The Mandy factor

William Norton

If the PoliticsHome insiders think Mandy's doomed then that pretty much makes him safe.

Jane

I disagree. He did not instigate the media focus relating to events in Corfu - George Osborne did. The media seem determined to try and bring Peter Mandelson down and I do wonder why. Is it something to do with him hob nobbing with the rich? Is it to do with him being a shrewd operator with greater intellect than many journalists and senior opposition MPs?. Perhaps the crux of the matter is that Senior Labour Politicians are not meant to socialise in the so called top echelons of our society - they should know their place?

Can we not leave the man alone to get on with his job? As EU Commissioner he has made many contacts - are we not to gain from this. No wonder newspaper circulation is falling. We are tiring of journalists whose aim is to tarnish the reputations of those who do not "play ball with them".

Andrew Forbes

He will last the sooner of

(a) Gordon's irritation at Mandy's backseat driving gets the better of him
(b) Some other link with a shady billionaire becomes known.

Less than a year, then. Except that his peerage means he has a lifetime platform to heckle his former friend. Hell hath no fury, inside the tent weeing out and other cliches apply.

Ray

I suppose we shouldn't discount the possibility that Mandy might be forced to resign for a third time, but then after a decent interval be recalled to the Cabinet for a fourth!

Andy Leeds

Jane is being naive to say the least. If there is nothing to all this - Deripaska, Rothschild and Mandelson - then why hasn't Mandelson published a full account of his dealing with these individuals ? Why did Mandelson issue a statement stating he had met Deripaska in 2006 when he actually met him in 2004 and was even flown by private jet to Moscow (where he did not have the correct documents to get into Russia) in 2005. The excuse he has made is frankly pathetic. To cut to the chase Mandy lied. Why ?

I also think that as a EU Commissioner and now as a Minister of the Crown your private life must not give any hint of conflicting with your public office. Mandelson is hardly a huge friend of Rothschild or Deripaska (unlike George Osborne who has known Rothschild since school) and I for one could not think of any reason why he would be staying on Deripaska's yacht, a fact he has yet to confirm. There is a difference between meeting people like Deripaska at a cocktail party and having dinner with him or being a guest on his yacht.

No, it is not in the logic of the thing. There is something to hide here or Mandelson would not have lied and been so evasive. The press should keep digging.

JONNY

The media seem determined to try and bring Peter Mandelson down and I do wonder why. Is it something to do with him hob nobbing with the rich?

I'm sure he'd tell you Jane if you asked him really nicely.

toni

While you keep twittering on with your slurs against Mandelson, he's busy getting on with the real job working in Russia and yesterday securing a £23 million contract for JCB, owned by Sir Anthony Bamford, a Tory donor.
Not that he'd expect any thanks, or that there'd be any mention of this on any Tory website that I've looked at.

Nicholas

I think we can draw the conclusion that the Coffee House is being well and truly stalked by Draper's Dorks.

I wish someone would come up with a short form name for New Labour as with Tories for Conservatives. The words Tory/Tories can be uttered with such contempt/venom. Oh, I've got one - "Nazis".

Nicholas H

My namesake (Nicholas) is right as usual.

Jane isn't "naive". I suspect she's someone whose livelihood depends on the New Labour project.

"As EU Commissioner he has made many contacts...."
You can say that again and I suspect Deripaska is the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure previous Trade Commissioners made contacts, perhaps, you know, at meetings in the Commissioner's office. Mandelson's networking is in another league. The disingenuousness of "I was billeted on the yacht" like a squaddie with no choice: no doubt every hotel in Corfu was full !

"The media seem determined to try and bring Peter Mandelson down and I do wonder why"

Simple: he's a prize sh*t and this time enough people in the media aren't afraid of him.

If he's out around Christmas time it really will be a season to be jolly. Here's making a wish to St Nicholas....

mac

Well, huzza and huzza again to that super drummer-up-of-business Lord Mandelson. And what selflessness too, garnering sales for a (boo, hiss) Tory donor.

Oh, and Toni, who might your hero be dining with quietly in Moscow, do you think?

Chuck Unsworth

@ toni

Did Mandelson manage to achieve this in just a week, all by himself? Fantastic! Maybe he can manage to save the entire British economy by Christmas, then.

I don't suppose it might be that the deal was already done and that Mandelson, shameless, was grandstanding in Bamford's premises?

Hardly surprising that there's no mention. Who in his right mind would wish to associate his products with Mandelson?

Andy Leeds

Yes Mandelson is in Moscow. However Guido has an item today saying that Mandy isn't staying at the Ambassadors Residence but at the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel at a cost to the British Taxpayer of £5000 a night. Why isn't a Minister of teh Crown not staying at the Residence ? The businessmen also on this trip are all billited elsewhere for a mere £300 a night. But then again they are paying their own hotel bills.