if the US did invade).

"The US was not allowed to use British bases to invade Greenland either." It didn't try, so this was also untested.

Are NATO special forces still TDY there?

Two points if you get the reference.

Brexit was a disaster for the country.

and wants a new referendum. The UK economy took a hit as a result of the separation, and now the population is whining about their economy, which they voted for. Sound familiar?

There is a lot of race baiting and stereotyping going on as well. This evening a woman walking her dog told me that boatloads of people were coming over and staying in 5 star hotels, paid for by taxpayers. I told her there were few 5 star hotels around here, I've stayed in a couple of them and saw no refugees. "No, you wouldn't find them in places like that, but Travellodges..."

I'm hoping once the UK discovers the degree to which its institutions are involved in pedophilia and espionage against its own country, the shocked citizenry will worry less about migrants escaping their own country to find a better way of life elsewhere.