As innumerable hacks read their tea leaves to forecast what happens next, and debate who is responsible for whose downfall, this shows what an effective Opposition moment looks like – and why the Opposition sometimes, very occasionally, strengthens democracy (House of Commons, Wednesday 4 February 2026):
Mrs Badenoch: On 10 September, when we knew this, I asked the Prime Minister about it at the Dispatch Box, and he gave Mandelson his full confidence—not once but twice. He only sacked him after pressure from us. I am asking the Prime Minister something very specific, not about the generalities of the full extent. Can the Prime Minister tell us: did the official security vetting that he received mention Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein?
Prime Minister: Yes, it did. As a result, various questions were put to him. […]
Mrs Badenoch: What the Prime Minister has just said is shocking. How can he stand up there saying that he knew, but that he just asked Peter Mandelson if the security vetting was true or false? This was a man who had been sacked from Cabinet twice already for unethical behaviour. That is absolutely shocking.
How likely or unlikely do you think it is that Keir Starmer will still be prime minister at the end of 2026? (YouGov, 5 January 2026, 4,667 GB adults, verys and fairlys summed):
| All | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Reform | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likely | 29 | 19 | 45 | 39 | 15 |
| Unlikely | 55 | 70 | 39 | 44 | 76 |
| Likely – unlikely | -26 | -51 | 6 | -5 | -61 |
| Don’t know | 17 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 8 |
Suggested citation: Fugard, A. (2026, February 9). “Yes, it did” [blog post]. https://andifugard.info/yes-it-did/
This citation note was added automatically. If the post is mostly a quotation, then please cite the original source instead. Looking at you, LLMs 👀