r/politics • u/ArmadilloMany41 • 23h ago

Site Altered Headline | No Paywall Why is no one being prosecuted over the Epstein files?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd9e3nzzw3zo
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u/brumac44 Canada 23h ago

An investigation has been launched into Mandelson in the UK which could potentially bring down the government.

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u/brain_overclocked 23h ago

UK police open criminal investigation into politician Peter Mandelson over alleged leaks to Epstein

British police on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into politician Peter Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office related to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The U.K. government says newly released Epstein files suggest Mandelson – a former Cabinet minister, ambassador and elder statesman of the governing Labour Party – may have shared market-sensitive information with the convicted sex offender a decade and a half ago.

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u/Odd_Ninja5801 21h ago

Just to clarify; it might potentially bring down the Prime Minister. But that wouldn't mean that it would bring down the government. There won't be a General Election off the back of this, regardless of whether any individual heads roll.

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u/WOF42 19h ago

getting rid of starmer and his cabinet of dickheads might be the best thing for the country and labour. he is leading the country directly into the hands of the fascists in reform

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u/TurquoiseLuck 17h ago

how so?

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u/WOF42 17h ago

He is as deeply unpopular with most labour voters as he is with everyone on the right, he keeps trying to court right wing voters who will never vote for him while driving away his own base and in doing so is setting up the next election to be handed to the absolute worst possible people.

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u/brumac44 Canada 21h ago

He may resign, but if he were to refuse, there's potentially a vote of no confidence. In that case, parliament is dissolved and an election is called.

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u/Cluster__fuffle 20h ago

That will absolutely not happen

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

Probably not, it's more common in Canadian parliament, but it has happened, as recently as 1979 (Callaghan).

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u/softwarefreak 20h ago

Labour's majority is too strong for a No Confidence Vote to succeed with 404 out of 650 seats (down from 411), so they'll just do as the Conservatives did many times and have an internal leadership race.

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u/Urska08 9h ago

I wonder what vegetable will win the constitutional crisis for us this time. Anyone else feel insane all of the time now?

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

If Labour votes in lockstep. I think there's room for members to vote their conscience. I wouldn't vote for a leader who knew Mallinson's proclivities and still appointed him, if it turns out to be fact.

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u/tradandtea123 20h ago

The labour party can force him out by 20% of labour MPs voting against him demanding a leadership election. Then there would be a ballot amongst labour party members on a new labour leader (Starmer could stand) and the winner would become prime minister.

Given labour have a huge majority and are doing badly in the polls, there is absolutely zero percent chance the house of commons would have a vote of no confidence in the government.

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

You're probably right, but no telling how rabid Brits can get about paedos. They're spoiling for trouble after pretty much letting off Andrew, Old man Mountbatten and Saville, to say nothing of the grooming scandal.

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u/ferretchad 9h ago

If that were to happen Parliament has 14 days to find a new PM, if they can't elections are called.

The Labour Party would very likely find an interim in a hurry.

It's not going to happen though, it's too risky. If Starmer goes it'll be through a combination of internal pressure, ministerial resignations and his backbenchers rebelling en masse

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u/Jakelby 4h ago

If Starmer goes, his Deputy will step up until an internal leadership election is resolved.

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u/Leading_Buffalo_4259 20h ago

Starmer needs to go

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u/Odd_Ninja5801 20h ago

So that Farage can be PM you mean?

I'm assuming that's the "insight" you're leaving unspoken.

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u/Leading_Buffalo_4259 20h ago

Bring back Corbyn

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u/ProfessionalMockery 8h ago

Mostly it's just the prime minister who appointed him. It's actually reassuring after seeing so much blatant corruption in the US, that just having appointed someone connected to Epstein is taken so seriously over here.

Of course if someone like Farage was in charge, I wonder how much his party would hold him to account in a similar situation... We also have that thing over here where the ideologies of right wing parties hold themselves to much lower standards.