Peter Mandelson is quoted in the Evening Standard tonight denying that Hazel Blears resigned because of the conduct of the Prime Minister. He said it was all to do with her expenses.
"I don't think it's anything to do with the Prime Minister. We are seeing a huge blowback against ministers from this expenses scandal. Unfortunately, she's paid the price."
Unfortunately for Mandy, he let slip earlier on the BBC that Ms Blears had phoned him to tell him why she had resigned. I wonder if her recollection of that conversation matches his. Somehow I doubt it.
Is the Pope a Catholic?
ReplyDeleteNow, now Iain, you know the first clip will be wiped and/or re-edited in time enough....
ReplyDeleteAnd of course there's no evidence for anything you say here.
ReplyDeleteI refer you to my comment on the previous post !
ReplyDeleteHas Mandy Told a Porkie?
ReplyDeleteWhen has Mandy NOT told a porkie?
A bit of desperation creeping in there, Iain.
ReplyDeleteMandy is right that the expenses issue is the reason she's no longer a minister.
She argued with Brown about her feeling that she'd been singled out and resigned in a huff and in a manner designed to do damage to the Labour party. That disloyalty will ensure she has no friends or future in the Labour party.
And good riddance too.
It's always refreshing when they reveal their true colours.
Perhaps she has a future in the Tories?
Tories are well known to be quite supportive of their troughing ladies.
Who gives a toss.
ReplyDeleteIain, Mandy tells nothing else but porkers..
ReplyDeleteYes, I heard his interview on Mayo this pm with increasing incredulity. God he's good (but evil).
ReplyDeleteHas he ever told the truth?
ReplyDeleteMandy spinning for the govt? Surely you must have that wrong??
ReplyDeleteMandy lies because he can - not one of the media outlets holds him to account. They never did.
Guest posts required from any minority party in tomorrows election on the Old Holborn Blog
ReplyDeleteI will not censor any article.
100,000 visitors await your article
Decay, implode, diminish, waste and fall. And thats just the Tory's. Don't get caught by politricks Ian. Time to take some more MDMA and see the bigger picture.
ReplyDeleteA wiser man than Mandy would have been a great deal more careful. Chipmunks may look small and defenseless but I fancy he will soon find out his mistake.
ReplyDeleteNow here's a delicious thought, does Mandy hope that in-fighting following the departure of Brown would utterly destroy every possible successor in the Commons? He could then, with great reluctance you understand, take on the job from the Lords, purely on a temporary basis. The fellow is vain enough to believe that sort of thing.
He might even be crazy enough to believe that, using his dark arts, he could win an election as leader?
One? He told a whole barrow load this afternoon. He claimed that DC had claimed maximum ACA for a period of years.
ReplyDeleteThat's an absolute porker!
Well there’s Pete the porky teller, at his porky telling best. Does peter Mandelson seriously think any member of the British public believes anything he says? He has more faces than the clock at parliament.
ReplyDeleteIf Robert Mugabe said he was standing for Labour leader I would believe him quicker than Mandelson if he said the day after Friday was Saturday.
It's not quite what he said on the PM programme either, the toad.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is that she will spend more time up here in Salford.
New poll from Telegraph. Labour only 1% clear of coming fourth tomorrow. Anyone who thinks such as result wouldn't lead to Brown going please raise your hands.
ReplyDeleteOh goodie.
ReplyDeleteThe Telegraph agrees with me:
Maybe they read it here Iain?
"Miss Blears must have been very angry indeed, as judging by her resignation letter, she was – though not over Mr Brown's handling of the Government, but the way he had failed to support her in the expenses controversy."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5438471/Gordon-Brown-Even-now-he-might-sit-it-out.html
Might just have a Barclays to celebrate...
The problem is knowing when Mandelson is not lying - if ever.
ReplyDeleteIt is so deliciously poetic to see this cabal of vainglorious, venal, mendacious, self absorbed and overvaultingly ambitious 'politicians' drown in the incarnadine sea of their own loathing and betrayal. Deliciously poetic, in a sad and tawdry way.
ReplyDeleteWill any of the MSM stand up and detail the briefing from Number 10 against Blears?
ReplyDeleteIn the news today...
ReplyDelete++ Iain Dale to make more media appearances.
++ Peter Mandelson tells lie.
++ Bears do defecate in the woods, research reveals.
I've been absent a computer for 36 hours. I get back and find the blogs have exploded... four damned pages on Coffee House!
ReplyDeleteIt is superficially amusing, Labour in meltdown, Gordon Brown in crisis.
But actually it isn't amusing at all, it's very sad. New Labour was always an anomaly, a construct to woo 'Middle England', fundamentally dishonest and carried by the charisma of Tony Blair..
