So Peter Mandelson, the ‘Prince of Darkness’ is incredibly back in the government after having had to quit on two previous occasions. His is to take up the job of Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform - naturally.  People new to politics may wonder what all the fuss is about, not least since Mandelson has been hiding away in euro-bureaucracy land for the last four years as EU Trade Commissioner. 

Well Mandelson is widely credited, if that is the right word, with being one of the architects of the New Labour project by which Labour would be split from its working class and trade union links and become a variation on the US Democratic Party. Although this aim was not to be realised, it was Mandelson who pushed Blair and Brown along on this right wing road, ultimately plotting to make Blair leader of the Labour Party in 1994 as against Brown, an act which earned undying hatred from the spurned Scotsman. So Brown must be more than a little desperate to countenance the return of Mandelson from European exile. 

Mandelson first entered government after the 1997 landslide Labour victory as a Minister without Portfolio, i.e. Blairite henchman, there to watch over the Brownites and others and stop his master from going astray. Famously he reassured business that “New Labour was intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich.” He was made Trade Secretary in 1998 but was forced to quit on 23 December 1998 after The Guardian newspaper printed details from a book by Paul Routledge of a secret loan for a house of £373,000 from his ministerial rich chum Geoffrey Robinson. 

However, after less than a year on the backbenches, Blair had him back as Minister for Northern Ireland. But scandal caught up with him again when in January 2001 he had to quit over allegations of misconduct involving a passport application for Millennium Dome supporters, the billionaire Hinduja brothers. (Mandelson was the minister in charge of the Dome fiasco.) Out of the Cabinet again, it was widely believed that Blair would – after a suitable period of ‘reflection’ – have had him back in the government. But the widespread opposition from other senior Ministers and the general public did not allow it. 

Naturally Brown was more than pleased to see the back of a man who, with his mix of spin, bullying and behind-the scenes plotting and manipulating, managed to create more than his fair share of enemies. Prince of Darkness was one of the kinder descriptions given to him. The offer in 2004 of a job in Brussels seemed to bring an end to his political career – until now that is. Although he left parliament in 2004 he is coming back via the House of Lords – arise Lord Sleaze! 

Why has Brown felt obliged to bring Mandelson back from the dead to haunt the corridors of power once again? He is, after all, one of the most despised politicians in Britain. Many feel that having the likes of Mandelson back is simply a sop to those disgruntled plotters who still wave the Blairite flag but lack the confidence to get Brown out. Some see this as a political masterstroke by Brown, bringing all the plotters into his ‘big tent.’ Others see it as a sign of desperation - relying on discredited figures from the past to prop the government up. 

Many will see Mandelson’s return as being a sign to the City of London that nothing has changed, despite all the hints Brown was trying to drop at Labour Party conference this year ranting about City bonuses. Mandelson remains as pro-big business as ever – witness his Guardian article of just a few weeks ago headed ‘In defence of Globalisation’ where he wrote: “We have nothing to gain by shutting down financial globalisation…” Such political sagacity! 

Indeed, it should be noted that Brown brought Mandelson back as part of a post-conference reshuffle that has seen various pro-business types promoted into key positions and new bodies set up to ensure that the voice of capitalism remains strong.

John, in his website, has correctly referred to Brown’s actions as being a move to re-affirm New Labour as ‘…government of the city, by the city, for the city.’ His site also lists the team of nearly twenty business advisers which Brown has now appointed to advise on the economy. (See http://www.john4leader.org.uk/ ) 

If Brown thinks that bringing back old enemies into the fold to help promote a ‘big business knows best’ line will save Labour from electoral doom then he is sadly mistaken. The events of the last few weeks on the financial markets have shown that the eternal trust that Blair, Brown and Mandelson have for the unseen hand of market forces has proved to be more than a little in error. Manoeuvres at the top will not save Labour. Only the working class taking the Party back from the Blairs, Browns and Mandelsons who have taken us on the road to disaster can do that.

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