The Drip Drip Drip Water Torture of Gordon Brown

The Drip Drip Drip Water Torture of Gordon Brown is continuing. Already tonight we have this story of a series of leaked emails sent by Lord Mandelson, he reveals:

• Gordon will lose the next election.
• the PM cannot do "X-Factor politics" of his predecessor Tony Blair.
• he slams his leadership style.
• Brown is "complex", unable to hide his insecurities and too self-conscious.
• voters are put off because they think Brown is "angry".

The devastating comments were sent in emails to disgraced former spin-doctor Derek Draper, the man behind the "Mcbridegate" smear scandal.

Next we have this story, again in the News of the World about senior cabinet Ministers facing election under Brown and Labour.

ICM polled in the parliamentary seats of the Cabinet - and in Gordon Brown's back yard.

This is the first poll to show how voters in crucial seats will behave in a General Election.

And the poll shows these previously loyal voters - in previously safe loyal seats, want Brown out.

A massive 12% from Labour to Tory will unseat many of Brown's most senior Cabinet Ministers.

That would unseat SEVEN Cabinet Ministers - the same as Labour managed to kick out when they beat the Tories in 1997.

Chancellor Alistair Darling, Justice Secretary Jack Straw, Work and Pensions Secretary John Denham, Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell and Scottish Jim Murphy will all lose their seats.

We also have reports that Harriet Harman was not happy. Tory Bear says

Gordon's desperate reshuffle is unraveling quicker than one of his budgets. Sources have let it be known that Harman came very close to quitting and was prepared to walk if Gordon had made Mandy Deputy Prime Minister. The idea of this was openly discussed and Harman got her claws out.

What more torture can we expect for Gordon today, whilst he is away in France lauding Obama and being booed by Veterans.

Peter Mandelson tells closest former aides that Gordon Brown cannot win the next General Election | News | News Of The World

The peculiar irony of New Labour's endgame

Marina Hyde writes an interesting article in the Guardian today, which reflects on the fact that

The peculiar irony of New Labour's endgame is that it was all foretold by an accidental prophet named Tony Blair. "My project will be complete," he once declared, "when the Labour party learns to love Peter Mandelson."

Today we saw Lord Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool installed, in all but name, as the No 2 to Gordon Brown. Unfortunately he is surrounded in the Cabinet and his party by a bunch of Toadies, Has-Beens, Never-Beens, and those who have simply been promoted way beyond their capabilities. Truly a Government of absolutely no talent.

The article also reflects upon the issue that

"We are witnessing the final self-destruction of what those who ­created New Labour were given to calling 'the Project', apparently oblivious to the Orwellian overtones of the phrase. Then again, perhaps they weren't ­oblivious – after all, the Project appeared to be closely modelled on the Party, which, you will recall, 'seeks power entirely for its own sake'"

This is so true of Gordon Brown and his party who cannot see the damage they are doing to our country. They cannot see that they must, instead of trying to save their own skins, save our country from the abyss that it is rapidly descending into. They need to unite together and throw us a lifeline by getting rid of Gordon. As Marina says

The Project is complete. It was never about ideas, as became ­depressingly clear to many of us well before the 1997 election. The Project was the formal expression of the gut instinct for survival in power. Its sole aim was to make Labour ­electable, and the manner in which it realised that ambition has now left it even more ­unelectable than it was before its inception.

The problem is that not only is Labour unelectable, as has been amply demonstrated today, but that they are also not fit to Govern. When they rely on 7 Lord's a Leaping and a plethora of non-entities, all led by someone who has no aim but to further himself as a man of history, it is time to call for the Grim Reaper to dispatch this malfunctioning and self-destroying Government. As Marina Hyde says as the end of her article

Think not of it as a murder, but a fated suicide.

Let us only hope it is not a long-drawn out affair as our country is in need of change.

