Adrian Lee is a solicitor-advocate in London, specialising in criminal defence, and was twice a Conservative parliamentary candidate.

The past two months has seen the Epstein scandal from across the Atlantic start to impact upon U.K. politics.

Despite media focus on the mysterious Jeffrey Epstein for the past seven years, until now, the scandal had principally touched British public life via speculation regarding the former Prince Andrew’s relationship with a young lady called Virginia Roberts (later Giuffre) in 2001. What changed matters in January 2026 was the publication of a series of emails allegedly showing Peter Mandelson, when serving as a Cabinet Minister in Gordon Brown’s government, contacting his then friend Epstein and informing him of sensitive financial information regarding the British government’s tax plans and their intention to sell £20 billion in assets. A few days later, more emails to Epstein emerged, this time sent by the former Prince Andrew, then acting as a trade envoy, allegedly attaching confidential reports regarding “high value commercial opportunities” in Afghanistan.

The clear implication is that Epstein was being tipped the wink so that he could adjust his investments portfolio accordingly. Within days, this potential “insider trading” affair was being described as the greatest British political scandal of our lifetimes, worse than Stonehouse, Thorpe or even Profumo. Few, however, mentioned that insider trading scandals have a long pedigree in this country, and virtually no commentator referenced the infamous  Marconi Shares Scandal of 1912-1913.

To give some political context to the Marconi Scandal, it is worth reminding the reader of the difficulties faced by H. H. Asquith’s Liberal Government at the time this furore broke. In 1906, under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman’s leadership, the Liberal Party had won a colossal landslide in the General Election. With over 400 Liberal M.P.s returned and the Conservative Party (leaderless after Balfour had lost his constituency) reduced to just 129, there seemed to be no prospect of curtailing their radical agenda. However, times change. Within two years, Campbell-Bannerman had retired and, shortly after, died, to be replaced by Asquith. The People’s Budget had split the country down the middle, as did the subsequent plan for House of Lords reform.

The two General Elections of 1910 destroyed the Liberal’s majority and left the government dependent upon Irish Nationalists’ support in the Commons. This in turn led to the Liberals proposing their Third Irish Home Rule Bill, with the resulting debate taking the Kingdom to the brink of civil war. By 1912, with Bonar Law’s Conservatives enjoying a renaissance, the women’s suffrage campaign becoming increasingly militant and the Ulster Unionists preparing for the fray, the heady days of 1906 were but a distant memory. Unsurprisingly, the Marconi Scandal was perceived as the final straw for the government, but let’s return to the beginning of the affair.

Guglielmo Marconi was a brilliant Italian entrepreneur and inventor who in 1894, at his family’s estate in Bologna, started working on the creation of a communications system based upon the transmission of Morse code signals without connecting wires. Just 18 months later, Marconi had transmitted messages over a one-mile distance. Flushed with success, Marconi approached the Italian government to apply for funding to develop his invention, but he never received a response. Frustrated, he then approached the British government, who immediately showed interest and invited him to visit. In early 1896, a 21-year-old Marconi arrived in London in the company of his mother. The British General Post Office (G.P.O.) expressed a keen interest in wireless communications, and so a series of tests were conducted throughout the Summer of that year. A year later, in 1897, he was granted a U.K patent for a new system “…for transmitting telegraph signals via electromagnetic waves using grounded antennas and receivers tuned to specific frequencies.” For the next fifteen years, Marconi concentrated on improving the quality of his invention, extending transmission range and building the company that bore his name.

The British made full use of Marconi’s wireless system, but with an Empire encompassing a quarter of the Earth’s surface, they required even better methods of communication. With war looming between Britain and Germany, there was an increased sense of urgency. Responding to this, in March 1910 the Marconi company formally proposed to the British government that they construct a chain of high-powered transmitters in 18 British Empire territories, thus linking Britain with outposts as far afield as South Africa, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Committee of Imperial Defence endorsed the idea, and after a very brief and perfunctory tendering process on 7^th March 1912, the G.P.O. accepted Marconi’s bid. On 19^th July, Herbert Samuel, Postmaster General, announced the full agreement between the government and Marconi in the House of Commons, but something seemed to be amiss.

