News

OPINION: The Mandelson row won’t sink Starmer. The handling will, and soon

Published

5 months ago

February 9, 2026

by Tom Sinclair, Editor
IN POLITICS, mistakes rarely bring down a prime minister. Handling does.

In the space of twenty-four hours Sir Keir Starmer has lost both his chief of staff and his director of communications. Two of the most senior figures in Downing Street have walked away at the very moment the government most needed steadiness and control.

This is not a policy crisis. It is a handling crisis, and handling, fair or not, often matters more than reality.

The original issue, the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his long-documented association with Jeffrey Epstein, should have been a short-lived Westminster row. A judgement call that some supported for his experience and others opposed on reputational grounds. The sort of story that fills a day’s headlines and then fades.

Instead it has lingered and grown, turning a questionable decision into a rolling argument about judgement at the top of government.

The reason is simple. The Prime Minister did not take ownership quickly enough.

This could have been finished in half a minute. Step outside Number 10, face the cameras, and say clearly that the decision was his, that on reflection it was the wrong call, and that the government was moving on.

Voters tend to forgive honesty. They do not forgive hesitation.

Instead there was silence, followed by briefings and then resignations from close aides apparently taking responsibility. That convinces no one. Everyone understands that decisions of this scale come from the Prime Minister. Watching staff fall on their swords simply makes a leader look weak and defensive.

That is how a small political problem becomes a story about loss of control.

The irony is that Starmer is probably doing exactly what many people said they wanted after years of chaos. He governs cautiously. He focuses on the books. He tries to fix systems rather than chase headlines. It is careful, technocratic politics.

But careful management is almost invisible.

The public does not see departmental reforms or balanced spreadsheets. They see confidence, clarity and momentum. When they instead see confusion and senior figures quitting, they conclude that something is going wrong, whether it is or not.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage and Reform UK offer little detail but communicate relentlessly. Their message is simple and easy to repeat. The country is broken and they will fix it. That alone is enough to dominate the conversation, even without a fully worked-out plan.

It is not competence that cuts through. It is clarity.

That is where the real danger lies for Starmer.

Prime ministers are rarely removed because of one bad decision. They fall when their own MPs start to doubt that they can win the next election. Once that doubt takes hold, confidence drains quickly. Backbenchers get nervous. Donors start asking questions. Quiet conversations begin about alternatives.

Two senior resignations in a day do not just look messy. They suggest that the centre is not holding. If upcoming local elections or by-elections go badly, that doubt will harden.

If Labour MPs begin to believe that Starmer cannot sell a story to the country, that perception alone could end his premiership, regardless of how responsibly he is governing.

The harsh truth is that you can quietly repair a nation and still lose office if nobody notices.

In modern politics, communication is not decoration. It is survival. Right now, that is exactly what Downing Street appears to have lost.

Crime

Scaffolder banned after cannabis smell reported from van

Published

16 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A SCAFFOLDER has been banned from driving for 14 months after an off-duty police officer smelt cannabis coming from his Volkswagen Transporter as it travelled through Slebech.

The report was made to police at around 10.30am on February 15. When officers located the vehicle, they discovered it was being driven by 46-year-old Christopher Bennett.

Further blood tests showed Bennett had 16.8 mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2.

This week Bennett, of Queensdown Gardens, Brislington, Bristol, pleaded guilty to drug-driving when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates. He was represented in court by Alaw Harries.

“The defendant is remorseful for his actions and recognises the seriousness of the offence,” Ms Harries told the Bench.

“He suffers significant pain following operations to his shoulders and has been prescribed codeine. But this causes drowsiness, so he began self-medicating using cannabis.

“On the day of the offence, he was in worse pain than usual, so he used cannabis earlier than he normally does.”

Ms Harries said the conviction would have serious financial consequences for Bennett, who works as a self-employed scaffolder.

“His driving licence is fundamental to his livelihood,” she said.

“The financial consequences are going to be significant to him, as well as to those who are dependent on him.”

Magistrates fined Bennett £600 and ordered him to pay a £240 surcharge and £85 costs.

He was disqualified from driving for 14 months.

Crime

Estate agent banned after drug-drive crash in Milford Haven

Published

17 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Alison Walker had nearly five times the legal benzoylecgonine limit in her system

A PEMBROKESHIRE estate agent has been banned from the road after admitting driving through Milford Haven with nearly five times the legal limit of a cocaine metabolite in her system.

Alison Walker, 59, was arrested on February 2 after her white MG was involved in a two-car collision on Great North Road, Milford Haven.

“Fortunately there were no injuries, just damage to the vehicles,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Walker was arrested and asked to provide blood samples. These showed she had 240mcg of benzoylecgonine in her system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

Walker, of Woodland Crescent, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to drug-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Tom Lloyd.

He told the bench that prior to the offence, Walker had been employed as an estate agent.

“She has a good relationship with her boss, and as soon as this conviction is dealt with and her sentence has been served, he will be happy for her to return to her employment,” he said.

After considering a comprehensive probation report, magistrates disqualified Walker from driving for 20 months.

She was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. Walker must also carry out a 12-month community order, during which she must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Crime

Pembroke Dock motorist banned after driving with cocaine in system

Published

17 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK motorist has been banned from the roads after being caught driving with more than seven times the legal cocaine limit in her system.

Naomi Grant, 47, was stopped by police on the night of February 6 as she drove her Vauxhall Astra along the A477 near Pembroke Dock.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Grant, of Cheriton Road, Pennar, Pembroke Dock, was taken for further tests.

Blood analysis showed she had 74mcg of cocaine in her system. The legal limit is 10mcg. She also had 1,200mcg of benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine, where the legal limit is 50mcg.

This week Grant, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two charges of drug-driving when she appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates.

She was represented by solicitor Tom Lloyd, who told the court that his client is currently prescribed a considerable amount of medication for a number of medical issues.

“She also has her own personal assistant as a result of her medical needs,” he said.

“She has done everything that has been asked of her in relation to this offence and has engaged with the Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service to help her move forward.”

Magistrates disqualified Grant from driving for 12 months and fined her £120.

She must also pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.