.........but I am not quite sure what the machiavellian intent is -

'Lady Upholland, 52, a former leader of the Lords, took over as
British Commissioner in Brussels when Lord Mandelson was brought back
to the UK Cabinet by Mr Brown.
News of her proposed promotion will astound British diplomats, who
would not have regarded her senior enough for the job'

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6923856.ece

Upholland is the only place in the UK where the only apparent way of
getting into the place is through the back entrance of a pub carpark
in Skelmersdale.
Is this appointment another of the black jokes being played out in the
dying days of the Third Retch. A 'Twilight of the Gobs'  despoiling
tactic or is something more sinister afoot.

On 19 Nov, 19:48, charlie6  wrote:
> .........but I am not quite sure what the machiavellian intent is -
>
> 'Lady Upholland, 52, a former leader of the Lords, took over as
> British Commissioner in Brussels when Lord Mandelson was brought back
> to the UK Cabinet by Mr Brown.
> News of her proposed promotion will astound British diplomats, who
> would not have regarded her senior enough for the job'
>
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6923856.ece
>
> Upholland is the only place in the UK where the only apparent way of
> getting into the place is through the back entrance of a pub carpark
> in Skelmersdale.
> Is this appointment another of the black jokes being played out in the
> dying days of the Third Retch. A 'Twilight of the Gobs'  despoiling
> tactic or is something more sinister afoot.

The plot thickens -
'Analysis: Gordon Brown's support for Tony Blair may have been a ruse'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/6608930/Analysis-Gordon-Browns-support-for-Tony-Blair-may-have-been-a-ruse.html