Adding up Mandelson's influence
Peter Hoskin 4:04pm
Fact of the day comes courtesy of the Standard's Paul Waugh, who reveals that Peter Mandelson sits on no fewer than 35 of the 43 Cabinet committees. Paul provides a full list over at his blog, but summarises it thus:
To put this into perspective: Alistair Darling sits on 27 committees, David Miliband on 23, and Gordon Brown on just 12. Yes, it remains astonishing just how influential and, well, ubiquitous Mandy has become since his return to government last year."The Empire of Mandelsonia now includes health, domestic policy, public spending, immigration, climate change, trade, the economy, Afghanistan, democratic renewal, Africa and 'life chances'".
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rmh
July 21st, 2009 4:14pm Report this commentDoes that not make him the Prime Minister amongst colleagues in cabinet?
Yarnesfromhorsham
July 21st, 2009 4:15pm Report this commentSo do we need Gordon then?
The Bellman
July 21st, 2009 4:31pm Report this commentUbiquitous, possibly - but it is difficult to see how he finds the time to attend them all and still be ready for the newsrooms with a choice clod of fabricated muck to throw, or some vicious innuendo to pass on. And I suspect the TV companies get fewer 'apologies' than most of these distinctly unglamorous gatherings. Influential? Hmmm. I doubt that the majority of these bodies have any actual influence. It's pure flummery - process without any practical output.
Frankly I felt sick reading the list: it proves just what a self-licking lollipop British democracy has become.
ps Hw do you get Lord Mandelson to sit on a Cabinet committee? Turn the seats upside down.
obangobang
July 21st, 2009 4:35pm Report this commentHow will the poor dear fill his day after May next year?
cuffleyburgers
July 21st, 2009 4:37pm Report this commentWell, as the EU's plenipotentiary it is meet and right that it should be so.
After all, the passage of the lisbon consti-treaty is certain, and has been ever since Delors thought it up in his bath, and with it the idea of Great Britain as a self governing nation will seem as quaint as Queen Victoria, decency and fair play.
We might have some song re-writing to do though:
Rule Brussels,
brussels rules whitehall
Britains tum-ti-tum shall be slaves
Hmm... doesn't really scan though does it?
Verity
July 21st, 2009 4:39pm Report this commentInteresting how far a boy can go in government in a democracy without going through the formality of getting elected.
wonderfulforhisage
July 21st, 2009 4:58pm Report this commentOne wonders how well this fits in with the idea that MPs should not have second jobs.
mac
July 21st, 2009 5:19pm Report this commentUgh! He really just needs to restore the Schiklgruber moustache to confirm his status, doesn't he?
Hysteria
July 21st, 2009 6:03pm Report this commenthow often do these committees meet?
And why is the PM only on 12 - what are the others for?
Steve.W
July 21st, 2009 6:12pm Report this commentFrom the Paul Waugh list two committees stand out: Borders and Migration DA (BM), and Housing, Planning and Regeneration ED (HPR)
Can I suppose the first one deals with the issue of passports and the second is related to mortgage application forms?
Only right really as Lord Peter Longtitle has a lot of relevant experience in both areas.
Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum
July 21st, 2009 6:20pm Report this commentHe also sits on Gordon Brown's left shoulder, trident in hand.
roger
July 21st, 2009 6:20pm Report this commentBrown is so weak that he cannot resist the powers of "he who must not be named". It just proves what an incompetent PM we have to allow a slimeball like Mandelson to run roughshod over him.
Victor, NW Kent
July 21st, 2009 6:35pm Report this commentThe Secretary of State for Everything has also now become a spokesman on Defence and on the Budget. So far we do not know his responsibility for swine flu control except that he is keeping away from it.
mitch
July 21st, 2009 8:06pm Report this commentHis fall from grace will be spectacular this time, hopefully all the way too obscurity.
Moraymint
July 21st, 2009 8:31pm Report this commentBizarre.
If Mandy's committees are convening, say, monthly on different days of the month, then Mandy would have to attend a committee meeting 7 days per week ... and there still wouldn't be enough days in the year for Mandy to dispense his genius to fellow committee members.
Doesn't this sort of nonsense simply underline the utter madness that now pervades the costly, incompetent and ineffective bureaucratic nightmare that is Whitehall?
How on earth do these people live with themselves knowing that the country is going bankrupt whilst they indulge in this sort of idiotic, self-centred, political merry-go-round? To absolutely no discernible effect.
I want my money back now.
Austin Barry
July 21st, 2009 8:48pm Report this commentWho cares, he'll be gone in under a year, posturing and prancing to some well-paid sinecure no doubt, but gone.
JohnAnt
July 21st, 2009 10:03pm Report this commentDoesn't Mandy have any homes to go to?
Alan Douglas
July 21st, 2009 10:29pm Report this comment"Right WHO didn't suss out those other 8 committees ? Rectify this day !
Alan Douglas
Hysteria
July 22nd, 2009 1:21am Report this commentMoraymint - read the post then noted who had posted - LOL
absolutely right - what the HELL are they doing? - in our old job can you imagine running things like that ?
Oh - good luck with the refund application!!!!
Interesting that here in the US (Missouri I think) there is a car dealer giving a free Kalashnikov with every truck - bizarre and strangely relevant!
Kalvis Jansons
July 22nd, 2009 1:58pm Report this commentHis name was here at one stage:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/
though it was later removed! :)
2trueblue
July 22nd, 2009 3:08pm Report this commentJust shows that it is all meaningless. No one can have any real meaningful knowledge in that many areas or be of any use when spread so thinly. This demonstrates how vacuous this government is. The man has not been democratically elected and certainly should not have so much influence in our government. That is really the problem is it not? They just don't get it? They are there by our gift and to serve us. Lets get them out.
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