Members of Parliament were curious as to why full competitive tendering for the contract was by-passed by the Liberal government. Initially, these questions were brushed away by Ministers declaring that Marconi was “the company best qualified to do the job”, but Conservative M.P.s started raising doubts and pointed to the proficiency of competitor companies. Then, in early 1913, all hell broke loose.

It emerged in the press that some British government Ministers had purchased shares in the American Marconi company, a subsidiary of its British parent in early 1912. This was exactly the period in which Marconi share prices soared world-wide, following leaks of the forthcoming award of the British government contract. The Attorney General, Rufus Isaacs, bought 10,000 shares in American Marconi, Alexander Murray, Liberal Chief Whip, invested in 2,500 shares and, most significantly, David Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and future Prime Minister, bought 1,000 shares. Herbert Samuel, the Postmaster General was also alleged to have bought shares in American Marconi, but after an extensive investigation this was proven to be false. However, the press made much of the fact that the Chairman of the British Marconi Company was one Godfrey Isaacs, brother of the Attorney General, Rufus. Finally, a junior Minister, Charles Masterman, Under-Secretary at the Home Office, confessed to purchasing shares in American Marconi. He said that he did so in full knowledge that the government were highly likely to award the construction contract to Marconi.

In October 1912, the House of Commons appointed a Select Committee to investigate the award of the Imperial Wireless Chain contract to the Marconi Wireless and Telegraph Company. With the press revelations regarding share ownership by government Ministers breaking the following year, the inquiry extended its remit to examine conflicts of interest and inside trading. The hearing ran for months and profoundly undermined the Liberal Party’s standing in the country. During this period, the government was trounced in two by-elections, and historians have argued that Marconi contributed to the declining electoral fortunes of the Liberals generally.

When the Select Committee issued its final report on 17^th June 1913, it absolved Lloyd George, Isaacs and Samuel of any wrongdoing. The report stated that “…no Minister had been influenced in the discharge of his public duties by any interest he might have had in any of the Marconi companies” and no Minister had engaged in “improper use of any information which came to him in his official capacity.” How did they come to these conclusions? Well, at the time, many pointed to the Select Committee’s composition. The Chairman was Sir Albert Spicer, a Liberal M.P., and six committee members were also Liberals. Interestingly, the report was described as “a majority finding”, supported by seven committee members, but opposed by the rest.

A minority report, drafted by Conservative members Lord Robert Cecil and Leo Amery and issued on 30^th June 1913, condemned the lax procurement process and stated that Lloyd George and Isaacs acted with “grave impropriety”. Lloyd George lived to fight another day, but his reputation was now linked in the public mind with corruption. When nine years later he became embroiled in the 1922 Sale of Honours Scandal, it led to the collapse of his coalition government and the termination of his premiership.

The Epstein scandal is likely to rumble on for some time. In this age of electronic communications, the Police will take months forensically examining Mandelson’s old computers and defunct mobile phones. In the end, the Crown Prosecution Service will make an assessment as to whether they have enough evidence to charge.

The matter may disappear from the headlines for a while, but it will return, and it is possible that it will enter Court in 2029, just in time for the next General Election.

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Posting on X on Friday morning, Rayner said the defeat in Greater Manchester “must be a wake-up call”.

Keir Starmer’s party is today reeling after suffering a collapse in a seat that it had controlled for over 100 years.

Labour fell to third place in Gorton and Denton after winning the constituency with over 50 per cent of the vote at the 2024 general election. This time around, the party’s candidate Angeliki Stogia received around 25 per cent of the vote.

The victor was the Green candidate Hannah Spencer, who won around 40 per cent of the vote, further demonstrating the threat to Labour’s left flank posed by Zack Polanski’s “eco-populist” party.

Reform UK candidate, former academic Matt Goodwin, came second.

The scale of the Labour defeat will put renewed pressure on the Prime Minister, and could be a sign of things to come when elections are held in Scotland, Wales and in councils across England in May.

Rayner, who is seen as the current frontrunner to succeed Starmer, posted: “This result must be a wake-up call. It’s time to really listen — and to reflect.

