The PM faces further enquiries into why he did not accept due process advice to vet Mandelson before announcing the appointment, to explain why he says there was no pressure to get Mandelson appointed when officials report there was, why he has not produced many of the relevant documents to Parliament about the appointment, what action has has taken to recover McSweeney’s phone or phone and text calls, and why he did not ask more questions about Mandelson’s well know business interests and social world. He replies that this is distracting the country from the big issues posed by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
So PM, here today are some questions about the way you are doing the day job. If you bothered to answer some of these that would make headlines and give us something else to talk about.
- Why are you not getting more of our own oil and gas out of the North Sea “at pace” when it is obvious the world is going to be short of oil and gas and having some that does not need a sea voyage is a good idea?
- Why not have an urgent meeting with the oil refiners and petro chem companies to change policy so we do not face any more closures. See if you can get the last two refineries to close to re -open, as we will need various products needing industrial capacity that is locked in or destroyed elsewhere.
- Will you abandon the stupid policy of giving Chagos away, and reassure the US that we as the freeholders will let them use their base there as they see fit?
- Will you re consider the digital tax and the new on line regulations, as some of these are now inciting the US to impose higher tariffs on us?
- When will there be a statement and a Plan to tackle upcoming shortages of fertiliser, jet fuel, some pharmaceuticals?
- What contribution will you and your coalition of the willing make to trying to find a negotiated settlement in the Middle East? When will you even talk to Iran? Will you talk to Hezbollah?
April 28, 2026
Starmer is a human rights lawyer first and PM somewhere further down the line, he doesn’t give a toss about the U.K. unless it’s to save his own skin, hopefully just hopefully there’s a light shining at the end of the tunnel with a train with a big sign on it saying go just go and take your rag tag party with you please that’s the only other question I would ask him
April 28, 2026
The answer to your questions is moment of the above.
He doesn’t care what’s right for the country, he’s only interested in international law. That includes spurious judgements from third world judges who hate Britain.
Hermer saying yoomanrites lawyers do more good than our military and he’s pulling Starmers strings.
There had to be a revolution in this country to rid us of the jokers in Westminster and not just the liebour party. People are getting angry.
April 28, 2026
@Ian Wragg – agreed. And they have one and others back.
They still don’t get it there is no such thing as ‘International Law’, its just a phrase repeated by the left when it personally profits and suits their personal cause.
April 28, 2026
That just about sums it up for me as well, the same with the Chancellor. There is no remedial benefit for them to stay on and do anything. It’s not that they need to change, they have already shown themselves wanting in just about every matter.
The one thing I do support Kier Starmer on is his support for Ukraine. By holding the front line, they are preventing an undisciplined Russian army sweeping through with rape and pillage, and they are doing a great job in degrading the Russian military, for which we should all be grateful.
April 28, 2026
They have strengthened the Russian Military, (look at the numbers pre 2014 v current).
Armies tend not to ‘rape and pillage’ their own people and of course the civilians in Donbas, Crimea, and Novorussiya are genetically Russian.
So taking that into account, you like the rest of us find not one redeeming factor for Starmer.
April 28, 2026
Spot on. If you look at each of the party leader’s and leading light’s backgrounds, we can say:
Starmer-human rights, dragged into broader leftism by a rag-tag crew of social workers, lefty activists, amateur economists and tribal Marxists.
Badenoch- mish-mash of numeracy coupled with equality/diversity agenda. Wide experience geographically but no real “trade”. Has she ever run a business, had to manage in the private sector? Reliant on those around her who already had (bad) government experience and know the establishment.
Davey-goodness knows. PPE plus fantasy politics. Few with real life experience around him.
Farage- trader who understands money surrounded by others who get the need to balance budgets, balance the population. Whether they have stomach for the fight with all the above is the open question.
April 28, 2026
@Sir Joe Soap – then honestly looked at there isn’t anyone on any horizon that is worth the effort. It needs a complete clear out and start over. For now all we can do is be the disrupters and hope they get the point
April 28, 2026
Farage was an apprentice scrap metal trader in his fathers business. He never progressed.
Has absolutely no understanding of political economy, although well acquainted with avarice.
