Usual Suspect

Turning a collar to the cold and damp.
Trying to check out...but finding I can never leave.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

So I’ve just checked Hansard. And it’s clear that Starmer also misquoted Robbins. He took half a quote to make it look like Robbins had denied pressure had been brought to bear. Where the full quote actually says the opposite.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

Just been told by a Minister that there is serious unease in Downing Street tonight that Starmer diverted from his briefing book and went too far in telling the House at PMQs no pressure had been put on any civil servants over Mandelson. “They know that wasn’t true” they said.

[Chris Rose @ArchRose90]

The most dishonest, hypocritical, odious, deceptive, sleaziest, overrated and unfit Prime Minister in my lifetime.

Resign.

[Hartley1 @Hartley112]

As each hour passes and no resignation from Starmer is forthcoming, the public’s disdain for this man and their anger towards him only grows. He is without doubt the most hated PM in my lifetime

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

On Robbins sacking. Starmer told the House he had to wait till Monday to give a statement because he needed to obtain all the facts of the case. So why did he feel able to dismiss Robbins after just 48 hours. When by his own admission he still did not have the full information.

[Lee Harris @LeeHarris]

🚨HILARIOUS: The whole house just LAUGHED at Keir Starmer!

Starmer: "I know many members across the house will find these 'facts' to be incredible"

Parliament: 😂😂😂

He's lost all credibility!
The man is not fit for office.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

What Case now proves is Starmer specifically took the decision to appoint Mandelson without any proper due diligence at all, directly against the advice of his officials. Even though he was a major national security risk. Then lied about it. How is that not a resignation issue.

[David Davis MP @DavidDavisMP]

What is being claimed by Whitehall today is ridiculous, that they had to have legal clearance to brief the Prime Minister on Mandelson’s security rejection. If it was OK to brief the Cabinet Secretary it was OK to brief the PM.

What is more, the fact of his failing the vetting and that failure being overruled is not protected by any data or privacy laws. They are operational facts. The details of why he failed may be, but the PM does not need to know that to correct his false statements to Parliament. That can come later.

This is beginning to look like a tissue of lies.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

a) "Mandelson was fully vetted like all Ambassadors"
b) "Actually, he had a different process because he was a political appointee"
c) "Er...he failed vetting. But no-one knew"
d) "OK we knew. But only on Tuesday"
e) "Actually people knew on Friday"
f) "OK, some knew weeks ago"

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

This morning Starmer was on television saying "No one in Downing Street knew Mandelson failed his vetting". It's now becoming clear literally everyone in Downing Street knew except Keir Starmer himself.

[Usual Suspect @UsualSuspect_13]

@tom_watson He lied to win the Labour leadership

He lied to win the last General Election

He continues to lie as PM

His lies ARE the defining aspect of his political career

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 NEW: The Independent's Political Editor, David Maddox, has published messages showing No 10 was told last September that Peter Mandelson may have failed security vetting

[Usual Suspect @UsualSuspect_13]

@afneil What is weird about current political dynamics:

Starmer feels some sort of Churchill-like mission to stay on + defeat his critics

but the political reality: he is loathed + ridiculed by everyone other than die-hard loyalists
and every day he remains in office hurts Labour

[Colin Sutton 🇬🇧🩵 @colinsutton]

If officials in a department can keep the Prime Minister unaware of something as important as the Ambassador to the US failing vetting (as we are being asked to believe - although who really does?) then two questions immediately arise:

1) What else is being kept from him?

2) Who is really running the Government?

[Usual Suspect @UsualSuspect_13]

@MatthewStadlen Starmer is a liar or incompetent - or quite likely both

While he remains in office - he disgraces not only the Labour Party but the UK

He is clearly putting his own political survival ahead of the UK national interest

[Chris Rose @ArchRose90]

This shows just how seriously Keir Starmer has degraded the office of Prime Minister.

Labour have let Britain down.

An apology isn’t the only thing the Prime Minister should be offering the palace today.

Keir Starmer should resign.

[Alex Burghart @alexburghart]

No10 ADMIT the PM knew on Tues night that Mandelson failed his vetting

He was told full due process was NOT followed

He knew he MISLED the House

WHY didn’t he come to the House to correct the record on WEDNESDAY?

This has only come out now because the Guardian got the story

[Nigel Huddleston MP @HuddlestonNigel]

Misleading Parliament
Misleading the country
Withholding documents

As @KemiBadenoch points out in this interview, each one is a resignation matter for the Prime Minister.

[(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges]

Starmer forced through Mandelson's appointment despite the fact he'd been red flagged by the security services. He then lied to the House about it. He then tried to cover up publication of the documents that would have exposed the lies. If that isn't a resigning matter, what is.

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 REMINDER: Keir Starmer said in February that Peter Mandelson was cleared by security vetting - despite it having failed

"Security vetting, carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise, gave him clearance for the role"