A hefty one-two punch in the continuing “Have Gordon and Peter fallen out?” story, this morning. The Telegraph has quotes suggesting that Mandelson is “upset” and feels “disposed of” by Brown. And Sue Cameron of the FT details a specific rift between the pair, ending with the observation: “I hear Lord M is not happy, telling friends that he does not have the influence he was promised.” For his part, Mandelson has since dismissed the reports as “complete tosh”.
Problem is, for Downing Street, the truth of the stories is almost immaterial. After a relatively stable few months, Brown is once again mired in rumour and speculation concerning his own leadership. Indeed, the Telegraph reports a potential Miliband challenge on the back of its Mandelson story. ‘Tis all far from ideal for Labour, with the election campaign only a few months away.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in