April 28, 2026
Great comment x
April 28, 2026
LA,
Hardly. Farage worked for LIFFE at Cannon Street, I believe, before that closed permanently.
I know you don’t like him, but it was not as if he was working for the Richardson gang in Sarf London, alongside Mad Frankie Fraser.
April 29, 2026
Well I’d leave out the avarice bit but I don’t think Farage has the job experience (although not quite as bad as Rachel from Accounts)!
April 28, 2026
@Mick – ‘he doesn’t give a toss about the U.K.’ Of course he does he hates it and its people with a passion
April 28, 2026
That’s what Peter Hitchins said about when he was a Trot.
They wanted unlimited immigrants not because the like the immigrants but because they loathed Britain.
April 28, 2026
Question 7 Why is there still no coverage of the current Starmer arson trial at The Old Bailey?
Allegedly there are no D notices around this trial. Yet no reporting from the mainstream media.
April 28, 2026
Some very good points there. Interestingly, Ukraine didn’t make the list this time.
Remember the days when we used to talk about “cutting foreign aid” and it seemed such a pressing issue? We’d probably be deleriously happy if we could get bsck to such relatively untroubled times.
I think the penultimate point is going to become a big one. Upcoming economic, financial, agricultural and social mayhem from the Middle East situation. Pain is unavoidable but a disaster is still very possible, for us and most other countries.
April 28, 2026
Not the USA which is selling loads of oil and gas internationally.
April 28, 2026
Good Morning,
Dear Lord Redwood,
What a silly list… Of course I’m doing all I can to improve the outlook for the UK. I’m increasing our working age population by bringing in lots of young men. I’m making sure we don’t go to war by keeping our military services short of people and weapons. I’m making sure we have more employed people by increasing the size of the civil service. Most of all I’m spending lots of money on the EU so that they will, hopefully, forgive our foolish democratic decisions and agree to allow us back in through the back door.
Keep smiling,
Yours ever
Kier.
April 28, 2026
Plus I am falling out with Trump and the USA wherever I can and increasing youth unemployments hugely too and driving tax payers, the hard working and the rich out of the country.
April 28, 2026
In short, I am systematically dismantling the independent sector.
April 28, 2026
@Lifelogic – falling out with Trump surely not! Didn’t 2TK start the rot when he sent his army of leftish nutters to disrupt and interfere with US Elections. He 2TK has made his thoughts clear from the ‘get go’ he tried to help block Trump getting elected.
The question I would have is who paid for Starmer’s Army to go to the USA, to attack their election process, surely not the UK Taxpayer?
April 28, 2026
‘Oops – I forgot to mention that I am expanding our industrial base exponentially.’
April 28, 2026
The Prime Minister will be ‘outraged’ that he is asked any questions, and will say he has apologised. What if Boris had apologised.? Would Labour had accepted that! Of course they wouldn’t, they would have insisted he should resign.
The Prime Minister will get away with it, but the public will have their say at the next election.
April 28, 2026
Starmer will have to go, but the possible replacements are equally appalling or worse. Even if they did elect a relatively sensible person like Wes Streeting he would not be allowed to do anything sensible by the Labour MPs. We need a general election but will have to wait 3+ more years of Labour’s scorched earth drop loop agenda.
Even Wes Streeting seems to want to stop people pointing out that the 15 Lucy Letby convictions are clearly unsafe, less it upsets the “victims” relatives. But why Wes would these relative want an innocent person to be kept in jail for life?
JR’s list is sensible but Starmer will take no notice. Just as he takes no notice of Trump’s very sensible advice on borders, defence and the net zero lunacy.
April 28, 2026
Yes he’s appalling. But Streeting … sensible for whom?! Ha ha.
They have a somewhat statesmanlike and adult figure in Hillary Benn who’s my age. But he’s N. Ireland Secretary. In the past that was a punishment appointment, so maybe Benn wasn’t/isn’t wanted near the heart of government. Would he want the leadership anyway?
See Peter Oborne’s books on the collapse of UK cabinet/prime ministerial government. He said it broadly worked for 130 years or so but then fell apart. People began to confuse and merge their separate roles in a disastrous way.
