Another Voice

20 June 2009

Believe it or not, Mandelson has grown impatient with spin and presentation

I’ve quoted these exchanges at some length, not only for what they say about the marketing of Gordon Brown, but also for what they reveal about Peter Mandelson’s own thinking. That Mandelson believes Brown is weak on policy direction and overall political philosophy is, admittedly, only my own speculation. All he actually says is that it’s the beef that counts, not the packaging, and frenetic attempts to package will only make the problem worse — to which I would reply (and Draper should have replied) ‘OK, then. Where’s the beef?’ To my mind, this is what Mandelson stops just short of asking or answering, and his silence is thunderous.

This emphasis on substance is fascinating. I believe Mandelson’s thinking has developed and changed enormously over the years, moving from an absorption in presentation to an impatience with presentation — and an increasing interest in strong policy and the sound execution of policy. To me as a parliamentary sketchwriter, Mandelson never looked happier or more substantial than when at the dispatch-box as trade and industry secretary, talking about the nuts and bolts of policy. His spell in Europe as trade commissioner must have reinforced both his administrative competence and the importance he attaches to sound policy.

If Peter Mandelson believes what he wrote to Derek Draper then — given Mr Brown’s abysmal poll ratings — he must also believe either that the PM and his policies are sound but that spin has ruined things, or that the problem is the product, and spin alone is useless, maybe even counterproductive. I have no doubt which Mandelson believes.