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I'm actually rather pleased that Her Maj (Lizzy, not Camilla) is no longer with us. Can't begin to imagine how she'd be feeling now about all this.

He is eligible for his old age pension, £7k a year.

£12k assuming he's paid his NI conts - if not pension credit* and legal aid.


*other benefits are available

I wonder how he managed to get focus on Andrew rather than the front seat occupants and how he avoided glare from the flash?

But still got red-eye

That’s not red-eye, it’s his natural look…

The whole sorry story is becoming boring. Frankly I think it would be better to just leave him to his seventh age in Norfolk descending into mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything


Mandelson and many others of his ilk on the other hand…

He is eligible for his old age pension, £7k a year.

It's Andrew's Birthday today. Why pick today?

So someone could use a headline like "Norfolk OAP in police raid drama". Which no one did.

Just 1 more thing that occurs to me.

When Andrew was arrested, he was taken to Aylsham.

I don't know if anyone knows Aylsham. It is about an hour away from Sandringham, and in the middle of nowhere. You would have to spend a day or 2 getting the right people in position to question him. And it would take some considerable time to get proper legal representation to be present for the suspect.

Once upon a time, I used to be a pretty decent Solicitor. And I wouldn't have had the first clue of how to properly represent him. Because this particular charge is as rare as rocking horse poo. And, back in the day when I was relevant, there were very few people who would. And I would bet that all of them are both rather busy, and are based quite a long way from Aylsham. There are lots of sound financial reasons why this sort of stuff is normally done by Appointment. So people don't have to wait around for hours for no good reason.

Far be it for me to suggest that someone was already waiting, having been instructed in advance by someone who had not been briefed...

Great insights. Thanks Phil.

All kinds of possibilities there. Again, I assume you are referring to possible misconduct in Public Office. Because a lot of the other stuff is not Criminal

The most fundamental problems go to the very heart of Govt in this Country (and many others).

Govt Ministers (and Diplomats) are often unofficially told to divulge "secrets" as some sort of trade-off.
Mandelson (unlike Andrew) is an astute politician, who may well have, shall we say, inconvenient recollections and/or proof
He may have a supportive Family, who are not actively seeking to stab him in the back
It may be that (as is usual in such matters) things proceed outside the public glare, to see if he should be tried in a proper Court, rather than the "Court" of Public Opinion. And receive a proper Sentence, rather than lurid Headlines which, in reality, probably make it more difficult to prosecute, not less.

Why do you suppose Mandelson hasn't been arrested?

Charles was not briefed before the accident is not quite the same as saying that he (and others) didn't know that Andrew was about to be arrested, and how.

Let's look at practicalities, here. I don't know how many current and/or former Special Forces are at the Sandringham Estate at any 1 time. What I do know is that any Senior Police Officer organising and/or conducting such an operation is thinking of the reputation of themselves and the safety of their men.

Do you think it would be wise for a bunch of people to turn up unannounced and bundle the King's brother into the back of a car without the prior knowledge of Armed Protection Officers? Do you think no terrorist has ever used a Police car?

PS. The 1 time a 66 year old man is unlikely to be drunk is 6 am on his Birthday. 6 am the next day, definitely.