The most senior Labour figure to talk sense in public about the state of his party has been Baron Glasman. He used devastating language in the full interview. Maybe our host has already spoken to him.
April 28, 2026
@Cheshire+Girl – he would have to be dragged screaming from No10.
April 28, 2026
He will be!
April 28, 2026
Starmer is not just holding out on providing real answers, he is doing his best to ignore what is going on, as though it were some other person these bad things have been attributed to.
I’ve no reason to think that he can’t go on in this fashion, and doubt he will not win the vote to force him to a proper grilling.
The questions I would put to him, would be as follows:
What are your long term plans as regards Ukraine?
You’ve already sent £billions to support the war, to keep it going, and you must know your interference has resulted in too many deaths when it could have been settled months ago without your whisperings into the ear of Zelensky, giving false hope?
You seem to hate Russia with a vengeance, why is that?
Is it your intention to join the fight against Russia as soon as UK/EU forces are strong enough, so that you can declare an emergency, create a government of national unity, and so avoid any elections that would go against you?
April 28, 2026
Oh the most important point is that what armed forces we have are deployed elsewhere and the old men, women and children can be ‘cared for’ by the new army which arrives by boat each week.
That means the Islamic takeover will be bloodless or at least no blood list will be reported.
That is their best hope.
April 28, 2026
@Steve Bullion. +1.
April 28, 2026
Could he also be asked why so many of the “poor, destitute, desperate civil engineers and brain surgeons” who he insists on shipping-in from from France and giving “free everythign” are going on to rape, sexually attack and stalk white British women and girls?
Four (that we know of) have been found guilty in just the last few days, including a 15 yr old who hasn’t been placed in a Juvenile Detention Centre but is instead being given some cultural awareness lessons and taught what the word “consent” means! I’m sure his young victim is very reassured by that and the state of “British justice.”
April 28, 2026
Don’t worry about ‘the boys’ Donna, they’re all likely to be out kayaking, on the golf course, circus training, at yoga classes or taking driving lessons. The naughty ones, after having had their knuckles rapped will be as you suggest, on some kind of culture course. All back in time for lunch and a much needed bit of relaxation no doubt.
April 28, 2026
Further question: why is there a ban on reporting about the trial of three Ukrainians accused of arson?
April 28, 2026
Indeed. Would full and frank reporting of this trial place national security at risk, or endanger lives? Or would it only place the PM’s political survival chances at risk, or endanger his reputation?
Lord Denning once memorably observed “To every subject of this land, however powerful, I would use Thomas Fuller’s words over three hundred years ago, ‘Be ye never so high, the law is above you.'” Ironically he did so when commenting upon a court defeat for the National Council for Civil Liberties and its figurehead, one Harriet Harman.
April 28, 2026
Yes MickC. Why isn’t anyone asking the PM whether he knows any of the three Ukranian men undergoing trial at the Old Bailey, for allegedly carrying out arson attacks on properties connected to him?
April 28, 2026
Would the renaming of Prime Minister’s Questions to Prime Minister’s Answers encourage the PM to respond properly and give the Speaker more ammunition to deal with him ?
April 28, 2026
All good questions John, maybe Kemi can ask them at the next PMQs.
Another question she might ask is, why are the rubber dinghies bringing undocumented migrants across the Channel allowed to return to France/Holland once they have handed the ‘passengers’ over to our border taxi force mid Channel?
As a follow up question she might ask why are the rubber boats not immediately impounded or destroyed as penalty for conducting criminal activities?
As a further question, perhaps she could ask if smashing the gangs involved in that human trafficking is a policy Labour believe in, why are the rubber boat helmsmen who are part of the gangs allowed to exit the scene once the human cargo has been discharged into our safe haven vessels?
There are so many questions yet to be answered.
April 28, 2026
Good morning.
I would not so much concern myself with Peter Mandelson, but with another Lord and close friend to the PM, the Attorney General.
If you do not know what I mean, just look at his Wiki page and the kind of people he has represented.
