Crace

當 Charles 與 Camilla 受到 three-line whip 約束時，國會議員們目睹了公務員們那種令人如坐針氈的尷尬。我們並不常看見高級公務員在公開場合現身。他們被隔絕在公眾視線之外，坐在辦公桌後試圖說服他們的部長不要對其政府部門做出過於災難性的決策。至於為什麼他們僅僅因為盡本職工作就能獲封騎士或女爵勳位，則是人生的未解之謎之一。我們其餘的人則只能應付老闆偶爾發來的電子郵件。但在過去的一週裡，兩位頂級公務員不得不心不甘情不願地在 foreign affairs select committee 面前，就 Keir Starmer 任命 Peter Mandelson 為 US ambassador 的決定作證，而這過程也確實非常具有啟發性。尤其是能看到他們是多麼厭惡來自公眾的任何額外關注。他們在接受問責時表現出的明顯不適，簡直令人不忍直視。繼續閱讀...

Every PM hopes to emerge having said nothing that makes the news, and with Iran centre-stage Keir played a blinderWhat a difference a week makes. At last week’s prime minister’s questions, Keir Starmer tried to persuade us that he knew less than he did. His memory was so bad that he could barely remember who Peter Mandelson was, let alone why he had appointed him as ambassador to the US. Fast forward to Monday’s appearance before the liaison committee, the supergroup of select committee chairs, and Keir was desperate to convince us he knew more than he did. He had the inside track on Iran. He was in control. He also wasn’t altogether convincing.Mind you, it’s hard not to feel some sympathy with Starmer. The whole point of being prime minister is that you’re expected to know more than the rest of us. And most of the time you do. State secrets are your life blood. Only just occasionally the veil slips. Having threatened to obliterate Tehran’s power plants just days earlier, on Monday morning Donald Trump announced on Truth Social – along with a strange witch reference – that he was going to delay the bombardment for five days as constructive talks with the Iranian regime were taking place. Continue reading...