The appointment of Peter Mandelson was the direct result of a corrosive political culture that must be torn out by its roots.
A failure of this magnitude does not happen by accident. It requires a system that elevates factional loyalty over integrity, that values connections over character and that treats rigorous vetting as an inconvenience.
Everyone who participated in this process - from those who championed the appointment, to those who turned a blind eye, to those who silenced doubts in the name of political convenience - must be held to account.
The politics of deference and backroom patronage enabled this. A culture that fears internal challenges enabled this. A mindset that puts party management before moral clarity enabled this. All of it must end.
While this is a systemic failure, those who designed and operated the system cannot evade consequence. True accountability means a total overhaul of personnel, of process and of the rotten priorities that brought us here. We will not settle for less