Misery. It's Gordon Brown as Kathy Bates. And Westminster as Lilliput | Marina Hyde | Comment is free | The Guardian:

Foy off say Foy Residents

According to the Telegraph

Residents of Foy, the Herefordshire village chosen by Lord Mandelson to form part of his baronial title, have expressed dismay at their unexpected association with the Business Secretary.

I assume from this, that they don't want to be associated with the cheating, lying, scheming and just plain dishonest man that Mandy is. Can't say I blame them, especially when the connection seems so vague.

Andrew Meek, who lives in the cottage once owned by Lord Mandelson, said:

"People here find the whole thing irritating because he doesn't have anything to do with the place and hasn't done since he left.

"He is not particularly well thought of locally, and I think people would like to have been consulted before he took the title. But I suppose that's what politicians do."

The fact that he never "consulted" anyone in the village is completely within character as Mandy famously doesn't discuss business with just anyone as he is so honest and open.

Villagers disown Lord Mandelson of Foy - Telegraph

Rothschild and Mandy - Just Good friends

The Rothschilds and Peter Mandelson are as they say just good friends. This article is by Jonathon Carr from the Sunday Times on 22nd September 2002. Now I wonder what has happened in the past 6 years that might have lead to what has been going on in the news for the past week. Or is it as Nick Robinson from the BBC said Osborne paying a heavy price for breaking the rules of the rich man’s club… Mandelson’s revenge.

HE IS a man with generous friends. Peter Mandelson, the former secretary of state for Northern Ireland, has found a new backer for his political ambitions in the shape of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, the multi-millionaire banker. De Rothschild may be 21 years Mandelson’s senior but the two have become firm friends, lunching and sharing an interest in Albanian affairs. When the banker married his third wife two years ago, Mandelson was a guest. So it is perhaps no surprise that de Rothschild has emerged as the mystery funder of Policy Network, a “super think tank” that boasts some of No 10’s senior policy advisers on its board and is chaired by none other than Mandelson. The sum donated to date is said to be £250,000. The name of the donor is missing from the think tank’s accounts, but its directors have been privately concerned that they will look secretive if they continue to hide his identity. One tipped off The Sunday Times last week: “It hasn’t been publicised, but de Rothschild’s involvement is well known to the board.” Last night critics said the donation is yet another example of a businessman with vast commercial interests in government policies giving “cash for access” via a Labour think tank. De Rothschild and Policy Network have declined to comment on the matter. De Rothschild, 71, heads the British arm of the Rothschild banking dynasty and chairs N M Rothschild & Sons, its merchant bank. His personal fortune is estimated in The Sunday Times Rich List as £500m. Mandelson’s attraction to rich men has already led to him resigning from the government twice. The revelation that Geoffrey Robinson, the multimillionaire businessman and Labour MP, had loaned him £330,000 to buy a home prompted his first resignation from the Department of Trade and Industry. Then his friendship with the billionaire Hinduja brothers led to his downfall as Northern Ireland secretary when he was accused of helping them obtain British passports. De Rothschild was not previously known to have political leanings but the donation is attributed to Mandelson’s influence and to the banker’s wife Lynn Forester, a friend of Bill Clinton and part of New York’s Democratic party elite. The couple’s friendship with Mandelson blossomed when he was flown to Albania, where de Rothschild and Lord Sainsbury are trying to preserve the city of Butrint, a world heritage site. In June this year the de Rothschilds were among the organisers of a “progressive” leaders’ conference run by Policy Network at Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, which attracted Clinton and the prime minister. In the evening, the gathering moved to Ascott House, de Rothschild’s home in Buckinghamshire, for a seated banquet for 100. The board of Policy Network — set up by a group of young Blairites in 2000 — reads like a Who’s Who of Labour’s inner circle. It includes Andrew Adonis, head of Downing Street’s policy unit, Roger Liddle, a senior member of the No 10 policy unit, Lord Levy, Blair’s chief fundraiser, and Adair Turner, the former CBI director who is now part of Blair’s “blue sky” thinking unit. When Mandelson resigned as Northern Ireland secretary, both Policy Network and No 10 steered the MP for Hartlepool in its direction. A source close to the think tank claimed it was all part of attempts by Downing Street and friends to “feather bed” his second fall from grace. According to Policy Network directors, the de Rothschilds gave the money to a charity, the Policy Network Foundation, before Mandelson came on board. A Downing Street spokesman denied that there was any conflict of interest between Adonis’s and Liddle’s presence on the board. He said: “These are unpaid positions from which no financial gain is sought or received.”