“Voters want the change that we promised — and they voted for.

“If we want to unrig the system, if we want to make the change we were sent into government to make, we have to be braver. A labour agenda that puts people first. That’s what all of us across our movement need to rededicate ourselves to this morning.”

Several union leaders and Labour left MPs have publicly called on the Starmer government to shift further to the left after losing a significant amount of support to the Greens.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “Labour’s entire strategy of framing politics as ‘it’s us v Reform’ is in tatters after its very first electoral test.

“That approach was rooted in a cabinet pursuing a politically rightward agenda and telling voters they only needed to be marginally less bad than the alternative. That has now been exposed as a fundamentally flawed and unserious strategy.”

The Prime Minister is also facing criticism over the decision taken by him and other senior Labour figures not to let Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham be the party’s candidate in Gorton and Denton.

Burnham said he wanted to stand, but was blocked on the basis that it would mean Labour having to fund a Manchester mayoral election campaign.

Reacting to the by-election result, Mainstream, a soft left Labour group with close links to Burnham, said blocking his candidacy “now looks like a catastrophic error”.

Mainstream’s Interim Council said: “The Gorton and Denton result is an absolute disaster for Labour. Clearly, we now risk no longer being seen as the natural home for progressive voters.

“This loss was avoidable. Angeliki, members and our party staff worked tirelessly, but our leader and sections of the NEC blocked the one candidate who could have won it for us. That decision now looks like a catastrophic error.

“We need an immediate and fundamental reset now.”

Medical signs are signals sent by the body when something is wrong. Unlike symptoms, which we can feel ourselves, signs are usually seen or measured by a doctor. Together, they help us understand what is happening in the body and, if necessary, start treatment in time.

Medical signs are external and internal manifestations of changes in health status.

The female reproductive system consists of internal and external organs. The external organs are collectively called the vulva, and the internal organs are the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Signs of organ dysfunction can manifest both externally and internally. External signs include redness of the skin, swelling, or fever. Internal signs are changes in organ function that cause significant discomfort, such as bleeding. By paying attention to these signals, you can get tested in time and prevent serious problems from developing.Medical signs are reflected in some of our most famous symbols and signs.

Signs related to the female reproductive system

It is especially important for women to monitor the condition of their reproductive system. Any changes, even minor ones, may be a sign that the body needs help or additional examination. These signals help to notice in time that something unusual is happening in the body and requires attention.

These signs include:

1. Menstrual cycle disorders: too frequent or, conversely, infrequent menstruation. Sudden changes in the cycle and pain during menstruation indicate a problem.
2. Unusual discharge. If vaginal discharge has a strange smell, colour or consistency, for example, if it has become too thick or watery, this may be a sign of infection or other disorders.
3. Pain in the lower abdomen. Constant or acute pain in the lower abdomen may signal problems with the ovaries, uterus or other reproductive organs. Sometimes the pain is related to menstruation, but if it recurs frequently or intensifies, it is advisable to see a doctor and get tested.
4. Difficulties with conception. If a woman is unable to conceive for a long time despite regular sexual intercourse without contraception, this may be a sign of reproductive system disorders. In such cases, it is also important to consult a specialist to understand the causes and, if necessary, begin treatment.
5. Changes in the breasts. Pain, lumps or changes in the shape of the mammary glands can be associated with both the menstrual cycle and more serious diseases such as mastitis or cancer.

The above signs should not be ignored, as they are signals that something is wrong in the body. Regular check-ups with a gynaecologist and self-monitoring of your condition will help you notice changes in time and stay healthy.

Any type of pain (sharp, dull, aching) in the lower abdomen and lower back is a reason to see a doctor. Medical attention is required for uterine bleeding not related to menstruation, bloody discharge in the middle of the cycle, pain or discomfort during intercourse.

If your menstrual cycle has become too long or too short, the amount or consistency of your discharge has changed, or you have itching and burning in the genital area, make an appointment with your doctor. The sooner you get tested and diagnosed, the better your chances of preventing the development of serious diseases.

