Monday 2nd February 2026

[refitman]

Morning all.

[gilsey]

Good morning.

[gilsey]

Opposition parties are calling for an inquiry into how Peter Mandelson came to be appointed ambassador to Washington in the light of the new Epstein revelations, and the peer’s resignation from the Labour party.

The 'Trump whisperer' being too clever by half?

[Frog222]

Morning, and so good to have news of Sky Up North

I trust Mother has been hidden away ... ?

Woodland burials are now all the thing in my family in England, giving some healthy shovelling-exercise . Before that ashes were cast to the wind in the South Downs, while here a dear friend was sent off on the sea-shore.

Elder daughter came to see me on Saturday, with news of her trip to see her elder daughter two hours east of Montreal . Lowest night-time temp was -28, warming to -26 the next day !

Only -11 in Lviv right now, with a report there last night from Geogijs . Street scenes and odd nuggets of info which you get so well from youtube --



( From June 2022 until December 2025 profits from this channel and community's fundraisers have contributed more than $1,950,000 USD in direct support to Ukraine. )

[Frog222]

Yet more mandygate --

https://bsky.app/profile/nickinjr.bsky. ... umlpyfck2r

Liveblog ---

"" As Jim Pickard reports in his story for the Financial Times, Epstein emailed Mandelson to ask if the new tax might only apply to the cash portion of bonuses. Pickard says:

Mandelson responded within minutes: “Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.” Epstein replied with: “let me know before jes please”, in an apparent reference to Jes Staley, then a senior banker at JPMorgan.

Two days later on December 17, Epstein emailed Mandelson asking whether Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan, should “call darling one more time?”

Mandelson replied, saying: “Yes and mildly threaten.”

Mandelson told the Financial Times:

Every UK and international bank was making the same argument about the impact on UK financial services. My conversations in government at the time reflected the views of the sector as a whole, not a single individual. ""

That's alright then !

[refitman]

Can you believe Goodwin does race science? I'm shocked!

[refitman]

[Frog222]

Liked this in the Liveblog --

" Badenoch says Starmer seemed to enjoy being in China. That is not surprising “for a man who was virtually a communist most of his life”, she says. "

Which could have been scripted by the current US Far Right !

[refitman]

We are ruled by the most useless people imaginable

[refitman]

Liked this in the Liveblog --

" Badenoch says Starmer seemed to enjoy being in China. That is not surprising “for a man who was virtually a communist most of his life”, she says. "

Which could have been scripted by the current US Far Right !

How the hell do you manage to make Starmer look good??? She's so unbelievably bat-shit.

[Frog222]

LA rightwing Brazilian influencer who claimed Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown targeted only “crooks” has been arrested by ICE agents in New Jersey.


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... by-iceoved this one --

[Frog222]

We see him here, we see him there ...

Miroslav Lajčák, former Slovak foreign minister and UN assembly president, resigned amid scrutiny over communications ( Girls/women provided ... ) with Jeffrey Epstein. In this interview, we explore the political fallout for Slovakia and Robert Fico’s coalition. We also discuss connections to Steve Bannon and the broader implications for European politics.

[Frog222]

Starmer has obviously got 'divided loyalties' , ...