I would never vote Labour, but I don't denigrate the ideas of the old guard. I think they are mistaken, I don't think they're rogues, I think their big government beliefs are sincerely held, I just don't agree with them.
That Brown is leading them into meltdown isn't a good thing, it isn't good that there should be an entirely ineffectual Opposition.
As a gut Tory, I still shake my head over what Brown has done. Tragic.
Iain
ReplyDeleteHeads up
New YouGov poll due out tomorrow;
33% Indy Parties
26% Conservative
16% Labour
15% Lib-Dem
Big business leader Lord Kalms just interviewed on SKY says he wants people to vote UKIP as the EU "must be dealth with" and "as a favour to the Tories". He says Camerons "wasting our time" and Darling as Chancellor hasn't a clue what he's doing regards his comical forecasting..
Enjoy
Nice to see some Brown's supporters here! Soon to be endangered species!
ReplyDeleteMandy not telling porkies? It is like fish not swimming, birds not chirping and curry not smelling!
Since Mandy can't even fill in a mortgage application correctly I don't think he's a reliable source.
ReplyDeleteI can see where you got this line. It's what Fraser Nelson has been punting.
ReplyDeleteNo stranger to spin himself, and this is some yarn.
We're supposed to believe that Blears resigned on principle because she was unhappy with Brown's leadership.
Absolute cobblers!!
Remember that her "you tube if you want to" outburst was in response to Brown's attempt to deal with the expenses issue. We now know that she had a lot to fear by the revelations, so no wonder she responded in that fashion.
Sometimes the truth is quite straightforward.
She quite simply resigned in a huff because she was going to be sacked.
On this occasion Mandy told the simple truth.
He must be lying, his lips were moving.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, here's The email that could finish Gordon off.
We know what it looks like, but we don't know how many will have the balls to send it.
If you're an MP, and you're hovering over the 'Send' button, for fucks sake click it now. If you know an MP (Iain) make sure they send it.
We're long past party political considerations now - we just need to get rid of this man before he can do any more damage.
You're losing your edge, Iain! This isn't a story - a story will be when Mandy tells the unadulterated truth in an interview..........
ReplyDeleteThe sooner people stop calling it 'spinning' and start calling it lying, the happier I will be.
Apparently Bin Laden has released a new video offering to be Home Secretary.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine Mandy letting a bit of pork escape his lips, somehow.
ReplyDeleteHe's done bloody good work all day but, a little bit like Vince the Cable - he ain't young and using all this shoe-leather takes its toll. No other guy on point duty? Hey nonny no - election tomorrow - if only there was some kinda system that amalgamated people's choices to form a cohesive ability to amend that which has been done etc etc.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday peeps.
Just checking, it is Lord Mandelson we are talking about !!!
ReplyDeleteWould the question not be better phrased as...Has Mandelson ever told the truth?
Is there any truth in the rumours that the "e-mail petition" was started by Ed Balls' dirty tricks unit, to "out" the rebels and pre-empt them ?
ReplyDeleteDarling looks the most likely candidate for a "Geoffrey Howe moment".
This is how it happened:
ReplyDeleteWhat Hazel said:
"Hello, Peter. Look, I am sorry, but what with the public briefings against me on the expenses matter, I feel I have to say, let down by Gordon. That's why I am resigning."
What Lord Mandelson chose to hear:
"Hello, Peter. Look, I am sorry, but what with the public against me on the expenses matter, I feel I have let down Gordon. That's why I am resigning."
Were Mandelson's lips moving ?
ReplyDeleteIf "no", it's a mortgage/visa/passport application : if "yes", then he's lying !
Such a joy having Lord Voldemort back from Brussels.
ReplyDeleteThe Penguin
Who cares what an unelected Minister thinks ? We, the people, can't remove him from office if we think he's not worthy - we just have to suffer.
ReplyDeleteOnly option we have is to ignore him. That means no media or bloggers post what the rat says until he gets a mandate.
Mandy said what he thinks. It is preposterous for you to suggest that you know better than he does himself what he thinks.
ReplyDeleteWhatever The Blears may have told him Mandy is entitled to his thoughts and to share them with journalists as he sees fit.
Abd I agree with him.
Whatever else is layered upon it the fundamental reason that Blears has stood down, and ditto Smith, is the expenses story. She may be pissed at GB for being less kind to her than others - though no two cases are entirely alike in this mess - but that is in essence about the expenses story.
Old Holborn: Minority Party? Does that now include me?
ReplyDeleteIt will only be big news if Lord Voldermort does NOT tell a porkie pie!
ReplyDelete