Peter Mandelson

Peter Mandelson’s diary: The accomplishments of George Osborne – and Vladimir Putin

Plus: The rise of the Russian restaurant, Farage’s lessons for Labour, and my farming future

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum Photo:Getty

My trips to meet Russians in Russia these days are a little less controversial than my encounter with them in Corfu. The Corfu trip, though, did have the bonus of throwing me together with George Osborne, whom I had not known previously. Returning from St Petersburg I awoke on Saturday to his interview on the Today programme. If the Tories win the next election (unlikely in light of last week’s performance) it will be down to his political skill and determination. And his being joined at the hip to Cameron. If Blair and Brown had managed the same double act, Labour would still be in power today.

The St Petersburg international economic forum was somewhat less international this year. It was held a month earlier than usual so that President Putin’s calendar could fit in a meeting of the G8 in Sochi. Following the illegal annexation of Crimea, the G8 became the G7 and the rest is, well, not quite history.

The Daily Telegraph, alone, took great interest in my participation in Putin’s ‘lackey’ summit. Before going they condemned me for my craven attendance, but by the time I left I was being celebrated for my blunt messages to Mr Putin. I am convinced Crimea will turn out to be a pyrrhic victory for Putin because not only will the peninsula be ostracised internationally and unable to earn a living — ask northern Cyprus what this is like — but Russia will end up footing the enormous annual bill for its utility and welfare costs, hardly affordable given Russia’s faltering economy. By the way, my friend Charles Moore alleged that I was busy in Russia helping oligarchs avoid sanctions. I am still waiting for his retraction.

Unfortunately Russian banya visits are no longer de rigueur, as the heat tends to excite my low-level eczema, but I still relish trips to Russian restaurants, mainly for their salad, pickles and vegetables.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in