His life in his hands

Ruth

It must be like working for Hannibal Lecter. You know the end is coming and yet you've got this evil man enjoying watching the life ooze out of you, drip by drip.

What a gruesome pairing. Bullies to the last they deserve each other.

James Sproule

The Greeks could not have ever dreamt of a tragedy so enthralling as Brown: long coveting the top job, only to find the chalice poisoned by none other than yourself when you finally come to drink. Ill and despondent, your reputation in tatters, you are left depending upon your own sworn enemy for your support. What play write could resist such a story?

Stronghold Barricades

What would complete this revenge though is the complete obliteration of Brown's Labour Party after diverging from the path of NuLieBour

Imagine the look on the face of the prince of darkness as he keeps his job as an unelected Lord whilst Brown et al are booted out

Thus Mandy takes full control of the party and can build in his own image

Goldstein

No. No. NO! I don't think this thinking is occuring to either man. The survival of the NuLab Project is at stake. When you get to grips with what that entails then this can be seen for what it is: trivial tittle-tattle. The Social Engineering of Britian will bring about NuLabs final transformation into IngSoc: our enslavement for the purposes of their eternal reign. They haven't finished their work yet, and they will overcome their petty differences to do so.

Ronnie

And everyone knows that Mandelson can never be Leader; but to be the one without whom this particular Leader cannot survive...?

And then why support a coup where the new Leader will not need him?

mac

@ James Sproule

Perhaps David Hare should completely re-work 'Absence of War'? He could re-name it 'Absence of Courage'.

logdon

I read the article. Funny how all the principles are trashed when it comes to self survival.

Brown thought he'd played a blinder by resurrecting Mandy by the Lords back door. At one fell swoop split off the Blairites and bring back a big hitting media gun.

However clodhopper Brown is no match for the sleek and sinewy Mandelson who really wrote the book when comes to this mode of political activity.

You say 'These days, there can be no doubt who Brown’s most important advisor is.' I'd actually reverse it, Brown is now reduced to being the public face of Mandelsonian slithering.

In fact this also reverses the 'Peter Principal'. Our Peter, in this case has risen to precisely to where he want's to be, grasping arch foe, Brown by the balls and twisting with a subtle tweak whenever 'Honest Gordy' remonstrates.

How galling for Gordon, the dumb and dithering engineer of his very own powerless demise?

Always the bridesmaid and now, divorced by public, bride. His honeymoon short existence in power so sharply curtailed by his own sharp practices.

How deeply ironic?

David Bouvier

I think we have a constitutional scandal that may - I hope - add to the public anger in the coming weeks.

We have a "Shadow Prime Minister" who is unelected, unaccountable and untrustworthy.

With Brown barely functioning administratively and probably dependent on Mandelson to hold back a challenge to his leadership, Brown is in his pocket.

How the light of democracy flickers here.

The Bellman

And yet, no matter how they fight to impress him, Tony will never love either of them as much as they love him, nor indeed as much as he loves himself.

Bruce.UK

"there can be no doubt who Brown’s most important advisor is"

Don't you mean puppetmaster?

Tony Brown

Oh yes they could, Ancient and Modern 4 November, 2006 'Do we have another Galba? As he struggles hopelessly, like a man in a dream,capable of being an emperor-had he never been the emperor !

George Laird

Dear All

James in true hospital day time soap style hits us with;

"His life in his hands".

The trouble is we want to see the Saturday night mad doctor slasher flick.

Plenty of darkness and smoke, screams echoing down corridors.

Mandelson should callous and pull the plug like in the scene of Robocop 2 were Tom Noonan gets killed by an aspiring professional.

Its not personal just business!

Go on Mandelson be a fiend.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Verity

James Sproule, who could resist such a story? Well, me.

Austin Barry

Brown is just another stepping-stone on Mandy's relentless climb to the heights of self-aggrandizement. But he must savour the exquisite nature of the revenge being wrought upon the baleful Brown. Mandy is truly the Count of Monte Cristo, or something like that.

Boudicca

The ONLY reason Mandelson has allowed Brown to remain Prime Minister is so that the LisbonConstiTreaty can be ratified before the Tories get into power.

Mandelson serves the EUSSR, not the UK.

Before the ink is dry on the Treaty ratification - if Eire is foolish enough to say YES and the Poles and Czechs capitulate - Mandelson will wield the daggar that dispatches Brown.

How on earth has this country got into the position whereby an unelected man, despised by most of the electorate, who serves the EU has the power to decide if the UK remains a free and sovereign country.

Wake up Cameron. Promise a Referendum on the Treaty regardless of ratification and pledge to abide by the result and de-ratify it if the electorate vote NO.