H/T to Barry on PoliticalBetting

Rothschild bankrolls Mandelson think tank

Mandy - Try Try Try Again

Mandy's and Labours attempts to catch George Osborne in their sticky, sleazy web have failed yet again. Their prompting to Rothschild to stir it up again, possibly via the Bliar person have come unstuck as Osborne details his contacts, both with Deripaska and of course Mandy who seems the common linkage in the whole story. I would suggest that it is Mandy that the media should be turning their spotlight on. Notice how Mandy appears at almost all the meetings.

In his statement to the press and in particular the biased duo at the BBC (Yes, you Robinson and Peston) he has this to say. I'll put it in full because it such a good rebuttal of all the sleazy things that Labour has become now with added Campbell and Mandy trying to direct the media

George Osborne has met Oleg Deripaska on five occasions, four of which happened over a weekend in Corfu in August.

On January 26, at the Davos World Economic Forum, Mr Osborne was introduced to Mr Deripaska in the company of others including Peter Mandelson.

They had a brief group conversation about the world economy.

On August 22, while on a family holiday in Corfu, Mr Osborne and his wife were invited onto Mr Deripaska's yacht by Mr Rothschild.

Others present again included Peter Mandelson. The conversation involved Russian and British politics. There was no conversation of any kind about political donations.

That evening Mr Osborne attended a party at the Rothschild villa and sat on the same table as Mr Rothschild, Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson. Again, there was no conversation about party funding.

The following evening, August 23, Mr Osborne attended a dinner at a local taverna.

Mr Deripaska did not attend but both Mr Rothschild and Peter Mandelson did. The conversation involved the state of British politics.

The next day, Mr Osborne, who had been staying in a rented house but was now staying at the Rothschild villa with his family, mentioned to Mr Rothschild that Andrew Feldman - who Mr Rothschild had met once before - was holidaying half an hour away with his family and friends.

Mr Rothschild then invited Mr Feldman to join them for an early evening drink at the villa.

This was a social invitation and at no point previously had Mr Osborne and Mr Rothschild discussed the possibility of a donation to the Conservative Party from Mr Deripaska.

Mr Feldman, Mr Osborne, Mr Rothschild and two other house guests gathered on the villa terrace.

There was a discussion about British and American politics and, in the course of which, Mr Rothschild suggested to Mr Feldman that his friend Mr Deripaska could be interested in making a party donation.

Mr Feldman had not met Mr Deripaska previously and was not aware who he was.

Mr Feldman made clear that there are very strict rules on donations to political parties in the UK.

He explained that there are only two ways of giving a political donation. Firstly, if you appear as an individual on the UK electoral roll. Secondly, if the donation comes from a legitimate UK trading company.

This is an explanation Mr Feldman gives regularly when asked about donations both privately and publicly.

At this point, Mr Rothschild said that Mr Deripaska owned UK trading companies including Leyland Daf.

There was no discussion about how a donation by Mr Deripaska could be concealed or channelled.

At no point did Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or ask for a donation, suggest ways of channelling a donation or express any wish to meet with Mr Deripaska to discuss donations.

The conversation moved on to the US elections. Some time later Mr Rothschild - having phoned Mr Deripaska - invited Mr Osborne, Mr Feldman and one other house guest for a further drink on Mr Deripaska's yacht which was moored nearby.

Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman agreed to meet with Mr Deripaska and his wife and family.

They stayed on the boat for about an hour and drank tea. There was a discussion about British and Russian politics, education and Russian history.

There was no conversation or mention of party funding or the possibility of Mr Deripaska making a donation to the Conservative Party.

After the group left the boat. Mr Feldman did not see Mr Deripaska or Mr Rothschild again and had no further conversations with Mr Deripaska.

Mr Osborne met Mr Deripaska again briefly the following lunchtime when both Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson visited the Rothschild villa.

The conversation between them lasted no more than five minutes and again there was no discussion about political donations.

Indeed Mr Osborne, has had no further discussions with Mr Deripaska. Nor has he had a further conversation with Mr Rothschild about donations.

On September 18, Mr Feldman and Mr Rothschild had a phone conversation about the possibility of Mr Rothschild hosting a fundraising dinner for the Conservative Party - something the Rothschild family have done before.

At the end of that conversation Mr Rothschild mentioned that Leyland Daf, a UK trading company owned by Mr Deripaska, was interested in making a donation to the party.

Leyland Daf is well known to be a company recently purchased and owned by Mr Deripaska.

Mr Feldman said that he was not sure if such a donation was appropriate. He told Mr Rothschild that he would have to seek advice on the matter.

Later that day it was decided after consultation with senior party officials that it would not be appropriate to accept such a donation.

There was no further contact from Mr Rothschild or Mr Deripaska and the matter was considered to be at an end.

For clarity, neither Mr Feldman nor Mr Osborne have ever discussed with Oleg Deripaska the possibility of him making a political donation.

At no point in any of these meetings and discussions did either Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or attempt to solicit a donation from Mr Deripaska. Nor did they at any stage suggest any way that a donation could be channelled or concealed through a British company.

This statement constitutes a full and detailed explanation of Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman's dealings with Mr Deripaska. We would now urge Lord Mandelson to provide the same.

Over to you Mandy. Explain ALL your dealings with Deripaska.

The spinning web that is Mandelson

Sir Walter Scott wrote

“Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive”

We must congratulate Lord Mandy on his weaving skills. As the Telegraph "reports"

George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, met Oleg Deripaska on his yacht this summer. It was alleged there was discussion of a possible £50,000 donation to the Tory party.

It comes after questions were raised in Parliament over Lord Mandelson's relationship with the oligarch, whose hospitality the Business Secretary is said to have enjoyed on several occasions.

The hand of Mandy is firmly on this story. As Guido reports

Mandelson's ability to get Nathan Rothschild, a Tory donor, to counter-attack Osborne over the "pouring poison" line is widely seen as a tribute to his powers of persuasion.

In reality Rothschild, who has long been enamoured with and in thrall to Tony Blair, acted after Mandelson got Blair to call Rothschild to encourage him to embarrass Osborne. M'learned friends are now being consulted as claim and counter-claim are spun. Isn't it great to have all the fun of the circus with Mandelson back...

As Our Gordon said. No more spin.....

The spinning web that is Mandelson

Til' death us do Part - A reminder to Mandelson

Mandy or more rightly The Right Honourable The Lord Mandelson, had his first speech as a Minister in the House of Lords yesterday. Apparently it a was all slickness and sweetness. However the reply to Mandy had a few nice touches of irony for him. As Simon Hoggart explains

The Tory Lord Hunt replied in equally glutinous terms. "A very accomplished maiden speech!" he gushed. "He led us on a fascinating and absorbing journey through history ... his impressive career to date ... his tributes to colleagues and, in particular, the staff were much appreciated and reciprocated by us all! He has indeed joined the aristocracy."

At this point I thought I would gag, but at least he had concealed one or two little acid bombs.

"As a life peer he can only be introduced once into the house ... we are together now until death us do part."

He quoted the Bible on the topic of lilies: "They toil not, neither do they spin.

"While he toils, I am sure he will reflect deeply on the second part of that quotation ..."