By you friends be known. 😉
April 28, 2026
All good questions. But surely the man is oblivious to every thing outside of the ‘Plan’
All the kerfuffle rubbing allies up the wrong way, sending taxpayer money to anyone and everyone outside of the UK, is to create divides were the never existed before, and ingratiate himself personally on those that don’t care, just so he can get the unelected unaccountable of the EU’s bureaucracy back into ‘fully’ ruling the UK. The ‘Plan’ not the country, not its people, he hates them, is all that matters
April 28, 2026
Today’s headlines in the Telegraph ‘Starmer pleads with MPs to save him. PM says vote on ethics investigation is a ‘political stunt’ as No 10 orders backbenchers to rally behind party leader’
He says he cant be voted out because of the wars in the Gulf & Ukraine. Any way he was found to have not done anything wrong when questioned in Parliament last week. He is coated in Teflon at best it is his messengers that over stepped the mark without his knowledge. Years of bent legal practice have taught him how to side step responsibility.
I would guess the Telegraph headline was made up – the man is oblivious to everything outside his own Walter Mitty World
April 28, 2026
He whipped them – 3 line.
Farage did NOT vote to refer Starmer to the S&P Committee.
April 28, 2026
Much of what Keir Starmer does is like that which an enemy of the UK would choose:
– Exposing our veterans to prosecution for claimed wrongs during their service in Northern Ireland from which the IRA remain protected
– Overtaxing our people and businesses, restricting their freedom to operate smoothly and grow
– Being hostile to our key ally in the US and reducing their ability to perform in combat against enmity
– Allowing many thousands of people from the world to enter our land illegally
– Allowing those refused asylum to stay indefinitely and contributing nothing of value
– Wasting vast sums of our money on distributing benefits to shirkers paid for by those who work
– Failing to defend our nation by not supporting and building our military capability
– Many other negative actions which are highlighted virtually every day
April 28, 2026
Could you not just boil it down one question:
“Why are you still here?”
April 28, 2026
The wedge that 2TK has forced between the UK and the USA was up and running before Trumps arrival, as quoted elsewhere ( Starmer ed) sent a (left wing ed?) Cabal to the USA to thwart Trump’s Presidential Campaign.’
You could phrase that to Starmer attacked Trump first, should there be a surprise that there is kick back
He Starmer, thinks he can interfere in other countries elections, is any one sure he wont fabricate a similar situation in the UK to remain in Power? He demonstrates daily how low he can get and then goes further – he is a ‘hater’ not a lover
April 28, 2026
He certain seem good at inspiring people to despise him and his evil policies.
April 28, 2026
Did you hear Trumps speech? He is a more loyal British patriot than the vast majority of the political class in Britain.
April 29, 2026
Yup.
It’s why the Establishment hates him so much.
April 28, 2026
We make a great mistake in thinking negotiation is the way out of the war with the Islamic Republic. The only negotiation acceptable to the victorious Americans and Israelis is unconditional surrender, which is how things were done in the past, and the Islamic Republic is not going to assent to that. Until the West grasps the different way of looking at the world and hereafter which pertains in the IRGC, final victory is going to elude them, and only victory will bring peace. Appeasement, as under Obama and Biden, brings only mayhem. Unfortunately, the West has got into the habit of curtailing Israel every time she is about to win, and naturally wants to repeat the process here too. That entails a ceasefire and negotiations which the enemy makes very full use of. It is time the lesson was learned that war has its costs, but appeasement and defeat are costlier.
April 28, 2026
PS we have just such a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel at the moment, but the belligerent from whose aggression both sides have long suffered, Hezbollah, is not part of the ceasefire and not part of the negotiations. So the missiles continue to land on Israeli civilians. That is the typical pattern with jihadis, of which the IRGC is the organizing and commanding chief.
The blockade of the Iranian ports by the Americans is not receiving much attention, other than from the IRGC envoys who demand it be lifted, from which you may deduce it is proving deadly.
April 28, 2026
7. When will there be a referendum on Net Zero?
PM May put Net Zero by 2050 into law without a proper debate, without a vote and without a costing. If Parliament doesn’t want to debate and vote upon the issue it should be decided by the voters.
April 28, 2026
evidence before the foreign affairs committee ..