Chuck Unsworth

Let's not kid ourselves. As always it's Vote Brown, Get Mandelson.

Mandelson is in complete charge now. All he has to do is discard Brown when it suits and declare himself Supreme Leader or whatever other grandiose title he may choose. Brown is busted. He is a Mandy's Merkin - in every sense.

Hysteria

"Village" chatter - who gives a FF? Our nation deserves better than this nonsense

Rhoda Klapp

If they made a movie of this story, who would housers have to direct it? My choice is no longer extant, but I think Eisenstein. Shot in harsh black and white.

GeoffH

Othello.
Mandelson is Iago.

The question is; who is Desdemona?

Gaelic Con

Lord Mandelson IS the Prime Minister.

Jeremy

It is a fascinating dynamic. But then Brown has given Mandelson what he must have wanted: a peerage (he will never have to face the voters again), a seventeen-word job title and with it, influence across the governmental board. Perhaps the downside for Mandelson is that although he is powerful for the moment, his power is essentially within the ruined edifice of Brown's government. Yes, it must be humiliating for the Prime Minister to find himself latterly so dependent upon the goodwill and good offices of his former foe. But - peerage or no peerage - will Mandelson's own influence survive the fall of King Gordo and his court? Perhaps he is already working upon facilitating his own survival in the post-Brown Labour hierarchy.

After all, given his current situation, he must find himself connected to just about everybody in government - be they pretender, contender or neither. And I'm sure that he is finding ways to make himself useful to them all.

It will be interesting to see how well Lord Mandelson emerges from the wreckage of this government. His peerage will undoubtedly help him, in this regard. It allows him to stay afloat, whatever the result of the General Election may be. And I'm sure that he is genuinely grateful to Gordon for it, and will remain so for just so long as Gordon remains Prime Minister. That is, right up until the results of the next General Election are announced.

Tiberius

Geoff H: that analogy had crossed my mind, but Brown is too devious to be Othello.

Desdemona; could she be characterized as the premiership?

Wight Tory

My Gut is telling me that Brown will be killed off, to whose benefit? Maybe a free(r) speaking Alistair Darling. He's been the one who hasn't towed the Brown line when push came to shove, he's the one who's rumoured to stood up to Brown at the last budget, but offered a little rope and having the job he has, possibly is best placed to become the next leader. With Mandy whispering a few select ditties, he has been one who has found some Balls to demand his place in the cabinet, the question you really do have to ask isn't why didn't Balls get the Job, but how didn't Darling get the sack if he's as weak as suggested.

Hugh

One aspect that seems to be overlooked in explaining Mandelson's loyalty is simple vanity. He was drafted in to help revive Gordon's popularity. If Gordon goes, Mandelson's failed.

mitch

The question is Why do we have to put up with this?.

The Laughing Cacalier

... a thousand cuts ... indeed there can be beauty in death.

Simon Denis

Desdemona? I suppose that must have been Blair. With the villain triumphant and the heroine dead, isn't it about time the leading man in this grotesque farce took his curtain call?

Frankp1

Goldstein
Correct!

Frank P

Moreover, those within the msm who are also part of the Long March are rallying around them. A cynic could assert that the whole thing has been drummed up so that Brown can show his strength by overcoming the 'coup'. Classic! The Telegraph, overall, has shit and fallen back into it. Hilarious - if it wasn't so serious for the nation.

The Bellman

@Rhoda: I would like Abel Ferrara to direct it. As a snuff film. With them playing themselves.

The Bellman

@Jeremy: Yes, I suspect the phrase 'the most influential man in the Brown cabinet' and its variations will ring hollow in Mandelson's ears. Talk about damned by faint praise...

biggestaspidistra

and he's got something on Hazel too now judging from her apology in the Manchester Evening News.

mac

@ Rhoda

I think the film would be quintessential camp farce, so Mel Brookes or Gerald (Carry On series) Thomas should direct.

Herbert Thornton

I suspect that Mandelson aims to succeed where Tony Blair failed - by becoming President of the European Commission.

Presumably his membership of the House of Lords is just a desirable stepping stone?

Verity

Mac - Mel Brookes is too American for this. "Carry On ..." would be good. Rowan Atkinson playing Brown might be hysterical.

Jupiter

The Mandelson - Brown relationship is like kidnapper & hostage.

egh

GIVE US A YES/NO REFERENDUM NOW.

anne allan

Who is Desdemona?
How about Tony Blair?

Nectaridus

@Tony Brown
June 12th, 2009 1:20pm

Galba

? capax imperii nisi imperasset?

Is it that, or is it more like Sejanus and Tiberius? The emperor hides away in fantasy whilst his creature runs the empire.