Medical signs in cancer prevention

Medical signs allow cancer to be diagnosed in women at the earliest stages, when treatment is most effective. Preventive visits to a gynaecologist, mammologist and other specialists allow for the timely detection of breast lumps and atypical changes in the cervix, as well as determining the nature of unusual discharge or bleeding, which can lead to more serious consequences.

Early detection of these signs often saves lives, because in the early stages, many types of cancer have virtually no symptoms. It is important not to ignore the slightest changes and to undergo regular examinations, even if everything seems to be fine.

Important! Ideally, every woman should have an annual check-up with a gynaecologist, or even better, visit this specialist every six months. Following this recommendation helps to diagnose and treat vaginal infections, inflammatory diseases and endometriosis in a timely manner.

Mental well-being and response to stress

Stress and psychological state also affect a woman’s health, including her risk of developing cancer. Chronic stress can disrupt hormonal balance, weaken the immune system and affect the reproductive system.

Medical signs are a kind of ‘signal’ from the body. Sometimes they manifest directly, and sometimes indirectly: for example, through menstrual cycle disorders, constant fatigue, frequent infections, or skin and hair problems. Pay attention to the signals your body sends you. Learn to take care of your mental health, notice problems in a timely manner, and reduce health risks.

Carefully monitor the condition of your reproductive system, which often signals possible disorders in the early stages, including serious diseases. Regular visits to the doctor for preventive examinations, attentive care for yourself, and timely response to any unusual changes significantly increase your chances of staying healthy. Don’t forget about your mental health: stress, fatigue and emotional tension have a negative effect on the body and can manifest themselves in different ways. Simply paying attention to yourself and taking a comprehensive approach to your health will help you live a full life and feel good.

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It’ll ensure movement is as simple as possible, too; it offers three ergonomic carrying positions, with adjusting sliders for the perfect mixture of flexibility and support.

Aside from being supremely comfortable and easy to use, the Easy Vol. 2 is also great-looking (who said you need to sacrifice style at the altar of practicality?).

In yet another Labour scandal, MP Tulip Siddiq is facing an Interpol red notice request from Bangladesh. A court has ordered authorities to seek her arrest on corruption charges related to a real estate project.

This follows three previous convictions in absentia sentencing her to six years in prison for separate corruption cases involving her aunt, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Guardian reported that:

Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission has alleged Siddiq used her relationship with her aunt, the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, to influence the allocation of a plot of state-owned land in Dhaka’s Gulshan district to a private company. Siddiq has rejected the claim as baseless and politically motivated.

Tulip Siddiq: web of deceit

Of course, Tulip Siddiq is another one of the many considered to be in Peter Mandelson’s circle. Siddiq received a donation of £35,835 from Global Counsel in November 2023. 

Mandelson co-owned Global Counsel, a lobbying company that helped corporations “see opportunities in politics, regulation and public policy.” It built “a lucrative business from his political contacts built up while a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.”

Global Counsel went into administration following the latest Epstein revelations as host of household names — including Tesco, Bank of America, and Barclays fled the “Britain’s most influential public affairs agencies.”

Sharmen Rahman, Green Party spokesperson for Equalities & Diversity, shared the news quipping “Mandelson approved Quality candidates update.”

Mandelson approved Quality candidates update: https://t.co/INBYXjh3My

— Sharmen Rahman (@sharmen_r) February 26, 2026

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Seems like Mandelson’s clique can’t catch a break.

Greens have previously also questioned how much Starmer has known about the crimes of colleagues associated with Mandelson:

Questions about Mandelson, his heinous crimes and how much Starmer knew.

Dan Norris, elected as Lab MP, arrested – 2 counts of rape.

Tulip Siddiq sentenced to 4 years.

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I wonder why Labour have made 3 attack videos about me in the last 24 hours?

They’re done. Finished. Toast. pic.twitter.com/ZolFdugJyX

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) February 2, 2026

Bubbling scandal

Siddiq resigned as Treasury minister in January 2025 after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission filed a case against her and her family, investigating corruption and embezzlement under her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s ousted regime.

She also referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, who found she had not breached the ministerial code. As it happens, Magnus is also the man Keir Starmer is calling on to “fast-track” an investigation into Josh Simons, who accidentally leaked to a WhatsApp group that he’s already been told he’s in the clear. Whoops.