Sir Philip Barton, who was permanent under-secretary in the department when the peer’s appointment was announced. He said he was given a “very compressed timescale” to approve, referring to a letter from Sir Keir’s private office asking him to complete the process by Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
Sir Philip said he was not in the “tight and small circle of people” who had known about the appointment, adding that it would have been “reasonable” for him to have been involved in discussions.
“It is just worth repeating, that at no point did anyone consult me or ask me,” he said. “I was presented with a decision and told to get on with it. There was no space for dialogue.”
Live dialogue 09:54 – it will have moved down the page
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/04/28/politics-live-starmer-mcsweeney-mandelson-vetting-scandal/
Thanks to the threat of ‘support’ or be kicked out Kier Starmer will sail through the day in the clear once more – a flawed democracy at work
April 28, 2026
Excellent again John, I read this every day a refreshing look at reality! Mike Graham show does it for me as well. I’d love to see you on there.
Can you keep mentioning the pension theft which looks like the “government” seems to be introducing and also the vestiges of independence being quietrly eroded with the insiduous introduction of digital ID. Our privacy will be gone and no control over our own finances or personal life all up for grabs by the Peoples Party of UK!
I just hope when we finally get chance to get rid of this mess that all the non lefty parties will pull together (for the people not egos) and not fracture and leave us in a political abyss.
April 28, 2026
The Prime Minister is too busy jetting around the world giving borrowed money away and getting us into more debt, he’s like Nero fiddling whilst Rome burned. I struggle to understand why he is getting away with it. Going to Paris for a zoom meeting, Never here Kier isn’t in the U.K. long enough to deal with the problems, however he is able to make more on a daily basis.
April 28, 2026
Good questions, but ones this weak PM is incapable of answering. Weak people always avoid the truth, and their lies get them into more trouble. My question would be, ” What do you actually do all day?”, since there is no sign that the PM is aware of what is going on in the world.
Does he even know there is a war on, and it will affect our fuel supply? Does he know what fertiliser is and how important it is to growing food? Does he know debt has to be repaid? Does he know it is the private sector which pays for the ever-expanding and more costly public sector? What a good job his Father did not leave the tool-making business to him, because he would have bankrupted within a year!
April 28, 2026
A further question that the PM needs to answer regarding his appointment of Mandelson as our US ambassador:
Mandelson was a European Commissioner. In fact McSweeney recommended Mandelson because he was previously the EU’s Trade Commissioner. Since all EU Commissioners are required to make a solemn declaration of loyalty to the EU when entering office and pledge to act entirely in the interests of the EU and independently of any national government and that the scope of this declaration extends to not only their term of office but also after their service (or they lose their pension) should this have not made the appointment of Mandelson to the position of US Ambassador completely unthinkable for security reasons?
April 28, 2026
They are good questions, and Strarmer’s successor will add further to the list.
April 28, 2026
Hi sir
No to closer ties with the EU
April 28, 2026
90 ‘illegal immigrants’ invaded the UK yesterday 27th April 2026 …
April 28, 2026
I have just listened to the Kings Speech.He was brilliant and spot on.
April 29, 2026
I had to laugh out loud when reading this series of very valid questions for our beleagued PM.
If, true to form, he would either avoid answering or tell us all is well and that our waiting lists are down and that thousands of children attend breakfast clubs across the country.
My! As instrumental in his speech, he even had our King, to much embarrassment, I fear, tell the Americans how great our Royal Navy was. Unless “WAS” was the operative word here, of course.
As an ex-RN myself, I was embarrassed for His Majesty as he was once serving (1971-1976), and he, too, will know the truth about the senior service of today.
Nothing wrong with the Men and Women who serve, of course, but everything wrong with the succession of Governments who ignorantly forgot what they were there for.
Yet, unlike those who serve, no heads ever roll for their incompetence. And there lies the problem. No proper punishment for politicians and civil servants who fail in their job. No punishment – no real stimulus to do a good job.
May 3, 2026
Please remember that jet fuel is within an anti-static additive of the same as domestic kerosene fuel. Shortage of jet implies shortage of burning oil and cold homes next winter. It is not a solution to offer a £9,000 grant towards the cost of a heat pump. Ensuring supply must be a high priority.
It affects nearly 2 million homes, with significant proportions in rural areas and particularly in Northern Ireland and Wales.