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 McDonnell declares, “The significance
of the reshuffle is not just the circling of the old New Labour wagons and the
Faustian pact Brown has made with the Blairites to stave off another coup
attempt for a period but more importantly the statement that is made by the
appointment of Mandelson and people from the City like Paul Myners into
government and the establishment of the National Economic Council makes about
future economic policy.”
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.
.
