Rob Watson

And as you said, has worked for both Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and now, of course, Sakhir Starmer.

Yes, I mean, not only describing him as a danger to the world, reckless, a bully, but also the fact that Peter Mandelson had previously been a member of the European Union Commission, the EU Commission, and we all know how Donald Trump dislikes the EU. So why chosen? I think just because he is regarded by Sir Keir Starmer as an incredibly skillful operator.

Yes, I mean, not only describing him as a danger to the world, reckless, a bully, but also the fact that Peter Mandelson had previously been a member of the European Union Commission, the EU Commission, and we all know how Donald Trump dislikes the EU. So why chosen? I think just because he is regarded by Sir Keir Starmer as an incredibly skillful operator.

And if anybody can talk themselves out of the hole he was, he dug himself six years ago by describing the president in that way, then Peter Mandelson is the man. And I guess part of his selling point as well is that unlike a regular diplomat in that role, he'd be able to say, look, I really do have the ear of the British prime minister.

And if anybody can talk themselves out of the hole he was, he dug himself six years ago by describing the president in that way, then Peter Mandelson is the man. And I guess part of his selling point as well is that unlike a regular diplomat in that role, he'd be able to say, look, I really do have the ear of the British prime minister.

Yes, absolutely. And he seems pretty confident.

Yes, absolutely. And he seems pretty confident.

He is indeed. I mean, I was thinking about just before him, his boss, David Lammy, Britain's foreign secretary, had previously described Donald Trump as a,

He is indeed. I mean, I was thinking about just before him, his boss, David Lammy, Britain's foreign secretary, had previously described Donald Trump as a,

neo-nazi sympathizing sociopath but he's now funny friendly and warm with incredible grace according to david lammy and yeah we've seen this pattern in the uk all over the world and of course in the united states itself jeanette with uh the sort of titans of tech who've now changed their tune i suppose the big question for everybody everybody listening and maybe for donald trump as you know with all these people whether it's a peter mandelson david lammy or whoever

neo-nazi sympathizing sociopath but he's now funny friendly and warm with incredible grace according to david lammy and yeah we've seen this pattern in the uk all over the world and of course in the united states itself jeanette with uh the sort of titans of tech who've now changed their tune i suppose the big question for everybody everybody listening and maybe for donald trump as you know with all these people whether it's a peter mandelson david lammy or whoever

Were they being sincere then, or are they being sincere now? That's the question, isn't it?

Were they being sincere then, or are they being sincere now? That's the question, isn't it?

He did take a big risk and I think for three reasons really, Val. Firstly, that there was always the danger that he'd be seen as a moaner. He couldn't stand the sort of scrutiny that goes with being a royal, being in the public limelight. Second, that actually just by complaining and trying to take the papers to court, it would just encourage... more tabloid coverage.

He did take a big risk and I think for three reasons really, Val. Firstly, that there was always the danger that he'd be seen as a moaner. He couldn't stand the sort of scrutiny that goes with being a royal, being in the public limelight. Second, that actually just by complaining and trying to take the papers to court, it would just encourage... more tabloid coverage.

And I guess thirdly, the most obvious one is, you know, just massively expensive. I mean, taking big corporations, including newspapers, like newspaper groups like NGN, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is a fabulously expensive enterprise, Val.

And I guess thirdly, the most obvious one is, you know, just massively expensive. I mean, taking big corporations, including newspapers, like newspaper groups like NGN, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is a fabulously expensive enterprise, Val.

Not necessarily, no. I mean, I guess we'll have to wait and see what Parliament and the police do. But it's clear what Prince Harry and Lord Watson want. I mean, they say that, yes, NGN, the Sun newspaper, has admitted, it hasn't admitted everything. It's admitted that some of its private investigators carried out what they called unlawful activities.

Not necessarily, no. I mean, I guess we'll have to wait and see what Parliament and the police do. But it's clear what Prince Harry and Lord Watson want. I mean, they say that, yes, NGN, the Sun newspaper, has admitted, it hasn't admitted everything. It's admitted that some of its private investigators carried out what they called unlawful activities.

But in its statement settling this case, it says that it acknowledges, and I'm reading here, Val, without any admission of illegality, that the newspaper group's response to the original arrest of its royal reporter, Clive Goodman, in 2006 on all the hacking inquiry. So it's not, for example, it's not admitting to, if you like, one of the main charges that was going to come up.