So yes, Laurie Magnus will likely be back once again to ahem clear another Labour figure of wrongdoing.

Reform UK’s chairman, David Bull, stated on Newsnight last night, 26 February, that Labour would have won the Gorton and Denton by-election, if only they fielded Andy Burnham in the first place.

Now, that looks a little odd, doesn’t it? The second-place party is giving tips to the third-place party on how to beat them. The Canary has written a great deal about Labour being Reform-lite, but surely giving each other a leg-up is a bit much?

Only, if you were to consider it from Reform’s perspective, it makes complete sense. See, in order for the left vote to split, Labour would actually have to field someone, you know… on the left (yeah yeah, disclaimers to come).

Reform knows that; Reform needs that. It can’t survive the immigrant-bashing right vote being shared between itself, Labour, the Conservatives, and whatever the fuck Rupert Lowe is doing at the time. Or, to put it another way:

Starmer can’t even gift a seat to the far-right on a silver platter without fucking it up.

‘You would have won’

After a by-election that even frothing lefty indie outlets thought was going to be a close-run thing, the Greens ended up taking it by a wide margin.

On Newsnight the night of the by-election, Reform UK’s David Bull said:

Having spoken to lots of Labour voters, if you had fielded Andy Burnham, you would have won. Full stop. But Kier Starmer didn’t want him on the pitch. This is all about the preservation of Kier Starmer. It was a very bad mistake by the Labour Party.

Burnham, the popular Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, announced his intention to run in Gorton and Denton back in January. However, he was swiftly blocked by his party’s ruling body.

Burnham is frequently perceived as a viable left-wing alternative to Starmer for the head of the Labour Party. However, his road to the top would be much easier with a seat in the Commons, rather than the mayorship.

As such, Starmer couldn’t allow him the opportunity of a win. Even, that is, if it meant potentially handing the seat to Reform. Better the far-right than the near-left, ay?

Caveat time

I promised you caveats, and there are of course caveats. Burnham’s credentials as ‘actually left wing’ are severely questionable. Your Party’s Zarah Sultana recently pointed out that:

Andy Burnham played a key role in privatising our NHS while serving as Health Secretary.

Andy Burnham voted for the 2003 Iraq War — an illegal invasion that led to the deaths of over a million Iraqis.

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Andy Burnham was a member of Labour Friends of Israel, an apartheid state that has committed genocide against the Palestinian people.

Gorton and Denton deserves a genuinely socialist MP — one who doesn’t vote for illegal wars, stands in solidarity with Palestine and is proudly anti-Zionist.

It’s a mark of how far Labour has fallen that Burnham now represents the leftward section of the increasingly right-wing party. But hey ho.

By contrast, Starmer’s Gorton and Denton pick was councillor Angeliki Stogia. Stogia supports NHS privatisation through ‘Private Finance Initiatives’, and has acted as a corporate lobbyist. Plus, she had Starmer’s backing — basically the right-of-center’s kiss of death.

Stogia won just 25.4% of the vote, in what was once a Labour safe-seat.

‘People are sick of them’

When Newsnight’s presenter Paddy O’Connell asked Zack Polanski if he agreed with Bull’s assessment, the Green leader replied:

No I don’t agree, actually. I think Andy Burnham is still a Labour Party politician, and I think people are sick of them.

Some polling has indeed suggested that Burnham would have won the seat, if he was permitted to run. We can never know precisely how that would have shaken out in real life, because Starmer would clearly rather cut off his own nose than allow the Labour right to lose its stranglehold on the party.

I wrote this piece somewhat tongue-in-cheek, talking about Starmer trying to gift the seat to Reform.

However, on a more serious note, the Green’s Hannah Spencer ran a fantastic campaign, taking an incredible 40.7% of the vote. She deserved the win on her own merit, Burnham or no Burnham. And now, Gorton and Denton has the left-wing MP it deserves.

Meanwhile, as their chairman demonstrated, Reform has been left rattled by Labour’s competition on the right. Personally speaking, they can fucking eat each other as far as I care.

Featured image via the Canary