This was good, sarcastic stuff, and I suddenly found my breath returning.

A little reminder to Mandy that the House of Lords may not be that easy a place to live if your life is full of spin.

It has become a difficult place to please as a number of Government Ministers have found to their cost just this week.

Simon Hoggart's sketch: Mandelson takes peers' breath away Politics The Guardian

Mandy won't be Anti-Corruption Champion

This is embarrassing to say the least for Peter Mandelson. Jack Straw has just announced in a written ministerial statement that he and not the Business Secretary has been personally appointed by Gordon Brown as the Goverment's official "Anti-Corruption Champion".

Why is this bad news for Lord Mandelson? Well, the last person to hold the title was his predecessor at DBERR, John Hutton. Worse still, the secretariat and other officials will REMAIN in Mandelson's department.

Not surprising really that your anti-corruption champion shouldn't be a minister who has already resigned twice and is already having questions asked about his probity yet again.

Labour can't even trust it's own ministers shocker!


Paul Waugh | Blogs | Evening Standard

La La Land - Tuesday's Report of Burials

Buried under the Reports of how the Financial Crisis has been sorted by Gordon we have the following list just from today.

1. Secret Coroners Inquests dropped from the Counter Terrorism bill. The bill is now a complete waste of time.
   
2. SAT tests dropped for 14 year olds.
3. Inflation at record high for 16 years.
4. Justice Department to cutback over 10,000 jobs.
5. Mandy in double trouble.
6. New Terror alert coincidence day after 42 days bill dropped. "Reckless" Comments by Lord West.

Remarkable! Considering yesterday was a bad day as well.

Mandelson the Bully

The attached article in the First Post shows another sample of Mandelson's behaviour in Government that should raise more concerns on his appointment as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

It looks at his "misjudgement" in being associated with Russian Billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and then looks at how he was bullying the tiny state of Guyana. The First Post says

One of Mandelson's last acts as EU Trade Commissioner was to threaten Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the world, with financial penalties that could amount to €70m a year because the Guyanese government has so far refused to join an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the European Union.

Guyana has criticised various "anti-developmental" conditions of the agreement, including the relaxation of barriers on foreign investment and clauses on intellectual property rights that would make it more difficult for Caribbean countries to patent their own generic medicines.

The First Post also comments that it is

No wonder that a report commissioned by the EU's rotating president, Nicolas Sarkozy, condemned the tactics - "pressure, paternalism and threats" - used by the EU commission during these negotiations.

So here we have Mandelson doing what he does best bullying and cajoling the "little" people into doing what he wants with various threats. This is exactly what he did in his previous times in British Government and why he has been brought back in a cynical move by Gordon Brown, to be the Labour Heavy after Gordon's failed attempts.

The report in the First Post also finishes off with the following

For Mandelson, ­ like the New Labour project itself, ­ symbolises the bullying arrogance of the neo-liberal creed that has dominated the world for the last three decades.

It is a world in which powerful countries prise open the economies of the poorest so that private corporations can control their food, their water and their electricity, where governments claim to be powerless to intervene in the workings of the 'free market' and yet are suddenly able to produce undreamt-of sums of money to bail out banks when they fail - our banks, not those of Russia, Argentina or Thailand which once went to the wall without receiving any bail-outs or offers of assistance.

We may well wonder at the motives of Gordon Brown for bringing one of his former political enemies back into the government. But as we shake our heads at the cynicism and moral blankness of the "prince of darkness" we might pause to consider that these vices are not just his: ­ they are part and parcel of the system that allows such men to flourish.

Not only should we consider how Mandy can be brought back but, why and how, our system can allow this to happen to a twice disgraced politician who appears to have sucked more bonuses from the system than many of the erstwhile bankers we have seen pilloried in the press in the last few days.


How Guyana brought out the bully in Mandelson | Opinion | The First Post:

Mandy and the Russian Billionaire

A new mystery involving Brown's new poodle Peter Mandelson. According to the Evening Standard.

