The ghost of Peter Mandelson.

 It appears according to The Guardian that Lord Peter Mandelson, failed his security vetting process. However this was overruled by senior officials in the Foreign Office, namely Sir Ollie Robbins, the permanent secretary. He has now been sacked by Starmer. The plot thickens however as apparently he was only told on Tuesday that Mandelson had failed his security clearance. There are three interlocked issues: the prime minister is either - incompetent, naïve or a liar? How is it possible that such an important appointment - as our ambassador to the United States, can occur not know the details? However in terms of a - duty of care - the credibility of the vetting process is contingent on a - duty not to tell. Otherwise a candidate for a senior role in government - would not be completely candid. As they might fear that such a role might make him or her unsuitable. 

Is America now a rogue state?

 Under president Trump, America is increasingly like a - rogue state. He is congenitally irresponsible, grandiose and narcissistic. From one moment to the next he is - completely unreliable and contradictory. The norms and values that have underpinned the - rules based order since 1945 are no more. He is often texting in the early hours of the morning  Does he manage to get any sleep? In my opinion he is slowly going unhinged and like King Lear going mad. Should the world be governed by a man who is increasingly delusional? 

Home sweet home.

 According to professor Lucy Munro at Kings College, London, William Shakespeare had a property in Blackfriars. The house today would straddle Ireland Yard, Burgeon Street and St Andrew’s Hill. This was a cosmopolitan area at the time with all manner of different people from across London and the continent. Moreover it was close to his place of work at the Blackfriars Theatre. In addition the property was close to the Cockpit tavern - which has stood on the same site for many years. Perhaps Shakespeare drank there with colleagues from the theatre? It brings to life a much discussed period in his later life and what his plans were? I’m reading a brilliant book at the moment by the Shakespeare scholar at Oxford - professor Sir Jonathan Bate, Mad about Shakespeare - this new information only adds to the endless speculation about our greatest writer. 

Is being a red head an adventure?

 Recent research published in Nature suggests a correlation between - being a red head as an evolutionary asset, because it provides certain protection against a number of pathogens. I have as the say a - dog in this fight. When I was born I had a crop of red hair and that is why my parents called me Robin. When we started to develop as homo sapiens some 300,000 years ago a particular gene developed over evolutionary time to produce an increasing number of redheads. Apparently evolution has favoured a redhead for about 10,000 years. So I can count myself fortunate, when in the past I have not been happy being a redhead. 

Caught with our pants down.

 The ongoing war in Iran has revealed just how - hollowed out our armed forces are. It reminds me of the famous saying by the billionaire Warren Buffett who said in 1992  “only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked”. Over successive governments there has been a reluctance to spend what was necessary, in order to keep us secure. This myopic attitude goes back to the collapse of the old Soviet Union in 1989 and thereafter. We thought, wrongly this was in that infamous phrase the ‘end of history’. How stupid we all were. Consequently the UK is ill prepared both economically and militarily. Politicians should be ashamed of themselves for their supine actions which have put the country in a parlous position. Lord Roberson, a previous defence secretary and head of NATO is very critical of the government of the prime minister. Robertson was the co-author with Fiona Hill of the Strategic Defence Review last year. He has castigated the government for this lack of preparation for conflict. We have been - caught with our pants down. 

The importance of small talk.

 We too often assume that passing the - time of day in small talk - is of little importance and consequence. However this is far from the truth, according to the latest research published in The Times today. A study in the Journal of Personality and Social  Psychology asked 1800 participants to rank order conversations. Generally speaking the participants ‘enjoyed these encounters and put them in a good mood’. We shouldn’t therefore dismiss these experiences and interactions with others - as they have a beneficial influence on our mood and behaviour and could stop us from being depressed. 

The emperor penguin is at risk.

 According to reports in The Guardian today the emperor penguins are at serious risk of dying out, due to the rapid changes in the climate . The chicks are not able to survive and quickly drown in the Antarctic sea. Consequently by the end of the century - it’s very likely that this iconic species will be extinct. Our great grandchildren, will never have the privilege of seeing these majestic creatures. It’s a testament to how quickly our natural world is exposed to - global warming and its effects and consequences.