There used to be a time when newspapers prostrated themselves before Peter Mandelson. They believed that by sucking up to the Prince of Darkness they would be rewarded with his favour, that he might grant them access to His Toniness, or feed them a morsel of insider gossip. Those days are long gone, as evidenced HERE in The Guardian today.The Guardian had published an article in which Mandelson was criticising Tony Blair's conduct of the Northern Ireland peace process. Mandelson, as usual, complained that The Guardian has misrepresented him. This is what he said on the Today Programme this morning...
"You see what the Guardian are doing is taking a snapshot of my views and what I said - with some care and caution, I might say, in a very long interview - and extrapolating from a particular instant and applying it to a policy as a whole. And I don't think they are justified in doing so."
And that, dear reader, was his big mistake. The Guardian were incensed and have now published a recording of his interview with them. They would never have dared do that five years ago. They do it now because they know what we know - that Peter Mandelson is a spent force in British politics.
28 comments:
Very possibly, Iain, but on the other hand if he had a blog I'll bet I wouldn't have to scroll down for a mile-and-a-half before I found the content.
It appears he was mis-quoted after all.
Iain,
Mandelson lost his prestige ages ago but was in Euroland so nobody cared.
The Guardian is just trying to suck up to Brown by having a go one of Tony's allies. Rats jumping off ships onto a desert island in the path of a cyclone.
But Iain, don't you think the really significant thing is that Mandy is willing to criticise Toni at all ?
He knows the media inside out - he knew how his remarks would be played out - he wanted the ability to row back a bit.
The fact that this is happening on the eve of a possible haemorrhage in support on the Trident vote [which has been scandalously under reported], may mean that the levers of power are also slipping away from Tony far more quickly than he realises.
Or am I barking up the wrong tree..
He is indeed a spent force in British politics - but not in European politics... and that is where Blair is heading.. European President perhaps ?
There is about as much chance of Tony Blair becoming European President as there is Gordon Brown becoming the next host of the Generation Game.
Good for Mandelson, for telling us what we always suspected, that the Republicans' description of Blair as 'The Gullible Fool' was entirely justified.
Shame on Mandelson, for trying to backtrack.
And (I never thought I would say this) good for the Guardian, for publishing the interview, so we can judge his remarks for ourselves.
I suspect Mandelson, for all his faults, was one of the best Northern Ireland Secretaries we ever had. He certainly had no illusions about the IRA.
Is it just me but everytime i see mandelson i think fake tan limp handshake and bad breath.In fact i cannot listen to him speak because of his smugness.
so just another odious disgraced NuLab liar exposed......oh no....hes always been a crook as well hasnt he.
Compared to Daves Air Fares policy,it lasted a long time before revision.
trumpeter lanfried - best NI secretary ? But surely you are forgetting someone ?
Mandy got seriously heckled at LP Conference in Manchester and this was reported in the Guardian Diary, thanks to some loose tongued comrade (or twenty). He's not particularly well liked in the LP.
Call me a cynic , but just why would Mandelsohn "attack" Blair?
Either he was pissed or it is part of a bigger game.
chris paul 8.45 PM. You can say that again.
One of the parliamentary sketch writers memorably wrote, some time ago: "Mr Peter Mandelson then entered the chamber. One could hear the unmistakable sound of hairs prickling on the backs of the necks of those sitting on the Government back benches."
The problem is we are governed by a lame duck Prime Minister,we have daily discussions on spent forces in British politics,we have a daily government rebellion,a daily scandal ,a leak a day,a policy a day,a department unfit for a day.But they are still in power, and don't look like they are going anytime soon.The opposition acts like it is the junior partner in a coalition for heavens sake.This crowd of clowns are going to win the next election you know.You can insult them all you like,it's water off a ducks back to them.They have the power and they are not going to give it back to anyone, least of all the people.
The people exercised their power on 05/05/05 - get over it!
" a spent force in British politics."
otherwise known as 'a complete arse'.
He looks utterly dissolute and there's the same air of corruption and evil around him that surrounds Tony Blair.
Sturgess- Very well said: "the opposition acts like it is the junior partner in a coalition...".
verity why do you think Mandelson is known as the Prince of Darkness...
Mandelsohn (yes that is how it is really spelt) has the ability to appear out of thin air, plenty of people will attest to this, that is why he is feared.
He is a demon, they exist and walk amongst us.
calling him the "prince of darkness" isn't a joke, that is where this malign creature comes from.
{ the Republicans' description of Blair as 'The Gullible Fool' was entirely justified. }
Wasn't the phrase "naive idiot" rather than "gullible fool".
And yes Peter Mandleson was a surprisingly good Northern Ireland Secretary, far better than brazen republican sympathisers like Hain and Mowlam.
Could those who are keen on the EU please justify why it seems to absorb all our failed and disliked politicians? I think of Mandelson, Kinnock and Patten primarily.
I'm sorry this is once again off topic. I need help getting my head around this and the Lords must have let this one slip through!!
The other day I had seen something strange in the County council accounts about the Euro being monitored for when or if they changed over!
it read
The council continues to monitor developments on the potential introduction of the euro and the impact that a decision to enter the single currency would have on its ongoing operations. An officer working group was established with the aim of developing an action plan that can be implemented quickly should a decision be taken to enter the single currency. No decision has been made for the UK to adopt the Euro and the council is monitoring the situation. It is not expected that there will be any significant costs before the decision is made for the UK to adopt the Euro and these costs can be accommodated within existing budgetary provision. The Authorities Enterprise resource planning system, the Oracle E-Business suite can cope with dual currencies.
Some nice person explained on this site the reason why!
However:- I have just dropped off a prison officer, whose wife had, had a few drinks, (not too many)conversation cropped up about the Euro and it turns out that the prison officer has just ome back from the 'working group' course on what will happen when the Euro comes in.....
He was furious that it had been mentioned!
Anyone please explain this new twist, if its not coming in why are we putting civil servants through courses???
Ross F - Yes, it was naive idiot. If they'd inserted the hyphenated "self-congratulatory" into "naive idiot", they'd have presented a rounded picture of Emily Blair.
No Longer Anonymous - Yes, they do seem to welcome all our flotsam and jetsom. It's both Kinnocks, by the way. Gladys has the highest expense account claims in the entire edifice. Good to know your taxes are going to a worthy cause, eh?
Unfortunately, it didn't absorb Patten entirely - perhaps it's on a low-fat diet - because he may wade back into Britain to squat as the sinecure D-G of the Beeb.
All these socialist organisations need to be shut down with extreme prejudice.
Didn't Blair once say his job would be done when the Labour Party learnt to love Mandy?
Now Blair is done, Mandy loves the PM no longer.
Mandelson's mouth is disgusting, but have you noticed how dead his eyes are? And always were? Dead. Robot. Like Blair, who also has dead eyes. When he laughs - ha! ha! - there is no change in his strange, cold eyes.
Nightmare on Downing Street. The Fishwife, aka Elena Ceucesçu, has greedy eyes that positively broadcast "privilege".
Cher's been a passenger on the public teat - as has Tone - forever. They graduated. They got their gums clamped on the public tit, and they never let go. Their one mistake was the CND. Marching. Sandals. Anger. Then, the realisation - why was it so surprising? They couldn't have figured it out years ago? - that the Brits were in favour of nuclear power and nuclear bombs?
Not only major oooooooops! - but their record as members eradicated. Soviet style. Air-brushed out. Never happened. Good old CND - footprint of the chicken.
The frigging weasel.
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