Peter Mandelson faced new questions today over his relationship with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. The newly-appointed Business Secretary is at the centre of a row over a potential conflict of interest, the Evening Standard can reveal, after two European companies sought his help following allegations that Deripaska's company cheated them over a $1 billion deal in Moscow.

Mandelson, then European Trade Commissioner, took up their case. To their surprise, the two companies then learned that Mandelson was enjoying lavish hospitality aboard the Queen K, the yacht owned by Deripaska, the man they blamed for defrauding them.

The revelation comes at an awkward time for Mandelson. The Business Secretary, now Lord Mandelson after his ennoblement yesterday, was parachuted into the Government by Gordon Brown at a time of grave crisis. Mandelson had already resigned from the Cabinet twice and this new disclosure yet again raises questions about his judgment. Why, it was asked, did he not declare a personal interest when his role as commissioner clashed with a friendship?

Mandelson dismissed suggestions that he had acted unwisely and, in a long statement to the Standard, defended his right to a private life. Yet the Russian connection raises nagging doubts at a time when the Government is fighting to stabilise the turmoil engulfing Britain's financial sector.

One day after he has been ennobled to be Gordon's new enforcer, he's already in the muck. Now there's a surprise for this man who has already had to resign twice.

H/T James A on Political Betting

Mandelson, the billionaire and a growing mystery | News

The Curse of Jonah hits Mandy

According to the Sun

PETER Mandelson was recovering this morning after being rushed to hospital last night with a mystery health crisis.

The new Business Secretary was taken ill as he dined with health minister Lord Darzi.

Sources refuse to confirm it was a heart-related condition.

He was whisked to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, from the west London restaurant.

Today government sources refused to give details of Lord Mandy's illness.

But a source said: "It isn't life threatening."

Lord Mandelson was having dinner with health minister and world-renowned surgeon Lord Darzi to discuss NHS reform.

The fact that the internationally-renowned surgeon was with him and unable to assist suggests it was a serious attack.

Sources say the Business Secretary will have to return to hospital for treatment.

But the scare means he will miss the inaugural meeting of the new National Economic Council this morning.

Update 09:50: According to the BBC he will need an operation.

Peter Mandelson's late night dash to hospital | The Sun |News

What's a Mandelson

According to David Cameron the definition of a Mandelson in Conservative circles is the time it takes between meeting Mandelson and him being rude about Gordon Brown.

Mischievous Mandy drops another brick

I haven't blogged for a while but thought this story about Mandelson would show the character of this politician.

I quote

It was only weeks ago that Peter Mandelson was, in the words of a senior Tory source, “dripping pure poison” about Gordon Brown in his ears. These were not just passing remarks but a well-constructed critique of the prime minister’s failings born of intimate knowledge. The government’s vulnerability to the charge of overloading the country with debt was also discussed, I can reveal.

This article will let you know who the senior Tory is.

When Peter picked a peck of pitta ...

Could the Taverna Agni be the new Granita? It has already been noted that European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson dined with shadow chancellor George Osborne at the taverna in northern Corfu in August, and Osborne has said he has broken bread with Mandelson before, at Davos earlier this year.

But since when was Corfu the scene of high-powered political meetings? Mandelson has been a keen visitor to the island since banker and philanthropist Lord Rothschild, who owns a swish villa there, began extending his hospitality to the former spin doctor. And Osborne has also been schmoozing with the banking family. He has found a keen fan in the shape of Lady Serena Rothschild, who donated £190,000 to the Conservative party, specifically for Osborne's office.

What could Osborne and Mandelson be talking of while chewing their calamari? Surely Mandelson, occasional friend of Gordon Brown, would not have been so naughty as to offer advice to Osborne on strategy?

Gordon will reap what he has sowed.

Mischievous Mandy drops another brick | Martin Ivens - Times Online