Mandelson’s Return Is Politics For The Institutionalised
PETER Mandelson is returned to Government. What hold does he have over Gordon Brown? Why back again?
It’s not enough unlike the Italians, who seem to play political musical chairs, the names only changing when someone dies or gets jailed.
Indeed, the political system seems to cater for those who have been away, either in jail or hospital, and might have missed the news.
Reassuringly for them, nothing has change. You can leave the UK for years and return to the same faces, same news, same ishoos.
How very comforting it must have been for a jailbird to see Margaret Thatcher welcoming Gordon Brown into No.10, or was it the other way around. What matter?
So Mandelson is back, and Anorak wonders if he is still talking about himself in the third person (“Peter Mandelson is not a quitter”) or has moved onto the third person plural: “Those Peter Madelsons are not quitters”)?
There may be lots of Peter Mandelsons all whispering among themselves right now, telling each other to be wary of whispering comrades.
There are Peter Mandelsons at Glyndebourne, Wimbledon and every football match; while all Jeffrey Archer can muster is outing at Royal Ascot.
Peter Mandelson is less influential than he is ubiquitous.
So here he is on the front pages. If Brown’s recidivism counts for anything it is to make him no longer the most hated man in politics:
“ARISE LORD SLEEZE” – Daily Mail
“Return of the Prince of Darkness” – Independent
“Lord of Darkness returns as Brown risks all” – Daily Telegraph relegates Brown down the order of peerage
“I’m Behind You” – The Sun’s slight at Mandelson’s sexuality.
And here’s Gordon Brown stood alongside Mandelson, raising his eyes as third-time-lucky Pete speaks, and using his eyes to say: “See! See what I have to out up with from the slippery bastards…”
Posted: 4th, October 2008 | In: Politicians Comments (19) | TrackBack | Permalink
