Last night, Jeremy Paxman announced at the ened of the programme that he would be joined by Peter Mandelson tonight.
I'm hearing unconfirmed rumours that Lord Mandelson has pulled out of the interview.
More in a moment...
UPDATE 4.39pm: A Newsnight insider has just told me: "We are unsure of his participation at the moment." So that's confirmed then...
UPDATE 8pm: Newsnight have now said that Lord Mandelson has just confirmed that he will be on the programme after all. Good. Hopefully Mr Paxman will be on form!
He's needed to harness up the rocking horse!
ReplyDeleteIs he to busy trying to Bruin some back up?
ReplyDeleteHe will blame it on the 'wrong kind of snow'...
ReplyDeleteCrafty...
But where is he....that is the question
ReplyDeleteSometimes, Iain, I know you must feel kinda inferior to Andrew Sullivan because he has far higher (even given the 5x pop difference) reader numbers.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of Sully. But although Sully has moved big stories (eg when Trent Lott was revealed as nostalgic for racism), he has never really broken new stories.
Your blog is not just readable to me, as a left winger, but you do actually break quite a lot of stories.
So, congrats on another.
Why should he support Broon now?
ReplyDeleteHe's served his purpose.
Lisbon is in effect.
Now Mandy can put his feet up and watch the show.
Staying at home to play with his 'only toy'?
ReplyDeleteCome on Iain - there are some calls that you should be making. Ask Matthew Taylor,what he thinks, ask James MacIntyre who broke the news to him - it's your Guido moment COME ON. Mandelson truly is backing Brown and playing the media for fools.
ReplyDeleteTake two now expendable ex-ministers, ignore the fact they've put 40 years each into the Labour Party and waste their reputations. They will end up taking one for the team and never be able to look there constituency members in the eye again. It's the Major 'back me or sack me' sentiment but done right, or done Mandelson - whichever you prefer.
I would put money on that Mandelson is behind this. He didn't intend it to succeed, which is why no alternative PM is identified. It is just intended to remind Gordon that he depends on Mandy to keep him in power until the election and paying undue attention to Balls and his pathetic class war/core vote strategy is 'a mistake.'
ReplyDeleteMandelson's been off the scene for well over a month - since the Pre Budget Report to be exact. And he discretely let it be known that his absence was because he was 'disappointed' that his advice was ignored.
Mandelson's 'endorsement' of Brown today was hardly fulsome. And now it look like he is declining to appear on Newsnight ... I bet Hoon/Hewett are doing Mandy's bidding.
Looks like you were wrong
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/7451307375
Was this a post coital plot?
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing Iain's crowing "breaking news", Mandelson was bound to make the effort.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it is best to just keep schtum.